Region on edge as Israel, Iran trade threats

GAZA STRIP — Israel and Iran traded threats amid sharply heightened tensions in a region already on edge after six months of conflict in Gaza, as Israeli tanks pushed back into parts of the northern enclave, and warplanes conducted airstrikes on Rafah.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Iran would not get off "scot-free" after Teheran and its allies launched a barrage of more than 300 missiles, drones and rockets at Israel.

"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 attack.

It remained unclear how and when Israel might strike, and whether it would target Iran directly or attack its interests or allies abroad.

Iran has characterized the barrage as an act of self-defense following a deadly airstrike on its consulate in Syria, saying it would consider the matter "concluded "unless Israel retaliated.

On Wednesday, Iran celebrated the "success" of its weekend drone and missile attack on Israel as it staged an annual military parade.

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

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has stressed that "the United States is committed to Israel's security" but wants to prevent the conflict from spreading.

The US announced on Tuesday that it was preparing new sanctions for Iran's missile and drone program, while the EU's foreign policy chief signaled the bloc would levy new punitive measures as well.

World leaders have urged restraint and de-escalation in the aftermath of the weekend's attack.

During a phone call with 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.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu against "significant escalation" and said now was a moment for "calm heads to prevail".

Throughout, Israel has kept bombing targets in Gaza, the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory that has been largely devastated.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu told new army recruits that Israeli forces were fighting Hamas "without mercy".

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

Residents reported an internet outage in the areas of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia in northern Gaza. Tanks advanced into Beit Hanoun and surrounded some schools where displaced families have taken refuge, said the residents.

Beit Hanoun, home to 60,000 people, was one of the first areas targeted by Israel's ground offensive in Gaza last October. Heavy bombardment turned most of Beit Hanoun, once known as "the basket of fruit "because of its orchards, into a ghost town comprising piles of rubble.

Many families, which had returned to Beit Hanoun and Jabalia in recent weeks after Israeli forces withdrew, began moving out again on Tuesday because of the new raid, some residents said.

Airstrike hits Rafah

Just before midnight, an Israeli airstrike hit a house in Rafah and killed seven people, including children, and wounded several others, Palestinian health officials said. There was no immediate Israeli comment.

Israel has faced growing global opposition to the relentless fighting, which has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees, or 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 occupied West Bank. Its humanitarian office, OCHA, said it had planned to raise $4 billion, but slashed the target due to the difficulty in getting aid for Gazans.

Andrea De Domenico, head of the UN humanitarian office for Gaza and the West Bank, told reporters that "massive operations" are required to restore those services and meet minimum standards — and this can't be done during military operations.

According to the international community's authority on determining the severity of hunger crises, famine is imminent in northern Gaza where 70 percent of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger.

Against the backdrop of the grinding conflict, the Security Council is expected to take up the issue of full Palestinian UN membership on Thursday, several diplomatic sources told AFP.

Slovenia and Spain have voiced their support for the recognition of the State of Palestine when the time is right, saying they hope the recognition will help end the armed conflict in Gaza.

Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez declared their position at a joint news conference after their meeting on Tuesday.

But an application to become a full UN member needs to be approved by the Security Council, where Israeli ally the United States can block it, and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.

Agencies - Xinhua