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The Times of Israel liveblogged Saturday’s events as they happened.
Macron’s office says France is ‘Israel’s steadfast friend’ after PM slams arms embargo call
After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labels French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for an arms embargo on Israel “a disgrace,” the Élysée stresses that Macron “supports Israel’s security and demonstrates it.”
Macron’s office notes that France mobilized its military this week’s during Iran’s missile attack, as it did in April.
The statement says that Macron “personally told the Iranian president of France’s commitment to Israel’s security. He reiterated that France would not allow Iran or any of its proxies to attack Israel and would always find us facing it if it resorted to force.”
At the same time, Macron believes that “the urgent need is to avoid the escalation of tensions in the region,” including an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“It is in this context that the president calls for an end to arms exports intended for use in Gaza,” Macron’s office continues. “We must return to diplomatic solutions.”
“France is Israel’s steadfast friend,” the Élysée concludes. “Mr. Netanyahu’s words are excessive and unrelated to the friendship between France and Israel.”
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot will be in Israel to mark the October 7 attacks, part of a regional tour his office says is meant to push for deescalation.
“He will reaffirm France’s call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas, including French nationals Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi,” says the French embassy.
Airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs shortly after IDF evacuation orders
After the IDF called on civilians to flee the area surrounding three Hezbollah sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanese media report airstrikes in the area.
فيديو متداول للعدوان الإسرائيلي المتواصل على #الضاحية_الجنوبية لبيروت.#لبنان #الميادين_لبنان pic.twitter.com/XsJGOTAhEM
— الميادين لبنان (@mayadeenlebanon) October 5, 2024
IDF says it struck Hamas command and control post within former UNRWA compound
The IDF says it carried out a “targeted” airstrike on operatives at Hamas command and control center within a former UNRWA compound in the northern Gaza Strip’s Jabaliya.
According to a military statement, Hamas used the facility to plan and launch attacks against Israel and Israeli forces in Gaza. The statement says the IDF took some measures to reduce civilian casualties.
IDF issues evacuation orders in areas of Beirut’s southern suburb ahead of imminent strikes
The IDF is calling on Lebanese civilians near three buildings in the southern suburb of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh, to evacuate immediately ahead of airstrikes.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes maps alongside the announcement, which call on civilians to distance themselves at least 500 meters from the sites.
In recent days, the IDF has issued several evacuation orders for specific sites in Dahiyeh ahead of airstrikes on Hezbollah infrastructure.
عاجل ‼️ انذار عاجل إلى سكان الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا المتواجدين في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة في برج البراجنة
🔴أنتم متواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع على مدى الزمني القريب
🔴من أجل سلامتكم وسلامة أبناء عائلتكم عليكم اخلاء… pic.twitter.com/50XsqzYO4Z— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) October 5, 2024
Hezbollah hits out at report that contact ‘lost’ with Safieddine, but doesn’t confirm or deny it
File: Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine addresses mourners during the funeral of a Hezbollah commander, Taleb Abdallah, in Beirut's southern suburbs on June 12, 2024. (ANWAR AMRO / AFP)
In a vague statement responding to an AFP report that contact has been lost with Hezbollah’s presumed next leader Hashem Safieddine, the Lebanese terror group says there are “no Hezbollah sources and our viewpoint is issued in official statements.”
Despite Hezbollah’s pushback at the reporting, it doesn’t confirm or deny whether contact with Safieddine has been lost.
‘A disgrace’: Netanyahu bashes France’s Macron for urging arms embargo on Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron (L) as they hold a joint press conference in Jerusalem on October 24, 2023. (Christophe Ena/Pool/AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for an arms embargo on Israel this week is a “disgrace,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in an English-language statement directed at the French leader.
“Today, Israel is defending itself on seven fronts against the enemies of civilization,” he says, pointing at Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
“As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side,” Netanyahu insists.
“Yet President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel,” he continues.
“Shame on them.”
Netanyahu asks rhetorically whether Iran is imposing an arms embargo on its proxies.
“Of course not,” he responds. “This axis of terror stands together.”
“But countries who supposedly oppose this terror axis call for an arms embargo on Israel,” Netanyahu continues. “What a disgrace!”
Netanyahu promises that Israel will win “with or without their support.”
“But their shame will continue long after the war is won.”
As he often does, Netanyahu argues that Israel is defending civilization against those who seek to impose a dark age of fanaticism on all of us.
“Rest assured, Israel will fight until the battle is won — for our sake and for the sake of peace and security in the world.”
