Israel in uproar over Argentina pre-World Cup friendly snub

The sports-crazed nation of Israel was in uproar Wednesday over Argentina's abrupt cancellation of a World Cup warmup match following pro-Palestinian protests, with some of the country's leaders accusing Lionel Messi and his teammates of caving to terrorism.

Argentina's Lucas Biglia takes part in a team training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper, in Sant Joan Despi, Spain, Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Argentina has called off a World Cup warmup match against Israel following protests by pro-Palestinian groups. A source at Argentina's football federation on Tuesday confirmed the cancellation of the international friendly scheduled to be played Saturday at Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Israel was eagerly awaiting the sold-out international friendly scheduled for Saturday night at Jerusalem's Teddy Kollek Stadium and the arrival of some of the world's best players. Argentina is one of the most popular national teams among Israelis and fans had been scrambling to get a chance to see Messi in person.

But after a fierce Palestinian campaign, which included images of Argentina's white and sky-blue striped jersey stained with red paint resembling blood and threats to burn Messi posters, Argentina's football federation announced it was skipping the event.

Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association, apologized for cancelling the match but said the safety of the players was at stake.

Argentina's Sergio Aguero attends a team training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper, in Sant Joan Despi, Spain, Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Argentina has called off a World Cup warmup match against Israel following protests by pro-Palestinian groups. A source at Argentina's football federation on Tuesday confirmed the cancellation of the international friendly scheduled to be played Saturday at Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

"What has happened in the last 72 hours, the actions, the threats that have occurred have led us to take the decision not to travel," he said during a news conference in Barcelona, where the Argentine team is training prior to the start of the World Cup next week.

"(We) apologize to the Israeli community. It's nothing against the Israeli community, the Jewish community and I would like everyone to take this decision as a contribution to world peace," he said.

"In the end, they've done the right thing, and this is behind us," Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain told ESPN. "Health and common sense come first. We felt that it wasn't right to go."

Argentina's Lionel Messi, right, attends a team training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper, in Sant Joan Despi, Spain, Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Argentina has called off a World Cup warmup match against Israel following protests by pro-Palestinian groups. A source at Argentina's football federation on Tuesday confirmed the cancellation of the international friendly scheduled to be played Saturday at Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Argentine President Mauricio Macri and urged him to intervene, to no avail. Later Wednesday, Israel's Sports Ministry said a "negotiation" about the match was underway, perhaps in hopes of salvaging it, but gave no further details.

"It's unfortunate the soccer knights of Argentina did not withstand the pressure of the Israeli-hating inciters, whose only goal is to harm our basic right to self-defense and bring about the destruction of Israel," said Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. "We will not yield before a pack of anti-Semitic terrorist supporters."

The head of the Palestinian football association, Jibril Rajoub, had called on Arab soccer fans to burn Messi posters and T-shirts if he participated. He has long tried to get soccer's world governing body, FIFA, and the International Olympic Committee to impose sanctions against Israel.

President of the Argentine Football Association Claudio Tapia, right, takes a drink during a team training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper, in Sant Joan Despi, Spain, Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Argentina has called off a World Cup warmup match against Israel following protests by pro-Palestinian groups. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Rajoub believes Israel should be punished for restricting movement of Palestinian players, and for forming teams in West Bank settlements. Rajoub had also objected to holding the match in Jerusalem, whose eastern sector the Palestinians claim as their capital.

Although the Kollek stadium is in west Jerusalem, it is located in a neighborhood built where a Palestinian village once stood before it was destroyed in the war surrounding Israel's independence in 1948.

Following the move, he held a press conference in Ramallah featuring a picture of him with Messi and a sign reading: "From Palestine, thank you Messi."

Rajoub had accused Israel of playing politics with the game, by moving it from its original location in Haifa to Jerusalem, and by trying to link it to celebrations surrounding Israel's 70th anniversary.

He called it a victory for "ethics and values" of sports. "They tried to use sport as a tool for political ends, and for this I think, they failed," Rajoub said.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said it was a sad morning for Israeli sports fans, including his own grandchildren. "But there are values that are greater than even Messi. The politicization of the Argentinean move worries me greatly," he said.

Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain, left, takes part in a team training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper, in Sant Joan Despi, Spain, Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Argentina has called off a World Cup warmup match against Israel following protests by pro-Palestinian groups. A source at Argentina's football federation on Tuesday confirmed the cancellation of the international friendly scheduled to be played Saturday at Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Opposition figures, however, accused Israel's headline-seeking sports minister Miri Regev of bringing on the politicization of the sporting event by insisting on moving the game from Haifa to contested Jerusalem and by trying to orchestrate a politicized photo-op with Messi. Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed the area in a move that is not internationally recognized. Israel considers the entire city to be its capital, while the Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

Regev rejected the backlash at a press conference Wednesday evening saying "there is no bigger lie" than claims her decision to hold the match in Jerusalem aided in its cancellation. She said the Argentinians had not objected and that Messi himself had wanted to visit sacred Christian and Jewish sites in the holy city.

Regev said the match was canceled following "threats by terror elements sent to Messi and his family and to other players."

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog called the snub a "spectacular own goal" by Regev that delivered victory to boycotters of the Jewish State. Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay called for a police investigation into Regev's "corrupt conduct."

"We just absorbed a shot in the face. This is not just sports," he tweeted. "This, unfortunately, could start an international tsunami."

Regev claimed that "terrorist" groups had made threats against Argentina's players and their families, sending them images of dead children, though she gave no further evidence. She accused members of the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, of backing the boycott advocates.

"Unfortunately, we have Trojan Horses in the Knesset who give headwind to terrorism," she said.

The Palestinian militant Islamic group Hamas praised Argentina for canceling the game. Spokesman Husam Badran said Hamas "applauds" the move and reiterated its position that rejects "all forms of normalization" with the Jewish state.

A senior official at the Argentine Football Federation said the national team decided to call off the match with Israel after receiving threats from Hamas.

Argentina's coach Jorge Sampaoli, center left, gives instructions to his team during a training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper, in Sant Joan Despi, Spain, Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Argentina has called off a World Cup warmup match against Israel following protests by pro-Palestinian groups. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, did not provide evidence or details of the alleged threats.

A Hamas official mocked reports that the group had threatened the players, calling them unrealistic, and saying they don't deserve a comment. The Hamas official was not authorized to comment in the issue and also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction and has ruled Gaza with an iron fist since it took over the territory in 2007. Israel and the United States consider it a terror organization for its bombings, shooting and rocket attacks targeting civilians.

Israel has largely fended off the boycott campaign with only a small number of artists and organizations shunning the country.

Argentina's snubbing would appear to be the boycott movement's greatest achievement thus far.

The grassroots movement advocates boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel in what supporters say is a way to promote Palestinian rights through nonviolent means. Israel says the campaign goes beyond Israeli occupation of lands claimed by the Palestinians and masks a deeper aim of delegitimizing or even destroying the country. It has formed a government ministry whose primary mission is to combat the boycott movement.

The Argentinean move, which featured on the front pages of all the major Israeli dailies, raised fears that it could serve as a template for future boycotts of Jerusalem, most notably next year's scheduled hosting of the popular Eurovision song contest.

The Palestinians celebrated the cancellation as a major triumph.

Israeli organizers said an offer had been floated to have the game played in Barcelona instead, but it was highly unlikely.

"I think sports should never be involved with politics," said Shahaf Ashraga, a fan in Jerusalem. "It just makes me sad to think that the game has to be canceled because of the Palestinian pressure."

Argentina opens its Group D campaign in Russia against Iceland on June 16. It then plays Croatia on June 21 and Nigeria on June 26. It is unclear whether Argentina will play another warmup, or if it will arrive in Moscow ahead of schedule.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip as the Israeli military continues to signal it plans an offensive on the city of Rafah.

Khan Younis has been targeted by repeated Israeli military operations over recent weeks. Israel has said it plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah during an anticipated offensive on the southern city, where hundreds of thousands of people have taken refuge during the war, now in its seventh month. The military said it was not involved in the tent construction.

