Aug. 25: Gallant says Hezbollah ‘thrown off balance’ after ‘very, very successful’ strikes

US official: Cairo hostage talks were constructive, all sides interested in inking deal

A US official tells The Times of Israel that the hostage talks held in Cairo the past several days have been “constructive and were conducted in the spirit of reaching a final and implementable agreement with all sides share that sentiment.”

“The process will continue over the coming days through working groups to further address remaining issues and details,” the US official says.

Notably, US officials appear to be the only party in the talks who sound hopeful about their trajectory.

Despite the US official’s optimistic framing, the Biden administration had last week indicated it was aiming to have a deal reached by now.

On August 16, the US submitted what it branded as a “final bridging proposal” to Israel and Hamas, adding that lower-level negotiating teams would subsequently meet to work out the disputes between the sides before top officials reconvened this weekend to ink a deal.

But midway through last week, talk of an imminent finalization of the deal dissipated. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters after visiting the region that additional agreements on implementing the agreement would have to be reached if Hamas agrees to the US proposal, appearing to add another step in the process until a ceasefire would take effect.

Indeed, the fact that lower-level “working groups” are again reconvening suggests the sides are not yet ready for their top decision-makers to finalize a deal.

Still, a US source familiar with the negotiations explains that progress has been made over the past four days in Cairo.

The sides negotiated based on the US bridging proposal, which incorporated details from US President Joe Biden’s May 31 speech and UN Security Council Resolution 2735, which have served as the framework for talks along with subsequent clarifications from Hamas and Israel, the source explains.

This past Thursday, an Israeli negotiating team met US and Egyptian mediators in Cairo in an effort to narrow the remaining gaps and clarify outstanding issues that Jerusalem had with the bridging proposal. The US and Egyptian mediators then held bilateral consultations the next day. On Saturday, Qatari and Egyptian mediators sat down with senior Hamas negotiators to walk them through each clause of the US bridging proposal, identifying any outstanding issues and answering any questions that the terror group had, the US source says.

On Sunday, Israeli negotiators rejoined the talks with the US and Egyptian mediators to further narrow gaps, the source adds, stressing that the talks were ongoing.

Egyptian security sources say hostage-ceasefire talks in Cairo have ended without agreement

CAIRO — Talks over a possible Gaza deal have ended without agreement in Cairo, with neither Hamas nor Israel agreeing to several comprises presented by mediators, two Egyptian security sources say.

IDF says explosive detonated on civilian bus in the West Bank, no injuries caused but bus damaged

The IDF says an explosive was detonated on a civilian bus near the West Bank Palestinian village of Marah Rabah, located south of Bethlehem, a short while ago, causing damage to the bus but no injuries.

It says that it has set up roadblocks in the area and is searching for the perpetrators.

Reuters safety adviser killed, two journalists injured in strike on hotel in eastern Ukraine

Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team covering the war in Ukraine, was killed and two Reuters journalists were injured in a strike on a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, the news agency says.

Evans, who was working as a safety adviser for the agency, was killed after a missile struck the Hotel Sapphire where he was staying as part of a six-person team on Saturday, Reuters says in a statement.

Two of the agency’s journalists are being treated in hospital; one of them is seriously injured, it says.

“We are urgently seeking more information about the attack, including by working with the authorities in Kramatorsk, and we are supporting our colleagues and their families,” Reuters says.

Evans, a former British soldier, had been working with Reuters since 2022 and advised its journalists on safety around the world including in Ukraine, Israel and at the Paris Olympics. He was 38.

“We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan’s family and loved ones. Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him terribly,” Reuters says.

The three other members of the Reuters team who were in the hotel at the time of the strike are accounted for and safe, the agency says.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the hotel was hit by a Russian Iskander missile, a ballistic missile that can strike at distances up to 500 km (310 miles).

“An ordinary city hotel was destroyed by the Russian Iskander,” he says in his evening address on Sunday, adding the strike was “absolutely purposeful, thought out…my condolences to family and friends.”

The Russian Defense Ministry does not respond to a request for comment.

Reuters is not able to independently verify if the missile that hit the hotel was fired by Russia or if it was a deliberate strike on that building.

The Donetsk province’s regional prosecutor’s office says in a Telegram post earlier that the body of a British citizen had been found in the rubble of a hotel building in Kramatorsk.

The hotel was “destroyed” at 10:35 p.m. local time (1935 GMT) on Saturday “probably with an Iskander-M missile,” it says. The prosecutor’s office has opened a pre-trial investigation into the strike, it says.

Hagari: IDF working ‘day and night’ to achieve all the war goals

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari says that the IDF “works day and night” to fulfil all the aims of its war with Hamas, after an anonymous government accused him of acting “in complete contradiction” to the government’s directives for only mentioning the goal of rescuing Israel’s hostages as one of the war’s aims, without mentioning the rest.

“It goes without saying that the return of the hostages is a noble goal, but it is not the only goal of the war,” Hagari says. “At the same press conference, I also referred to the destruction of Hamas’s military wing, which is also one of the goals of the fighting.”

“The IDF works day and night to achieve the goals of the war — all of them,” he says.

בהצהרתי הערב אמרתי כי "אנחנו ממשיכים להיות מחויבים למטרת מלחמה אחת, מרכזית, השבת החטופים".

מיותר לציין כי השבת החטופים היא מטרה נעלה, אך היא לא מטרת המלחמה היחידה. באותה מסיבת עיתונאים התייחסתי בדברי גם להשמדת הזרוע הצבאית של חמאס, גם היא אחת ממטרות הלחימה. וידאו מצ"ב.

צה״ל… pic.twitter.com/6rdK1O8i32

— דובר צה״ל דניאל הגרי – Daniel Hagari (@IDFSpokesperson) August 25, 2024

IDF soldier lightly wounded in car ramming near Ariel in the West Bank; 2 Palestinian assailants shot dead

An image of the military vest and several assault rifle magazines that the IDF says were found in the car of two Palestinian assailants who carried out a ramming attack near the West Bank settlement of Ariel, August 25, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

An IDF soldier was lightly wounded in a car-ramming attack earlier this evening near the West Bank settlement of Ariel, the military announces.

Two Palestinian assailants in the vehicle were shot dead.

According to the IDF, the pair arrived by car from the Tapuach Junction and drove against the oncoming traffic toward Ariel, while crashing into several cars on the way.

The assailants then tried to ram into IDF soldiers stationed in the area, who opened fire, killing them, the military says.

In their vehicle, the IDF says troops found a military vest and several assault rifle magazines.

The wounded soldier was taken to a hospital for treatment.

AG blocks Ben Gvir’s promotion of cop indicted for injuring protesters, demands clarification

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (left) speaks during an official Memorial Day ceremony at the Ashdod Military Cemetery, May 13, 2024. (Liron Moldovan/Flash90); Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara addresses the Israel Bar Association's annual conference in Eilat, May 27, 2024. (Courtesy Israel Bar Association)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara blocks the promotion of Israel Police Officer Meir Suissa to the rank of chief superintendent due to his indictment last month for throwing a stun grenade at anti-government protesters in March 2023.

The promotion was ordered last week by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who heaped praise on Suissa and condemned what he said was political pressure “to target a police officer who seems to have acted in accordance with the instructions he was given.”

Hebrew media reports that a letter was sent by the office of the attorney general to Ben Gvir informing him that without necessary clarification or a letter of recommendation from the police chief, “it is not legally possible to promote Suissa in rank, or appointment.”

Responding to the attorney general’s decision to block the appointment, Ben Gvir insists that it will go ahead nevertheless, and says that if she “wants to cancel the minister’s appointment, she is welcome to go to the Supreme Court.”

“All the steps required by law and in accordance with the authority of the National Security minister to appoint him were taken,” the ultranationalist minister adds. “The attorney general is a recommending body, not a decision body, therefore Suissa is the chief superintendent and the commander of the Tel Aviv-South station.”

Official says Hagari acted against government directives by saying return of hostages is ‘central war goal’ without listing others

An unnamed Israeli official slams IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari following a press conference earlier this evening, in which he said that the military was “committed to one central war goal, the recovery of 109 hostages, and will continue to act in all efforts to realize this.”

In response, the official says that Hagari’s decision to “mention only one war goal — while ignoring the rest of the war goals — is in complete contradiction to the specification and directives of the political echelon.

“The goals of the war were and are the return of our hostages, the destruction of the military and governing capabilities of Hamas, the promise that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” the official adds.

IDF announces reservist soldier killed in Gaza City fighting

Master Sgt. (res.) Shlomo Yehonatan Hazut. (Courtesy, Israel Defense Forces)

An Israeli reserve soldier was killed during fighting in Gaza City earlier today, the IDF announces.

The slain soldier is named as Master Sgt. (res.) Shlomo Yehonatan Hazut, 36, of the Jerusalem Brigade’s 9207th Battalion, from Ashdod.

Another soldier was seriously wounded in the incident.

According to an initial IDF probe, the soldiers were hit by an explosive device planted on a road in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood.

PM tells released hostage Israel ‘didn’t lose’ on Oct. 7, but ‘entire existence’ of state at risk due to Iran

In a meeting last week with released hostages and family members of hostages still held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a released hostage whose son is still in captivity that Israel didn’t “lose” on October 7 when it failed to stop the Hamas massacre, because “during the Holocaust, they committed ‘October 7’ 4,500 times every single day.”

In recordings obtained by Channel 12, Netanyahu is heard speaking to the hostage families about the deal, but appears to wish to focus mostly on the importance of Israel defending itself against threats from Hezbollah and Iran, despite that not being the focus of the meeting.

“I want to tell you what I’m busy with,” Netanyahu can be heard telling the hostage families, the voices of whom have all been altered by Channel 12 to protect their privacy. “I am dealing with [preventing] the destruction of this country.”

In response, one of the former hostages asks if he is saying that “the war is more important than the hostages,” to which the premier responds that maybe she “wasn’t listening” carefully enough to him.

He continues, telling the released hostages that the future of the State of Israel “is in question.”

“The entire existence of the state, the entire existence of Nir Oz, which is being rejuvenated, of Be’eri, of Tel Aviv, of Ra’anana, of Tiberias, of Haifa — everything, everything is in question,” he says. “I’m telling you the truth, that we can prevent it. We need to address this plan for the destruction of Israel.”