Rallies urging release of hostages held across Israel, nearly a year after Oct. 7 attack
Israelis calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza rally outside the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, October 5, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages in Gaza are held across Israel, days before the captives seized by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7 mark a year in captivity.
The main weekly protest in Tel Aviv is not being held this week due to current Home Front Command restrictions on large gatherings. A smaller demonstration is being held near the Kiriya.
Netanyahu: Israel changing ‘balance of power in north,’ has ‘duty’ to strike back at Iran and ‘will do so’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in a video message released on October 5, 2024. (Telegram screenshot used in accordance of clause 27a of the copyright law)
Speaking from his office at the Kirya in Tel Aviv after the Rosh Hashanah weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promises to strike back against Iran for its ballistic missile attack on Tuesday.
“Iran has twice fired hundreds of missiles at our territory and our cities — ballistic missile attacks among the largest in history,” says Netanyahu in a video statement.
“No country in the world would accept such an attack on its cities and citizens, and the State of Israel will not either,” he says. “Israel has the duty and the right to defend itself and respond to these attacks — and we will do so.”
Most of Netanyahu’s remarks focus on the fighting in Lebanon, where he says Israel is changing “the balance of power in the north.”
“About a month ago, toward the end of the destruction of the Hamas battalions in Gaza, we started fulfilling the promise I gave to the residents of the north,” says the premier, referring to the recently approved war aim of returning northern residents to their homes, a year after they were evacuated from the Lebanese border.
“We eliminated [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah and the Hezbollah leadership, we eliminated the commanders of the Radwan force who planned to invade the Galilee and carry out a greater and more terrible massacre of our citizens than that of October 7th,” he declares.
Netanyahu insists that Israel has destroyed “a large part” of Hezbollah’s missile and rocket stockpile.
“And these days, our heroic soldiers are destroying the array of terror tunnels that Hezbollah secretly prepared, close to our borders,” he says, adding that “although we have not yet completed the removal of the threat, we have clearly changed the course of the war and the balance of the war, and our arms are still outstretched [for more action].”
Netanyahu mocks the late Hezbollah leader for calling Israeli society a “spider web” in a famous speech years ago.
“He and the whole world discovered the iron sinews of Israel — a strong country with a strong, daring and moral army,” he says. “A country determined to defend itself against any threat.”
“That includes the threat from Iran, which is behind all the attacks on us — from Gaza, from Lebanon, from Yemen, from Iraq and Syria — and of course, from Iran itself,” says Netanyahu.
Macron ‘regrets’ Netanyahu’s decision on Lebanon ground op, says Francophone nations want ceasefire
French President Emmanuel Macron expresses reservations about the decision of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to send troops to southern Lebanon for ground operations against Hezbollah.
“I regret that Prime Minister Netanyahu has made another choice,” says Macron, referring to his decision not to heed calls from Paris and Washington for a ceasefire, which Hezbollah has also not agreed to.
He also says that the 88 members of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), including France and Canada call for an “immediate and lasting” ceasefire in Lebanon.
“We have unanimously expressed ourselves in favor of an immediate and lasting ceasefire and have stated our commitment to de-escalating tensions in the region,” Macron tells reporters at the end of a Francophone summit, adding France will hold an international conference supporting Lebanon this month.
IDF acknowledges Iran missiles hit two airbases, says planes undamaged and continuing to strike
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari acknowledges that several Iranian ballistic missiles hit the Nevatim and Tel Nof airbases during Tuesday night’s attack.
“As a result of our [air] defense capabilities, and the responsible behavior of the public, there were no injuries,” he says.
“There were several impacts in the center of the country, in civilian areas, and there were also impacts in airbases, in Nevatim and Tel Nof,” Hagari continues.
“These impacts did not hit planes and did not harm the Air Force’s competence. The airbases, both Nevatim and Tel Nof, are fully functioning,” he says.
“Immediately after the attack, Air Force planes continued to strike in the Middle East, and are striking, even now,” Hagari says.
He says that Israel will respond to the attack of some 200 missiles, and it will be “with the method and in the place and time of our choosing, in accordance with the political echelon.”
‘Pushing Hezbollah north’: IDF says some 440 operatives killed in south Lebanon ground mission
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says Israeli troops have killed at least 440 Hezbollah operatives during ground operations in southern Lebanon.
“We are pushing Hezbollah north. Some of the terrorists fled, and some are being defeated by our troops in close-quarters battles,” Hagari says in a press conference.
“Since the beginning of the ground maneuver, the troops have killed on the ground and from the air, some 440 terrorists, including 30 commanders,” he says.