On Monday, a failed rocket strike was launched at a base housing U.S.-led coalition forces at Rumalyn, Syria, marking the first time since Feb. 4 that Iranian-backed militias have attacked a U.S. facility in Iraq or Syria, a U.S. defense official said. No personnel were injured in the attack, and no group has claimed responsibility.

The conflict has led to regional unrest, pitting Israel and the U.S. against Iran and allied militant groups across the Middle East. Israel and Iran traded fire directly this month, raising fears of all-out regional war.

The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the unprecedented Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which the militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, around two-thirds of them children and women. It has devastated Gaza’s two largest cities and left a swath of destruction. Around 80% of the territory’s population has fled to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave.

The U.S. Senate could pass a $26 billion aid package as soon as Tuesday that includes around $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza, which experts say is on the brink of famine, as well as billions for Israel. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.

Currently:

— Satellite photos suggest Iran air defense radar struck during apparent Israeli attack on Isfahan

— Columbia lets students attend class online amid growing campus protests over Israel’s war in Gaza

— A legal challenge over the UK’s role in arms sales to Israel will go ahead

— Google fires more workers who protested its deal with Israel

— Dutch intelligence sees the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as triggers for terrorist threats

Here is the latest:

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations’ top human rights official says he is “horrified” by the destruction of two major hospitals raided by Israeli troops in Gaza.

Volker Türk also expressed concern about the reported discovery of mass graves in and around the Shifa medical center in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

In a statement issued Tuesday, he called for independent and transparent investigations into the deaths, saying that “given the prevailing climate of impunity, this should include international investigators.”

The Israeli military said its forces were searching for the remains of hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war when they exhumed bodies that Palestinians had buried. The military said bodies were examined in a respectful manner and returned to their place.

The Israeli military says it killed or detained hundreds of militants who had taken shelter inside the two hospital complexes, claims that could not be independently verified.

Palestinian health officials say the raids have destroyed Gaza’s health sector as it deals with the mounting toll from more than six months of war.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip — The spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing says time is running out for reaching a deal to release hostages held by the militant group.

The spokesman, known as Abu Obeida, said in a video statement carried by the Al Jazeera network on Tuesday that “the ball is in the court” of Israel, but that “time grows short and the opportunities are dwindling.”

He suggested the hostages could meet the same fate as Ron Arad. The Israeli airman is still missing after being captured by militants in Lebanon in 1986.

Hamas captured around 250 hostages during its wide-ranging assault into Israel on Oct. 7, in which militants also killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The attack triggered the war in Gaza, which has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

Hamas and other militants are still believed to be holding around 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others. Most of the other hostages were freed in November in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent months trying to broker another cease-fire and hostage release. Those talks have stalled, with Hamas demanding an end to the war and Israel vowing to continue its offensive until it destroys the militant group.

Abu Obeida struck a defiant tone in the video statement, saying “the enemy has not achieved anything in the last 200 days except for massacres, destruction and killing.”

CAIRO — Ireland’s top diplomat has condemned Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing of Gaza,” saying the civilian toll of its war against Hamas is “unacceptable.”

Speaking in a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Micheál Martin said the killing of women and children is “unconscionable.”

He mentioned an airstrike over the weekend on Gaza’s southern city of Rafah that killed 17 children and two women from the same extended family.

“The women and children that are being killed. It’s unconscionable,” he said. “It’s very difficult for me personally as a human being to comprehend that level of barbarity, there can be no justification for it, in my view.”

The minister called for a cease-fire, the release of all hostages captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war, and flooding the strip with humanitarian aid.

It’s “unacceptable that hostages are taken in this manner,” he said. “And again, we have consistently condemned the taking of hostages.”

BEIRUT — The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said Tuesday afternoon it had launched an attack on an Israeli base near the city of Acre, considerably farther south than the areas it usually targets, in response to an Israeli airstrike that killed of one of its officials.

