Israel-Hamas War Enters Day 17: Iran Says US Also ‘To Blame’ For The Conflict

“I warn the US and its proxy Israel that if they do not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said at a news conference.

He said Washington was also “to blame” for the conflict for providing military assistance to Israel. Iran backs both Hamas – the Palestinian Islamist militant group that attacked Israel two weeks ago killing 1,400 people – and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, more than 4,600 Palestinians have been killed in the raging violence in the impoverished Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. As the death toll continues to rise, Israel has announced an intensification of air strikes.

Blinken Stresses “Likelihood Of Escalation” From Iranian Proxies

Top US officials have raised concerns over a potential escalation. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has warned of the prospect of “significant escalation of attacks” on US troops or citizens, with Antony Blinken also highlighting a “likelihood of escalation” from Hamas or Hezbollah.

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The US Secretary of State said Washington was “taking every measure” to keep Israelis and US citizens safe. In recent days, a number of Iraqi bases used by US-led coalition troops have been targeted in drone and rocket attacks.

Netanyahu Warns Lebanon’s Hezbollah Not To Enter The War

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit to troops near the border with Lebanon, which has seen exchanges of fire with Hezbollah since the early days of the war. He warned the group not to enter the conflict, stressing they could be “making the biggest mistake”.

For its part, Hezbollah has declared its complete readiness “to fight against Israel”. And in neighbouring Syria, where Iran has a military presence, Israeli missiles hit a couple of airports early on Sunday, killing at least two workers, according to Syrian state media.

A second aid convoy of 14 trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday via the Rafah Border with Egypt. US President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu, with the leaders affirming “there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza,” the White House noted.