'I don't want Tehran to turn into Gaza': Iranians on Israeli strikes
Follow live updates on this storyWhat we know as conflict intensifies'It's heavy on the heart': Israelis survey damage in city hit by Iranian missileWhat are the worst-case scenarios?Israel's endgame may be regime change in Iran - but it's a gamble
As for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call on Iranians to rise up against their clerical leadership, she has a firm response."We don't want Israel to save us. No foreign country ever cared for Iran," she said. "We also don't want the Islamic Republic."Another woman said that at first she had felt a "strange excitement" to see Israel kill Iranian military officials so powerful that she thought they would live for ever."Suddenly that image of power was shattered," she told BBC Persian. "But from the second day, when I heard that regular people - people I didn't know, people like me - had also been killed, I started to feel sorrow, fear and sadness."And she said her sadness turned to anger when she heard that the South Pars gas field had been hit, fearing that Israel was trying to turn Iran "into ruins".For the first time in her life, she said, she has started to prepare for the idea of dying.More than 220 people - many of them women and children - have been killed since Friday, according to the Iranian authorities.Israeli authorities say Iranian missiles have killed at least 24 people in Israel over the same period.
Unlike in Israel, there are no warnings of imminent attacks in Iran, and no shelters to run to. Even some supporters of the regime are reported to be upset that its much-vaunted defences have been so thoroughly exposed.And, among many Iranians, distrust in the authorities runs deep.Donya used to defy the regime and its strict dress code by going out with her hair uncovered.Now, with her university exams postponed until next week, she's staying at home."I get so terrified at night," she said. "I take some pills to help me relax and try to sleep."The Iranian government has suggested that people shelter in mosques and metro stations. But that is hard, when the explosions seem to come out of nowhere."Tehran is a big city and yet every neighbourhood has been somehow affected by the damage," another young woman told BBC Persian."For now, all we do is check the news every hour and call the friends and relatives whose neighbourhood has been hit to make sure they are still alive."She and her family have now left their home to stay in an area where there are no known government buildings.But you never know, in a country like Iran, who may be living next to you.
The Israeli assault has divided Iranians, she said, with some celebrating the regime's losses, while others are angry at those cheering Israel on.Many Iranians keep changing their minds about what they think. Divisions are bitter, even among some families."The situation feels like the first hours after the Titanic hit the iceberg," the woman said. "Some people were trying to escape, some were saying it wasn't a big deal, and others kept dancing."She has always protested against Iran's clerical rulers, she told the BBC, but sees what Netanyahu is doing to her country as "inexcusable"."Everyone's life, whether they supported the attacks or not, has been changed forever. "Most Iranians, even those who oppose the government, have now realised that freedom and human rights don't come from Israeli bombs falling on cities where defenceless civilians live."She added: "Most of us are scared and worried about what's coming next. We've packed bags with first aid supplies, food, and water, just in case things get worse."Israel says the Iranian armed forces have deliberately placed their command centres and weapons inside civilian buildings and areas.Members of Iran's large diaspora are also worried."It's hard to convey what it's like to be an Iranian right now," says Dorreh Khatibi-Hill, a Leeds-based women's rights activist and researcher who is in touch with family, friends and other anti-regime activists. "You're happy that members of the regime - who have been torturing and murdering people - are being taken out."But we know that civilians are dying. This is a devastating humanitarian disaster."And Iranians are not being given accurate information on what is happening, she says."The main person in Iran - the supreme leader - is still alive while Iranians are fleeing for their lives," she adds."No one wants Iran to turn into another Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan. None of us wants this war. We don't want the regime either."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
UK's Lammy says Israel settlement plan 'must be stopped now'
LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - British foreign minister David Lammy said Israeli plans to develop a settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem marked a breach of international law and must be stopped immediately. "The UK strongly opposes the Israeli government's E1 settlement plans, which would divide a future Palestinian state in two and mark a flagrant breach of international law. The plans must be stopped now," Lammy said in an emailed statement.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Israel appears set to approve controversial settlement of 3,400 homes in West Bank
