Israel and Iran traded threats on Tuesday after Tehran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel heightened regional tensions as the conflict in Gaza continues with no truce in sight.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran would not get off “scot-free” after Tehran and its allies launched a barrage of over 300 missiles, drones and rockets at Israel at the weekend.

“We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression,” Hagari said, a day after Israel’s military chief vowed there would be “a response” to Iran’s offensive.

Iran said its attack was an act of self-defense following a deadly Israeli air strike on its consulate in Syria, and that it would consider the matter “concluded” unless Israel retaliated.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that “the slightest action against Iran’s interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response.”

The White House on Tuesday announced new sanctions on Iran, with measures targeting the Islamic Republic’s missile and drone program.

“In the coming days, the United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran, including its missile and drone program as well as new sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Defense Ministry,” U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

Meanwhile, multiple countries, including China, Russia and the UK, have urged restraint and de-escalation.

Despite the regional tensions, Israel has continued to bomb targets in Gaza, which has been largely devastated by more than six months of fighting and a siege on its 2.4 million people.

Israeli tanks pushed back into parts of the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday which they had left weeks ago, while warplanes conducted air strikes on Rafah, the Palestinians’ last refuge in the south of the territory, killing and wounding several people, Palestinian medics and residents said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told new army recruits on Tuesday that Israeli forces were fighting Hamas “without mercy.”

After more than six months of fighting, there is still no sign of any breakthrough in talks led by Qatar and Egypt to clinch a ceasefire deal in Gaza, as Israel and Hamas stick to their mutually irreconcilable conditions.

While there is still a long way to go to realize a truce plan, Israel and the UN agencies contradicted with each other on the amount of humanitarian aid now entering Gaza. Israel and the U.S. said the aid flows have risen in recent days, but UN agencies said it is still far below bare minimum levels.

Israel’s military said it had facilitated the entry of 126 trucks into northern Gaza late on Monday from the south. It also said it was working in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP) to facilitate the opening of two more bakeries in northern Gaza after the first began operations on Monday with WFP help.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said there had been “no significant change” in the amount of humanitarian relief entering Gaza, even after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to allow in more aid.

The UN said it would launch an appeal on Wednesday for $2.8 billion to help Gaza, as well as the West Bank.

Source(s): CGTN

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, held phone talks on Monday regarding the tensions between Israel and Iran.

Amir-Abdollahian briefed Wang on Iran’s position on the attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, saying that the UN Security Council did not make a necessary response to this attack, and that Iran has the right to self-defense in response to the violation of its sovereignty.

Noting that the current regional situation is very sensitive, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran is willing to exercise restraint and has no intention of further escalating the situation.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China strongly condemns and firmly opposes the attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, regarding it as a serious violation of international law and unacceptable.

China has noted Iran’s statement that its action taken was limited and was an act of self-defense in response to the attack against the Iranian consulate in Syria, Wang said.

China appreciates Iran’s stress on not targeting regional and neighboring countries, as well as its reiteration on continuously pursuing a good-neighborly and friendly policy, he said.

It is believed that Iran can handle the situation well and spare the region from further turmoil while safeguarding its own sovereignty and dignity, he added.

Wang also stated that the current situation is the spillover of the Gaza conflict and the pressing task now is to quickly implement UN Security Council Resolution 2728 and end the Gaza conflict to protect civilians and prevent further aggravation of humanitarian disasters.

China is willing to maintain communication with Iran for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue, Wang added.

Source(s): CGTN

Tehran on Monday called on Western nations to “appreciate Iran’s restraint” towards Israel after it attacked its regional foe in response to a deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

“Instead of making accusations against Iran, (Western) countries should blame themselves and answer to public opinion for the measures they have taken against the… war crimes committed by Israel” in its war against Hamas in Gaza, said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani.

The spokesman added that Western countries “should appreciate Iran’s restraint in recent months.”

Several Western countries, including France and Britain, condemned Iran over its attack on Israel, which Tehran insists was an act of “self-defense.”

Iran’s first direct attack on Israel, which began on Saturday, was in response to a April 1 strike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus which has been widely attributed to Israel.

The Damascus strike leveled the five-story consular annex of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.

Kanani said Iran’s action was meant to “create a deterrent in the aim to prevent the repetition of the actions of the Zionist regime and to defend (Iranian) interests.”

Iran said it informed the United States and gave a 72-hour warning to neighboring countries ahead of its attack on Israel, which was denied by the U.S. side, according to Reuters.

Israel says 99 percent of Iran’s launches intercepted

The Israeli military said on Sunday that it intercepted about 99 percent of the more than 300 missiles and drones Iran launched late Saturday in its first direct attack against Israel.

“Together with our partners, the Americans and others, we managed to block the attack with very little damage caused,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, describing the outcome as “an impressive achievement.”

Gallant noted that the incident is not over, and the Israeli Air Force remains on high alert.

In a press briefing, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Iran had launched about 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and over 120 ballistic missiles.

Hagari said the IDF’s Arrow anti-missile system successfully intercepted most of the ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere.

U.S. says it won’t support Israeli counterattack

Israel might not have U.S. support for a counterattack. Overnight, Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden talked over the phone, according to Netanyahu’s office.

Israel’s Walla news site reported that Biden told Netanyahu that the U.S. would not support an Israeli counterattack against Iran.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday warned members not to further escalate tensions with reprisals against Iran, while the U.S. warned the Security Council it would work to hold Tehran accountable at the UN.

Source(s): CGTN