Sen. Schumer says Ukraine is 'very important' to Western countries for supporting Israel
Congressional leaders appear united in providing free funding to Israel and Ukraine through a national security spending package that could be voted on this week.
President Joe Biden spoke today with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and House Democratic Leader Mike Jeffries.
Schumer told reporters after the phone call that the United States needs to keep its engagement with Israel “ironclad.”
“We need to support Israel,” he said, adding that the country has spent more than $1 billion defending itself against Iranian attacks.
Schumer echoed House Speaker Mike Johnson's comments earlier Sunday, emphasizing the bill as the best way to continue supporting Israel and Ukraine against external threats.
“There was a consensus on the phone call between all the leaders that we have to support Israel and Ukraine. We've resolved that now and we hope to get this done next week,” he said. Ta. “It is extremely important for the future of Ukraine, for Israel and for the West.”
Countries speaking at today's UN conference
We have already heard the following comments from the Secretary-General and members of the Board.
- Guyana
- Sierra Leone
- Slovenia
- US
- algeria
- Japan
- France
- England
- ecuador
- Mozambique
- South Korea
Remaining speakers include the following City Council members:
- Switzerland
- Russian Federation
- China
- malta
Representatives from Israel, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Syrian Arab Republic will also address the group.
US insists Security Council has a duty to hold Iran accountable
U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood called on the Security Council to “unequivocally condemn Iran's aggressive actions” and vowed to pursue additional steps to hold Iran accountable there.
“The Security Council has an obligation not to let Iran go unchecked,” Wood said.
Wood said Iran was “extensively” complicit in the October 7 attack with support from Hamas, and that the country's regime was in “blatant” violation of international law by arming proxy militias. said. Wood told the board that while the United States is seeking to de-escalate the situation, Iran's actions cannot be ignored.
“This Iranian support contributed to the current Gaza crisis. Colleagues, these and other reckless Iranian actions are not inherently defensive actions against other member states,” Wood said. . “Given the threat that Iran's aggressive actions pose to international peace and security, we have a collective responsibility as members of the Security Council to ensure that Iran complies with Security Council resolutions and ceases violations of the Charter. ”
UN Secretary-General: “Neither the region nor the world can afford any more wars''
At the beginning of today's Security Council meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed for a reduction in tensions for the sake of world stability.
“We have a common responsibility to work for peace. The security of the region, and indeed the world, is being undermined by the minute, and neither the region nor the world can afford to tolerate any more wars,” Guterres said. he said.
The United Nations Secretary-General criticized both Iran's attack on Israel and the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, earlier this month. He reminded all parties of their shared responsibility to promote peace, facilitate the return of hostages remaining in Gaza, and establish a humanitarian ceasefire.
“The time has come to step back from the brink,” Guterres said. “It is critical that we avoid actions that could lead to large-scale military conflict on multiple fronts in the Middle East. Civilians are already bearing the brunt and are paying the highest price.”
Israeli Air Force intercepts dozens of air threats from Iran
IDF officials said in a statement to Telegram that Israeli defenses thwarted dozens of drones, cruise missiles and other air threats launched by Iran on Saturday night.
Only a few missiles reached Israel. Roads at Nevatim Air Base, one of Israel's largest air bases, and in the Hermon district, about three hours away, were damaged. Operations at the air base were not affected, the statement said.
Biden, Netanyahu say Israel should not retaliate against Iran
MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell and Alex Witt give the latest on Israel's assessment of the Iranian attack and what we can expect from both countries going forward.
Jordan's foreign minister accuses Netanyahu of dragging the West into regional war
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the recent deterioration in regional relations and warned that the only way to reduce regional escalation is to stop the war in Gaza.
“We had warned that Prime Minister Netanyahu was trying to provoke a conflict with Iran in order to drag the US and the West into a regional war. As a result, the focus would shift to Iran and the world would forget about Gaza. '' he told al-Mamlaka news agency. news.
The foreign minister added that following Iran's retaliation yesterday, the challenge is how to end the invasion so that the world can once again focus on Gaza. Safadi noted that the ministry had summoned the Iranian ambassador to speak about the administration's criticism of Jordan's position.
“We do not want any escalation with Iran, and we want good relations with Iran based on the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and respect for others,” Safadi said. “Jordan has the ability to protect its interests. The Iranian issue is an issue with Israel, not with Jordan.”
Safadi said Jordan, which hosts more than 2 million Palestinian refugees, has done more for Palestine than anyone else, including Iran.
Israeli fighter jets attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, IDF says
Israeli warplanes struck a number of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon today in the Lebanese towns of Kfarqera, Maroun al-Ras, Aita al-Shaab, Suaneh and Markaba, according to a military statement.
The IDF said it was targeting Hezbollah's “military facilities and terrorist infrastructure” in some locations and “threats” in others.
Lebanese state news reported that a house was hit by two missiles in Maroun al-Ras. He also said that the area of Aita al-Shaab that was hit by shelling was a residential area.
IDF spokesperson: Israel considering next steps during 'crucial 24 hours'
Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Sunday that Israel was in a very “critical 24 hours” as it carefully considered its next steps in response to the Iranian attack.
Operational plans have been approved for both offensive and defensive actions, but Hagari declined to provide further details. Operations in Gaza will continue and additional reservists will be called up to take part in the fighting, he added.
He said Israel and the United Nations coalition, which includes the United States, Britain and France, successfully intercepted about 350 exploding drones, cruise and ballistic missiles and rockets on Saturday.
“Since the start of the war, Iran's only desire is to escalate the region,” Hagari said in English. She said: “Up until now she has been operating through her agents, but she has now revealed herself.”
He said rescuing the 133 hostages held by Hamas remains a top priority as Israel plans its response.
“We will not miss the opportunity to bring them back home,” Hagari said. “This is our responsibility.”
Officials say no final decision has been made on how Israel will respond
TEL AVIV — Israel will respond to the Iranian attack, but a final decision has not yet been made on the scale or timing of the response, an Israeli official told NBC News.
“It's clear that Israel will respond, but the question is when and on what scale,” the official said after a war cabinet meeting that lasted several hours.
The IDF has been asked to present additional options to decision makers. The official said that among the considerations: whether Israel needs to retaliate immediately or can afford to wait, and how any escalation against Iran would affect Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip. He said that consideration would be given to matters such as whether the
