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Source: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ryqoygr5c
U.S. Stalls Israeli Preemptive Strikes
(Ynet News) Ron Ben-Yishai - Israel is being pressured and incentivized by Washington to avoid a preemptive strike that might trigger a regional war. A preemptive strike on Iran is complex militarily due to its distance and size. On the other hand, Israel could deliver an effective preemptive strike against Hizbullah. Israel is ready to act now, at a moment's notice. The plans, weapons and aircraft are prepared. Yet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the defense establishment agree that the IDF will not launch a preemptive strike to avoid the regional war that the U.S. fears. The almost certain scenario is that if the IDF launched a preemptive strike on Hizbullah, similar to Israel's actions at the start of the 2006 Lebanon War when it neutralized Hizbullah's heavy Zelzal missiles within 39 minutes, Iran and its proxies would likely join the fight, leading to the regional war the U.S. is determined to prevent. An announcement that the U.S. is granting Israel permission to utilize $3.5 billion from the $14.1 billion aid package approved by Congress six months ago to purchase U.S. weapons and military equipment serves as one of the "carrots" the administration uses to reward Jerusalem for "good behavior."