Hagari in his press conference also shows a video of a 250-meter-long Hezbollah tunnel that he says was located some 300 meters from the border, and did not cross into Israeli territory.
“These compounds were to be used by Hezbollah terrorists in an attack on the Galilee communities… yesterday we destroyed this tunnel,” he says.
Ireland fumes at Israel for telling UN peacekeepers to leave posts in south Lebanon
Illustrative: An Irish soldier from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), stands guard at the entrance of his base in the southern Lebanese village of al-Tiri on December 16 2022. (Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
DUBLIN — The president of Ireland sharply criticizes Israel’s demand that UN peacekeepers leave their positions in southern Lebanon.
“It is outrageous that the Israel Defense Forces have threatened this peacekeeping force and sought to have them evacuate the villages they are defending,” President Michael Higgins says in a statement.
“Indeed, Israel is demanding that the entire UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) operating under UN mandates walk away.”
Ireland accounts for 347 of the 10,000 soldiers serving in the UNIFIL forces, which are charged with maintaining peace in the south of Lebanon.
Earlier today, UNIFIL said it had rejected Israeli demands that it “relocate” some positions ahead of Israeli ground operations against Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.
Higgins calls the demand “an insult to the most important global institution.”
CENTCOM chief lands in Israel as IDF readies response to Iranian missile attack
Illustrative: US CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla (right) meets with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (left) and other generals at the IDF HQ in Tel Aviv, September 8, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
United States CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla landed in Israel this evening to meet with Israeli defense and military officials, amid preparations in the IDF for a response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack.
Home Front Command eases restrictions on gatherings in several areas of the country
The IDF Home Front Command is easing restrictions on gatherings in several areas in Israel.
From tonight, gatherings of up to 2,000 people will be permitted, instead of 1,000, in the Tel Aviv area, Judean Foothills, the Carmel, Wadi Ara, and Menashe regions in northern Israel, northern West Bank settlements, and some communities near the border with the Gaza Strip.
Home Front Command restrictions issued October 5, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Oct. 7 victims’ families to hold commemoration with limited crowd due to Home Front Command rules
The organizers of a non-official commemoration marking Hamas’s October 7 attack say the planned event in Tel Aviv will be held with a limited crowd made up of families of the victims, due to Home Front Command restrictions currently in place on large gatherings amid the recent fighting with Hezbollah.
The commemoration, which was organized by the families, is set to be held in Park Hayarkon at 7 p.m. on Monday and will be broadcast on Israeli television stations and dozens of foreign broadcast networks.
Herzog says wounds of October 7 ‘cannot fully heal’ while hostages remain in Gaza
President Isaac Herzog at the inauguration ceremony for the new monument in memory of Jerusalem residents who were murdered on October 7 or killed in the subsequent war, in Jerusalem, September 22, 2024 (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)
President Isaac Herzog says Israel remains wounded by the October 7 Hamas attack, with hostages still held captive in Gaza and residents displaced by ongoing fighting.
“Our wounds still cannot fully heal because they are ongoing. Because hostages are still being tortured, executed, and dying in captivity,” the president says in a broadcast statement to mark a full year since the Hamas onslaught.
He also says Iran remains an “ongoing threat” to Israel.
“In many senses, we are still living the aftermath of October 7… It is in the ongoing threat to the Jewish state by Iran and its terror proxies, who are blinded by hatred and bent on the destruction of our one and only Jewish nation state,” Herzog says.
Soldier seriously hurt after Humvee flips over in southern Lebanon
An IDF soldier with the 36th Division was seriously wounded after a Humvee he was in flipped over during operations in southern Lebanon yesterday.
The IDF says the soldier was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Halevi says IDF must keep striking Hezbollah ‘without relief or respite’
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi speaks in a video statement from northern Israel, October 3, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says that Israel must continue to strike the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.
“We must continue exerting pressure on Hezbollah and creating additional and lasting damage to the enemy. Without relief and without allowing a respite for the organization,” he says at the end of an assessment, in remarks provided by the IDF.
Rocket alerts sound in Safed and surrounding area
Incoming rocket sirens are activated in the northern city of Safed and a number of neighboring communities.
Hezbollah says rocket attack targeted ‘military industries company’ in north
Hezbollah says it launched rockets at a defense company in northern Israel.
The Iran-backed Lebanese group says in a statement that it launched “a rocket salvo” toward a “military industries company” east of Acre.
