- The US ruled out joining any Israeli counterattack against Iran, officials said, as Israel’s war cabinet concluded a meeting reportedly without a decision on what action to take in response to Tehran’s first direct attack against the country.
- Israeli forces again bombed the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing five and wounding dozens as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) met to discuss Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Israel.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for de-escalation at the UNSC and said the world could not afford another war in the Middle East.
- At least 33,729 Palestinians have been killed and 76,371 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens of people still held captive.
- Iran, Israel trade accusations at UN Security CouncilIsrael and Iran accused each other of being the main threat to peace in the Middle East at the UN Security Council.Addressing the emergency meeting, Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani insisted the Islamic Republic was exercising its “inherent right to self-defence” after its unprecedented strikes on Israel.“The Security Council … failed in its duty to maintain international peace and security,” Iravani said. Therefore, Tehran “had no choice” but to respond, adding Iran does “not seek escalation or war” but will respond to any “threat or aggression”.“It is time for the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and address the real threat to international peace and security,” Iravani said.Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said: “The mask is off. Iran – the number one global sponsor of terror – has exposed its true face as the destabilizer of the region and the world. The mask comes off and the gloves must come on.” He told the UNSC to “take action.”
- Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani speaks at UN headquarters on Sunday [Yuki Iwamura/AP]Click here to share on social media
- French, UK leaders urge Israel not to respond to Iran’s attackFrance’s President Emmanuel Macron called Iran’s attack on Israel “disproportionate” to Israel’s strike on Tehran’s embassy in Syria.“We will do everything we can to avoid escalation and convince Israel it should not reply to Iran’s strike with further escalation,” Macron told French media.France will stand by Israel’s side to “ensure its protection” and Macron said he’ll speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later today.Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also urged Israel not to retaliate, saying the focus should remain on a ceasefire in Gaza.“If you’re sitting in Israel this morning, you’re thinking quite rightly we have every right to respond to this and they do. But we are urging that they shouldn’t escalate,” Cameron told Sky News.“In many ways this has been a double defeat for Iran. The attack was an almost total failure, and they revealed to the world they are the malign influence in the region. So our hope is there won’t be a retaliatory response.”
- Israel activates 2 reserve brigades for Gaza warThe Israeli military says it’s activating two reserve brigades for “operational activities” in Gaza.The announcement comes as Israel prepares for a ground invasion of Rafah – the southernmost Gaza city that Israel says is Hamas’s last stronghold. Israel last week withdrew most of its remaining ground forces from Gaza after six months of war, leaving its troop levels in the territory at the lowest level in months.The Rafah invasion faces stiff international opposition, in large part because about 1.5 million people are now crowded into the city after fleeing Israel’s onslaught.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’s determined to “complete” the Gaza war. He says Israel has set a date for the attack and claimed there’s a plan to evacuate hundreds of thousands of civilians from Rafah.
- A woman cries in the debris of a collapsed building in Khan Younis [File: Jehad Alshrafi/Anadolu]Click here to share on social media
- EU air agency closely monitoring Middle East airspaceThe European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) say they’re closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East “to assess any potential safety risks for EU aircraft operators and be ready to act as appropriate”.Click here to share on social media
- Israel releases 2 Red Crescent medics detained for 50 daysIsraeli forces released two Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance medics after detaining them for 50 days, the organisation said on social media.The medics were arrested at a military checkpoint in Khan Younis during a mission to evacuate patients from al-Amal Hospital, it said.The fate of six other PRCS staff members detained by Israel is still unknown.
- Members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society distribute aid in Deir el-Balah [Handout/PRCS via Reuters]Click here to share on social media
- Young girl shot in the face as family attempts to return to north GazaA Palestinian mother has bid farewell to her young daughter after a bullet shot by Israeli forces hit her face, according to footage posted on social media by Palestinian photographer Atia Darwish.The girl’s mother can be seen crying and hugging her dead child.The killing of the girl occurred as the family was among hundreds of displaced Palestinians attempting to return to northern Gaza. Israeli forces opened fire on those seeking to make the journey home.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/4/15/israels-war-on-gaza-live-five-killed-in-nuseirat-as-israel-strikes-camps
