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The French president has condemned Tehran’s attack on Israel and called for sanctions to be strengthened

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for international sanctions on Iran to be strengthened following its attack on Israel over the weekend.

Tehran carried out a massive airstrike on Israeli territory on Saturday in response to the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus earlier this month. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its role in the bombing, but its responsibility was later implied by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

In an interview to BFMTV and RMC radio, Macron condemned Iran’s response, calling it “disproportionate.”

“Instead of targeting Israeli interests outside Israel, [Tehran] went after Israel on its soil, and attacked from their own soil, which is a first,” he said, noting that the airstrikes had caused “a profound rupture” in already strained relations between the two Middle Eastern states, paving the way for further “dangerous reactions” on both sides.

Macron said the international community “will do everything to avoid escalation” in the conflict and urged Israel not to retaliate via military means. Instead, he said the focus should be on “isolating“ Iran and called for more sanctions on Tehran, including “boosting pressure on its nuclear activities,” which he believes would help “find a path to peace in the region.”

Iran has justified Saturday’s attack by citing its right of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. It also pledged not to take further action, unless Israel strikes again, but warned that a military response from would prompt an even bigger escalation. Israel has called Iran the “greatest threat” to regional and world peace, and called for “painful sanctions” on Tehran, including its nuclear industry.

Read more Western demands for UN to discuss Iran attack are ‘hypocrisy’ – Moscow

Iran has been the subject of various international sanctions for decades amid fears in the West that its nuclear enrichment program was aimed at producing a nuclear bomb. Sanctions were eased somewhat in 2015 when Tehran agreed to some restrictions on the program under the Iran Nuclear Deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, China, and the EU.

However, the deal was scuppered in 2018 after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it and reimposed old sanctions on Tehran. Several attempts to revive the deal in recent years have proven unsuccessful.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he hoped there would be no “retaliatory response” to Iran’s attack

Israel has every right to retaliate after the Iranian drone and missile attack over the weekend but would be better served by refraining from an escalation, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said. 

The Iranian strikes, which Israeli officials say involved around 300 drones and missiles of various types, came in response to the bombing of an Iranian consular compound in Syria earlier this month that left several senior Iranian military officers dead. Iran believes that Israel was behind the strike, although West Jerusalem has neither claimed nor denied responsibility.

In an interview with Sky News on Monday, Cameron, who served as UK prime minister between 2010 and 2016 and was appointed foreign secretary last year, described the Iranian strike as a “double defeat.” He argued that the attack “was almost a total failure, and they’ve revealed to the world that they are the malign influence in the region.”

Read more ‘Punishment’ of Israel completed – Tehran

Pointing to the scale of the attack, Cameron remarked: “Of course if you’re sitting in Israel this morning you’re thinking quite rightly – ‘We have every right to respond to this’… But we are urging that they shouldn’t escalate.”

“I totally understand those in Israel who want to see more, but I think this is a time to think with head as well as heart and to be smart as well as tough,” he argued.

Cameron added that he hoped there would be no “retaliatory response,” and that the world would shift its focus back to Hamas and the hostages that had been captured by the Palestinian armed group after it attacked Israel last year.

Israeli officials claimed that the military shot down 99% of the incoming Iranian drones and missiles and that the attack did “only minor damage to the infrastructure at the Nevatim base.” Air force operations in the area were not affected, the officials added. 

Iran, however, has insisted that the barrage was more successful than expected, claiming that “important military targets” had been destroyed, and that Nevatim air base was rendered inoperable. Tehran said that it had no intention of continuing the attacks but warned Israel of a harsh response if it were to retaliate.

CNN, citing sources, reported that Israel has so far made no decision on how to respond. One of the network’s sources noted that an Israeli official told the US that his country was not looking to escalate the standoff.

Budapest has said major global players must behave “responsibly” and assist in easing the tensions

It is possible to avoid a further escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote in a post on Facebook late on Sunday.