Pushed again by the attendees to return to the issue of the hostage deal, Netanyahu appears to lose his patience.

“We’re only talking about the deal,” he can be heard saying, before appearing to mimic those in favor of a deal. “If we make a deal everything will be resolved — Iran will stop, etc., etc.,” he says. “That’s crazy. Just delusional. There’s no other word for it.”

“Iran is planning our annihilation, Hezbollah is planning our annihilation, they’re in a ring around us and we’re saying we won’t go like sheep to the slaughter,” he continues, invoking a Hebrew phrase used to imply that the Jews went passively to their deaths during the Holocaust.

One of the former hostages responds, asking if “that means I won’t see my son,” and another chimes in, saying that yes, that is “exactly what he wants.”

Netanyahu responds that it is “exactly the opposite” of what he was saying.

After the discussion turned to the issue of the hostage deal, one of the released hostages criticizes the frequent talk of “victory” against Hamas, and says that she “understands ‘victory this, victory that,’ but we already lost on October 7.”

“Let’s return the hostages, that’s how we’ll win,” she adds.

Responding to her, the prime minister says Israel “did not lose. We said it was the worst event that happened since the Holocaust, and it is different from the Holocaust. In the Holocaust, there were 4,500-5,500 [October 7’s] every day.”

“Here, after they did one day of it, we went in there and we’re beating those killers,” he adds.

The released hostage, whose son is still in captivity, shouts in response that she is “currently in a holocaust.”

“My son is there, I am in the Holocaust,” she exclaims. “I’d rather die than live here!”

IDF says rocket launched from Khan Younis landed in open area near Rishon Lezion, no injuries reported

The Hamas rocket fired at central Israel this evening was launched from southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.

The rocket struck an open area near Rishon Lezion, the IDF says, where sirens had sounded.

There are no reports of injuries.

Long-range rocket launched from Gaza at Rishon Lezion, activating siren, no injuries reported

An incoming rocket siren is sounding in the central city of Rishon Lezion.

The siren is activated due to the launch of a long-range rocket from the Gaza Strip at central Israel.

There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries in the rare long-range attack from Gaza.

Hamas claims responsibility for rocket fire on central Israel

Hamas claims responsibility for the rocket fire on central Israel.

In a statement, the terror group says it fired one long-range rocket at Tel Aviv.

Sirens had sounded in the central city of Rishon Lezion, located south of Tel Aviv. It marks the first time sirens sound in the city since January.

Hagari: At least six Hezbollah operatives killed in Israeli strikes this morning

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari says at least six Hezbollah operatives were killed in the Israeli Air Force’s airstrikes in southern Lebanon early Sunday morning.

In the past week, some 30 Hezbollah operatives, including commanders, have been killed in IDF strikes, he says in an evening press conference.

In the preemptive strike this morning, over 100 fighter jets simultaneously struck some 270 separate Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, taking out thousands of rocket launcher barrels, Hagari says.

According to Hagari, around 90% of the targets struck this morning were short-range rocket launchers that would have been used in attacks on northern Israel.

In all, Hezbollah fired 230 rockets and 20 drones this morning following the preemptive strike. He says most of the rockets and drones were intercepted or struck open areas.

“Contrary to Hezbollah’s claims, there were no impacts in IDF bases, not in the north and not in the center [of the country],” Hagari says.

Israeli delegation returns from Cairo talks; officials said optimistic despite Hamas claiming to reject latest proposal

Palestinian terror group Hamas is sticking to the ceasefire-hostage release deal proposal that it submitted on July 2, and rejects new Israeli conditions for a ceasefire, Osama Hamdan tells Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV.

He further claims that any talk of an imminent deal is false.

Channel 12 reports, however, that the talks in Cairo are moving in the right direction, and citing unnamed officials, it says that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is under heavy pressure to accept the deal.

The report adds that the Israeli negotiating team returned to Israel from Cairo earlier this evening, and will discuss the next steps with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

US reportedly told Israel it backed preemptive strike on Hezbollah, but to be sure to avoid escalation

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meets with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Washington, March 26, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Israel gave the Americans “considerable” advance notice of its pre-dawn preemptive strike on Hezbollah’s rocket and missile launchers, Channel 2 news reports.

It says the US administration gave its backing to the attack, but warned both before and after it took place that Israel should be careful to avoid escalating the conflict toward all-out war.

The TV report said the message from the US was conveyed in several interactions with Jerusalem and broadly stated: “We support the operation to avert the specific threat, but be careful in your actions; don’t do anything that is likely to lead to a regional war.”

Channel 12 says Jerusalem is now working to try to advance an arrangement that would yield calm on the northern frontier, and is trying to pressure Hezbollah in that regard “via the Americans and others.” The idea, says the report, is “to explain in words, after Israel explained in actions, that it is not in Hezbollah’s interests to escalate or take the region into war.”

It notes that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has spoken to the US’s Lebanon envoy Amos Hochstein three times and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin twice in the past couple of days. And it says “some in Israel” are optimistic about the prospects for a diplomatic solution in the north.

The report notes that both Israel and Hezbollah are claiming to have “won” this round of hostility and appear to be indicating that it is over for now. Nonetheless, it notes, Hezbollah has not indicated that it will cease its months-long, deepening attacks in the north.

US military chief to meet with Halevi at IDF headquarters later today

The chief of the American military is due to meet with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi this evening.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. arrived in Israel a short while ago, and he is due to hold a discussion with Halevi and other top officers at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.

The IDF says that “the commanders will discuss security and strategic issues regarding joint preparations in the region, as part of the response to threats in the Middle East. ”

“The IDF will continue to deepen its relationship with the US Armed Forces out of a commitment to strengthening regional stability and the coordination between the two militaries,” the IDF adds.

Top US military official arrives in Israel after preemptive strike, Hezbollah attack

Top US military official General C.Q. Brown arrives in Israel, hours after major cross-border clashes between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, in which Israel launched preemptive strikes against Hezbollah launchers, and the terror group fired 230 projectiles at northern Israel.

Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is expected to hold meetings with senior Israeli military officials.

WATCH: IDF releases new footage of drone interception, preemptive strikes in southern Lebanon

Iron Dome interceptors are launched toward incoming projectiles from Lebanon, early on August 25, 2024. (Screenshot: X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The IDF releases new footage showing this morning’s airstrikes in southern Lebanon, a drone being intercepted by an attack helicopter and an F-35 fighter jet being refueled over Lebanon.

Hezbollah managed to launch 210 rockets and some 20 drones from Lebanon at northern and central Israel in the early hours of Sunday, according to the IDF.

Earlier Sunday, more than 100 Israeli fighter jets simultaneously struck thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers and drones across southern Lebanon early Sunday morning, in what the military said was a preemptive operation against weaponry that was about to be used in a major attack on central and northern Israel.

COGAT: 25,100 vials of polio vaccine entered Gaza via Kerem Shalom earlier today

Polio vaccines intended for Gaza are loaded onto trucks at the Kerem Shalom Crossing, August 25, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Israel’s civilian coordination agency for the Palestinian territories, COGAT, says that 25,100 vials of the polio vaccine entered the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

The vaccines will be enough to inoculate 1,255,000 people — or just over half of the Strip’s population — the agency says, after the war-torn enclave recorded its first polio case in 25 years.

COGAT says that five trucks carrying equipment for the storage and transportation of the vaccine entered the Strip on Friday via Kerem Shalom, and in coordination with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The vaccines will be given to children who have yet to receive a dose over the coming days in various locations across the Gaza Strip, COGAT says, adding that they will be distributed “as part of the routine humanitarian pauses that will allow the population to reach the medical centers where the vaccinations will be administered.”

According to the agency, approximately 90% of Gaza’s population was inoculated against polio in the first quarter of 2024.

UK calls for all parties to avoid further escalation in the Middle East

The UK calls for restraint in the Middle East, after the largest exchange of fire between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group since the start of the war in Gaza.

“Further escalation in the Middle East must be avoided at all costs,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy posted on X, following a call with Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. “I reiterated the UK’s support for Israel’s security, the importance of restraint, the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages.”

Further escalation in the Middle East must be avoided at all costs. In my call with Israeli Minister @AmbDermer I reiterated the UK’s support for Israel’s security, the importance of restraint, the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages.

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 25, 2024

Gallant, UK defense secretary discuss thwarted Hezbollah attack in call

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke on the phone with his UK counterpart, Secretary of State for Defence John Healey a short while ago, his office says in a readout of the call.

Gallant briefed Healey on the preemptive strike in Lebanon this morning, and on the thwarted Hezbollah attack, the readout states. The two also discussed the importance of cooperation between Israel and the UK in ensuring Israel’s security and regional stability.

The readout adds that the two discussed the ongoing hostage release-ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and Gallant expressed his appreciation to Healey for the UK’s defense cooperation and for his “personal leadership and commitment to Israel’s security.”

Nasrallah: We reserve the right to strike again if the result of last night’s attack was not ‘satisfactory’

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says that the terror group is waiting to see the “results” of its attack, and claims that the IDF is concealing information regarding the scope of the damage suffered by Israel.

If the attack was “satisfactory,” then the retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah’s top commander Fuad Shukr will be considered concluded, but if not, the terror group reserves the right to strike again at a later time, the terror chief says.

Nasrallah maintains that the assault caused great disruptions in Israel. He hails the attack as the first great operation conducted after the assassination of Shukr, who was in charge of Hezbollah’s precision missile program.

Nasrallah says that Hezbollah’s attack was conducted independently of other allies, adding that an Iranian retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a retaliation by the Houthis for the Israeli bombing of the port of Hodeida have not yet taken place and could take months.

Gallant: Preemptive strike was ‘very, very successful,’ Hezbollah ‘thrown off balance’

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks to officers at the IDF Operation Directorate's command room, August 25, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Hezbollah was “thrown off balance” and its attempted attack on Israel this morning failed.

Speaking to officers at the IDF Operation Directorate’s command room, Gallant says Israel’s ability to “remove the threat” of Hezbollah’s attack minutes before it was supposed to be carried out was “very, very successful.”

“The enemy planned to launch many hundreds of rockets towards the northern communities. The preemptive action meant that over fifty percent, maybe two-thirds of them were not launched,” Gallant says.

“We hit the enemy before it launched [the attack] and threw it off balance,” he continues.