The Israeli military said in a statement earlier Tuesday that it had killed Hussein Ali Azqul in an airstrike in south Lebanon and described him as a “significant” operative in Hezbollah’s aerial defense unit. Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that Azqul had been killed.

State media and witnesses said the strike happened in the area of Adloun, between the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the border with Israel.

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups have been clashing with Israeli forces along the border for more than six months against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has regularly carried out targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas members in Lebanon, sometimes in areas far from the border.

Hezbollah said the strike it launched was “in response to the Israeli aggression on the town of Adloun” and the “assassination” of Azqul. It said the strike targeted a location about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the border and was the deepest it had launched since the outbreak of the war.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it had “successfully intercepted two suspicious aerial targets off the northern coast.”

JERICHO, West Bank — Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man early Tuesday in the West Bank city of Jericho, an eyewitness and Palestinian officials said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the man as Shadi Jalaita, 44, and said he suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.

His uncle, Shafiq Jalaita, said the man had been outside of his home watching an Israeli military raid taking place at a neighbor’s house in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Suddenly, three gunshots rang out, he said.

“The third bullet hit his chest and came out of his back,” Jalaita said.

The Israeli army has not commented on the shooting.

The Health Ministry said a child also was shot in the stomach in Jericho and was in critical condition. No further details were available.

Violence has surged in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7. Since then, at least 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the territory, the Ramallah-based Health Ministry said.

DOHA, Qatar — Qatar is in a “reevaluation phase” when it comes to trying to mediate talks between Israel and Hamas over a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

“We need to see seriousness from everyone,” Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, told a news conference Tuesday.

He also said discussions were ongoing about Hamas’ ongoing presence in Qatar.

The militant group has had a political office in Doha, Qatar, for years, but the Wall Street Journal has reported in recent days that Hamas could leave the country as the talks remain deadlocked. Hamas has denied that the group was considering leaving Qatar.

— Associated Press writer Lujain Jo contributed to this report.

The United Nations’ human rights chief is renewing a warning against a large-scale Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah and decrying recent Israeli strikes on the city.

Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said that a large incursion into Rafah “would risk more deaths, injuries and displacement on a large scale – even further atrocity crimes, for which those responsible would be held accountable,” his office said in a statement.

Türk deplored three strikes in Rafah in recent days that reportedly killed mostly women and children. He said that “the world’s leaders stand united on the imperative of protecting the civilian population trapped in Rafah.”

Israel has carried out near-daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has sought refuge. It has also vowed to expand its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group to the city on the border with Egypt despite calls for restraint, including from the U.S.

BEIRUT — An Israeli airstrike on a car in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed a Hezbollah official.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it had killed Hussein Ali Azqul in the strike and described him as a “significant” operative in Hezbollah’s aerial defense unit. Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that Azqul had been killed.

State media and witnesses said the strike happened in the area of Adloun, between the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the border with Israel.

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups have been clashing with Israeli forces along the border for more than six months against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has regularly carried out targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas members in Lebanon, sometimes in areas far from the border.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Tuesday the bodies of 32 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 hours. Hospitals also received 59 wounded, it said in its daily report.

That brings the overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war to at least 34,183, the ministry said. Another 77,143 have been injured, it said.

The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its tallies, but has said that women and children make up around two thirds of those killed.

The Israeli military says it has killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to back up the claim.

BEIRUT — An apparent Israeli airstrike on a car in southern Lebanon killed at least one person Tuesday, officials said.

State media and witnesses said the strike happened in the area of Adloun, between the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the border with Israel.

It was not immediately clear who was killed.

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups have been clashing with Israeli forces along the border for more than six months against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Tuesday’s strike. Israel has regularly carried out targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas members in Lebanon, sometimes in areas far from the border.

JERUSALEM — Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military continues to signal it plans an offensive targeting the city of Rafah.

Images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the AP show the tent compound starting to be fully under construction on April 16 just west of Khan Younis. Images taken Sunday show the tent compound in the time since has grown.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that it was not involved in the tent construction near Khan Younis. The Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, without attributing the information, said that Egypt was constructing the tent compound ahead of a possible Rafah offensive.

