In a Sunday meeting of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet, ministers discussed the Iranian operation in depth, with intelligence assessments indicating that Hezbollah was expected to join the conflict in the coming hours.
This information did not surprise those present, but after two days of calm, the question arose as to how to proceed.
According to Channel 12 News, ministers were presented with a dilemma: either wait for Hezbollah to carry out an attack and then present it as an act which justifies a response, or launch a preemptive strike to neutralize the threat.
The considerations included international legitimacy as well as the operational need to prevent harm to Israeli territory.
After a brief discussion, a decision was made to carry out a preemptive strike. However, at 1:04 a.m., Hezbollah launched three rockets towards Israel, one of which was intercepted; the other two fell in open areas.
The terror group also launched UAVs towards the north and took responsibility for the attacks.
Following the rocket fire, the preemptive strike plan evolved into a broader response against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Reports indicate that Israel expects the situation to escalate in the coming days now that Hezbollah has joined the conflict.