As Israel weighs its response to Iran, foreign leaders want restraint.

Israel weighs response to Iran attack

By Kathleen Magramo and Antoinette Radford, CNN

Updated 12:04 PM ET, Wed April 17, 2024

As Israel weighs its response to Iran, foreign leaders want restraint.

srael is weighing up how to respond to Iran’s unprecedented strikes on the country during the weekend, as the British and German foreign ministers visited the country to urge restraint.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog both met with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday.

Their meeting happened as 18 people were injured by a Hezbollah strike in northern Lebanon, according to a hospital in the region. Hezbollah said in a statement on Wednesday that its missiles and drones hit the military headquarters in northern Israel in response to deaths of its fighters on Tuesday.

Here’s what to know if you’re just joining us:

International pressure: The UK’s Cameron reinforced international pressure on Israel to not escalate tensions with Iran. He also urged the G7 — the world’s largest economies — to coordinate sanctions against Iran to show a “united front.”
Iran warning: Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned Wednesday that the “slightest” attack by Israel on Iran will be “dealt with fiercely and severely.”
Gaza death toll: The health ministry in Gaza said in a statement on Wednesday that 56 people were killed and 89 were injured in the strip over the past 24 hours as a result of Israeli operations. The ministry said that 33,899 people have been killed and 76,664 injured since October 7. CNN cannot verify the figures, and the ministry does not provide a breakdown of civilians and fighters among the casualties.
Escalation warnings: Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also urged his government not to respond militarily to Iran’s weekend attacks, saying that Israel had already punished Iran “in a humiliating and powerful way.”
Aid guarantees: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged governments to do everything they can “to halt the increasingly horrific human rights and humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” by guaranteeing international aid. He also urged international action for what he calls the “rising violence and targeted attacks in the West Bank.”
Beit Hanoun operation: People living in the area of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza said Israeli military vehicles began an operation there on Monday afternoon, firing shots and rounds of artillery shelling. Residents told CNN that Israeli forces surrounded three schools, including one early Tuesday morning where hundreds of people have been sheltering.
UN aid: The UN and Israel continue to disagree on the delivery of aid across Gaza. Israel is blaming the UN for failing to distribute the aid, while the UN says Israel is being obstructive and denying 41% of requests.
US boat fire: A US Navy ship en route to the eastern Mediterranean to help the US military set up a pier for aid to Gaza had to turn back last week after experiencing a fire, a Navy spokesperson told CNN.