Israel says it expects UK, allies to join fight if Iran launches retaliation

Israel’s foreign minister told western allies including the UK and France that it expects them to attack Iran if it were to launch a retaliatory strike on Israeli territory.

“If Iran attacks, we expect the coalition to join Israel not only in defence but also in attacking significant targets in Iran,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz told his UK and French counterparts, David Lammy and Stephane Sejourne, according to a statement from the Israeli office.

Lammy and Sejourne were on a foreign visit to Israel at the time of the remarks, where they were focused on trying to de-escalate tensions in the region and lobby for a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.

“It would be inappropriate to speak of an Israeli response while we work towards a diplomatic solution… We are working to prevent Iranian retaliation,” Sejourne told reporters in Jerusalem.

A UK government source told The Times that it would be “highly unlikely” the UK would participate in a direct attack on Iran but the country would come to Israel’s defence.

The UK’s participation could mirror the response to Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel in April, when several western countries including the United States helped Israel shoot down scores of drones launched at Israel.

Katz’s comments come as negotiators in Doha have completed the second day of the latest round of ceasefire talks on Friday. The US, Qatar and Egypt released a joint statement that described the talks as productive, and said a “bridging proposal” was presented to both sides to narrow the gaps between Israel and Hamas.

However, sources inside Hamas told MEE that the Israeli delegation’s “primary efforts were to add [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s] conditions to be part of [US President Joe Biden’s] proposal” – referring to a stipulation that Israel would maintain control of a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt and another that Israel would be allowed to screen Palestinians returning to northern Gaza for any weapons.

The sources told MEE that “Hamas categorically rejects Netanyahu’s conditions”.

Meanwhile, the threat of an Iranian retaliation against Israel continues to loom. Earlier this month, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated while on a visit to Tehran, in what the Palestinian movement described as an Israeli strike.

Iran has vowed to respond to the attack. But despite US reports that an Iranian attack on Israel was imminent, several weeks have transpired without any such strike.

The threat of a major escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border also remains after Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut just days before Haniyeh’s assassination.

Hezbollah released a video on Friday morning showing what seems to be a developed underground missile-launching facility along with an extensive tunnel network.