The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that it “will bear responsibility” for any attacks against Israel that could further escalate regional tensions and undermine efforts for a cease-fire and hostage-release deal.
In a joint statement released today, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Iran and its allies to avoid any attacks. They stressed the need for immediate action, agreeing with U.S., Egyptian, and Qatari mediators that there “can be no further delay” in resuming negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding a cease-fire and the release of hostages.
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The urgency of the situation has been heightened by recent developments. On Sunday, Hamas cast doubt on its participation in a scheduled meeting this Thursday, which was organized by the mediators to discuss the cease-fire and hostage release. The death toll in Gaza has reportedly approached 40,000. Israel has announced its intention to send a team of negotiators to this critical meeting.
The joint warning from the U.K., France, and Germany follows a report by Axios indicating that Israeli intelligence believes Iran might launch an attack within days. This comes amid Iranian threats of retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, an act widely attributed to Israel. This assassination is seen as a response to the October 7 attack by Hamas militants, which resulted in 1,200 deaths in Israel and the taking of around 250 hostages.
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