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UN warns against ‘catastrophic’ regional conflict

UNIFIL spokesman fears an Israeli escalation against Hezbollah in south Lebanon could soon spiral out of control “into a regional conflict with catastrophic impact for everyone”…reports Asian Lite news

UN peacekeepers in Lebanon warned Saturday against a “catastrophic” regional conflict as Israeli forces battled Hezbollah and Hamas militants on two fronts, on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

Israel has faced a fierce diplomatic backlash over incidents in south Lebanon that saw five Blue Helmets wounded. On Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said Israeli air strikes on two villages located near the capital Beirut killed nine people.

Israel had earlier told residents of south Lebanon not to return home, as its troops fought Hezbollah militants in a war that has killed more than 1,200 people since September 23, and forced more than a million others to flee their homes.

“For your own protection, do not return to your homes until further notice… Do not go south; anyone who goes south may put his life at risk,” Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X.

Hezbollah said Saturday it launched missiles across the border into northern Israel, where air raid sirens sounded and the military said it had intercepted a projectile.

UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told he feared an Israeli escalation against Hezbollah in south Lebanon could soon spiral out of control “into a regional conflict with catastrophic impact for everyone.” The UN force said five peacekeepers have been wounded by fighting in south Lebanon in just two days, and Tenenti said “a lot of damage” had been caused to its posts there. Around Israel, markets were closed and public transport halted as observant Jews fasted and prayed on Yom Kippur.

After the holiday, attention is likely to turn again to Israel’s expected retaliation against Iran, which launched around 200 missiles at Israel on October 1. Israel began pounding Gaza shortly after suffering its worst ever attacks from Iran-backed Hamas militants on October 7 last year, and it launched a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon on September 30.

On Friday, Israel faced criticism from the UN, its Western allies and others over what it said was a “hit” on a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon. Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the second such incident in two days, UNIFIL said Friday.

Israel’s military said soldiers had responded to “an immediate threat” around 50 meters (yards) from the UNIFIL base in Naqura, and has pledged to carry out a “thorough review.” The Irish military’s chief of staff, Sean Clancy, said it was “not an accidental act,” and French President Emmanuel Macron said he believed the peacekeepers had been “deliberately targeted.”

Both countries are major contributors to UNIFIL whose peacekeepers are on the front line of the Israel-Hezbollah war. Efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting have so far failed, but Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his government would ask the UN Security Council to issue a new resolution calling for a “full and immediate ceasefire.”

Lebanon’s military said Friday an Israeli strike on one of its positions in south Lebanon killed two soldiers.

Meanwhile, India joined a statement from troop-contributing countries condemning recent attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon, as a fifth peacekeeper was injured on Saturday.

Poland released a joint statement from 34 countries troop contributing countries of UNIFIL who have sent troops which said that it “strongly condemn recent attacks on the UNIFIL peacekeepers”.

The statement said that the actions “must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated”. It doesn’t name Israel in the statement.

Though India was not initially listed as a co-signatory, the Indian permanent mission at the UN put out a tweet that India had “fully aligned itself with the statement”. “Safety and security of peacekeepers are of paramount importance and must be ensured in accordance with extant UNSC Resolutions,” it added.

Later on Saturday evening, in a fresh tweet, the Polish mission said support for the statement was growing and thanked India, Germany, Greece, Colombia and Uruguay for joining. The joint statement urged “the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL’s presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times, so that they can continue to implement its mandate and continue their work of mediation and support for peace and stability in Lebanon and the entire region”.

“We reiterate our commitment to multilateral cooperation with the UN at its core. We call for respect for the international law, in particular the Charter of the United Nations as well as the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,” it said.

The statement also said that the countries reaffirmed their “full support for UNIFIL’s mission and activities, whose principal aim is to bring stabilisation and lasting peace in South Lebanon as well as in the Middle East, in line with relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council”. “We consider UNIFIL’s role as particularly crucial in light of the escalating situation in the region,” it said.

