LONDON

Following a reported strike by Israel on Iran, the EU foreign policy chief said Friday that the G7 calls on "all actors to show maximum restraint," adding the war in Gaza have to be stopped.

"We concluded the @G7 amidst reports of strikes in the Middle East. The G7 calls once again all actors to show maximum restraint," Josep Borrell wrote on X.

His remarks came after a reported Israeli attack on Iran as sounds of heavy explosions were heard in at least two Iranian cities in the wee hours of Friday morning amid an alleged Israeli attack inside Iran.

The explosions in Iran came amid heightened tensions between arch-foes Iran and Israel after Saturday's attack by Tehran involving hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, which Iran said was in response to the April 1 attack on the Iranian Consulate in Syria.

Israel vowed a military response to the Iranian weekend attack despite many Western countries urging restraint and de-escalation of tensions.

Borrell said: "We have to stop the war in Gaza and avoid it expands to the rest of the region."

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

Nearly 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 76,800 others have been injured besides causing mass destruction, displacement and conditions of famine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.