The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday about the tents. However, their construction comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened “additional painful blows” targeting Hamas over the breakdown of talks over trying to free the remaining hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

That could include the long-threatened attack on Rafah, where half of the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million people have fled amid the war. The U.S., Israel’s main ally, has repeatedly said any military operation needs to protect civilians.

Netanyahu has said he would order to military to evacuate civilians from Rafah for the offensive, but it is not clear where they could go.

— Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell contributed to this report.

Mourners bury the body of Palestinian Shadi Jalaita, 44, at the cemetery, during his funeral in the West Bank city of Jericho Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man early Tuesday in the West Bank city of Jericho, an eyewitness and Palestinian officials said. The Palestinian Health Ministry said he suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Family and supporters of hostages held in the Gaza Strip hold up their hands, painted red to symbolize blood, to call for the captives' release and to mark 200 days since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 cross-border attack, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Mother of Palestinian Shadi Jalaita, 44, cries upon the arrival of her son's body at the family house for the last look during his funeral in the West Bank city of Jericho Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man early Tuesday in the West Bank city of Jericho, an eyewitness and Palestinian officials said. The Palestinian Health Ministry said he suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Mourners react while they take the last look at the body of Palestinian Shadi Jalaita, 44 during his funeral in the West Bank city of Jericho Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man early Tuesday in the West Bank city of Jericho, an eyewitness and Palestinian officials said. The Palestinian Health Ministry said he suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Family and supporters of hostages held in the Gaza Strip hold up their hands, painted red to symbolize blood, to call for the captives' release and to mark 200 days since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 cross-border attack, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Family and supporters of hostages held in the Gaza Strip hold up their hands, painted red to symbolize blood, to call for the captives' release and to mark 200 days since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 cross-border attack, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Family and supporters of hostages held in the Gaza Strip hold up their hands, painted red to symbolize blood, to call for the captives' release and to mark 200 days since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 cross-border attack, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Family and supporters of hostages held in the Gaza Strip hold up their hands, painted red to symbolize blood, to call for the captives' release and to mark 200 days since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 cross-border attack, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows tents being constructed near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Satellite photos analyzed Tuesday by The Associated Press appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military continues to signal it plans an offensive targeting the city of Rafah. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows tents being constructed near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Satellite photos analyzed Tuesday, April 23, 2024 by The Associated Press appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military continues to signal it plans an offensive targeting the city of Rafah. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows tents and other makeshift housing built up around the area of the Tel al-Sultan refugee camp Saturday, April 20, 2024, amid Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Tel al-Sultan is part of the wider urban Rafah refugee camp, one of eight in the Gaza Strip that were built for families displaced during the war surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows tents being constructed near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Satellite photos analyzed Tuesday, April 23 by The Associated Press appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military continues to signal it plans an offensive targeting the city of Rafah. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

FILE - A Russian-made S-300 air defense system sits on display for the annual Defense Week, marking the 37th anniversary of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 24, 2017. Satellite photos taken Monday suggest an apparent Israeli retaliatory strike targeting Iran's central city of Isfahan hit a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery, contradicting repeated denials by officials in Tehran in the time since the assault. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

Burn marks surround what analysts identify as a radar system for a Russian-made S-300 missile battery, center, near an international airport and air base is seen in Isfahan, Iran, Monday, April 22, 2024. Satellite photos taken Monday suggest an apparent Israeli retaliatory strike targeting Iran's central city of Isfahan hit a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery, contradicting repeated denials by officials in Tehran in the time since the assault. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

The Latest | Tent compound rises in Khan Younis as Israel prepares for Rafah offensive

A missile defense site near an international airport and air base is seen in Isfahan, Iran, Monday, April 22, 2024. Satellite photos taken Monday suggest an apparent Israeli retaliatory strike targeting Iran's central city of Isfahan hit a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery, contradicting repeated denials by officials in Tehran in the time since the assault. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

The Latest | Tent compound rises in Khan Younis as Israel prepares for Rafah offensive