“We have to look at the overall view of the war. We are at a strategic crossroads and we need to take advantage of the negotiations to bring about the release of the hostages, and through the release of the hostages, to also open up the [possibility] of an agreement [with Hezbollah], in the north and later also to calm the region,” Gallant says.

“We are operating militarily and are preparing as if we will not reach an agreement and we are ready at any moment for war in the north… but this is not our preferred way, and we still give a chance to the possibility of an agreement,” he adds.

Medics say 39-year-old man lightly injured in alleged ramming near Ariel Junction

Medics at the scene of an alleged car-ramming attack near the Ariel Junction in the West Bank, August 25, 2024. (Magen David Adom)

A man aged 39 was slightly injured in the alleged ramming attack near the Ariel Junction in the West Bank, medics say.

The man is being taken to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva with superficial wounds to his stomach, the Magen David Adom ambulance service says.

Two Palestinian men in the car that allegedly attempted to ram into army posts along the road were shot, and at least one of them is dead.

US helped track Hezbollah attack against Israel but didn’t join preemptive strike, US defense official says

The United States helped track the barrage of rockets and drones launched by Hezbollah against Israel, but was not involved in strikes in Lebanon or in shooting down incoming projectiles, a US defense official says.

“The US was not involved in Israel’s preemptive strikes last night. We did provide some ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) support in terms of tracking incoming Lebanese Hezbollah attacks, but did not conduct any kinetic operations as they were not required,” the official says on condition of anonymity.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation and remain well-postured and ready to support the defense of Israel from attacks by Iran and any of its proxies,” the official adds.

Nasrallah falsely claims Hezbollah struck IDF bases, says Israel didn’t launch preemptive strike

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah falsely claims that the IDF did not preemptively strike any of the terror group’s rocket launching pads early this morning, and says that Israel only carried out an overnight raid.

Nasrallah insists that a significant number of the group’s drones reached its two main objectives: the Glilot base, north of Tel Aviv, and another unspecified base located 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Tel Aviv and 75 kilometers (46.6 miles) from the Lebanon border.

The Israel Defense Forces has said that the attack was “mostly” thwarted, and that no military bases were damaged in the attack. It has further said that no Hezbollah drones impacted central Israel.

The IDF said this morning that it had destroyed thousands of rocket launchers ready to attack the north and the Tel Aviv area after identifying overnight preparations for a major and immediate attack. Military officials later clarified that only several hundred of the launchers were believed to have been intended for the attack.

Nasrallah denies the claim and says that the terror group did not intend to deploy its ballistic missiles in this attack and that none of them was destroyed. He warns that the terror group may decide to use them in the future.

IDF says troops shot dead Palestinian who allegedly attempted to ram vehicle into Ariel Junction army posts

Israeli troops shot dead at least one Palestinian who allegedly attempted to ram his vehicle into army posts at the Ariel Junction in the West Bank, the IDF says.

No further details are immediately available.

Nasrallah: Our main target was Glilot base, home to Unit 8200

In a speech following an Israeli pre-emptive strike in Lebanon this morning, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah says that the terror group intended to send drones to target the Glilot military base, where the army’s 8200 intelligence unit is headquartered.

The base is located “very deep” inside Israeli territory, Nasrallah boasts, and very close to Tel Aviv.

The terror group intended to launch 300 Katyusha rockets on different military sites in various parts of Israel to keep Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system busy, so that its drones could make their way to Glilot, Nasrallah says.

He insists that Hezbollah only targeted military objectives, not civilian ones.

IDF chief Halevi: Israel determined to change security situation in the north

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi holds an assessment with top officers at the IDF HQ in Tel Aviv, August 25, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says Israel is “determined to change the security situation in the north so that the residents of the north can return to their homes safely.”

The remarks are made during an assessment of the situation that Halevi held with senior generals at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“This morning we thwarted a wide attack by Hezbollah on the Israeli home front. We are very determined and will continue to do everything to protect the citizens of Israel everywhere,” he says.

“We are focused on the Gaza Strip, to dismantle Hamas and return the hostages. The pressure we exert in the attacks in Gaza is the pressure that will lead to the return of the hostages. At the same time, we are fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, continuing and systematically striking it. Since the beginning of the war, Hezbollah has lost many significant assets, and hundreds of operatives,” Halevi adds, according to the remarks released by the IDF.

Nasrallah: Hezbollah delayed attack to keep Israel on edge and to see outcome of Gaza truce talks

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gives a televised address following an attack, largely thwarted by Israel, in retaliation for the killing of Fuad Shukr, August 25, 2024. (Screenshot)

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says in a televised speech that the delay in the terror group’s retaliation for the July 30 assassination of its military commander Fuad Shukr was due to the Israeli and US military mobilization in the region.

He says — in a speech following Israel’s pre-emptive strike against the Iran-backed group as it prepared to launch a large-scale attack Sunday morning — that it was also intended as a punishment for Israel as the country was kept waiting on edge for almost a month.

Nasrallah adds that Hezbollah was waiting to see the outcome of ongoing truce talks between Hamas and Israel, and needed time to see if the “axis of Resistance” made up of Iran and its regional proxies would respond at the same time, or separately.

He stresses that the terror group has followed up on its pledge to respond to the Israeli “aggression” in the Dahia suburb of Beirut, the Hezbollah stronghold in which Shukr was assassinated.

Nasrallah also notes that the retaliatory attack was conducted on the Arbaeen, a Shiite commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussain ibn Ali, the third Shia imam.

German knife attack suspect detained for alleged terror group membership, prosecutor’s office says

The German prosecutor’s office orders the pre-trial detention of the suspected perpetrator of a deadly knife attack in Solingen, suspecting him of belonging to a “terrorist group.”

The arrest warrant says that the suspect identified as “Syrian national Issa Al H” will be detained over “strong suspicions of belonging to a terrorist group abroad” as well as of murder and attempted murder. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for Friday night’s attack.

Israel, Hezbollah trade confirmation that they don’t want further escalation, diplomats say

Hezbollah drone intercepted by Israeli air forces over north Israel on August 25, 2024 (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

Israel and the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah exchanged messages via intermediaries earlier today in order to prevent further escalation following one of the biggest exchanges of fire between the two foes in 10 months, two diplomats tell Reuters.

The main message was that both sides considered Sunday’s intense exchange of bombardment to be “done” and that neither side wants a full-scale war, one diplomat says. The diplomats speak on condition of anonymity.

Tel Aviv stocks gain 2% after Israel’s preemptive strike on Hezbollah

Illustrative: View of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. (Courtesy)

Key Tel Aviv share indices close about 2% higher, with the blue-chip index touching a record high after an Israeli preemptive strike against Hezbollah curbed a potential rocket barrage by the group against key targets in Israel.

The blue-chip Tel Aviv 35 index (TA-35) ended 2% higher at 2091.6 points, after hitting an intraday peak of 2091.91, while the broader TA-125  rose 2.1%.

“The trading day began after the publication of the extensive preemptive strike launched by the Air Force early in the morning, which prevented the launch of missiles towards strategic targets in Israel,” says Yuval Tzuk, an economist in the bourse’s research department.

He says share gains were also helped by growing expectations of US interest rate cuts.

‘We need more compromise in this bloody period’: Fauda actor calls on Regev to accept president’s offer to host Oct. 7 memorial

Illustrative: Actor Idan Amedi, well known for his role in the Netflix series 'Fauda,' talks to journalists during a press conference at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, January 25, 2024, after being released from the hospital where he was treated for injuries sustained while fighting in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

After Transportation Minister Miri Regev rejected President Isaac Herzog’s offer to host the politically fraught October 7 state memorial ceremony at his Jerusalem residence, “Fauda” actor and singer-songwriter Idan Amedi reached out to her yesterday evening in an attempt to change her mind.

Amedi, who was seriously injured fighting in Gaza earlier this year, writes in a post addressed to Regev that she should “talk to the prime minister, accept President Herzog’s compromise for a single and unifying ceremony at the President’s Residence, without politics.”

“A compromise in this matter will not make you look small and it does not look like giving in, on the contrary,” he writes.

“We need more compromise between us in this bloody period,” he continues, “to give us all the possibility, despite our differences, to cry together and be consoled together for our deceased loved ones.”

Amedi, who last week criticized Regev for saying that the backlash over her involvement in the event was just “noise,” quotes Menachem Begin, who founded the Likud party of which Regev is a member.

“When he was elected prime minister, Menachem Begin was asked by a journalist: ‘In what way will you lead the people?'” Amedi writes. “Begin answered him: ‘In a good Jewish style.’ Act like this, for all of us, and maybe we will be able to make peace between us in this dark year.”

IDF calls on Gazans to evacuate small section of humanitarian zone in Deir al-Balah

The IDF is calling on Palestinians in a small section of the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah to evacuate.

Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes a map of the zone that needs to be evacuated.

He says that the military will “forcefully operate” against terror groups in the area.

“For your safety, we urge you to evacuate immediately to the west. The area you are in is considered a dangerous combat zone,” Adraee adds.

The size of the humanitarian zone has changed multiple times, amid evolving IDF operations against the Hamas terror group.

The zone is currently around 42 square kilometers, or 11% of the total size of the Gaza Strip. According to IDF estimates, some 1.9 million Palestinians of the 2.3 million Gazan population are residing in the zone.

**#عاجل ‼️ الى كل السكان والنازحين المتواجدين في حارة دير البلح البلد في بلوك 128 في المنطقة المحددة في الخارطة.

⭕️جيش الدفاع سوف يعمل بقوة ضد حماس والمنظمات الإرهابية في منطقتكم.

⭕️من أجل امنكم، اخلوا فوراً غرباً.

⭕️المنطقة التي تتواجدون فيها تعتبر منطقة قتال خطيرة. pic.twitter.com/jhviffDadG

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) August 25, 2024

Israeli Navy soldier killed, two hurt during Hezbollah attack on northern Israel

Petty Officer First Class David Moshe Ben Shitrit (Israel Defense Forces)

An Israeli soldier aboard a Navy vessel was killed and two others were hurt amid this morning’s Hezbollah attack on northern Israel.

The slain sailor is named as Petty Officer First Class David Moshe Ben Shitrit, 21, of the Navy’s 914th Patrol Squadron, from Geva Binyamin-Adam.

