UN calls on Israel and Iran to de-escalate conflict

A panel of United Nations experts on Tuesday called for both countries to stop retaliatory military attacks against each other. They added that previous attacks by both Israel and Iran were illegal under international law.

What did the UN panel have to say about recent attacks by each country? The UN panel said Israel’s attack on Iran’s embassy in Damascus, Syria, earlier this month was not a legitimate “self-defense” strike. That attack killed seven Iranian military officials.

Iran responded to that attack by firing hundreds of missiles and drones directly at Israel. According to the UN council, that retaliatory attack did not qualify as an act of self-defense either. The Israel Defense Forces said they and their allies intercepted 99 percent of Iran’s drones and missiles. But the attack did severely injure a seven-year-old boy and damage an Israeli military facility, according to the UN.

Is Israel still planning on retaliating against Iran for the missile barrage? Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi told Israeli Air Force personnel on Monday that Israel would respond to Iran’s attack.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s push to get more aid to Israel and Ukraine.