Allies urge Israel to show restraint after attack amid fears of open warfare

• Published date: 16 April 2024
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu summoned his war cabinet for the second time in less than 24 hours, a government source said

Iran’s attack has increased fears of open warfare between Israel and Iran, and heightened concerns that violence will spread further in the region. Wary of the dangers, US president Joe Biden has told Mr Netanyahu the United States will not take part in any Israeli counter-offensive against Iran.

Since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7th, clashes have erupted between Israel and Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and Israel said four of its soldiers were wounded hundreds of metres inside Lebanese territory overnight.

It appeared to be the first such incident to become known since the Gaza war erupted, leading to months of exchanges of fire between Israel and Lebanon’s armed group Hizbullah.

“We’re on the edge of the cliff and we have to move away from it,” Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, told Spanish radio station Onda Cero. “We have to step on the brakes and reverse gear.”

French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and British foreign secretary David Cameron made similar appeals, all echoing calls for restraint by Washington and United Nations secretary general António Guterres.

Countries including Belgium and Germany summoned their Iranian ambassadors.

Russia has refrained from criticising its ally Iran in public over the strikes, but expressed concern about the risk of escalation yesterday and also called for restraint.

Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli air strike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1st that killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers including two senior commanders.

Iron dome

The weekend attack, involving more than 300 missiles and drones, caused only modest damage in Israel and no deaths. Most were shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system and with help from the US, Britain, France...