The other two soldiers are listed in moderate and light condition.

According to an initial IDF probe, the sailors on a Dvora-class patrol boat off the coast of northern Israel were hit by shrapnel from an Iron Dome interceptor missile, as at least two Hezbollah drones flew over the area.

The military is investigating the possibility that the interceptor missile was tracking one of the Hezbollah drones and then, due to unknown circumstances, swapped to target the ship and exploded directly above it. Another possibility, although considered less likely, is that the interceptor missile managed to intercept one of the drones just above the ship, but also wounded the sailors.

Footage from the incident shows an Iron Dome interceptor missile exploding adjacent to the ship. Parts of the interceptor missile were found inside the ship after the incident.

The Dvora ship is currently being repaired and will return to service by tomorrow.

Family in Acre home that took direct hit during Hezbollah attack didn’t have safe room, sheltered in small closet

People at the site of a damaged house following a missile attack from Lebanon, in Acre, northern Israel, August 25, 2024. (Flash90)

A family of five in the coastal city of Acre whose home suffered a direct strike during the early morning Hezbollah attack on northern Israel was forced to shelter from the attack in a meter-wide wardrobe used to store shoes, a family member tells Channel 12.

Yuval, identified only by her first name, tells the news outlet that her family has no safe room in their home, and the nearest communal shelter is 30 seconds away, too far for them to reach once a siren is activated.

Instead, when there are sirens due to fire from Lebanon, all five family members cram inside the wardrobe, which she says can only fit two people comfortably at a time, and close the door.

She says that while in the wardrobe, they try to focus on making sure everyone is ok, both physically and mentally, due to the difficulty of the situation.

“If we don’t take care of ourselves, who will take care of us?” she asks rhetorically.

While sheltering this morning, a rocket hit their home, causing heavy damage throughout the house, Yuval says. She recalls seeing a flash of light and smoke through the crack in the wardrobe door, before the air filled with the smell of something burning.

After a few minutes, the family exited the wardrobe, deeming it safe to run to the communal shelter, where they would have more space.

Yuval tells Channel 12 that among the rooms in the home that suffered the most damage were the kitchen, the living room, and her sister’s bedroom.

“The damage is heavy, but I believe things will be ok,” she says. “It’s not pleasant to see your home like this. A home is supposed to be a place of refuge, a safe space.”

Government approves appointment of Daniel Levy as new police chief

Police Deputy Commissioner Daniel Levy, commander of the Coastal District, is approved unanimously by the government to serve as the next Israel Police Commissioner, replacing previous commissioner Kobi Shabtai, whose term ended in July.

Praising the new commissioner, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir — who oversees the Israel Police — says that Levy is coming into the role with “a Zionist and Jewish agenda and will lead the police according to the policies I set for him.”

Levy was presented as a candidate for the role after interim chief Avshalom Peled told Ben Gvir last month that he was withdrawing his candidacy.

Hezbollah official says retaliation for Fuad Shukr assassination had been delayed by hostage deal talks

A Hezbollah official says that the group’s rocket and drone attack against Israel early this morning in retaliation for the assassination of the terror group’s top commander Fuad Shukr last month had been delayed by “political considerations,” chiefly among them the ongoing talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal for the Gaza Strip.

He does not elaborate as to why the group decided to launch its attack despite the still-ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

The official, in written comments shared with media outlets, claims the group had “worked” to make sure its response to the July 30 assassination would not trigger a full-scale war.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Social media users mock Hezbollah’s failed attack on Israel

Various social media accounts in English and Arabic mock Hezbollah for its failed attack on Israel this morning.

Most appear to focus on the fact that, aside from some chicken farms in northern Israel, no significant damage has resulted from the operation.

An image shared by the “Hamas Atrocities” X account, which has over 80,000 followers, shows Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah dressed as a cowboy riding a rooster, with a modified KFC logo in the background reading HFC (Hezbollah Fried Chicken).

The same account posts a video showing small firecrackers being set on fire. The caption reads: “The Lebanese mocked Hezbollah for their incredible firepower.”

The Lebanese mocked Hezbollah for their incredible fire power pic.twitter.com/IJzdR4Csmj

— Hamas Atrocities (@HamasAtrocities) August 25, 2024

An Arabic-language account with over 44,000 followers that appears to be associated with the Syrian opposition publishes an image of a chicken and a post reading: “The chicken massacre was not a coincidence, but a strategic plan, with the goal to preventing enemies of the ‘resistance’ from gloating and saying ‘They didn’t even hurt a chicken.'”

مجزرة الدجاج ما كانت صدفة، بل خطة استراتيجية! الهدف؟ منع خصوم وأعداء "المقاومة" من الشماتة بعد كل قصف والقول “ولا جرحوا جاجة”. حزب الله خلّص على الدجاج والصيصان مع سابق اصرار وترصّد، علشان يحرمنا متعة المزح والمسخرة على ردّه وصواريخه! ???????? pic.twitter.com/sNw1hntzNE

— خالد أبو صلاح – Khaled Abu Salah (@kh4syria) August 25, 2024

A parody account with a smaller following posts a series of images from a damaged poultry farm, with the caption “The Battle of the Poultry.” In the comments, somebody posts a cartoon showing a chicken with the head of Nasrallah saying “Our response will be harsh and earth-shattering,” and another chicken protesting: “You’ve killed us.”

#حزبالله_قاتل_الدجاج_والكتاكيت ???????? pic.twitter.com/O3qacViyHS

— Неряшливый (@neraslivyj) August 25, 2024

Another image circulating on social media shows dozens of chickens in military fatigues lying dead on the ground, with the hashtag: “#Hezbollah killer of chickens and chicks.”

#حزبالله_قاتل_الدجاج_والكتاكيت ???????? pic.twitter.com/SMT3u6jgOL

— فدائي عفاش (@fidayiy2020) August 25, 2024

Egypt’s Sissi warns against further regional escalation in meeting with top US general

This handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency shows Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) meeting with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Brown in Cairo on August 25, 2024.(Photo by Egyptian Presidency/AFP)

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi warns against further regional escalation on Sunday in a meeting with the highest-ranking general in the United States, after cross-border hostilities between Israel and Lebanon intensified.

Sissi “warned of the dangers of a new front opening in Lebanon and stressed the necessity of preserving Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty,” according to a statement from the president’s office.

His meeting in Egypt with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles “CQ” Brown, comes hours after Israel launched airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to thwart a major attack on central and northern Israel, and the Iran-backed group fired 230 projectiles at northern Israel.

The visit comes amid planned talks in Cairo, to be attended by CIA chief William Burns, aimed at a truce in the Gaza Strip that has seemed increasingly unlikely.

Sissi also called for a “decisive stance from the international community” and a stronger response “to joint Egyptian-American-Qatari efforts” for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal, which would enable a “path to calm and stability in the region,” his office says.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

PM: Preemptive strikes against Hezbollah ‘not end of story’; all drones aimed at strategic targets in center were intercepted

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the early morning preemptive strike carried out by Israel against Hezbollah rocket launchers, at the start of a cabinet meeting, August 25, 2024. (Screenshot/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in his opening remarks at the weekly cabinet meeting that Israel’s preemptive strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon this morning was not “the end of the story.”

“Hezbollah tried to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones. We instructed the IDF to carry out a powerful, preemptive strike to eliminate the threat,” Netanyahu says.

“The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, and all of them were aimed at harming our citizens and our forces in the Galilee,” he adds. “In addition, the IDF intercepted all the drones that Hezbollah launched at strategic targets in the center of the country.”

“Israel is hitting Hezbollah with surprising, crushing blows. Three weeks ago we eliminated its chief of staff [Fuad Shukr],” Netanyahu says. “Today we foiled its attack plan. [Hezbollah’s Hassan] Nasrallah in Beirut and [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei in Tehran should know that this is another step on the path to changing the situation in the north and returning our residents safely to their homes.”

Hezbollah releases propaganda video showing intended targets of its attack

The terror group Hezbollah releases a short propaganda video highlighting the targets of the attack it launched against Israel this morning.

The IDF has said that none of its bases were damaged in the attack, which was supposed to include hundreds of rockets fired at northern Israel and drones believed to have been headed for central Israel.

The IDF says it struck thousands of rocket launchers in southern Lebanon in a preventive strike, but not all of them are thought to have been intended to have been used in today’s attack.

None of the Hezbollah drones impacted targets in central Israel, according to the military. Most of the projectiles struck open areas, and many were intercepted by air defense.

???? Hezbollah: The initial phase of retaliation targeted Israeli military bases and barracks for the assassination of Sayyed Fouad Shukr and civilian deaths in southern Beirut. #Lebanon ???????? ???? pic.twitter.com/XJbnl3Vqug

— Mohamad Al Shami محمد الشامي ???????????????? (@mamashami) August 25, 2024

Gantz says Israeli strikes on Hezbollah ‘too little, too late’

MK Benny Gantz at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on July 17, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Unity chair Benny Gantz says Israel’s preemptive strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon this morning was “too little, too late,” adding that the government should have worked to ensure northern residents could return to their homes by September 1, the start of the academic year.

During a visit to northern communities, Gantz says in a video statement Israel must deliver “results” instead of carrying out mirror responses to Hezbollah attacks — it must switch “from response to initiative.”

“We must keep up the advantage of the initiative that was taken and increase the political and military pressure. To push Hezbollah away, to return northern residents to their homes safely,” Gantz says.

“It is forbidden to continue deserting the north. I call on members of the government to wake up. Come live here in the north and feel the pain of the residents, the reality on the ground that must change,” he says.

Additional attack from other country, likely Yemen, expected in coming days — BBC

An additional attack on Israel is expected from another country in the coming days after Hezbollah’s rocket barrage this morning, the BBC reports, citing an unnamed security source with knowledge of the details.

The BBC hints that the attack may come from the Houthis in Yemen, who have yet to respond to Israel’s airstrike on the port of Hodeida last month.

Hezbollah says two operatives killed in Israeli strikes, raising terror group’s toll in war to at least 430

The Hezbollah terror group announces the deaths of two members killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” its term for operatives slain in Israeli strikes.

The announcement comes following a large wave of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon this morning.

Their deaths bring the terror group’s toll since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip to at least 430.