Tehran launched a massive airstrike on Israel on Saturday in response to the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus earlier this month. While Israel neither confirmed nor denied responsibility, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement that Israel strikes “enemies all over the Middle East.” Iran has warned that Israel reacting militarily to its strikes would prompt an even bigger escalation, while West Jerusalem is reportedly weighing its options.

Szijjarto said he had discussed the situation with his Russian and Emirati counterparts, Sergey Lavrov and Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, late on Sunday.

“Based on our discussions, I see that we Hungarians are not the only ones eager to prevent the spread of the Middle East conflict… There is still a chance that a widespread escalation of the situation can be avoided. However, this will only be possible if all significant players in world politics behave responsibly in the coming period,” he stated.

In a separate post, Szijjarto said that Budapest “strongly condemns” Iran’s missile attack on Israel, as it “threatens to escalate the conflict,” posing a serious threat to global security. He expressed those sentiments in a conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Sunday. He also said he made clear to his counterpart that Hungary opposes any further ramp up of tensions.

READ MORE: Middle East on verge of full-scale war – UN

Iran’s diplomatic mission to the UN justified Saturday’s barrage as self-defense under Article 51 of the body’s charter. Tehran also said it has no intention of taking further action unless Israel strikes it again. The Israeli Foreign Ministry, however, condemned Tehran as the “greatest threat” to regional and world peace and called for “painful sanctions” against Iran, as well as the designation of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

The US president is keeping a “low profile” to discourage tensions, his aides have told the news outlet

US President Joe Biden has avoided making a public statement on the Iranian attack on Israel at the weekend in a bid to reduce tensions and stave off potential domestic criticism over the Gaza war, Politico has reported.

Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday, declaring it was “punishing” the Jewish state for striking Tehran’s consulate in Damascus earlier this month. Israel, which did not publicly claim credit for killing Iranian officers at the diplomatic compound, has claimed that along with its partners, it repelled some 99% of Iranian weapons.

The US was among the nations to help defend Israel and has pledged continued support, although Biden did not comment publicly at the weekend in an effort to discourage further escalation in the Middle East, White House officials told Politico.

“Putting the president behind the Resolute Desk turns up the temperature,” one source said. “That’s something to ideally avoid.”

Read more Israel mobilizes more reservists

Some Biden advisers hope that the Iranian attack could grant them a temporary reprieve from Democratic critics, who disagree with Washington’s response to the hostilities with Gaza, the report added. Israel launched a massive military operation in the Palestinian enclave in retaliation for an incursion by the militant movement Hamas last October which left more than 1,200 people dead.

Pro-Palestinian voices in the US, particularly from younger and progressive voters, have accused Biden of failing to keep Israel in check. The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 33,000 as a result of Israel’s bombardment, according to local health officials.

Members of Biden’s reelection team are concerned that voter discontent could cost him swing states such as Michigan during the November election, Politico said. Over 100,000 people voted “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary race in the state in February, following a campaign to show the incumbent leader their anger with his Israel policy.

The British government has entered talks with Armenia following the breakdown of its so-called Rwanda plan, the newspaper has reported

Britain has entered talks with Armenia to launch a migrant deportation scheme similar to London’s controversial deal with Rwanda, The Times reported on Monday.

According to the newspaper, leaked documents have revealed that the British government has launched an “extensive search” for another third party, after plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing faced opposition at home and abroad.

Besides Armenia, London has also started talks with Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire), Costa Rica, and Botswana, The Times reported. Civil servants are said to be testing countries against feasibility criteria, such as the size of the territory and its population.

The UK reached a five-year agreement with Rwanda in April 2022 for illegal immigrants to be sent to the African nation to have their asylum claims processed. Ministers have argued the plan will deter people from making boat crossings to the UK via the English Channel. In June of the same year, however, the first flight was canceled following intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The plan has also been ruled illegal by the UK’s highest court, which has deemed Rwanda unsafe for deportees.

The British Parliament is set to debate a new draft law, the Safety of Rwanda Bill, on Monday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government introduced the proposal late last year to block further court challenges to the scheme. The legislation has faced strong opposition in the House of Lords and Commons, with the government accused of violating international human rights laws.

