This picture taken on October 11, 2023 shows an aerial view of buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City. Israel declared war on Hamas on October 8 following a shock land, air and sea assault by the Gaza-based Islamists.
Iran issued a warning through social media on Saturday, October 14, stating that if Israel's "war crimes and genocide" are not halted, the situation might spiral out of control and lead to catastrophic consequences.
"If the Israeli apartheid's war crimes & genocide are not halted immediately, the situation could spiral out of control & ricochet far-reaching consequences - the responsibility of which lies with the UN, the Security Council & the states steering the Council toward a dead end," Iran's UN mission said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
If the Israeli apartheid’s war crimes & genocide are not halted immediately, the situation could spiral out of control & ricochet far-reaching consequences—the responsibility of which lies with the UN, the Security Council & the states steering the Council toward a dead end.
— Permanent Mission of I.R.Iran to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) October 14, 2023
Iran's Stance Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict
On Saturday, Israel was ready to start a military attack on Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip after ordering people to evacuate the densely populated community to the south near a closed border with Egypt.
Israel has threatened to completely destroy Hamas in response to last week's assault by the Palestinian Islamist organization. Hamas attacked Israeli cities, murdering 1,300 people and taking hundreds of captives.
The Israeli military has begun a comprehensive blockade of Gaza. This territory is home to 2.3 million Palestinians and has been subjected to the most intensive bombardment it has ever experienced by Israeli planes and artillery. Over 2,200 individuals have been murdered, according to Gaza officials.
The United States has been trying to keep Iran out of the crisis. Diplomacy on a global scale has been striving to stop the fighting from spreading -- especially into Lebanon -- and avoid a wider regional war.
Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon have been engaged in their worst clashes since their month-long war in 2006. The fighting occurred many times the previous week across the Lebanese border.
According to Reuters, the organization said UN Middle East ambassador Tor Wennesland met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Saturday in Beirut. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas, was reportedly present at Abdollahian's meeting with him in Qatar.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric responded to the Axios article, saying, "All of (Wennesland's) meetings have been to discuss diplomatic efforts to release hostages, secure humanitarian access, and prevent a spillover of the conflict to the wider region. This includes his recent meetings in Lebanon."
See Also: Israel's Six-Hour Gaza Evacuation Order Is Over-What Happens Next?
US-Qatar Agreement
The US and Qatari governments recently reached an agreement to prevent Iran from spending any of the $6 billion it got from the Biden administration and Tehran last month as part of a prisoner exchange arrangement.
The agreement between Washington and Doha was made as US investigators continued to examine whether Iran was involved in Hamas' deadly terror strike on Israel. The administration was under bipartisan pressure to prevent Iran's access to the money.
The Biden administration insisted that Iran could only spend the $6 billion in unfrozen assets for humanitarian aid.
See Also: DC Jewish Community Holds Pro-Israel Rally Amid Hamas's 'Day of Rage' Threat