Israel appears set to give formal planning approval to a highly controversial settlement project for more than 3,400 new homes – which has been frozen for decades – which critics say would split the occupied West Bank in half. Strongly opposed by the international community, the so-called E1 plan would extend the existing Jewish settlement of Ma'ale Adumim towards Jerusalem, further cutting occupied east Jerusalem from the West Bank, and further separating the north and south of the territory. The decision from the Supreme Planning Council, which meets next week, is expected to support the plan after rejecting objections by Israeli NGOs. The expected decision in favour comes as Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich – who backs both the plan as well as the imposition of Israeli sovereignty through the occupied West Bank – gloated that he believed construction on E1 would 'bury the idea of a Palestinian state'. Smotrich is a junior minister who also holds a position at Israel's defence ministry with oversight of planning issues in the occupied Palestinian territories. He was sanctioned along with fellow far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir by the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in June for 'repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities'. Standing at the site of the planned settlement in Ma'ale Adumim on Thursday, Smotrich, a settler himself, said the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and US president, Donald Trump, had agreed to the revival of the E1 development, though there was no immediate confirmation from either. While approval for the plan would be a significant step, it remained unclear on Thursday how much buy-in Smotrich has from Netanyahu and the Trump administration. Netanyahu has not commented on Smotrich's remarks, while the US state department appeared to dodge the issue of E1 when questioned. 'Those in the world trying to recognise a Palestinian state will get an answer from us on the ground,' Smotrich said on Thursday, as he announced the plan's impending approval. 'Not through documents, not through decisions or declarations, but through facts. Facts of homes, neighbourhoods, roads and Jewish families building their lives.' The anticipated decision was immediately condemned by the EU. 'The EU rejects any territorial change that is not part of a political agreement between involved parties. So annexation of territory is illegal under international law,' European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said. The Norwegian foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, said the move by Smotrich, an ultranationalist in the ruling rightwing coalition who has long advocated for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, showed that Israel 'seeks to appropriate land owned by Palestinians in order to prevent a two-state solution'. While a UN spokesperson called on Israel to reverse a decision that would end prospects of a two-state solution, the US state department was more evasive. Asked about Smotrich's statement that Netanyahu and Trump had agreed to the development, a spokesperson for the US state department said the US remained focused on ending the war in Gaza and ensuring Hamas will never govern that territory again. 'A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration's goal to achieve peace in the region,' the spokesperson said, while referring to the Israeli government for further information. The fraught question of E1 – and whether the land will ever be built on – has become one of Israel's most interminable sagas, embraced by settler politicians but seen by more mainstream politicians as a red line over Washington's previous history of firm opposition. While Smotrich, whose increasingly unpopular far-right party would be unlikely to win any seats if elections were held today, has spent the past 24 hours grandstanding around the issue, any decision to meaningfully advance with actual building on E1 would probably have to be made by Netanyahu given the diplomatic ramifications. Reflecting the strong international opposition, the UK's Foreign Office said in July – when the issue of E1 re-emerged – that construction would be 'a flagrant breach of international law' threatening the viability of a future Palestinian state. Smotrich's remarks follow declarations in recent days by a growing number of countries of their intention to recognise a Palestinian state in the coming months, which Israel has condemned. The Israeli NGO Peace Now, which monitors settlement building, said: 'The Netanyahu government is exploiting every minute to deepen the annexation of the West Bank and prevent the possibility of a two-state solution. 'It is clear to everyone today that the only solution to the conflict, and the only way to defeat Hamas, is through the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. 'The government of Israel is condemning us to continued bloodshed, instead of working to end it.' First mooted in the 1990s by then Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, the E1 plan has barely advanced in the past 20 years amid recognition by successive Israeli governments of the depth of international opposition, including in Washington. However, even with the tacit approval of the Trump administration, movement towards building would have severe diplomatic ramifications for an already diplomatically isolated Israel, leading to speculation that even with planning permission the plan might not advance.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Israeli minister announces plans for new West Bank settlement to 'bury' idea of Palestinian state
Israel's far-right finance minister has announced plans to build a new settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which he said would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. Palestinians and rights groups said the settlement would effectively cut the West Bank into two separate parts and rob them of any chance to build a Palestinian state. This comes as several countries, including the UK, said they would recognise a Palestinian state in September, unless Israel meets several conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza. "This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise," finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said as he announced the construction plans. "Anyone in the world who tries today to recognise a Palestinian state will receive an answer from us on the ground." The settlement is planned to be built in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, and includes around 3,500 apartments to expand the existing settlement of Maale Adumim, Mr Smotrich said. E1 has been eyed for Israeli development for more than two decades, but plans were halted due to pressure from the US during previous administrations. Now-US President Donald Trump and the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, were