War in the Middle East
Israel’s defense minister for attacking nuclear facilities
Israel views Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat. After the recent attacks on the radar system, Katz sees a good opportunity to attack. It is important to use them.
Israel’s new Defense Minister Israel Katz wants to seize the opportunity and advocates an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “Iran is more vulnerable than ever to attacks on its nuclear facilities. We have the opportunity to achieve our most important goal – to thwart and eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel,” Katz wrote on the platform after his first meeting with the General Staff X. Israel destroyed radar and missile systems in Iran in an attack in October.
Katz was most recently foreign minister and only took over the defense department after the dismissal of his predecessor Joav Galant, who had repeatedly contradicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gideon Saar took Katz’s place at the Foreign Ministry. He also made the threat from Iran a top priority. “The most important issue for our region and Israel’s security is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,” the chief diplomat said at a press conference, according to the television channel i24 News.
Experts: Israel could only delay the expansion of Iran’s nuclear program
Israel accuses Iran of seeking nuclear bombs. Iran, which denies Israel’s right to exist, denies this. The nuclear program serves exclusively peaceful purposes. Some of Iran’s nuclear facilities are located in tunnels so deep that experts believe only the US military could destroy them. Israel is not capable of this and could therefore at best delay the expansion of its nuclear program with attacks.
US President Joe Biden is against an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. It was initially unclear how future President Donald Trump would position himself on this issue. Before the US election, he had advised Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities at the beginning of October. After his election victory, Trump declared that he would not start wars, but would end them.
Arab states call for arms embargo against Israel
Around 50 representatives of Arab and other Islamic states called for an end to the violence in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon at a summit in Saudi Arabia. They called on the international community to work to suspend Israel’s membership in the United Nations. In addition, the final declaration of the summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh called for an international arms embargo against Israel. Participants also renewed their call for a Palestinian state. The only path to sustainable peace in the region is the two-state solution, said Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.
US military attacks positions of Iranian allies in Syria
The US military attacked positions of Iranian allies in Syria. This was in response to attacks on US troops in Syria in the past 24 hours, said the US Regional Command for the Middle East (Centcom). Nine targets were hit in two locations. The message is that attacks on US troops and allies will not be tolerated, emphasized Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla. The US military initially did not provide any further information about the targets, the weapons used and possible victims of the attacks.
Israel’s military speaks of a car attack in the West Bank
According to the Israeli army, a car with a Palestinian license plate broke through a checkpoint near the town of Al-Khader and injured two people. They would be treated by paramedics on site. The driver of the car accelerated sharply shortly before the checkpoint and fled in his car after the attack. Israeli security forces began a large-scale search operation in the city near Bethlehem.
Again riots in Amsterdam
A few days after the violent attacks against Israeli football fans, there were again riots in Amsterdam. According to police, dozens of mostly young men rioted in the west of the Dutch city, setting off fireworks and throwing them at cars. A tram burst into flames, the police reported on X. The mobile police task force cleared the area. An unknown number of people were arrested. There had already been frightening scenes of violence in the Dutch capital on Friday night. Young men on mopeds had attacked Israeli soccer fans and chased them through the streets.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
