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Israel FM Tells French, British Counterparts He Expects Allies to Attack Iran if it Strikes

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy attends the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at National Convention Center, in Vientiane, Laos, July 26, 2024. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy attends the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at National Convention Center, in Vientiane, Laos, July 26, 2024. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Israel FM Tells French, British Counterparts He Expects Allies to Attack Iran if it Strikes

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy attends the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at National Convention Center, in Vientiane, Laos, July 26, 2024. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy attends the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at National Convention Center, in Vientiane, Laos, July 26, 2024. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told his French and British counterparts Friday that his country expects support "in attacking" Iran if it strikes Israel.

"If Iran attacks, we expect the coalition to join Israel not only in defense but also in attacking significant targets in Iran," Katz told his French and UK counterparts during their visit to Israel.

The visit by Britain's David Lammy and France's Stephane Sejourne to Israel comes as a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks was underway in Doha, an effort to end 10 months of fighting in the Palestinian enclave and bring 115 Israeli and foreign hostages home.

The talks came as Iran appeared on the point of retaliating against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

"This is a dangerous moment for the Middle East," Lammy said in a statement. "The risk of the situation spiralling out of control is rising. Any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences for the region."

Britain and France are calling for a diplomatic solution to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and restore peace along the Israeli-Lebanese border, the British foreign ministry said.

"It's never too late for peace. We must at all costs avoid a regional war, which would have terrible consequences," French foreign minister Sejourne said in a statement.

The visit by the duo marks the first UK-France joint visit to Israel in more than 10 years.

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Strong Earthquake Kills at Least 126 People in Tibet

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
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Strong Earthquake Kills at Least 126 People in Tibet

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)

 A strong earthquake shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal on Tuesday, damaging hundreds of houses, littering streets with rubble and killing at least 126 people in Tibet. Many others were trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the remote region.
Rescue workers climbed mounds of broken bricks, some using ladders in heavily damaged villages, as they searched for survivors. Videos posted by China's Ministry of Emergency Management showed two people being carried on stretchers by workers treading over the debris from collapsed homes.
At least 188 people were injured in Tibet on the Chinese side of the border, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
More than 1,000 homes were damaged in the barren and sparsely populated region, state broadcaster CCTV reported. In video posted by the broadcaster, building debris littered streets and crushed cars.
According to The AP, people in northeastern Nepal strongly felt the earthquake, but there were no initial reports of injuries or damage, according to the country's National Emergency Operation Center. The area around Mount Everest, about 75 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of the epicenter, was empty in the depth of winter when even some residents move away to escape the cold.
The quake woke up residents in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu — about 230 kilometers (140 miles) from the epicenter — and sent them running into the streets.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured magnitude 7.1 and was relatively shallow at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). China's Earthquake Networks Center recorded the magnitude as 6.8. Shallow earthquakes often cause more damage.
The epicenter was in Tibet's Tingri county, where the India and Eurasia plates grind against each other and can cause earthquakes strong enough to change the heights of some of the world’s tallest peaks in the Himalayan mountains.
There have been 10 earthquakes of at least magnitude 6 in the area where Tuesday’s quake hit over the past century, the USGS said.
About 150 aftershocks were recorded in the nine hours after the earthquake, and the Mount Everest scenic area on the Chinese side was closed.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to rescue people, minimize casualties and resettle those whose homes were damaged. More than 3,000 rescuers were deployed, CCTV said.
Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing was dispatched to the area to guide the work, and the government announced the allocation of 100 million yuan ($13.6 million) for disaster relief.
About 6,900 people live in three townships and 27 villages within 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) of the epicenter on the Chinese side, state media said. The average altitude in the area is about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), the Chinese earthquake center said in a social media post.
On the southwest edge of Kathmandu, a video showed water spilling out into the street from a pond in a courtyard with a small temple.
“It is a big earthquake," a woman can be heard saying. "People are all shaking.”