Sunak’s office claimed last week that flights to Rwanda will take place in the spring, without naming a specific date.

Read more World failed Rwanda in 1994 – president

The Central African nation was the scene of a genocide after civil war broke out 30 years ago. According to official estimates, more than a million people were killed.

Armenia is a landlocked country in the Caucasus that was formerly part of the Soviet Union. Over the past decades, it has engaged in a long-running territorial dispute with Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in violent clashes between the two neighbors.

In 2023, Baku regained control of Nagorno-Karabakh, triggering a mass exodus of Armenians that formerly made up the ethnic majority in the area.

The “flames” of Israel’s war with Hamas are threatening to engulf the entire Middle East, Beijing’s ambassador to the UN has said  

Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel constitute an “adverse spillover” of the Gaza conflict, China’s ambassador to the United Nations has said, warning that it could spread further and make the entire Middle East even more unstable.

Dai Bing made the remarks after Tehran launched a series of airstrikes on Israel over the weekend in retaliation for the bombing of an Iranian consular compound in Syria, which killed seven military personnel, including two generals.

Israel has not commented on the incident since Iran accused it of conducting an extraterritorial assassination.

Speaking at a UN Security Council emergency meeting on Sunday, Dai condemned Israel’s “vicious attack,” which he described as a “grave violation of the UN Charter and international law, and a breach of the sovereignty of both Syria and Iran.”

The war in Gaza “bears on the peace, stability and long-term security in the [Middle East] region,” he added, and called for an immediate end to the hostilities.

Dai warned that if “the flames of the Gaza conflict are allowed to continue raging, the adverse spillover is set to spread still further” across the entire region.

The Chinese envoy also called for “maximum calm and restraint” from Israel and Iran to prevent further escalations.

Read more Western demands for UN to discuss Iran attack are ‘hypocrisy’ – Moscow

“Ultimately, there is no alternative to the full implementation of the two-state solution, the only way to end the vicious circle of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict once and for all,” Dai said.

China has called on the international community, particularly countries with influence, to play a “constructive role for the peace and stability of the region,” the ambassador added.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also warned at Sunday’s emergency meeting that the entire Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale war in the wake of Iran’s strike on Israel.

Meanwhile, Russia’s ambassador to the global body, Vassily Nebenzia, told members of the UN Security Council that the retaliatory strike “did not happen in a vacuum.” He claimed that the West had helped give rise to Iran’s attack by failing to take action over the illegal bombing of Tehran’s consulate in Damascus that provoked the latest violence in the region.

Today, April 15, is Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, commemorating the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. As customary, this will be the culmination of a week of observances in Boston and the towns as far west as Concord. Fife and drum companies, militia units, re-enactors, and many more will do their best to teach the public about the opening days of the…

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Two additional brigades are being called up to fight in Gaza, the military has said

Israel will mobilize two additional brigades for operations in Gaza, the military announced on Sunday.

More reservists are needed on the front line “to defend the State of Israel and ensure the security of its citizens,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

The announcement came a week after Israel pulled most of its ground forces out of the Palestinian enclave, in what the military leadership described as preparation for a mission in the city of Rafah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from his coalition partners to send ground troops into the city on the Egyptian border, where some 1.3 million Palestinians are estimated to be crammed. The US, a key supplier of military aid to Israel, has expressed concerns that an operation in Rafah would cause significant civilian casualties.

Read more Netanyahu brushes off US concerns over Rafah 

Members of the Israeli government, including Netanyahu, have maintained the Jewish state cannot achieve its primary stated goal of defeating the Palestinian militant group Hamas without entering Rafah.

The announcement on Sunday came after Western assistance helped Israeli forces repel a barrage of Iranian drones and missiles. Tehran launched the attack in retaliation for an airstrike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1, which it blamed on Israel. The IDF claimed that together with its partners, it had had stopped some 99% of Iranian projectiles.

Commenting on the Iranian attack, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari stressed that the Israeli military “has not lost sight” of its goals in Gaza. “Hamas and Iran want to ignite the Middle East and escalate the region,” he claimed.

