TEL AVIV, Aug 15: Israel could respond with nuclear weapons to a non-conventional attack by Iraq, an Israeli daily, Haaretz, said on Thursday, quoting US intelligence sources.

“If Iraq strikes at Israel with non-conventional weapons, causing massive casualties among the civilian population, Israel could respond with a nuclear retaliation that would eradicate Iraq as a country,” the newspaper said.

“In the worst case scenario,” says the US intelligence report presented to US Senate’s foreign relations committee, “Israel could face an existential threat to important urban areas such as Tel Aviv or Haifa,” the daily said.

“Under such conditions, it would threaten nuclear retaliation against Iraqi cities and military forces to cease the (Iraqi) attack,” Haaretz added.

“If the Iraqi attack were to continue, and there was a lethal biological strike on an Israeli city, Israel would certainly respond with nuclear strikes against Iraqi cities that were not yet in the hands of American forces,” the report said.

“Such an Israeli reaction could destroy Iraq as a state,” said Haaretz, quoting the report.

Israel fears that if Washington attacks Iraq, part of Baghdad’s response will be an attack on the Jewish state, as happened in 1991 when 39 Scud missile smacked into Israel, killing two people and injuring hundreds.

But this time Israel fears Iraq might use non-conventional weapons.

On Wednesday, Israel’s defence ministry spokesman announced that iodine pills against radiation would be included in the kits distributed to the population in areas at risk. —AFP