The UN peacekeeping mission currently consists of 10,058 peacekeepers from 50 countries, with Indonesia contributing the largest number of troops, followed by Italy and India.

A day earlier, India expressed concern about the “deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line.” Without specifically naming Israel, India emphasized that “the inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all, and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate.”

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US Slaps Iran With Fresh Sanctions Over Attack On Israel

The State Department has imposed sanctions on six entities engaged in Iranian petroleum trade and identified six vessels as blocked property, reports Asian Lite News

The US has announced sanctions targeting Iran’s energy trade in light of the October 1 ballistic missile attack launched by the country against Israel.

According to a statement issued by the Department of State, the department “is imposing sanctions on six entities engaged in Iranian petroleum trade and identifying six vessels as blocked property”.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Treasury “is issuing a determination that will lead to the imposition of sanctions against any person determined to operate in the petroleum or petrochemical sectors of the Iranian economy,” the statement said as reported by Xinhua news agency.

“Additionally, Treasury is sanctioning 10 entities and identifying 17 vessels as blocked property for their involvement in shipments of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products in support of US-designated entities National Iranian Oil Company or Triliance Petrochemical Co. Limited,” the statement added.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement that the above measures “will help further deny Iran financial resources used to support its missile programs and provide support for terrorist groups that threaten the US, its allies, and partners”.

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CIA chief discusses Israel’s response to Iran

Central Intelligence Agency’s Director William Burns said on Monday that the risk of an unintended escalation in the Middle East looms as “a very real danger…reports Asian Lite News

CIA’s director William Burns said in a recent interview that Israel is still “weighing very carefully” its response to Iran, as reported by CNN.

Israel has been expecting to conduct a retaliatory response after Iran launched direct strikes earlier in October, wherein a barrage of over 100 missiles took over the country. This action heightens the possibility of an all-out war in the Middle East and west Asia region.

Central Intelligence Agency’s Director William Burns said on Monday that the risk of an unintended escalation in the Middle East looms as “a very real danger, “Even though the US maintains its assessment that neither Iran nor Israel “is looking for an all-out conflict”, he told CNN.

Israel is “weighing very carefully how it’s going to respond to the most recent Iranian ballistic missile attack,” Burns said at a national security conference in Sea Island, Georgia, declining to speculate on what form that retaliation might take.

“I think all of us are acutely aware of the consequences of different forms of strikes and consequences for the global energy market and the global economy,” he said.

US President Joe Biden said last week that he would not support Israel striking Iranian nuclear facilities, but it is not clear whether the US has successfully persuaded Israel to take that option off the table; markets have also been on edge due to the possibility that Israel could choose to strike oil facilities in Iran.

In the national address marking the first anniversary of October 7 massacre, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed for repercussions towards the perpetrators of crime. He said, “We will continue to fight, and united–we will win. And when we win, not only for our sake but for the sake of future generations and for all humanity.”

On Iran, Burns said, the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei continues to be the “ultimate decision-maker,” and said his agency has not detected “any kind of dramatic change of tone there.”

CNN also noted that Burns said he continues to hold out some hope that a successful deal can be reached between Israel and Hamas that could result in the release of the remaining living hostages. But those negotiations, he said, have “been pushing a very big rock up a very steep hill.”

The US has time and again reiterated its support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

Issuing a public statement on the one year anniversary of the attacks on Israel, America’s Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin through a post on the social media platform, X, stated that “The Department of Defense will not flinch in our commitment to Israel’s security, to combatting terrorism by Hamas and other fanatical groups, to deterring further aggression from Iran, and to working with our allies and partners to promote stability and peace in the Middle East.” (ANI)

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Israel’s Gallant cancels Pentagon visit 

The cancellation comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran following Tehran’s missile attack on Israel last week…reports Asian Lite News

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant unexpectedly cancelled his visit to the Pentagon scheduled for Wednesday, according to the U.S. Department of Defence. Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to speak with U.S. President Joe Biden before Gallant’s departure.