The ongoing hostilities in Gaza were triggered by a Hamas incursion into southern Israel in October, in which some 1,200 people were killed and dozens taken hostage. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed amid the Israeli retaliation, most of them women and children, according to local health authorities.

In the wake of sex abuse scandals in the German Archdiocese of Freiburg, a commission has called for children not to be admitted to Confession prior to First Communion. Instead, their report asserts, the sacrament should be delayed until before Confirmation. In Freiburg-im-Breisgau, that usually means age 15-16. The “theological experts” say that children prior to First Communion—usually…

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The attack reportedly relied heavily on Shahed-136 drones and several types of advanced long-range missiles

Iran used kamikaze drones and several types of long-range ballistic missiles to launch a wave of strikes on Israel over the weekend, local media has reported.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Tehran’s powerful attack on Israel involved 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. The strikes came in retaliation for what Iran claims was an Israeli strike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, early this month that left several senior Iranian military officers dead.

While the Iranian military provided few details about what weapons were used in the attack, local media suggested that it employed many of its advanced systems to target its arch-enemy.

According to Press TV, the drone and missile raid was preceded by cyberattacks on Israel’s radar and power grid systems, causing outages.

The outlet, along with Mehr News agency, said that the air attack involved dozens Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. The aircraft, which has also been characterized as a loitering munition, has delta-shaped wings and is difficult for radars to detect due to its low signature. It has a range of 2,000km and can carry a payload of up to 50kg.

The drone swarms were apparently followed by several types of missiles. Press TV reported that Iran likely used an unknown number of Kheibar Shekan medium-range ballistic missiles with a payload of half a ton.

Iranian missile Kheibar Shekan ©  AFP

There have also been reports that Tehran launched several Fattah hypersonic missiles, one of its most advanced systems, which have a range of up to 1,400km and have a claimed ability to evade air defenses due to their high speed and maneuverability.

Fattah-2 hypersonic missile. ©  Press TV / Telegram

Mehr has also suggested that Iran used Khorramshahr-4 missiles with a range of 2,000km and a payload of 1,500kg. Meanwhile, Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iran’s military at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Berlin, argued that the strike also included Paveh 351 cruise missiles with a range of 1,650km.

The New York Times reported the weapons used by Iran in the attack were much faster and more precise than those used by the Palestinian armed movement Hamas, which often relies on inaccurate missiles made of inferior materials.

READ MORE: Israel shows aftermath of Iranian attack on airbase (VIDEO)

However, Iran and Israel disagreed sharply on the results of the strike. While Iranian officials have said that the attack was even more successful than expected, claiming to have destroyed two Israeli bases, West Jerusalem insists that 99% of incoming targets were shot down.

Countermeasures could involve a “strike or no strike,” a military spokesperson had said, according to ABC

The Israeli military has presented a range of options to the government on how to respond to the recent Iranian airstrikes, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Peter Lerner told journalists on Monday, as reported by ABC news.  

Tehran launched several waves of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at Israel over the weekend, in response to the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus earlier this month. The strike on the consulate – which West Jerusalem has neither confirmed nor denied – killed seven members of the Iranian military, including two high-ranking generals.  

Iran has said its retaliatory operation destroyed two Israeli military bases, although the IDF claimed it intercepted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched at the country, admitting only “minor damage” to Nevatim Airbase.  

Read more ‘Punishment’ of Israel completed – Tehran

“Just because we were successful in intercepting, we should not underestimate what Iran did,” Lerner said. The Israeli government is “currently reviewing the options” after the “IDF has presented what it believes could be done,” ABC quoted the spokesman as saying. The response could entail a “strike or no strike” Lerner stated, adding that the government could make a decision as early as Monday.  

Despite “emotions running high” among the Israeli leadership following the airstrikes, US President Joe Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint in an effort to avoid further military escalation, the New York Times reported on Sunday, citing a senior administration official. 

Iran has warned that a military response would prompt an even bigger escalation. Tehran sees its airstrikes as a success and has “no intention of continuing the operation,” Iran’s chief of staff of the armed forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, announced on Sunday. He warned that if Israel responds with force, “the next operation will be much more extensive.”  

