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Israel will “will make our own decisions” on a potential retaliation for Iran’s uprecedented attack, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said – hours after David Cameron landed in Israel for talks, urging restraint.
Britain’s foreign secretary told reporters that it was “clear the Israelis are making a decision to act” in response to Iran’s direct attack with hundreds of missiles and drones, adding: “We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said yesterday, is smart as well as tough.”
But in an apparent response to his remarks, Mr Netanyahu released a statement hours later saying Israel would make its own decisions – and would “do everything necessary to defend itself”.
The UK wants “to see coordinated sanctions against Iran”, Lord Cameron said, ahead of an upcoming meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Italy. United States Treasury secretary Janet Yellen has already said she expects Washington will hit Tehran with new sanctions in a matter of days.
Iran launched the attack in retaliation for an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus.
Key Points
- Israel will make its own decisions on Iran attack response, says Benjamin Netanyahu
- ‘Clear’ Israel has decided to retaliate, David Cameron says ahead of Netanyahu talks
- US to hit Iran with new sanctions in coming days, says Treasury secretary
- Israeli war cabinet to meet for third time in three days
- Threat to Iran’s nuclear facilities
Middle East cannot be allowed to slide into unpredictable situation, warns Germany’s foreign minister
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said she made clear during talks in Israel with Benjamin Netanyahu that the Middle East must not be allowed to slide into a situation whose outcome is completely unpredictable.
“Everyone must now act prudently and responsibly,” Ms Baerbock said before departing Israel on Wednesday for a G7 meeting set to discuss sanctions on Iran. Ms Baerbock was visiting Israel for the seventh time since Hamas’s 7 October attack to aid in efforts to de-escalate tensions following Iran’s weekend attack on Israel.
“Because that would serve no one, not Israel’s security, not the many dozens of hostages still in the hands of Hamas, not the suffering population of Gaza, not the many people in Iran who are themselves suffering under the regime, and not the third countries in the region who simply want to live in peace,” said Ms Baerbock.
Andy Gregory17 April 2024 16:03 1713365335Hezbollah attack injures 13 in northern Israel, authorities say
Hezbollah has launched a rocket and drone attack on northern Israel, injuring at least 13 people.
The Lebanese militant group said it had targeted a military facility in the border town of Arab al-Aramshe on Wednesday to avenge the killing of a number of its fighters, including a commander, in Israeli strikes the day before.
Israeli media said the rockets struck a community centre, and the Israeli rescue service, Magen David Adom, said 13 people were wounded, four of them seriously. It did not identify them or say whether they were soldiers or civilians.
The Israeli military said it identified a number of launches in the area and struck the sources of the rocket fire. It said it also targeted a militant compound in southern Lebanon.
Andy Gregory17 April 2024 15:48 1713364135Israel’s cabinet approves £4bn plan to strengthen communities near Gaza border
Israel’s cabinet has approved a five-year, 19-billion-shekel (£4bn) plan to rebuild and strengthen communities near the Gaza border after the attack by Hamas militants on 7 October, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said.
The prime minister said Israel would invest the funds in housing, infrastructure, education, employment, health and other areas.
“Hamas terrorists wanted to uproot us – but we will uproot them and deepen our roots,” he said in a statement. “We will build the Land of Israel and protect our country.”
His office said local communities would work with government ministries, and along with the business sector and philanthropy, to bring the region to be a “vital, flourishing and attractive area”.
Andy Gregory17 April 2024 15:28 1713363089G7 foreign ministers meet for summit in Italy – with Israel set to dominate talks
Foreign ministers from the G7 have gathered on the Italian island of Capri on Wednesday for three days of talks overshadowed by expectations of an Israeli retaliation against Iran – which will dominate the meeting’s agenda.
Italy, which holds the G7’s rotating presidency, is pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza and a de-escalation of Middle East tensions, but Israel looks very likely to retaliate against Iran’s weekend attacks despite Western calls for restraint.
“Against a background of strong international tensions, the Italian-led G7 is tasked with working for peace,” foreign minister Antonio Tajani said.