The cancellation comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran following Tehran’s missile attack on Israel last week, the second such incident this year. Although the Pentagon did not specify the reason for Gallant’s cancellation, they referred inquiries to Israel’s Ministry of Defence, which has yet to comment.

Reports suggest Gallant’s visit was intended to enhance U.S.-Israel coordination on Iran. However, Netanyahu reportedly imposed two conditions: a conversation with Biden and approval from the Israeli cabinet regarding the response to Iran.

The White House has not confirmed whether a call between Biden and Netanyahu has been scheduled, though discussions about such a call have been ongoing since late September.

Last week, Biden remarked that Israel had not yet decided how to respond to Iran’s actions and hinted that alternative measures, such as striking Iranian oil fields, might be considered. In response, Iran issued warnings that any attack on its infrastructure would be met with retaliation, and cautioned Gulf states against allowing their airspace to be used for any strikes against Iran.

Gallant said on Tuesday that a senior Hezbollah official, believed to be a potential successor to the group’s leader, may have been killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Gallant was referring to Hashem Safieddine, a senior Shiite cleric widely considered a likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah, who died on September 27 during an Israeli airstrike. This marks the first time an Israeli official has commented on the reported strike on Safieddine, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Defence Minister’s remarks came during a security assessment meeting at the military’s headquarters in Tel Aviv. Gallant received a briefing on Israel’s ground campaign in Lebanon and “assessed the continuation of targeted strikes against Hezbollah’s leadership and field commanders”, his office said in a statement.

“When the smoke clears over Lebanon, Iran will understand that they have lost the valuable asset they spent years building — Hezbollah,” Gallant said.

He added, “A year after the war began, Hamas is a dismantled organization, and Hezbollah is a beaten and broken entity, with no command or control capabilities — neither politically nor militarily.”

Hezbollah has lost contact with Safieddine since Friday after an Israeli airstrike on the Dahieh suburb in the south of Beirut. The airstrikes came one week after Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli attack that hit Hezbollah’s headquarters in Dahieh.

Since September 23, Israel has launched an intensive air campaign on Lebanon, dubbed “Arrows of the North”, marking a significant escalation with Hezbollah.

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Starmer rules out ban on Israel arms exports  

Responding to questions in Parliament, including from some Labour MPs and Jeremy Corbyn, the PM ruled out a blanket ban while also supporting Israel’s right to defend itself…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would “never” ban all arms sales to Israel as he faced down demands from MPs on the first anniversary of the Oct 7 attacks.

Responding to questions in Parliament, including from some Labour MPs and Jeremy Corbyn, the Prime Minister ruled out a blanket ban while also supporting Israel’s right to defend itself.

“If the sale of weapons for defensive use by Israel were banned, that is a position I could not countenance a year after Oct 7. It’s not a position I could countenance in the face of attacks by Iran,” he said.

“The idea that we could say we support Israel’s right to defend herself, and at the same time deprive her of the means to do so, is so wholly inconsistent that it will never be my position.”

Last month, the Government announced that it had suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel after finding a “clear risk” that the equipment could be used to commit serious violations of international law.

Starmer has been under increasing pressure to ban all arms sales to Israel, with some MPs and activists arguing that the Government’s current position does not go far enough.

Responding to his statement in Parliament on Monday, Zarah Sultana, the Labour MP for Coventry South, asked whether the Prime Minister would do what is “morally and legally right” and ban “all arms sales” to Israel, including components for F-35 fighter jets. He said: “No. Banning all sales would mean none for defensive purposes.”

Other Western nations have also faced pressure to ban arms sales to Israel, including France, where Emmanuel Macron, the president, called for a halt to arms deliveries to Israel after it invaded Lebanon.

“I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza,” Macron said on Saturday. It came as Israel was being attacked on three fronts by terror groups in Gaza, Yemen and Lebanon as it marked one year since the Oct 7 massacre.

Hamas launched rockets at border communities in Gaza from around 6.30am, setting off sirens in Kibbutz Kfar Azza, forcing residents who had just begun a memorial service to take cover in a shelter. Meanwhile, Abu Obeida, a Hamas spokesman, promised that the Iran-backed terror group would continue attacking Israel. “The longer [the military operation in Gaza] persists, the greater the risk to the hostages,” he said.