Hamza Zala'ut du Hezbollah, éliminé par Tsahal.
–
Khacher Sweid, du Hezbollah, éliminé par Tsahal pic.twitter.com/cnZFWubDWW

— OSINTYB (@OsintYB) August 25, 2024

Hamas praises ‘strong and focused’ Hezbollah attack on Israel

DOHA, Qatar — The Hamas terror group hails the strikes by Lebanon’s Hezbollah against Israel, calling it a “strong and focused response.”

“We emphasize that this strong and focused response, which struck deep inside the Zionist entity, is a slap in the face” for the Israeli government, Hamas says in a statement after Hezbollah said it launched a large-scale operation using rockets and drones.

Lebanese Christian opposition leader calls for disarming Hezbollah to prevent further escalation

In a tweet against the terror group Hezbollah, Lebanese opposition leader Samy Gemayel says that in order to avoid an escalation, Hezbollah must be disarmed and the Lebanese state must regain control of the country.

Gemayel calls for the application of Resolution 1559, a UN decision from 2004 urging the Lebanese government to establish its sovereignty over the entirety of its territory, and disarm militias like Hezbollah.

“Resolution 1559 stipulates that weapons are exclusively in the hands of the State,” Gemayel writes on X. The party he leads, Kataeb, also known as the Phalanges, is a Christian political formation that was founded by his grandfather Pierre Gemayel. It holds only four seats in the 128-seat Lebanese parliament.

“After the response and the response to the response and the response to the response to the response, it has become clear that neither side intends to expand the war, so it is necessary to immediately stop military operations on both sides and move towards a ceasefire… in order to avoid further senseless destruction and death” Gemayel writes, describing sarcastically the tit-for-that border skirmishes that Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in over the past 10 months of war.

“No Lebanese person will believe deceitful speeches and claims of imaginary victories,” he adds, in a probable reference to an address by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah scheduled for later today.

IDF says morning strike foiled most of Hezbollah attack, likely took out future threats

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a video statement says Hezbollah intended to launch hundreds of rockets at the north and several drones at central Israel in its attack, which he says was mostly thwarted by the military.

“Before dawn, we identified Hezbollah preparations to carry out launches against the north and center [of Israel]. Some 100 Israeli Air Force fighter jets preemptively struck to remove the threats,” Hagari says.

“Hundreds of rocket launchers armed with thousands of launch barrels. Most of them were aimed at northern Israel. We also struck drones that were aimed at central Israel,” he says.

“Hezbollah planned to launch hundreds of rockets at the north of the country and drones at central [Israel]. We removed a larger threat, likely a future threat in some areas, with an emphasis on the rockets at northern Israel,” Hagari says, adding that the strikes took place in around 40 areas of southern Lebanon.

“We foiled most of Hezbollah’s planned attack, and we intercepted many of the threats launched at Israel,” he says.

IDF says Hezbollah aimed hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel, not thousands

A damaged house is seen following an attack from Lebanon, in Acre, northern Israel, August 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The military believes that Hezbollah planned to launch hundreds of rockets and drones in its attack on northern and central Israel this morning, not thousands.

The IDF says it struck thousands of rocket launchers in southern Lebanon, but not all of them are thought to have been intended to have been used in the attack.

Hezbollah said it launched more than 320 rockets at Israel in the attack, along with several drones. According to the IDF, some 210 rockets and 20 drones were launched.

The rockets were aimed at northern Israel, while the drones are believed by the IDF to have been heading for central Israel.

No IDF bases were damaged in the attack, and none of the Hezbollah drones impacted targets in central Israel, according to the military.

Most of the projectiles struck open areas, and many were intercepted by air defense.

Shrapnel from an interception hit a home in the coastal city of Acre, lightly wounding a civilian, and another rocket struck the northern community of Manot, causing damage.

Woman hurt by shrapnel in Hezbollah attack to be released today, hospital says

Bnei Zion Medical Center says that a 35-year-old woman from Acre who was wounded by shrapnel in Hezbollah’s rocket attack on Sunday morning was treated and will be released later today.

In emergency Lebanese cabinet meeting, PM calls for implementation of Resolution 1701

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati says Beirut is holding contacts with its partners to stop an escalation with Israel, the country’s official news agency NNA reports.

In an emergency meeting of the cabinet held at his residence, Mikati says that “what is required is first to stop the Israeli aggression, and then to implement Resolution 1701,” referencing the UN decision that ended the Second Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 and stipulated the creation of a demilitarized zone between Israel’s northern border and the Litani River in Lebanon.

The cabinet also discusses the readiness of Lebanon’s emergency services. The country is running out of fuel and has experienced widespread power cuts in recent days, which have affected the regular functioning of hospitals. Lebanese media outlets L’Orient Today and Al AKhbar report that an Algerian oil tanker is expected to arrive in Beirut tomorrow and deliver 30,000 tons of oil donated by the north African country, worth $18 million.

ميقاتي: المطلوب هو وقف العدوان الاسرائيلي اولاً وتطبيق القرار 1701https://t.co/A4EsigrAda@Najib_Mikati pic.twitter.com/kTiCEGKW5a

— Al Joumhouria (@aljoumhouria) August 25, 2024

‘Don’t call’: Northern leaders say they’re cutting off contact with government

Leaders of northern regional councils announce they are ceasing contact with the government until it delivers a full plan to return their residents safely to their communities and rehabilitate the region.

“We haven’t interested you for 10 and a half months, and from now on, you don’t interest us. Don’t call, don’t come, don’t send messages. We have managed alone until now, we will manage,” a joint statement by Mateh Asher Regional Council head Moshe Davidovich, Metula Mayor David Azoulay, and Upper Galilee Reginal Council Giora Zaltz reads.

The message comes after leaders expressed their outrage at the government that Israel’s preemptive strike on Hezbollah this morning was aimed at preventing attacks on central Israel, while the military has not shown such initiative while their communities have been under fire since October 8.

Air France temporarily suspends flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut; most flights to Lebanon reportedly canceled

Air France says it is suspending flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut today and Monday, and that the suspension might be extended depending on how the security situation evolves.

While the flight schedule at Ben Gurion Airport is slowly returning to normal after services were disrupted amid the IDF’s preemptive strikes and Hezbollah’s rocket attack early this morning, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya channel reports that most flights at Beirut airport have been canceled, and some have been diverted to Amman in Jordan.

AFP contributed to this report

Houthis praise Hezbollah attacks, renew threat to respond to Hodeida port strike

A handout picture obtained from Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah Media Center show a huge column of fire erupting following airstrikes in the Yemeni rebel-held port city of Hodeida on July 20, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels praise attacks by Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Israel and renew threats to launch their own assault in response to Israeli strikes on a port in Yemen.

“We congratulate Hezbollah and its secretary-general on the great and courageous attack carried out by the resistance this morning against the Israeli enemy,” the Houthis say in a statement after Hezbollah’s rocket and drone attack.

The Yemeni rebels say the “strong and effective response… confirms that the resistance is capable, strong and honest in its promise and threats.”

The Houthis pledged to launch their own attacks against Israel in response to July 20 strikes that targeted a rebel-run port in the coastal city of Hodeida.

“We reaffirm once again that the Yemeni response is definitely coming,” the statement says.

The strike on Hodeida came a day after the Houthis launched their first deadly strike on Israel — a drone attack in Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli civilian.

Israel’s response destroyed much of the port’s fuel storage capacity and killed at least nine people, according to the rebels.

Israel and US sharing intel on finding Sinwar, but efforts ‘very lopsided’ — NYT

Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, greets his supporters during a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City, April 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Israel and the United States have invested a massive amount of resources into searching for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, but cooperation has been “very lopsided,” with Israel not giving much in return for American assistance, The New York Times reports, citing dozens of American and US officials.

According to the report, a special unit inside the Shin Bet security agency headquarters has been set up to intercept Sinwar’s communications. The October 7 mastermind has long given up sending messages electronically, instead relying on couriers, complicating the search.

To aid in the search, the US has reportedly provided Israel with “ground-penetrating radar.”

While a senior Israeli official tells the Times that the assistance has been “priceless,” the report cites a person familiar with the arrangement describing it as “very lopsided.” The US expects Israel to direct its intelligence efforts to finding American hostages in exchange for assistance, according to the source.

The report also notes how close Israel came to catching Sinwar when troops raided his bunker on January 31. The terror leader left in a hurry, leaving Israeli cash behind.

The discovery allowed intelligence services to “catch a glimpse” of Sinwar’s habits in hiding, including his regular consumption of Israeli media and the 8 p.m. news.

IDF Home Front Command lifts restrictions in Tel Aviv, surrounding area

The IDF Home Front Command has lifted crowd restrictions issued this morning on the area from Tel Aviv northward.

Restrictions remain in place in communities along the Lebanon border and in the Golan Heights.

The move comes following a new assessment of the situation.

בשל המצב הביטחוני, פיקוד העורף קבע את ההנחיות הבאות מיום ראשון, 25 באוגוסט 2024, בשעה 12:30 ועד ליום חמישי, 29 באוגוסט 2024, בשעה 18:00: ההנחיות המלאות מפורטות בקישור הבא: https://t.co/S1h1hksbPv pic.twitter.com/wXXlZIuS8B

— פיקוד העורף (@PikudHaoref1) August 25, 2024

Iran’s Guard leader reiterated pledge of ‘revenge’ against Israel shortly before planned Hezbollah attack

The head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, attends a military parade as part of a ceremony marking the country's annual army day in Tehran, on April 17, 2024. (Atta Kenare/AFP)

Last night, Major General Hossein Salami, commander in chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), reiterated Tehran’s pledge to retaliate against Israel for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil.

“You will hear good news about revenge, God willing,” Salami said last night during an inspection of a border crossing between Iran and Iraq, as thousands of Shiite pilgrims made their way to the Iraqi city of Karbala for the Arbaeen pilgrimage. A group of pilgrims encircled the commander chanting “Death to Israel,” the Iranian news agency IRNA reports.

According to US officials who spoke with The Washington Post last week, Iran may have been convinced to delay a direct attack on Israel, deterred by an enormous US military buildup in the region, but was encouraging Hezbollah to launch a strike.

Last night, some 100 IAF fighter jets conducted a preemptive strike against thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers, as the Lebanese terror group was about to launch its response to the killing of its military commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut last month. Hezbollah claimed it fired over 320 rockets and drones at northern Israel.

Herzog says preemptive strike on Hezbollah part of Israel’s ‘duty to defend itself’

President Isaac Herzog lauds Israel’s “decisive action” against Hezbollah this morning, saying it is in line with the country’s “duty to defend itself and its citizens against the threat of terrorism.”

“This is once again an opportunity to express our gratitude and support for our daughters and sons in the Israel Defense Forces, as well as in the security, emergency, and rescue services, for their relentless efforts across all battlefronts,” Herzog writes on X.

“Their immense sacrifices and personal costs in thwarting the malicious acts of our enemies and in defending the State of Israel and its citizens deserve our deepest thanks. I embrace all of them with deep gratitude,” he adds.

The decisive action we witnessed early this morning epitomizes Israel's right and duty to defend itself and its citizens against the threat of terrorism.

This is once again an opportunity to express our gratitude and support for our daughters and sons in the Israel Defense…

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) August 25, 2024

Egypt warns against expansion of war, calls for stability in Lebanon

CAIRO, Egypt — Egypt warns against the dangers of opening a new war front in Lebanon, its Foreign Ministry says in a statement, and calls for stability in the country after the early morning clash between Israel and Hezbollah.

UNIFIL urges Israel, Hezbollah, ‘to cease fire’ after escalation

Smoke billows from an area targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Qusayr on August 25, 2024. (AFP)

BEIRUT, Lebanon — The United Nations special coordinator’s office in Lebanon and peacekeepers urge all parties “to cease fire,” after Israel launched a preemptive strike on Hezbollah, while the terror group launched hundreds of rockets at the north..

The office of the special coordinator and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) “call on all to cease fire and refrain from further escalatory action,” a joint statement says.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Airport chief says flights slowly returning to normal, but ‘it will be a complicated day’

Illustrative: An El Al plane arrives from France at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, August 1, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg / Flash90)

Ben Gurion Airport Director General Udi Bar Oz tells reporters that the flight schedule is slowly returning to normal after services were disrupted amid the IDF’s preemptive strikes and Hezbollah’s rocket attack early this morning.

He says 310 international flights are scheduled for the day, with over 50,000 passengers, using Israeli airlines and some 20 foreign airlines “which are continuing to fly [to and from Israel] today, tomorrow and the day after that.” He says some foreign airlines canceled flights today, and that they are being contacted to establish when they will resume. He says the flight schedule is being “stabilized” after the two-hour airport closure between 5:20 and 7:00 this morning.

“It will be a complicated day but it’s under control. Most of the flights will depart… As the day progresses, the delays will be reduced,” he says.

“We suggest passengers keep updated with their airline companies and come to the airport three hours before their flight,” he says.

Northern leaders fume, say Israel only launches preemptive strikes to defend Tel Aviv

Leaders of northern communities express anger that Israel’s preemptive strike in southern Lebanon was carried out only when Tel Aviv appeared to be threatened, in interviews and statements this morning.

Matan Davidian, who represents the evacuated northern community of Shlomi, declares the response to a threat on Tel Aviv must be the same to a threat against Kiryat Shmona.

“Israel launches a preemptive strike for residents of the center, while for 10 months, northern residents live under fire, far from their homes and families,” he says.

“The dozens killed and injured have no value for the prime minister, who hides behind a failed defense minister, who abandons the northern border and its residents, and simply doesn’t care for our blood that has been spilled,” he adds.

Upper Galilee Reginal Council Giora Zaltz tells the Ynet news site that the IDF’s claim of striking 6,000 rockets only amounts to 3 percent of Hezbollah’s capabilities.

“The prime minister gave a bad feeling to northern residents this morning. One week from today we are supposed to start the academic year. We have to find a way to return the residents of the north safely,” he says.

IDF strikes rocket launchers, Hezbollah cell in southern Lebanon

In the last hour, the IDF says it has continued to strike Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.

A Hezbollah cell spotted in Khiam was also targeted in a drone strike, the military adds. Hezbollah announced that a member of the allied Amal Movement was killed in the strike.

The IDF releases footage of the strikes, as well as of the interception of a drone by a Navy missile boat.

Egypt demands that Israel give up control of Rafah crossing in first days of possible ceasefire – report

View of the Philadelphi Corridor between the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt, on July 15, 2024. (Oren Cohen/Flash90)

Egypt insists that Israel must relinquish control of the Rafah Border Crossing during the first days of a potential ceasefire, the Saudi-owned Al Hadath outlet reports, quoting unnamed sources.

As the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies head to Cairo for talks, Egyptian mediators have been attempting to narrow the gaps between Israel and Hamas and to pressure Israel to phase out the IDF presence along the Philadelphi route. To persuade the terror group to come to an agreement, Egypt has told Hamas that it agrees with its position rejecting any permanent Israeli presence along the border corridor, Al Hadath adds.

On Friday, Axios reported that in a phone call with US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to change the location of one IDF position and move it a few hundred meters, in a way that would not affect Israel’s operational control of the border. In response, Biden is said to have backed Netanyahu’s demand that IDF troops continue to hold the rest of the border in the first stage of a deal.

Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Thursday that the prime minister insists on Israel controlling the Philadelphi Corridor to prevent Hamas rearming with weapons smuggled into Gaza from Egypt.

Lebanese media reports Israeli strikes in several southern Lebanon towns

Lebanese media reports a series of Israeli airstrikes in the southern Lebanon towns of Zibqin, Tayr Harfa, and Jebbayn.

The IDF said earlier it was continuing to strike Hezbollah targets after this morning’s preemptive strikes to foil a planned major attack by the terror group.

لحظة استهداف وادي بلدة زبقين pic.twitter.com/oEqgAbe3VO

— ????????BASSEM DHAYNI???????? (@BassemDhayni) August 25, 2024

Health Ministry officials hold emergency meeting

Health Minister Uriel Buso holds an emergency meeting with ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman-Tov and top health officials.

The Health Ministry says in a statement that Buso has instructed officials to remain at the highest level of alert and prepare for “the continuation of rocket fire and other incidents.”

The ministry declares that it is prepared to operate as routinely as possible in case of war.

Israeli airstrike reportedly kills two in southern Lebanon

Lebanese media reports two dead in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon’s at-Tiri this morning.

Earlier, a member of the Amal Movement, which is which is allied with Hezbollah, was killed in an IDF strike in Khiam.

Nasrallah expected to give speech at 6 p.m.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah speaks to his supporters through a screen, during a ceremony to commemorate the death of top commander Fuad Shukr, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike a week earlier, in Beirut, Lebanon, August 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mustafa Jamalddine)

Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah is set to speak at 6 p.m., the terror group announces.

The expected speech comes following an Israeli preemptive strike on Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon and the terror group’s reprisal for the assassination of top commander Fuad Shukr.

Israel assesses Hezbollah planned to fire at IDF intel base in central Israel

Hezbollah is believed to have planned to launch missiles this morning at the Glilot base near Herzliya, where several IDF intelligence units and the Mossad headquarters are based, according to Israeli assessments.

The IDF said that it destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon this morning, most of which were aimed at northern Israel but also some at central Israel.

The airstrikes were carried out shortly before Hezbollah intended to launch its attack at around 5 a.m.

Sa’ar pans response to Hezbollah, says government letting enemies set terms of conflict

New Hope chair Gideon Sa'ar leads a faction meeting, at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on July 22, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar slams the government for its handling of the threat posed by Hezbollah, accusing it of not doing enough to degrade the terror group’s capabilities.

“Faced with Hezbollah’s decision to fire thousands of missiles and rockets – once again the government chose the less correct strategic alternative,” he tweets — after Israeli fighter jets simultaneously struck thousands of Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon early Sunday morning in what the military said was a preemptive operation against weaponry that would have been used in a major attack on central and northern Israel.

“The choice to thwart the attack only after ten and a half months of Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel is the continuation of the policy of containment. This decision has one meaning: only our enemies determine the timing and level of escalation,” he continues, appearing to argue for a wider attack on Hezbollah than the one carried out this morning.

“This opportunity should have led to a decision on an overall preemptive attack to change the reality in the north,” he declares, concluding that “whoever runs away from war will be pursued by war.”

IDF says 210 rockets, 20 drones launched by Hezbollah in attack

This photo taken from a position in northern Israel shows a Hezbollah UAV on August 25, 2024. (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

According to the IDF, some 210 rockets and some 20 drones were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel in Hezbollah’s attack this morning.

Some of the projectiles were intercepted, while others impacted, causing damage and injuries. Many rockets also struck open areas.

Hezbollah says it finished attack for today, denies success of Israeli preemptive strikes

Hezbollah says it has completed its response to the killing of the terror group’s military commander Fuad Shukr for today, hinting that further responses could come tomorrow.

The terror group claims that the explosive drones it launched from Lebanon flew to their intended targets in Israel. Earlier, Hezbollah also claimed to have fired more than 320 rockets at northern Israel.

Hezbollah also says that Israel’s claims of disrupting its operation with this morning’s preemptive strikes in southern Lebanon “contradict the facts on the ground and will be refuted” by the terror group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah later today.

Ben Gvir pays for ad accusing Shin Bet chief of leading Israel to ‘disaster’ with hostage deal

An advertisement paid for by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party accuses Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet security service, of compromising Israeli security, August 25, 2024.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party takes out a paid advertisement accusing the head of the Shin Bet security service of compromising Israeli security.

“Ronen Bar failed on October 7 and is leading Israel to another disaster. Say no to a reckless deal,” the ad reads, next to a photograph of the senior official.

In response, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid declares that “only an unstable clown like Ben Gvir is capable — in the middle of a war, while the residents of the north are in shelters and soldiers are being killed — of publishing a paid ad against the head of the Shin Bet, a patriot and a real fighter the likes of which Ben Gvir was not and never will be.”

Bar is one of several members of Israel’s team currently negotiating a hostage-release/ceasefire deal with Hamas. According to Channel 12, he recently warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet that Jewish terror carried out by violent settlers, and Ben Gvir’s actions on Temple Mount, are doing “indescribable damage” to Israel.

National Security Itamar Ben Gvir attends a conference at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on July 24, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Ben Gvir reportedly demanded that Bar be fired and stormed out of last week’s cabinet meeting after Netanyahu and other ministers defended the Shin Bet chief.

Two months ago, Ben Gvir demanded that Netanyahu fire Bar after Israel released the director of Gaza’s Shifa Hospital from jail and sent him back to the Gaza Strip.

מפלגה בממשלת ישראל נגד ראש שירות הבטחון של ישראל.
ביבי, תדיח את בן גביר. אל תהיה אפס כמו בן גביר. פשוט תדיח. pic.twitter.com/xdWZY5Frwf

— Nehemia Gershuni-Aylho  (@Nehemia_GA) August 25, 2024

Pro-Hezbollah outlet claims attack completely successful, Israeli preemptive strike failed

The pro-Hezbollah Al-Mayadeen news station reports that Hezbollah’s reprisal against Israel for the assassination of top commander Fuad Shukr was carried out exactly as it was supposed to.

The report denies Israel’s claim that its preemptive strike on rocket launchers was effective. Such claims were purely directed at the Israeli public, the report says.

The report claims explosive drones hit a “high-value military target,” without providing details.

A Hezbollah statement quoted by Lebanese media says two military sites in central Israel were struck. The IDF and Hebrew media outlets have not reported such an incident.

Mossad, Shin Bet chiefs to fly to Cairo for hostage talks, despite Hezbollah attack

Ronen Bar (left), head of the Shin Bet security services, speaks with Mossad chief David Barnea during the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, Jerusalem, May 5, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

A senior Israeli delegation is heading to Cairo today despite the Hezbollah attacks, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel. It will be led by Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar.

The Americans are applying significant pressure on Israel to wrap up a deal, says the official, in order to prevent a larger war from breaking out across the region.

One of the requests from Washington was that Israel put out messages indicating it is not looking for a major escalation, and is still interested in a hostage deal.

Still, Israel isn’t especially optimistic that Hamas will agree to a deal, but is willing to pursue talks as long as there is a chance they will succeed.

On the thorny issue of an IDF presence on the Philadelphi Route in the event of a deal, the source says that Israel and Egypt agree that Israeli troops will withdraw from positions near populated areas but will not have to abandon the border area entirely.

Lebanese media reports one killed in Israeli strike in southern Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon — An Israeli airstrike on a car in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam leaves one person dead, Lebanon’s state news agency and a security source says.

The Israeli military carried out preemptive strikes in southern Lebanon as Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon fired a missile barrage across the border to avenge one of its top commanders killed in an Israeli strike last month.

A Vehicle within the Town of Khiam in Southern Lebanon was just struck by an Israeli Airstrike. pic.twitter.com/9dTwGP8ZgE

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 25, 2024

After preemptive strikes on Hezbollah, PM vows: ‘Whoever harms us — we harm them’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks after a meeting at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, August 25, 2024. (Screenshot/GPO)

Israel destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rockets this morning, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the emergency national security cabinet meeting this morning at the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“This morning we detected Hezbollah’s preparations to attack Israel,” he says. “In consultation with the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff, we instructed the IDF to act proactively to remove the threat.”

“The IDF has since been working intensively to thwart the threats,” he continues. “It destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at the north of the country; it’s also thwarting many other threats and is operating with great power — both in defense and on the attack.”

Netanyahu asks the public to follow instructions from the Home Front Command.

“We are determined to do everything to protect our country, return the residents of the north safely to their homes,” he says, “and continue to follow a simple rule: Whoever harms us — we harm them.”

Ben Gurion Airport announces resumption of services

Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority announces the resumption of flights to and from the country’s main international airport after a brief suspension as the military launched a preemptive strike on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

Operations at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv resumed at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT), spokesman Roy Steinmetz says.

IDF releases footage of its preemptive attack on Hezbollah rocket launchers

The IDF releases footage of airstrikes in southern Lebanon this morning, during which more than 100 fighter jets targeted thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers that were intended to be used in an attack on the country.

According to the military, most of the launchers were aimed at northern Israel, and some at central Israel.

Universities cancel exams after IDF strikes, Hezbollah attack

Universities announce the cancelation of activities after the IDF preemptively struck Hezbollah and the terror group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.

Tel Aviv University announces it is canceling exams today, but other routine services will continue.

The Technion and University of Haifa say all activities are currently canceled.

The Haifa campus of Ono Academic College will hold classes on Zoom, while exams today and tomorrow are canceled.

IDF says some 100 IAF jets struck thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in preemptive attack

The Hezbollah terror group intended to launch projectiles at central Israel this morning, according to the IDF.

The military says it foiled the attack during this morning’s preemptive airstrikes in southern Lebanon.

But the majority of the Hezbollah rocket launchers struck by the Israeli Air Force this morning were aimed at northern Israel, according to the IDF.

In all, thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers were struck simultaneously by some 100 IAF fighter jets in the preemptive attacks.

IDF says soldier killed in Gaza yesterday, raising toll of op to 339

Staff Sgt. Amit Tsadikov (Israel Defense Forces)

An IDF soldier was killed during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday, the military announces.

The slain soldier is named as Staff Sgt. Amit Tsadikov, 20, of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 202nd Battalion, from Beit Dagan.

According to an initial IDF probe, Tsadikov was killed by an explosive device in Khan Younis.

His death brings Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip to 339.

Rocket sirens blare in northern communities of Sassa and Hurfeish

Incoming rocket sirens are sounding in the northern communities of Sassa and Hurfeish.

Rocket Alert [07:33:59] (2):

• Confrontation Line — Sassa, Hurfeish
Population: 6,400 pic.twitter.com/17gX0OcRxH

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) August 25, 2024

FM Katz tells foreign counterparts to back Israeli action against Iran and its proxies

Foreign Minister Israel Katz writes to dozens of foreign ministers urging support for Israel against Hezbollah, Iran, and its proxies, and stressing that the IDF struck Hezbollah in Lebanon after it identified a planned major missile and drone attack on Israel, his office says.

Foreign Minister Katz emphasizes that Israel is exercising its right to self-defense and that Israel is not interested in an all-out war.

Hezbollah rocket impact sparks blaze at chicken coop in north

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire sparked by a rocket impact in the northern community of Manot, August 25, 2024. (Fire and Rescue Service)

A rocket fired from Lebanon in this morning’s Hezbollah attack struck a chicken coop in the Western Galilee community of Manot.

Firefighters are working to extinguish a blaze sparked by the rocket impact.

A rocket fired from Lebanon in this morning's Hezbollah attack struck a chicken coop in the Western Galilee community of Manot.

Firefighters are working to extinguish a blaze sparked by the rocket impact. pic.twitter.com/JUIV0DdPGY

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) August 25, 2024

Lapid throws support behind IDF op in north

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid tweets that he “strengthens and backs the IDF’s operation in the north.”

“Any attempt to attack Israel will meet with a heavy hand and the capabilities of the IDF and the security system,” he declares.

California rep. supports Israeli strikes, says attack is response to Hezbollah rockets, not just preemptive strike

California Congressman Ted Lieu appears to back Israel’s early morning strikes on Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, tweeting that the terror group “has been launching unprovoked rocket attacks at Israel for ten months, killing civilians and destroying property.”

“Why is The NY Times calling this a preemptive attack by Israel? Why not call it a response to Hezbollah raining down missiles on Israel for ten months,” he asks, in response to a report that “Israel’s preemptive attack was aimed at missile launchers in Lebanon that had been programmed to be fired at 5 a.m. in the direction of Tel Aviv.”

Hezbollah has been launching unprovoked rocket attacks at Israel for ten months, killing civilians and destroying property.

Why is The NY Times calling this a preemptive attack by Israel? Why not call it a response to Hezbollah raining down missiles on Israel for ten months? https://t.co/NNQbXo6q8e

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 25, 2024

Israel uninterested in war in Lebanon, government source says

Israel is not interested in an escalation leading to a war in Lebanon, a government source tells Channel 12.

“This is not an attack aimed at starting a war, but rather removing a serious threat to millions of Israeli citizens,” the network quotes the anonymous source as saying. “The continuation of the escalation depends on Hezbollah’s actions.”

White House says Biden monitoring monitoring ongoing escalation

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett says that US President Joe Biden is “closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon.”

“He has been engaged with his national security team throughout the evening,” says Savett. “At his direction, senior US officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts. We will keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability.”

Hezbollah says it fired 320 rockets in recent attack, targeted 11 northern bases

The Hezbollah terror group says it has fired more than 320 rockets at northern Israel in the past few hours, along with several explosive-laden drones.

In a statement, Hezbollah claims to have targeted 11 military bases in northern Israel.

A video circulating online shows a Hezbollah drone impacting a highway in northern Israel.

Footage circulating on social media shows a Hezbollah drone impacting a highway in northern Israel. pic.twitter.com/7ivd4xvlg0

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) August 25, 2024

Earlier, Hezbollah said it was beginning to respond to the killing of the terror group’s military commander Fuad Shukr in an IDF strike last month.

Hezbollah does not mention the IDF’s preemptive attack this morning.

Liberman backs preemptive strikes on Hezbollah and any move that protects Israelis

Avigdor Liberman, the head of the hawkish opposition Yisrael Beytenu party, expresses support for the IDF’s preemptive strike on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.

“While the guns are thundering, we will support any military move that will restore security for the citizens of Israel,” he tweets.

Flights set to resume at Ben Gurion Airport, starting at 7 a.m.

Departures and arrivals are set to resume at Ben Gurion Airport at 7 a.m. — in a few minutes — after they were previously called off for the next few hours.

The Israel Airports Authority makes the new announcement, adding the flights diverted to other airports will now make their way to Ben Gurion.

IDF says its jets and forces are protecting Israel as Hezbollah fires rockets, drones

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari delivers an English-language address, June 16, 2024. (Screenshot)

IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military continues to thwart Hezbollah’s prepared attacks on the country.

“We are removing threats to the Israeli home front. Dozens of planes are now attacking targets in different areas of southern Lebanon,” Hagari says in a press conference.

“Hezbollah is firing rockets and drones at Israel. Our air defense systems, Navy ships and Air Force planes are protecting the country’s skies, identifying and intercepting threats, and striking anywhere in Lebanon, where it is necessary to remove threats and hit Hezbollah,” he says.

NYT: Israel’s preemptive strikes targeted launchers programmed to fire toward Tel Aviv at 5 a.m.

The preemptive strikes Israel conducted on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon targeted launchers that had been programmed to fire projectiles in the direction of Tel Aviv at 5 a.m., The New York Times reports.

Those strikes were launched around 4:45 a.m.

Restrictions announced from Tel Aviv northward; gatherings capped at 30 people outdoors

The Home Front Command has issued restrictions on civilians from the Tel Aviv area and northward.

Educational activities and workplaces will be able to operate if an adequate shelter is nearby and can be reached in time.

There will be restrictions on gatherings: Up to 30 people outdoors and 300 people indoors.

Beaches are also closed near the border with Lebanon.

Gantz says government has ‘full, broad and absolute backing’ in response to Hezbollah

Former army chief of staff and ex-war cabinet member Benny Gantz calls on members of the public to obey directives from the IDF Home Front Command because “they save lives.”

“We are all one fist against Hezbollah — the government and the IDF have full, broad and absolute backing,” the leader of the opposition National Unity party tweets.

Gallant briefs US counterpart on preemptive strikes in Lebanon, says ‘closely following developments’

File: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant give a joint press conference in Tel Aviv on December 18, 2023. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks with his American counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, after the IDF launched preemptive strikes on Hezbollah.

“We have conducted precise strikes in Lebanon in order to thwart an imminent threat against the citizens of Israel. We are closely following developments in Beirut, and we are determined to use all the means at our disposal in order to defend our citizens,” Gallant is quoted as saying in a readout.

According to the Defense Ministry, Gallant briefed Austin on the IDF’s strikes in Lebanon, and the pair “discussed the importance of avoiding regional escalation.”

Woman lightly wounded from shrapnel in Acre amid Hezbollah barrages

A woman is lightly wounded by shrapnel in the coastal city of Acre amid Hezbollah’s attack on northern Israel, medics say.

The woman is being taken to Bnai Zion Hospital in Haifa for treatment, Magen David Adom says.

Sirens had sounded in Acre earlier this morning.

Hezbollah says drones fired as response for Shukr killing begins; over 100 rockets said launched

Hezbollah says it has begun its response to the killing of the terror group’s military commander Fuad Shukr in an IDF strike last month.

In a statement, Hezbollah says it launched several explosive drones at Israel, targeting military sites.

The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya outlet reports that more than 100 rockets have also been launched at northern Israel from Lebanon so far.

Emergency situation declared in Israel for next 48 hours

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center), Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (2R) and others at the 'pit' at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, early on August 25, 2024. (Maayan Toaf/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has declared an emergency situation in the country for the next 48 hours.

The “special situation in the home front” enables the IDF Home Front Command to issue restrictions.

A “special situation” is a legal term used in times of emergency, granting authorities greater jurisdiction over the civilian population in order to streamline efforts to safeguard the population. It is valid for 48 hours unless extended by cabinet ministers.

No reports of injuries after series of alarms in north, medics say

There have so far been no reports of injuries following repeated rocket and drone sirens across northern Israel since this morning, MDA says.

Netanyahu to convene security cabinet at 7 a.m.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene the security cabinet at 7:00 a.m., his office announces.

The regularly scheduled full cabinet meeting will not meet this morning.

Netanyahu, Gallant managing northern flareup from military’s Tel Aviv HQ — PMO

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2L), Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (2R) and others at the 'pit' at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, early on August 25, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are currently at the IDF’s underground command room at the military’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, also known as “the pit.”

A terse statement from the Prime Minster’s Office says the pair are “managing the incident” in the north.

Alarms continue to blare across northern Israel

Sirens continue to sound across northern Israel.

The latest rocket alerts are activated in Katzrin in the Golan Heights, as well as in several border communities in the Upper Galilee, including the city of Ma’alot-Tarshiha.

Meanwhile, suspected drone infiltration sirens sound in several Galilee towns, near Safed.

More alerts sound in Acre and Kiryat Shmona

Fresh sirens are sounding in the northern coastal city of Acre, as well as in the mostly evacuated Lebanon border city of Kiryat Shmona.

Acre is located some 19 kilometers from the Lebanon border.

The sirens in Acre are activated due to interceptor missiles being launched at suspected drones in the area, rather than rocket fire, according to initial reports.

Magen David Adom ambulance service says it’s at peak readiness nationwide

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it has raised its preparedness to the highest level across the country.

The decision has been made due to the security situation and following a situational assessment.

Series of sirens sound in north as numerous Iron Dome interceptors launched

Iron Dome interceptors are launched toward incoming projectiles from Lebanon, early on August 25, 2024. (Screenshot: X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Incoming rocket and suspected drone sirens are sounding in the Western Galilee.

Sirens also sound in the Mount Meron area in the Upper Galilee.

Footage posted to social media shows numerous Iron Dome interceptor missiles being launched to counter the attack from Lebanon.

Numerous Iron Dome interceptions seen over the Western Galilee. https://t.co/TeaHp7g7mE pic.twitter.com/1r9gHGtMeB

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) August 25, 2024

The alerts come as the IDF launches preemptive strikes on Hezbollah after identifying preparations by the terror group to carry out a major attack on Israel.

IDF says it foiled part of Hezbollah’s response to Shukr killing; braces for drone, missile attacks

The Israeli military says it identified overnight preparations in Hezbollah’s rocket array for a major and immediate attack on Israel. Fighter jets are now working to remove the threat.

The preemptive strikes specifically targeted the sites that would have been used in the attack from southern Lebanon.

The IDF believes the attack would have been part of Hezbollah’s response to the killing of the terror group’s military commander Fuad Shukr last month.

The IDF is tracking other parts of Hezbollah, and is readying for potential drone and even missile attacks on the country.

Departures at Ben Gurion Airport delayed; incoming flights to be redirected

The Israel Airports Authority announces that due to the security situation, departing flights at Ben Gurion Airport are delayed and won’t take off in the next few hours.

Flights on the way to the airport are being redirected to other airports in the area.

The Authority advises travelers to get updates on the schedule changes from the airlines.

Some 40 strikes reported in Lebanon; residents of Israel’s north told to stay near shelters

Lebanese media reports around 40 Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, after the IDF said it was preemptively hitting Hezbollah targets following indications of an imminent major attack.

Residents of all northern border communities and towns in the Golan Heights have been ordered by the IDF to stay near bomb shelters and avoid unnecessary movements and gatherings, as a precaution for a possible Hezbollah attack. Agricultural work in the area has also been halted.

IDF strikes Hezbollah targets that posed ‘imminent threat’ to Israeli civilians, as alarms sound

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, early on August 25, 2024. (Screenshot: X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The IDF says it has detected preparations by Hezbollah to launch rockets and missiles and is preemptively striking in Lebanon “to remove the threat.”

Fighter jets are striking Hezbollah targets that “posed an imminent threat to the citizens of the State of Israel,” the army says, adding that “life-saving instructions” will be sent out in some parts of the country.

Alarms are meanwhile sounding in several northern communities.

In a video statement, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says: “A short while ago, the IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory.”

“‌‏In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians,” he says.

“Hezbollah will soon fire rockets, and possibly missiles and UAVs, towards Israeli territory. ‌‏We will shortly update the Home Front Command Defensive guidelines for those in Israel,” Hagari continues.

“‌‏From right next to the homes of Lebanese civilians in the south of Lebanon, we can see that Hezbollah is preparing to launch an extensive attack on Israel, while endangering the Lebanese civilians. ‌‏We warn the civilians located in the areas where Hezbollah is operating, to move out of harm’s way immediately for their own safety,” he says.

Hagari says that “Hezbollah’s ongoing aggression risks dragging the people of Lebanon, the people of Israel and the whole region into a wider escalation. ‏Israel will not tolerate Hezbollah’s attacks on our civilians.

“‏We are operating in self-defense from Hezbollah — and any other enemy that joins in their attacks against us — and we are ready to do everything we need to defend the people of Israel,” he adds.

Four injured in Sydney stabbing attack following car crash, Australian police say

Four people, including a police officer, have been injured in a stabbing attack in Sydney, police say, the latest in a series of knife assaults in Australia’s biggest city this year.

A man who ran from the scene has been taken into custody, police say in a statement. There is no ongoing threat to people in Sydney, says New South Wales state Police Minister Yasmin Catley.

Police say they do not believe anyone was killed in the attack, which followed a crash in the southern suburb of Engadine.

Aerial footage of the scene by the Australian Broadcasting Corp shows two crashed cars cordoned off with police tape.

Biden gives thumbs-up when asked how ceasefire talks are going

US President Joe Biden indicates to reporters that talks for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal are going well, declining to go into detail.

Biden is contacted by a press pool as he exits a church in Solvang, California along with his children Hunter and Ashley.

When asked how ceasefire talks are going, Biden gives a thumbs-up. There is no other interaction with the pool.

Telegram messaging app CEO Durov arrested in France — local media

In this file photo from August 1, 2017, Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, center, smiles following his meeting with Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara in Jakarta, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)

Pavel Durov, billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, has been arrested at the Bourget airport outside Paris under a warrant for offenses related to the popular messaging app, AFP, TF1 TV and BFM TV report, citing unnamed sources.

Telegram, particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union, is ranked as one of the major social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Wechat. It aims to hit one billion users in the next year.

Based in Dubai, Telegram was founded by Russian-born Durov, 39. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his VK social media platform, which he sold.

Durov was traveling aboard his private jet, TF1 says on its website, adding that he was targeted by an arrest warrant in France as part of a preliminary police investigation.

TF1 and BFM both say the investigation is focused on a lack of moderators on Telegram, and that police consider that this situation allows criminal activity to go on undeterred on the messaging app.

Telegram does not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The French Interior Ministry and police have no comment.

IDF says troops killed Palestinian who was shooting at army post from West Bank’s Jenin

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian gunman while he was shooting a short while ago at an army post from the area of the West Bank city of Jenin, the IDF says.

Forces are conducting searches in the area for another armed suspect who shot toward the post, the military adds.

French police arrest man suspected of attempted arson against synagogue

French police have arrested a man suspected of attempted arson against a synagogue in the southern France city of la Grande-Motte on Saturday, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin says on X.

German police arrest suspect in stabbing rampage, minister says

German police have arrested the man suspected of killing three people in a knife rampage at a street festival in the west of the country, a regional minister says.

“We have just arrested the true suspect,” North Rhine-Westphalia region interior minister Herbert Reul says on public television.