Israel bombs Gaza as Middle East tense after Iranian attack

Israel launched more deadly strikes on besieged Gaza on Thursday as world powers watched nervously whether the country would retaliate against a weekend attack by its arch enemy Iran.

The Israeli army said it had bombed dozens of targets in the Palestinian coastal territory of 2.4 million people, more than six months into the bloodiest ever Gaza war.

Weeks of talks towards an Israel-Hamas truce and hostage release deal have stalled, according to Qatar's prime minister who said the Gulf emirate was now "reassessing our role as mediator".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to destroy Hamas over its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, also stressed on Wednesday that Israel "reserves the right to protect itself" against Iran.

The Islamic republic last weekend carried out its first ever attack to directly target its regional foe but Israel, backed by its allies, intercepted most of the 300 missiles and drones and suffered no deaths.

Iran's attack was retaliation for an April 1 air strike, which it blamed on Israel, on the consular annex of its embassy in Damascus.

The international community has urged de-escalation since Iran's attack on Israel which came after months of high tensions and violence involving Israel and Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

"We are on the edge of a war in the Middle East which will be sending shock-waves to the rest of the world," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said ahead of a G7 meeting in Capri, Italy.

Iran has warned of "a fierce and severe response" if Israel launches any further attacks after seven of its Revolutionary Guards died in the consular strike.

However, Tehran had also sought to calm tensions through indirect diplomatic...