Hezbollah fired more than 140 rockets at northern Israel on Monday, while Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have fired two missiles at central Israel.

As Israel continued to pound Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that two Israeli special forces soldiers had been killed fighting on the Lebanese border.

The soldiers were killed in a mortar attack, according to an initial IDF investigation. They were named as Warrant Officer Aviv Magen, 43, from Herut, and Master Sergeant Etay Azulay, 25, from Oranit.

Later on Tuesday, Israeli fighter jets struck more than 120 targets in southern Lebanon “within an hour”, the IDF said. The Israeli military also conducted a “targeted strike” on the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut, it said.

Starmer told Parliament that a year on from Oct 7, there was “no military solution” to the crisis in the Middle East as he called for greater diplomatic efforts. “Make no mistake, the region can’t take another year of this. All sides must step back from the brink and find the courage of restraint,” he said.

Joe Biden also spoke to Isaac Herzog, Israel’s president, promising that the US would “never give up until we bring all of the remaining hostages home safely”. The US president repeated his commitment to the “safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist” and defend itself against Iran-backed terror groups. Israel is expected to launch a “significant” attack on Iran in retaliation for the 200-strong missile attack last week.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, told Iran it made a big “mistake” by attacking Israel with ballistic missiles for the second time in six months, but Tehran vowed to give a “firm response” to any retaliatory attack.

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Britain withdraws kin of embassy staff from Israel

The decision comes in the wake of Israel sending troops into southern Lebanon, the killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian missile attack on Israel…reports Asian Lite News

Britain has withdrawn the families of its embassy staff working in Israel due to the escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and the risk of a wider regional conflict.

The decision comes in the wake of Israel sending troops into southern Lebanon, the killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian missile attack on Israel.

“As a precautionary measure following escalation in the region, family members of British Embassy staff have been temporarily withdrawn,” the Foreign Office travel advice web page for Israel read. “Our staff members remain.”

Hezbollah rockets hit Israel’s third-largest city Haifa early on Monday as the country looked poised to expand its ground incursions into Lebanon.

Britain advises citizens against all travel to the area close to the border with Gaza and “all but essential travel” to other parts of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories due to the yearlong conflict between Israel and Hamas.

But British citizens living in Israel are not being told to leave. Instead, they are being advised that consular assistance is “severely limited.”

“We recognize this is a fast-moving situation that poses significant risks,” the advice reads. “We strongly encourage you to check you and your dependents have the required documentation to travel at short notice.”

Advises against non-essential travel

Meanwhile, Britain has advised its citizens against non-essential travel to Israel due to a heightened state of tension and violent clashes in the region. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office also advises against all travel in parts of northern and southern Israel, most of the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

“FCDO advises against all travel to the area close to the border with Gaza and all but essential travel to the rest of Israel and the OPTs,” it says in a statement.

Its website offers more specifics on areas in northern and southern Israel where it advises against all travel. The UK has advised its citizens against all travel to Lebanon since last week.

Earlier, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on all sides in the Middle East conflict to “find the courage of restraint.” 

Speaking in parliament, the UK leader emphasised that the region “cannot endure another year of this” and that “civilians on all sides have suffered too much.”

“All sides must now step back from the brink and find the courage of restraint. There is no military solution to these challenges,” AFP quoted Starmer as saying to MPs in a sombre House of Commons.

His remarks came after an earlier statement on Monday in which he honored the victims of last year’s attacks, saying: “We stand together to remember the lives so cruelly taken.” Starmer, who assumed office in early July, said that Britain “must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a country,” in light of the recent rise in anti-Semitism across the UK.

“On this day of pain and sorrow, we honour those we lost, and continue in our determination to return those still held hostage, help those who are suffering, and secure a better future for the Middle East,” he was quoted as saying.

