Middle East latest: Iran warns 'tiniest' attack will spark 'fierce and painful response'; clear Israel will act, says Cameron (2024)

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says Israel's military offensive has killed at least 33,899 Palestinians.

Another 76,664 have been wounded since 7 October, the ministry said.

The updated figures come after 56 Palestinians were killed and 89 injured inthe past 24 hours, it added.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its reports, but says most of those killed are women and children.

Ceasefire talks are at a "delicate phase", according to Qatar.

"We are trying as much as possible to address this stumbling block," said prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani.

Qatar's premier condemned what he described as a policy of"collective punishment" pursued by Israel in its waragainst Hamas, and the latest escalation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The ceasefire discussions, mediated by Qatar and Egypt,are continuing as a humanitarian crisis unfolds in Gaza, with severe shortages of food, medicine and hospitalcare.

Russia is in dialogue withboth Iran and Israel, the Kremlin has said.

Moscow has urged both of the need for de-escalation, said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

When asked if Tehran had warned Russia ahead of time about the strikes on Israel, Mr Peskov said he had nothing to say on the matter.

He said Russia had close contactswith Iran and constructive contacts with Israel.

The crew aboard a cargo ship seized by Iran on Saturday are safe, the vessel's operator has said.

There were 25 crew members aboard the MSC Aries when Iranian Revolutionary Guards commandos repelled from a helicopter on to the deck and steered the ship toward Iran.

MSC, which manages the Aires, said it was in discussion with Iranian authorities to secure their release and have the cargo discharged.

The Portuguese-flagged ship with links to Israel was hijacked while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that separates Iran from Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Yesterday, Portugal's foreign ministry summoned Iran's ambassador to demand the immediate release of the vessel.

The hijacking came hours before Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel.

MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate ofZodiac Maritime, which is partly owned by Israeli businessmanEyal Ofer.

Lord Cameron has met the president of Israel and the German foreign minister in Israel.

The British foreign secretary came out of the meeting telling reporters it was clear that Israel had decided to act in response to Iran's attack despite the UK's calls for restraint.

For his part, president Isaac Herzog thanked the UK and Germany for their "strong stand alongside Israel in the face of the reprehensible attack".

"The whole world must work decisively and defiantly against the threat posed by the Iranian regime which is seeking to undermine the stability of the whole region," Mr Herzog said.

Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel after a deadly suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria.

"Israel is unequivocal in its commitment to defending its people," the president said.

Iran's navy is escortingIranian commercial ships to the Red Sea, according to state media.

Navy commander ShahramIrani said the Jamaran frigate was present in the Gulf of Aden.

Tehran was ready to escort vessels of other countries, he added.

The Red Sea has seen significant disruption to Israel-boundshipping due to attacks from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.

On Saturday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized a Portuguese-flagged container ship linked to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz.

It is clear Israel is making a decision to act in response to Iran's attack, Lord Cameron has said.

Speaking from Israel, where he is meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign secretary said the UK hopes Israel's retaliation "does as little to escalate this as possible".

The UK wants to see "coordinated sanctions against Iran", he said, adding there is more the UK can do.

"It is right to show solidarity with Israel, it is right to have made our views clear about what should happen next, but it is clear the Israelis are making a decision to act.

"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."

He said the UK has sanctioned dozens of people in Iran and the entire Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, but there was "more that we can do to show a united front that Iran is behind so much of the malign activity in this region".

There was a "real need" to refocus on Gaza, including Hamas, the hostage crisis, getting aid into the territory and securing a pause in the conflict, said Lord Cameron.

Iran's president has warned the "tiniest move" against the country would bring a "fierce" response, state media reports.

"The smallest action against Iran's interests will definitely be met with a fierce, widespread and painful response against all its perpetrators," the Iranian president warned, according to Tasnim news agency.

President Ebrahim Raisi spoke at an annual army parade ahead of National Army Day tomorrow.

The parade was relocated to a barracks north of the capital, Tehran, from its usual venue on a highway in the city's southern outskirts, with no explanation given for the move.

State TV did not broadcast it live, as it has in previous years.

Italy has called on Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza.

Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister, said it was time for aceasefire.

In an interview with La Stampa, Mr Tajani stressed thatthe war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's "barbaric" assault.

He then added: "However, now a ceasefire is necessary.Israel must stop the military operations that have massivelyaffected the Palestinian population."

The interview was conducted ahead of a meeting of foreignministers of the Group of Seven which will behosted by Mr Tajani.

The British foreign secretary has arrived in Israel for talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, as the prime minister considers his response to Iran's missile and drone attack.

Lord Cameron will attempt to "limit" Israel's next move - though there is some acceptance among Western governments that Israel will react, says ourMiddle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall, reporting from Jerusalem.

"The question is what and how can that be limited to the extent that it doesn't create an even worse situation," he says.

He explains the foreign secretary will likely point to US diplomatic and economic punishments for Iran as evidence the West is assisting Israel, and try to use this as leverage to ensure Israel does not lead the region down the path of war.

The US has announced it will enact new sanctions against Iran's defence ministry, the Revolutionary Guards and the country's missile and drone programmes, and Bunkall says he would be surprised if the UK did not follow along those lines.

Lord Cameron told Sky News earlier this week that Israel should "think with head as well as heart".

"I think the smart thing to do is actually to recognise that Iran's attack was a failure and we want to keep the focus on that, on Iran's malign influence and actually pivot to looking at what's happening in Gaza," he said in an interview with Kay Burley.

The humanitarian and hostage crises in Gaza will also be an important part of the talks today, despite the world's focus on Iran, Bunkall adds.

Watch Lord Cameron's interview with Sky News below...