Israel and Iran trade threats leaving West Asia on edge
Tel Aviv’s military says Tehran would not get o‰ ‘scot-free’; President Raisi warns that ‘the slightest action against Iran’s interests will de nitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response’
Agence France-Presse
Israel and Iran traded threats on Tuesday after Tehran’s rst ever direct attack on its arch-foe sharply heightened regional tensions as the Gaza war ground on with no truce in sight.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran would not get o “scot-free” after Iran and its allies launched a barrage of over 300 missiles, drones and rockets at Israel at the weekend.
‘Cannot let it pass’
“We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression,” Mr. Hagari said, a day after Israel’s military chief vowed there would “a response” to Iran’s oensive.
Iran said its attack was an act of self-defence following a deadly Israeli air strike on its consulate in Syria, and that it would consider the matter “concluded” unless Israel retaliated.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned that “the slightest action against
Iran’s interests will denitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response”.
U.S. President Joe Biden stressed on Monday that “the United States is committed to Israel’s security” and wants to prevent the con£ict from spreading.
Washington, Israel’s top ally and arms supplier, has made clear it will not join Israel in any attack on their common adversary Iran, a senior U.S. ocial said.
World leaders have urged restraint and de-escalation.
Putin’s remark
During a phone call with Iran’s Mr. Raisi, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on both sides to “prevent a new round of confrontation fraught with catastrophic consequences for the entire region”, the Kremlin said.
Israel has meanwhile kept bombing targets in Gaza, the Hamas-ruled coastal territory that has been largely devastated by more than six months of war and a siege on its 2.4 million people.
Reuters
The United Nations human rights oce on Tuesday called on Israel to halt its support of attacks by settlers in the occupied West Bank, which has seen an uptick of raids by Israel since the Hamas-led October 7 attack.
The call came a day after Israeli settlers shot dead two Palestinians in the West Bank on Monday, and the Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager during a military raid.
“Israel, as the occupying power, must take all measures in its power to restore, and ensure, as far as possible, public order and safety in the occupied West Bank,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“This obligation includes protecting Palestinians from settler attacks, and ending unlawful use of force against Palestinians by the Israeli Security Forces.”
She added: “The Israeli Security Forces must immediately end their active participation in and support for settler attacks on Palestinians.”
Violence in the West Bank was already on the rise before Israel’s assault on Gaza, which was triggered by an October 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. It has escalated since, with stepped-up Israeli military raids, settler violence and Palestinian street attacks.
Ms. Shamdasani described the escalating violence in the West Bank as “a matter of grave concern.”
In addition to more than 33,000 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza, the Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 466 people in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers.