DUBAI, November 5. /TASS/. Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani has warned the United States about a "serious blow" if it fails to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"We strongly recommend the Americans to immediately stop the war in Gaza and ensure a ceasefire. Otherwise, they will receive a serious blow," the Tasnim agency quoted him as saying.

Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory, killing many Israelis living in the settlements near the border and abducting more than 200 people, including children, women and the elderly. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.