As Israel warned of a "prolonged campaign" against Iran and launched a new round of airstrikes on a nuclear facility and missile sites Saturday, a number of critics accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of waging a "war of distraction" as his military continues its slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.
Iran's Health Ministry said Saturday that more than 400 Iranians—the majority of them civilians—have been killed as Israel has struck dozens of targets in recent days, provoking retaliatory missile strikes from Iran. At least 3,056 people have been wounded in Iran. In Israel, officials said at least 24 people had been killed.
The deaths of civilians were made "even more horrible," said Israeli academic Ori Goldberg, by the fact that Israel began its attacks as "a diversion"—claiming the strikes were necessary to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons even as the Middle Eastern country was negotiating with the U.S. regarding its nuclear program, which it has repeatedly said it uses for peaceful civilian purposes.
"This 'war' is an unprovoked, unilateral attack, a criminal act of aggression, and it is meant to distract the world from acting with regard to Israel's genocide," said Goldberg. "That is how desperate Israel is."
Israel claimed it killed three top commanders in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday—deaths that were not immediately confirmed by Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump delayed announcing a decision earlier this week regarding whether the U.S. military would become directly involved in Israel's assault on Iran, but on Saturday flight tracking data showed that U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers were headed across the Pacific from the U.S.—days after more warplanes were shown to be flying towards Europe.
The B-2 planes "could be equipped to carry the 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs that Mr. Trump is considering deploying against Iran's underground nuclear facilities in Fordo," The New York Times reported Saturday. The Fordo facilities are some of Iran's largest and have not yet been targeted.
Meanwhile, at least 11 more Palestinians were killed in the latest Israeli attacks at aid sites set up by a U.S.- and Israel-backed foundation in Gaza. They were among a total of 26 Palestinians who were killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday, Al Jazeerareported.
Israel has continued to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza except at distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is staffed by U.S. security contractors. Gaza's Health Ministry said more than 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israel at GHF sites since they opened in late May; more than 55,000 people have been killed by Israeli forces since the IDF began bombarding Gaza in October 2023 in retaliation for a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said this week that the "vast majority" of people who it's treated at its field hospital since the GHF sites began operating have been wounded while trying to access aid.
The BBC reported Saturday that "in almost all incidents," eyewitnesses have said the IDF opened fire; in some cases there have also been reports of "local armed gunmen" shooting at crowds of Palestinians.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Netanyahu may incorrectly "think no one will notice what he's doing in Gaza while he bombs Iran."
On Thursday, journalist Samira Mohyeddin noted that Israel also bombed the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, killing at least 13 people in makeshift tents.
"While Israel continues to try and avert the world's eyes towards its war of distraction on Iran, its genocide pushes on with ferocity in Gaza," said Mohyeddin.
Israeli academic Shaiel Ben-Ephraim pointed out that Netanyahu has previously sparked "new conflicts to shift the conversation"—attacking the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria.
"Each flare-up acts as a smokescreen, pulling eyes away from the suffering and devastation happening under his command," said Ben-Ephraim. "Now, Iran is his latest and most effective diversion. This isn't accidental. It's a calculated move to fracture international attention and ease the pressure on him."
"Netanyahu doesn't just need to be voted out; he should be brought to The Hague to face justice for the death and destruction he's unleashed."
