Report: Netanyahu Rejected Pre-Oct. 7 Hamas Strike

U.S. military planners have reportedly prepared options for renewed strikes on Iran, potentially using the non-nuclear GBU-43/B “Mother of All Bombs” against military, energy or nuclear targets, but President Donald Trump has not ordered an attack and has said he would not strike before the midterm elections. Trump has not ruled out using the weapon afterward. Iran has warned of retaliation against U.S. personnel, bases and allies if it is used, and says it has strengthened its defenses; analysts question whether the bomb could destroy deeply buried nuclear facilities or achieve key objectives, and say its use would be a major escalation. Separately, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a proposal to strike Hamas targets from the air weeks before the October 7, 2023, attack. The report emerged amid a defamation lawsuit by former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who disputes Netanyahu’s account of the pre-attack warnings.