Hamas’ leader and a top Iranian official held talks last night amid growing fears the Israel-Gaza war could mushroom into a wider Middle East conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian spoke on the phone with terror chief Ismail Haniyeh and Palestinian Islamic Jihad boss Ziyad al-Nakhala to discuss stopping what he described as Israel’s ‘brutal crimes’ in Gaza.
Israeli air strikes have been pounding the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip since the terrorist group invaded Israel and murdered at least 1,400 people while taking some 200 hostage two weeks ago.
Israel Defence Force missiles have been raining down on Hamas targets since as the military prepares for an expected ground offensive with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to destroy the barbaric terrorists.
Today IDF airstrikes took out two Hezbollah cells in Lebanon which were preparing to launch anti-tank missiles and rockets into Israel, the military said. While Syria’s two main airports – Damascus and Aleppo – were blasted yesterday putting them both out of action, while killing two workers, according to Syria’s state media.
A mosque allegedly used by terrorists in the West Bank was also hit.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Amirabdollahian wrote: ‘Tonight, I had a conversation with my brother Sameh Shoukry, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, about sending humanitarian aid, and with Mr Ismail Haniyeh and Mr Ziad Nakhale, the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
‘The resistance is strong on the side of Palestine. The political and security structure of the Israeli regime has collapsed and only its war machine works against civilians.’
It came amid Israeli airstrikes striking Iran-backed Hezbollah cells in Aitaroun, 13 miles south-west of Israeli town Mattat, and further noth in the disputed Shebaa Farms area.
Meanwhile, the IDF confirmed an Israeli soldier was killed by an anti-tank missile yesterday during a raid into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Israel’s Rear Admiral Hagari said that the soldier was killed and three others wounded during the raid in the Khan Younis area of Gaza, that was launched as part of efforts to rescue more than 200 hostages.
‘An IDF soldier was killed, one was moderately injured, and two were lightly injured as a result of an anti-tank missile launched toward an IDF tank and an engineering vehicle,’ the military said.
Iran issued a chilling warning yesterday morning to the United States that Israel’s war with Hamas could ‘spiral out of control’ if they do not ‘immediately’ cease strikes on Gaza.
‘I warn the US and its proxy (Israel) that if they do not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control,’ Iran’s foreign minister said.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the comments alongside his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor at a joint news conference in Tehran.
Israel has amassed tanks and troops near the fenced border around Gaza for a planned ground invasion aiming to annihilate Hamas.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the international community to create ‘a united front’ to stop Israel’s attacks against Gaza and allow in desperately needed aid which has only begun to trickle in.
A second convoy of 14 aid trucks entered the Rafah crossing to the besieged Gaza Strip on last night, and US President Joe Biden and Mr Netanyahu affirmed in a call ‘there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza,’ the White House said.
Biden on Sunday also ramped up his diplomacy, convening separate calls with the leaders of Canada, France, Britain, Germany and Italy, after speaking with Netanyahu and Pope Francis.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will visit Israel this week.
But US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin voiced concern about the risk of a regional crisis on Sunday after announcing deployments of more military assets to the Middle East in support of Israel and strengthen the US defence posture in the region after ‘recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces’ – a reference to Hezbollah, Palestinian and other militants.
‘We’re concerned about potential escalation. In fact, what we’re seeing … is the prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region,’ Austin told ABC’s ‘This Week’ program on Sunday.
‘If any group or any country is looking to widen this conflict and take advantage of this very unfortunate situation … our advice is: don’t,’ he added.
At least three Palestinians were killed on Sunday night and several others were wounded in an Israeli air strike in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza strip, medics and witnesses told Reuters.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said most of the dead from air strikes over the past 24 hours were in Gaza’s south. Israel says it is only targeting militants and that they often use residential buildings as cover.
The first humanitarian aid convoy allowed into Gaza since war erupted arrived in southern Gaza from Egypt on Saturday after days of negotiations. The United Nations said the 20-truck convoy brought life-saving medical supplies and some food.
Source » dailymail