Israeli Gaza Strikes Amid Heightened Iran Threat, Raising Regional Tensions

Residents in central Gaza reported intense Israeli gunfire on Friday, as tensions escalated following Iran’s threat of retaliation over a recent strike in Syria that resulted in the deaths of two Iranian generals. Amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations to halt the six-month-long conflict, concerns of a potential Iranian attack on Israel prompted France to advise its citizens against traveling to the region.

Mohammed al-Rayes, aged 61, informed AFP that he evacuated Nuseirat in central Gaza to escape Israeli airstrikes and artillery bombardment overnight.

“It was all fire and destruction, with so many martyrs lying in the street,” he said.

Another resident, Laila Nasser, 40, reported “shells and missiles” throughout the night.

“They will do to Nuseirat what they did to Khan Yunis,” Nasser declared his intention to seek refuge in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, echoing the plans of many others in the area.

Israel withdrew its troops from the heavily damaged city of Khan Yunis last week after months of conflict. However, officials indicated they were preparing for potential operations against Hamas members in Rafah, situated near the Egyptian border.

Authorities in the Hamas-controlled coastal Palestinian territory reported numerous fresh airstrikes in the central region of Gaza on Friday.

The Hamas media office said 25 people were taken to hospital in Deir al-Balah city “as a result of an air strike on a house of the al-Tabatibi family.”

Story So Far…

Israel’s military reported conducting airstrikes on more than 60 Hamas operatives in Gaza within the previous day. The conflict initiated with Hamas’s unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,170 deaths, primarily civilians, according to Israeli reports.

In retaliation, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 33,634 individuals, predominantly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry. The ministry’s updated toll on Friday included at least 89 deaths from the previous day. The recent airstrikes in Gaza followed Israel’s announcement of bolstering air defenses and halting leave for combat units, prompted by a deadly April 1 airstrike destroying Iran’s consulate building in Damascus.

Iran has attributed the attack to Israel, its primary adversary, which has increased strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria since the onset of the Gaza war. Targets have included fighters from Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement in Syria, with ongoing deadly exchanges of fire between the group and Israel along the Lebanese border since October.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reported receiving phone calls late Thursday from German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, as well as her British and Australian counterparts.

‘Legitimate Defence’

In a post on X, the Iranian minister said he had told them that “when the Zionist regime breaches the immunity of diplomatic persons and places” and the UN Security Council fails to condemn it, “legitimate defence… is a necessity”.

He added that “Iran does not seek to expand the scope of the war.”

On Wednesday, United States President Joe Biden stated that Iran is “threatening to launch a significant attack on Israel” and affirmed “ironclad” support for Washington’s primary regional ally, despite diplomatic tensions arising from Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

US Central Command’s Chief, General Michael Kurilla, visited Israel on Thursday to engage in discussions regarding the situation with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as confirmed by the Pentagon.

France issued a warning to its citizens on Friday, advising against travel to Iran, Israel, Lebanon, or the Palestinian territories, following the announcement from the US embassy in Israel about restrictions on the movements of its diplomats due to security concerns.

Moscow and Berlin have both urged restraint in the ongoing situation.

German airline Lufthansa extended its temporary suspension of flights to and from Tehran until Saturday.

During their October attack, Hamas operatives took approximately 250 hostages, with 129 still remaining in Gaza, including 34 who the Israeli army claims are deceased.

Prime Minister Netanyahu leads a coalition that includes religious and ultra-nationalist parties. He faces pressure from anti-government protesters and the relatives of hostages who demand government action to bring them home. Tens of thousands have participated in protests.

On Thursday night, hundreds gathered near Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence with a different demand — for the continuation of the conflict.

Father’s Plea

“You, members of the cabinet, must state clearly that the fighting will not stop, that the IDF and our good sons will continue to crush the enemy until a complete victory,” said Itzik Buntzel, the father of Israeli soldier Amit Buntzel who was killed in Gaza.

Washington has intensified pressure on Netanyahu to consent to a ceasefire, enhance aid distribution, and discard plans to deploy troops into Rafah.

Israeli Defence Minister Gallant said on Wednesday that Israel would “flood Gaza with aid”, using an Israeli crossing point, streamlined checks, the Ashdod port and two new routes organised with Jordan

However, on Thursday the United Nations Security Council said “more should be done to bring the required relief given the scale of needs in Gaza”.

The United Nations warns of an impending famine in Gaza, much of which has been devastated by bombings.

According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the chief of the World Health Organization, an assessment team that visited Khan Yunis witnessed “unimaginable destruction” and found three medical centers no longer operational.

Truce negotiations, initiated in Cairo on Sunday, have not resulted in progress regarding a proposal presented by US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators, which Hamas is considering.

The proposed framework involves a six-week cessation of hostilities and includes the exchange of approximately 40 hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, along with increased aid deliveries.

Israel accuses Hamas of rejecting what government spokesman David Mencer describes as “a very reasonable offer on the table.”

Bassem Naim, from the Hamas political bureau, emphasizes the need for a ceasefire to locate Israeli hostages held by various groups in the territory and determine their status.

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