At least four killed in Israeli strike in Lebanon's Baalbek
An Israeli strike on a four-storey residential building has killed at least four people and wounded six others ...
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, defended Israeli strikes on Gaza following a ceasefire, confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump had expressed no concerns over the actions.
Netanyahu’s remarks came after a series of airstrikes, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials.
The two leaders met on Monday, 29 December, during Netanyahu's official visit to the United States.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said that he and Trump were in full agreement regarding Hamas.
"We saw eye to eye. He was, he cut right to the chase. He said, 'look. Skip all this press stuff. The real thing is you've got to get Hamas to disarm.' He just banged the nail on the head,” Netanyahu said.
Despite the civilian casualties, Netanyahu affirmed that Trump had shown understanding of Israel’s position.
"Not from the president, I have to tell you. I think he understands. Look, we're attacked. These terrorists try to kill us. Unfortunately, sometimes kill our soldiers. What would you do?" Netanyahu asked.
The prime minister also emphasized the importance of disarming Hamas, making it clear that peace in Gaza could only be achieved by neutralizing the militant group.
“If we disarm Hamas, whether with an international force or by any other means, yes, I see a different future for Gaza,” he stated.
Netanyahu also addressed concerns over Iran’s military activities, particularly its ballistic missile drills aimed at Israel. He issued a direct warning to Tehran: "If you dare do that, you know, the results would be devastating."
He reiterated Israel’s position on not seeking escalation but warned that any aggression from Iran would have serious consequences.
While Israel does not seek escalation, Netanyahu stated that if Iran escalates, the situation would change dramatically. "All bets are off," he concluded.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
Türkiye raised its security level for Turkish-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to Level 3 on Sunday (2 March). The development follows Iranian restrictions on shipping after U.S. and Israeli strikes and confirmation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
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