In his brief speech in parliament, Starmer said 15 British citizens were killed on October 7 in the attacks, and that another died while being held in captivity. The Hamas onslaught left 1,205 dead on the Israeli side, mostly civilians. Some 251 people were captured and taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip. Of those 97 are still held captive including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Starmer also noted that more than 41,000 Palestinians had also been killed in Israel’s military response, reiterating his calls for immediate ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, and more aid to be allowed into the latter.

Peter Kyle, a UK cabinet minister, did not rule out the possibility of the UK military helping Israel attack Iran, but noted any “operational decision to be taken” would be based on “delicate negotiations”.

Kyle also noted the prime minister had spoken to the UK’s allies in the last few days, including Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, resulting in “unanimous” advice that Israel “must exercise restraint” in the region. However, Kyle said the UK government “can’t instruct Israel, as a sovereign state to do anything”.

Speaking on the BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Kyle said: “We do understand deeply what Israel has suffered in this year, but the only way forward is restraint, a ceasefire to create the space for a political solution, because this is getting more complicated. The war is deepening and it is not moving towards the peace that we need, so we are urging the steps that will take us towards that peaceful settlement”.

The prime minister, in an article for the Sunday Times, called out the “vile hatred” that had been directed towards Jews and Muslims since the 7 October attacks.

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Macron, Netanyahu Meet Over Arms Embargo

Macron also told Netanyahu his belief that it’s now time for a ceasefire…reports Asian Lite News

Paris, Oct 7 (IANS) French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone conversation about the Middle East situation after the latter criticised the French leader’s call for an arms embargo on Israel.

A statement from the Elysee Palace noted that the two leaders acknowledged their different opinions on Sunday and emphasised their mutual desire for better understanding.

Macron also told Netanyahu his belief that it’s now time for a ceasefire, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

“The arms deliveries, the prolongation of the war in Gaza, and its extension to Lebanon cannot produce the security expected by the Israelis and by everyone in the region. We must immediately produce the decisive effort that will allow us to develop the political solutions necessary for the security of Israel and everyone in the Middle East,” read Elysee’s statement.

On the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas’ attack on Israel, Macron also reaffirmed the solidarity of the French people with the Israeli people, especially the victims, the hostages and their loved ones.

France-Israel relations became strained over the weekend after Macron’s radio interview on Saturday evening, where he stressed the need to prioritise a political solution and called for halting the supply of weapons to Israel for its operations in Gaza.

Netanyahu strongly condemned the stance, saying: “President Macron and other Western leaders are now advocating for arms embargoes on Israel. Shame on them.” He vowed that Israel would prevail regardless of external support.

The French government announced that Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot would meet with Israeli officials on Monday to further discuss the situation.

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‘Will win with or without your support’: Netanyahu slams West

Netanyahu said that Israel is defending itself on seven fronts against the “enemies of civilization” today….reports Asian Lite News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed French President Emmanuel Macron, who in a recent radio interview called for halting the supply of weapons to Israel for its operations in Gaza, saying all “civilized” countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side as it fights the forces of “barbarism led by Iran”.

Macron and other Western leaders are “now calling for arms embargoes against Israel”, Netanyahu said in a recorded video address on Saturday, and asserted that Israel “will win with or without their support”.

“But their shame will continue long after the war is won,” he added.

Netanyahu said that Israel is defending itself on seven fronts against the “enemies of civilization” today.

“Is Iran imposing an arms embargo on Hezbollah, on the Houthis, on Hamas and on its other proxies? Of course not. This axis of terror stands together. But countries who supposedly oppose this terror axis call for an arms embargo on Israel,” he said.

Netanyahu also said that the Israeli army has destroyed a significant portion of Hezbollah’s missile and rocket capabilities.

He said that the Israeli forces are dismantling the Lebanese group’s tunnel system near the border. “While the threat has not been fully eliminated, we have shifted the balance of the conflict,” he said. “About a month ago, as we neared the end of dismantling Hamas battalions in Gaza, we began fulfilling the promise I made to the residents of northern Israel.”