The G7 nations pledged support for Israel after the attack, which came in response to a presumed Israeli airstrike on Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus on 1 April which killed two generals and several other Iranian officers.
The US said on Tuesday it was planning to impose new sanctions on Tehran’s missile and drone programme in the coming days and expected its allies to follow suit. Mr Tajani told Reuters this week that any sanctions might just focus on individuals.
Hamas leader met with Turkish foreign minister in Qatar, source says
Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan met Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, during a visit to Qatar on Tuesday to discuss humanitarian aid to Gaza, ceasefire efforts and hostages, a Turkish diplomatic source has told Reuters.
Mr Haniyeh will visit Turkey at the weekend to hold talks with Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan.
Andy Gregory17 April 2024 14:38 1713359884Gaza is ‘hell on Earth’ and this ‘cannot go on’, says David Lammy
Gaza is hell on Earth, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary has told the Commons, as he described the “dire” situations facing Palestinian civilians.
David Lammy said: “Aid sat waiting unable to reach those in need, some rotting where they stood, items removed from trucks without explanation, doctors are reusing single-use medical equipment from patients who have died.
“The UN report today said 10,000 women have been killed, this is a description of hell on Earth, and it cannot go on.” Mr Lammy said it was “shocking that in the face of famine” the UK hasn’t committed to future funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
He also accused the government of “softening” its message to Benjamin Netanyahu on Rafah, adding: “Let us be clear, 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering there have nowhere safe to go. There can’t be a humanitarian operation to meet the scale of need, without an immediate ceasefire now.”
Foreign Office minister David Rutley agreed that “more must be done”. On UNRWA, he said: “The final report from Colonna is due at the end of April, we’ll review that and then make a decision on future funding. We do recognise the important role that UNRWA plays.”
Andy Gregory17 April 2024 14:18 1713358924Best form of humanitarian aid would be ending arms sales to Israel, says SNP
The best form of humanitarian aid for Palestinians would be to end the UK’s supply of arms to Israel, the SNP said.
SNP foreign affairs spokesperson Brendan O’Hara told the Commons: “The elephant in the room is export arms, export licences. And for how much longer is the UK going to send humanitarian aid to Gaza while simultaneously licensing weapon sales to Israel?
“And wouldn’t the best form of humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza be to end supplying Israel with the weapons that will kill them?”
Foreign Office minister David Rutley replied: “The latest assessment carried out by the Foreign Secretary leaves our position on export licences unchanged, this is consistent with the advice ministers have received and we’ll continue to keep this position under review.”
Andy Gregory17 April 2024 14:02 1713358084Netanyahu says Israel will ‘make our own decisions’ as David Cameron urges restraint
Israeli prime minister Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked the visiting foreign ministers of Germany and Britain for their support – but said Israel would reach its own decisions on its security.
“I want to make it clear – we will make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself,” he said in a statement released by his office hours after Lord David Cameron touched down in Israel.
Andy Gregory17 April 2024 13:48 1713357184Hezbollah announces attack on Israeli military facility
Hezbollah has said it launched missiles and drones on an Israeli military facility in the Western Galilee village of Arab al-Aramshe, near the border with Lebanon.
The militant group said its attack was in response to the Israeli killing of Hezbollah members and commanders in Lebanon.
Andy Gregory17 April 2024 13:33 1713356344Sunak warns UK needs to see Israel delivering on Gaza aid commitments
Rishi Sunak has warned that the UK needs to see Israel delivering on commitments made to deliver more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
In response to a question from George Galloway at PMQs about what the prime minister discussed during his call with Benjamin Netanyahu and what he will do “if an unrestrained war begins”, Mr Sunak replied: “I was pleased to speak with Prime Minister Netanyahu who thanked the UK for their support of Israel’s security over the weekend.
“We also discussed the situation and how Iran is isolated on the world stage, and also I made the point to him that significant escalation is not in anyone’s interest and it’s a time for calm heads to prevail.
“I also reiterated our concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza where I welcome the statements and commitments that the Israeli government have made about significantly increasing aid into Gaza, now we need to see those commitments delivered.”
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