Only a few of more than 300 projectiles launched by Tehran made it through Israeli defenses, the IDF has said

The Iranian airstrikes on Israel at the weekend caused only minor damage to one military base, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has claimed, releasing footage purporting to show repair work at the facility.

Tehran launched a series of airstrikes against Israel over the weekend, in retaliation for the bombing of an Iranian consular compound in Syria earlier this month. West Jerusalem has not commented on the consular attack, although Tehran has accused it of assassinating several of its high-ranking military personnel.

Of the roughly 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles launched from Iran at the weekend, only a few made it through the combined air defenses of Israel and its allies, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a press release on Sunday.

The ballistic missiles that breached Israeli defenses dealt “only minor damage to the infrastructure at the Nevatim base,” the IDF wrote on its website, posting footage purporting to show the damage and subsequent repair work.

“The function of Nevatim base was not affected, the planes continued to take off and land and fulfill the defense and attack missions,” it added.

Read more Netanyahu called off retaliation strikes after speaking to Biden – NYT

As many as nine missiles penetrated Israeli defenses, ABC News wrote, citing a senior US official. Five ballistic missiles hit the Nevatim Airbase and damaged a C-130 transport plane, a runway and empty storage facilities, the channel said. Four more missiles hit the Negev Airbase, although no significant damage was done, the official told ABC.

Iranian media, however, claimed the strikes destroyed “important military targets,” and published multiple videos purporting to show missiles penetrating Israeli air defenses. Tehran is satisfied with the outcome and has no intention of continuing the operation, chief of staff of the armed forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, said. He warned that if Israel retaliates, “the next operation will be much more extensive.”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes to meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang later this week

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz embarked on a high-profile visit to China on Sunday in an effort to strengthen economic relations between the two nations, amid growing tensions between Western countries and Beijing over trade and political issues.

The сhancellor, accompanied by a large delegation of ministers and top executives from companies including Siemens, BMW, and Mercedes, arrived in the southwestern city of Chongqing, an industrial hub with a population of over 30 million.

Scholz went to China at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang – though at the airport, his delegation was greeted by the vice mayor of Chongqing, Zhang Guozhi, and China’s ambassador to Germany, Wu Ken.

Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz arrived in Chongqing on Sunday, kicking off his three-day visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang. #OlafScholz @CCTV_Plus pic.twitter.com/013m8ZeZH4

— Zhang Meifang (@CGMeifangZhang) April 14, 2024

The German leader is scheduled to visit the financial center of Shanghai on Monday, before traveling to the capital on Tuesday to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. The three-day trip, the second and longest since he took office in 2021, is reportedly aimed at reinforcing business ties with the world’s second biggest economy, despite US calls for “decoupling.” He is also expected to discuss differences over the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tensions over Taiwan.

Read more EU trade chief rules out China decoupling

“China remains a really important economic partner,” Scholz told journalists on Friday, pledging to try and ensure fair competition for German companies operating in China.

The visit comes despite moves by Germany’s Western partners to curb trade with Beijing, and the US probing the national security risks presumably posed by Chinese technology. China has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing all allegations as politically motivated and unfair competition practices.

Antonio Guterres has condemned both the bombing of the Iranian consulate and Tehran’s retaliation against Israel

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged for maximum restraint, warning that the entire Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale war in the wake of Iran’s drone and missile strike on Israel this weekend.

The attack came in retaliation for an airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria earlier this month, which killed seven members of Iran’s military, including two generals. Tehran accused West Jerusalem of conducting an extraterritorial assassination. While Israel neither confirmed nor denied responsibility, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Israel strikes its “enemies all over the Middle East,” two days after the April 1 consulate strike.

The entire region is facing a devastating conflict after these events, Guterres warned. “Now is the time to defuse and deescalate,” he said, urging “maximum restraint.”

READ MORE: Iran is ‘greatest threat’ to world order – Israel

While he “strongly condemned” the large-scale attack on Israel, he also reiterated his condemnation of the bombing of Tehran’s consular buildings in Damascus earlier this month, calling for an “immediate cessation of these hostilities.”