praised on Thursday by Mr Smotrich as "true friends of Israel as we have never had before". Mr Smotrich, himself a Jewish settler, told Sky News' international correspondent Diana Magnay that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 scheme. There was no confirmation of this claim from either leader. The E1 plan has not yet received its final approval, which is expected next week. 0:56 Construction of homes 'within a year' Peace Now, which tracks settlement activity in the West Bank, said some bureaucratic steps remain before construction could begin, including the approval of Israel's high planning council. But if the process moves quickly, infrastructure work could start in the next few months, with the construction of homes to follow in about a year. "The E1 plan is deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution. We are standing at the edge of an abyss, and the government is driving us forward at full speed," Peace Now said in a statement. It added that the plan was "guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed". Mr Smotrich was also criticised by an Israeli rights group established by former Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers, who accused the far-right politician of encouraging West Bank settlement activity while the world's attention was on the Gaza war. As well as official, government-approved settlements, there are also Israeli outposts, which are established without government approval and are considered illegal by Israeli authorities. But reports suggest the government often turns a blind eye to their creation. In May, Mr Netanyahu's government approved 22 new settlements, including the legalisation of outposts that had previously been built without authorisation. Since the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023 and Israel's subsequent military bombardment of Gaza, more than 100 Israeli outposts have been established, according to Peace Now. Settler violence against Palestinians has also increased, according to the UN, with an average of 118 incidents each month - up from 108 in 2023, which was already a record year. Trump's ambassador denying existence of the West Bank 'all the encouragement' Smotrich needs Bezalel Smotrich is pumped. His dreams of resettlement and annexation of the West Bank have never been closer to fruition. The E1 settlement plan, which would cut the West Bank from East Jerusalem, was first conceived back in 1995 by then prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. Thirty years later, the extremist settler contingent within the government seems to be on the verge of making it a reality. The prime minister's office has yet to confirm Benjamin Netanyahu's backing, but according to Smotrich, both he and President Trump are on board. E1 (or T1 as they say they will call it, in honour of Donald Trump) would be another symbolic blow to the very notion of Palestinian statehood, as is every settlement and piece of related infrastructure which Israel builds in the occupied West Bank. At a time when the UK, France and others all say they will recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel pushes for a ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu's government is doubling down. Per Smotrich, their response will come through roads, buildings, neighbourhoods, the spread of Jewish life across Palestinian lands in the West Bank - the creation of facts on the ground. The UK, France and many others in the international community may not like it, but the real power-broker here, certainly as far as Netanyahu is concerned, is Donald Trump. He is the president who moved the US embassy to Jerusalem; his ambassador has said there is no such thing as the West Bank. For the likes of Smotrich, that is all the encouragement they need. Plans criticised as 'extension of genocide' The Palestinian foreign ministry called the settlement plan an extension of the crimes of genocide, displacement and annexation. Israel has long disputed accusations of genocide and rights abuses, saying it is acting in self-defence. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the Palestinian president's spokesperson, called on the US to pressure Israel to stop the building of settlements. Hamas said the plan was part of Israel's "colonial, extremist" policies and called on Palestinians to confront it. Qatar, which has been acting as a mediator between Hamas and Israel in a bid to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, said the move was a flagrant violation of international law. "The EU rejects any territorial change that is not part of a political agreement between involved parties. So annexation of territory is illegal under international law," European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said. Today, an estimated 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. There is also a growing movement of Israelis wanting to build settlements in Gaza. Settlers make up around 5% of Israel's population and 15% of the West Bank's population, according to data from Peace Now. Settlements are illegal under international law and have been condemned by the UN. They are, however, authorised by the Israeli government. According to the Israel Policy Forum, the settlement programme is intended to protect Israel's security, with settlers acting as the first line of defence "against an invasion". Mr Smotrich's settlement announcement comes after the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on Mr Smotrich and his fellow far-right cabinet member, Itamar Ben-Gvir, for "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian civilians" in the West Bank. 4:33 Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in June that the ministers had been "encouraging egregious abuses of human rights" for "months". Last year, Mr Smotrich, whose National Religious Party largely draws its support from settlers, ordered preparations for the annexation of the West Bank. His popularity has fallen in recent months, with polls showing that his party would not win a single seat in parliament in elections were held today.
