Israel bombs Gaza as West sanctions Iran
Israel launched more deadly strikes on besieged Gaza as Western governments unveiled sweeping sanctions against Iran’s military drone programme in response to the country’s unprecedented attack on its arch enemy Israel.
World powers have been watching nervously since Israel vowed to retaliate against Iran for the weekend assault, with fears soaring that escalating tit-for-tat attacks could push the region towards wider war.
More than six months into the bloodiest ever Gaza war, the
Israeli army said it had bombed dozens of targets in the territory, as Qatar said efforts to broker a truce have stalled.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to destroy Hamas over its Oct 7 attack that started the war, has stressed that Israel “reserves the right to protect itself” against Iran.
The Islamic republic last weekend carried out its first ever attack to directly target its regional foe but Israel, backed by its allies, intercepted most of the 300 missiles and drones, and suffered no deaths.
Iran’s attack was retaliation for an April 1 air strike, widely blamed on Israel, which levelled its consulate in Damascus and killed seven Revolutionary Guards.
The international community has urged de-escalation since Iran’s attack, which came after months of violence involving Israel and Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
“The Middle East is on a precipice,” UN chief Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday.
“One miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake, could lead to the unthinkable – a full-scale regional conflict that would be devastating for all involved,” he told the UN Security Council.
The United States, Israel’s top ally and military supplier, has made clear it won’t join any Israeli attack on Iran, instead unveiling new sanctions on Thursday against the country’s military drone programme.
“We are holding Iran accountable,” US President Joe Biden said, adding that he had discussed ramping up economic pressure on Tehran with other leaders at a G7 meeting in Capri, Italy.