Israel will respond to Iran's weekend missile and drone attack on its territory, the military chief of staff said on Monday. "This launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and drones into Israeli territory will be met with a response," Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said. World leaders are urging Israel not to retaliate. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates on the situation in the Middle East.
Summary:
- French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said France would do all it can to avoid a further escalation in the conflict in the Middle East.
- The Israeli army confirmed Monday that four Israeli soldiers were wounded in an explosion hundreds of metres inside Lebanese territory after earlier saying the soldiers had been injured in an explosion of an unknown source during activity along the northern border.
- Israel's UN envoy on Sunday urged the UN Security Council to impose "all possible sanctions" against Iran following the attack against Israel.
- Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the UN emergency meeting his country was exercising its "inherent right to self-defence".
- US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Washington will not take part in a counter-offensive against Iran, an option Netanyahu's war cabinet favours after the massive aerial attack on Israeli territory, according to officials.
- Iran's armed forces chief of staff said the attack on Israel had "achieved all its objectives". Israel had said it was bracing for a possible Iranian attack after an air strike killed two Iranian generals in Syria on April 1. Iran blamed Israel for that strike and vowed revenge.
- At least 33,797 Palestinians have been killed and an estimated 76,465 have been injured in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Some 1,170 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks that sparked the war and 250 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, with 132 still missing.
Yesterday's key developments:
- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for maximum restraint on Sunday after Iran's attack on Israel as he reminded members of the world body that acts of reprisal involving the use of force are barred under international law.
- France carried out interception missions during Iran's overnight attack on Israel, Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said on Sunday.
- Iran says it has summoned the French, British and German envoys over their reactions to the attack.
- The UN Security Council met on Sunday after Israel requested the council condemn Iran's attack and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
- Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7, held a video meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday to discuss Iran's attack.
- The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has rejected an Israeli ceasefire proposal for the war in Gaza. Israel wants to secure the return of hostages seized by Hamas in the October 7 attacks but says it will not stop its offensive until Hamas is destroyed as a military force.
Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.
The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.
In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published final death tolls based on its own research into medical records. The UN's counts have largely been consistent with the Gaza health ministry’s, with small discrepancies.
For more on the Gaza health ministry’s tolls, click here.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)