It’s time to step back from the brink. It’s vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.

Guterres also urged for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where over 33,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes over the past six months, according to local health officials. West Jerusalem declared war and vowed to annihilate the Gaza-based militant group Hamas after it conducted a surprise raid on Israeli soil, killing more than 1,100 people and taking around 250 hostages. The UN has previously warned that the deteriorating humanitarian situation and inadequate flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza is leading to starvation among the displaced civilian population of the enclave.

READ MORE: More kids killed in Gaza than in four years of global conflicts – UN

The UN chief called for the unconditional release of all hostages, unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and the reestablishment of safe navigation in the Red Sea, which is currently hampered by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The group has been attacking shipping in the region in solidarity with the Palestinians, vowing to continue until the Gaza siege is broken.

With “regional and indeed global peace and security” undermined, Guterres said, “neither the region nor the world can afford more war.”

Failure to condemn the Israeli bombing of Tehran’s consulate in Syria spurred the latest violence, Russia’s ambassador has argued

The UN Security Council helped give rise to Saturday’s Iranian attack against Israel by hypocritically failing to take action over the illegal bombing that provoked the latest violence in the region, Russia’s ambassador to the global body has claimed.

“What happened on the night of April 14 did not happen in a vacuum,” Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told members of the UN Security Council on Sunday. “The steps undertaken by Iran became a reaction to the disgraceful inaction by this council.”

At issue was the April 1 missile strike that killed seven Iranian military officers, including two senior commanders, at Tehran’s consulate in Damascus. Western members of the Security Council stood in the way of rebuking Israel over the “egregious attack,” despite the fact that it was a violation of international law on the inviolability of diplomatic installations, the Russian envoy said.

“We called on UN Security Council colleagues to clearly and unequivocally condemn such reckless steps to make sure that they don’t get repeated,” Nebenzia noted. “We also warned that otherwise, the risk of a repeat of such acts and a general escalation in the region would grow manifold.” He added, “The outcome is now clear for everyone to see.”

Read more ‘Punishment’ of Israel completed – Tehran

Iran launched hundreds of suicide drones and missiles against Israel on Saturday night. West Jerusalem claimed success in intercepting 99% of the barrages and preventing major casualties or infrastructure damage.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by calling for “painful sanctions” against Iran, as well as the designation of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. An emergency UN Security Council session was convened to discuss the attack.

Nebenzia contrasted the council’s concern over protecting Western nations and their allies with its inaction when Israel bombed Iran’s consulate. “We know very well that an attack against a diplomatic representation is a casus belli under international law. And if a Western representation had been hit, you would immediately have rained down reprisals.”

Read more Iran is ‘greatest threat’ to world order – Israel

However, he added, “when it comes to other countries, their rights – including the right to self-defense – well, that’s a different matter, as you like to say… What we’re witnessing is a display of hypocrisy and double standards that is almost embarrassing to watch.”

The US, UK, and France essentially declined to confirm that the basic principles of international law concerning diplomatic facilities apply equally to all states, Nebenzia said. At the same time, Israel has faced no consequences for disregarding UN resolutions, including last month’s demand for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“We think it’s urgent for the entire international community to undertake all efforts necessary to deescalate the situation,” the ambassador said. “Otherwise, the region could be drawn into a vicious cycle of mutual attacks and violence.”

The auxiliary bishop of Jerusalem and patriarchal vicar for Palestine looks at the protests in Amman. Diplomatic relations with Israel allow aid to be sent to Gaza. Some students from Gaza's Holy Family Parish arrived in Amman thanks to the Patriarchate's support. Pope Francis 'is the only balanced voice.'

The Holy See has officially announced the long journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore. Card Goh of Singapore hopes the pope will bring to his predominantly Chinese city, 'renewed fervour to all Catholics [. . .], especially in these most challenging of times'. It will also be the first time a pontiff visits Dili since independence. For Card Carmo da Silva, the Holy Father comes to 'strengthen Timor-Leste's Church in the faith and love of Christ.'