As the world held its collective breath, Israel and Iran appear to have averted a deadly all-out-war that could have spread across the Middle East, and would have likely drawn in world powers including the U.S. After Israel bombed Iran’s Syrian embassy compound on April 1^st killing 7 Iranian military officers, Iran retaliated by launching more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel that did little damage due to effective air defense systems. Israel then hit back with an airstrike that damaged Iran’s air defense system in Isfahan province which guards the nation’s underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Tehran played down the incident and indicated it had no plans to retaliate.

Meanwhile the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza continued to climb to more than 34,000, with the majority of victims women and children.  On April 22^nd Palestinian officials say they found mass graves with more than 200 bodies at the sites of the Al-Shifa and Nasser Hospitals in Gaza following Israeli military operations. The U.N. human rights office is investigating.

Here in the U.S. the House of Representatives approved $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza, but one day later it was reported that the Biden administration is considering

imposing sanctions on one or more Israeli military units accused of human rights violations during operations in the occupied West Bank. If carried out this would be the first time Washington has ever imposed sanctions on the Israeli Defense Force. Between The Lines’ Scott Harris spoke with Richard Silverstein, publisher of Tikun Olam, a blog focusing on Israeli national security issues.  Here he discusses the reported US sanctions, and growing concern about the loss of life that will occur if Israel moves forward with its planned attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge.

For more information visit Richard Silverstein’s Tikun Olam Blog at richardsilverstein.com.

Listen to Scott Harris’ in-depth interview with Richard Silverstein (16:59). More articles and opinion pieces are found in the Related Links section of this page.

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