Since September 23, the Israeli army has intensified its airstrikes against Hezbollah across Lebanon, resulting in significant civilian casualties and displacing residents from many areas. The airstrikes have also targeted and killed key Hezbollah leaders, including the group’s secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah. In addition, Israel has launched what it describes as a “limited” ground operation in Lebanon.

These escalations have exacerbated ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, prompting retaliatory fire and airstrikes by Israel in southeastern Lebanon.

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India Can Convince Israel To Stop Escalation In Middle East, Says Iran

The Iranian envoy also mentioned that India has a big responsibility on its shoulder.

Iranian ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, said on Saturday that New Delhi can play a constructive role in the peace process and can convince Israel to stop genocide in Gaza.

“We believe that India can play constructive role despite India has good relations with Israel, so it can convince Israel to stop genocide in Gaza, to stop escalation in the region,” Ilahi told ANI.

The Iranian envoy also mentioned that India is an emerging and big power that has big responsibility on its shoulder.

“India is founder of NAM. India claims autonomous Strategy And recently India raised the flag of voice of the south So, this puts some responsibility on the shoulder of India,” he added.

When asked about the peace process roadmap, Ilahi said,”The only solution is that the rights of Palestinian as a deprived nation, as oppressed nation, be given to them. The whole world, United States, Arab states, different countries give and recognize their rights to have a state, their rights to have homeland, their rights to have prosperity, their rights to have their own sovereignty. This is the main solution. It’s clear.”

As per Ilahi, Iran’s narration of October 7 categorically differs from the narration of many countries.

“We believe that Oct 7 did not happen suddenly, it has roots, and it has backgrounds. We should study the history of the region and the history of Israel- how it was established. It was established in the lands of Palestinian and one by one they occupied the houses of the Palestinians, fired and burnt the farms and obliged them to leave their homeland. In our discourse, Palestinians are defending and resisting their homeland, despite all the propaganda,” the Iranian envoy said.

On October 7, hundreds of Hamas militants burst into Israeli borders, killing over 1200 people and taking over 250 hostages, out of which 100 continue to be in captivity.

Israel launched a massive counteroffensive in Gaza, targeting Hamas units. However, the mounting civilian death toll, especially women and children has raised humanitarian concerns regarding the escalating conflict.

According to Gaza health ministry, more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in this war. The war has spiralled into the region lately, with Houthi rebels in Yemen also targeting Israel and other countries in the Red Sea.

Israel has also continued striking Hezbollah in Lebanon to counter the ‘threats’. As the conflict heads towards escalation, all major countries have called for a ceasefire and hostage deal, while also stressing for a two-state solution as a means to achieve durable and sustainable peace in the region. (ANI)

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Biden Says Israel Should Explore Alternatives To Attacking Iran Oil Sites

President Biden said Israel must be significantly more cautious about civilian casualties, reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden, addressing the Israel-Iran conflict, stated that if he were Israeli, he would consider alternatives to striking oil fields.

Biden mentioned that Israeli authorities are still deliberating on how they would proceed with any strikes. He remarked, “The Israelis have not yet decided on the specifics of their response. If I were in their position, I would explore alternatives to targeting oil fields.”

While defending Israel’s right to respond to attacks, Biden stressed the importance of caution regarding civilian casualties. He said, “What I know is that the plan I proposed has received support from the UN Security Council and the majority of our global allies as a means to resolve this conflict. Israel has every right to defend itself against vicious attacks, not just from Iran, but also from Hezbollah and the Houthis. However, they must be significantly more cautious about civilian casualties.”

When discussing efforts to prevent a full-scale war in the Middle East, Biden highlighted the US’s ongoing efforts, though he acknowledged the challenges posed by groups like Hezbollah. “We are doing a lot. The primary focus is rallying global allies, like the French in Lebanon, to de-escalate the situation. But when dealing with irrational proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, it’s difficult to determine the best course of action.”

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) reported on Friday that they had eliminated over 2,000 military targets and approximately 250 Hezbollah militants in the past four days. (ANI)

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