Hostage’s mother: Netanyahu ‘sacrificing the lives of the hostages to remain in power’
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held hostage in Gaza, blocks a main road in Tel Aviv, during a protest calling for the release of the hostages, September 13, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Einav Zangauker, the mother of Hamas hostage Matan Zangauker, charges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has prioritized keeping his government together over the return of the captives seized by the Gaza-ruling terror group on October 7 last year.
“Why are they still in Gaza? Because of Netanyahu,” she says during a weekly demonstration in Tel Aviv, accusing the premier “of sacrificing the lives of the hostages to remain in power.”
“We will never give up,” she adds, referring to the efforts to free the hostages.
Lebanese health ministry: 25 killed, 127 wounded in Israeli strikes on Friday
Twenty-five people were killed and 127 wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Friday, the Lebanese health ministry says in a statement.
Thousands join anti-Israel march in London days before Oct. 7 anniversary
Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel activists wave flags and hold placards as they pass through central London, during a March for Palestine on October 5, 2024. (Justin Tallis/AFP)
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters march through central London calling for Israel to halt its military offensives in Gaza against Hamas and in Lebanon against Hezbollah, nearly a year after the October 7 onslaught by the Hamas terror group that triggered the fighting.
Pro-Palestinian supporters from across the country began the march from Russell Square to Downing Street demanding an end to the conflict. At the 20th “National March for Palestine” in London, familiar chants — “ceasefire now,” “stop bombing hospitals, stop bombing civilians” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — are joined by shouts of “hands off Lebanon.”
London’s Metropolitan Police put a “significant” policing operation ahead of planned protests and memorial events.
While the rally was largely peaceful, two were arrested for assaulting an emergency worker, according to the Met.
Three others were arrested as tensions rose between the main march and a counterprotest.
Video shows rocket striking right above man filming Hezbollah barrage on north
Footage posted to social media shows the Hezbollah rocket impact in the northern Arab village of Deir al-Asad earlier today.
The video shows several interceptions in the sky, before one rocket hits the roof of an apartment building, directly above the person filming.
Three people were lightly hurt in the attack.
A perfect example why when rocket sirens sound, you should seek shelter and not film interceptions.
Footage posted to social media shows the Hezbollah rocket impact in the northern Arab village of Deir al-Asad earlier today.
The video shows several interceptions in the sky,… pic.twitter.com/G2vTvxs8fI
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 5, 2024
In south Lebanon, IDF general says ground op ‘a significant step’ in getting northerners home
The chief of the IDF Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin (right) and the commander of the Golani Brigade, Col. Adi Gonen are seen in southern Lebanon on October 4, 2024, in a handout photo issued by the military a day later. (Israel Defense Forces)
The chief of the IDF Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin held an assessment with troops in southern Lebanon on Friday, the military announces.
“Where we stand we can look toward the frontier communities. Our ground operation here is a significant step toward returning the residents of the north safely to their homes, towards a better year than the previous one,” the IDF cites Gordin as telling troops.
The general met with the commander of the Golani Brigade, Col. Adi Gonen, and his forces, which have been operating in Lebanese villages close to the border in recent days.
Israel says at least 12 Palestinians killed in Tulkarem airstrike were terror operatives
Palestinians inspect the damage caused by an Israeli airstrike in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, October 4, 2024. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)
The IDF and Shin Bet say they have identified at least 12 terror operatives among the dead in Thursday night’s fighter jet strike in the West Bank city of Tulkarem.
The strike had targeted a senior Hamas commander, Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who was planning a major terror attack on the anniversary of the October 7 massacre, according to the military.
The Palestinian Authority health ministry reported 18 dead in the strike, including eight and seven-year-old siblings Karam and Sham Abu Zahra.
According to the IDF, at least 12 of those killed in the strike are confirmed to be members of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups. The two terror groups also announced the deaths of several operatives in the strike.
Some 25 rockets fired at Galilee in latest barrage from Lebanon — army
A barrage of some 25 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Karmiel area in the Galilee a short while ago, setting off sirens in several towns, the IDF says.
Some of the rockets were intercepted, and the rest struck open areas, according to the military. There are no immediate reports of injuries in the attack.
Since this morning, at least 110 rockets have been fired from Lebanon at northern Israel.
IDF says recent wave of Beirut airstrikes targeted Hezbollah intel sites
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs on October 5, 2024. (Ibrahim Amro/AFP)
The IDF says it carried out a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah intelligence division sites in the Lebanese capital of Beirut a short while ago.
Overnight, several more strikes were carried out in Beirut, which according to the military targeted weapon depots, command rooms, and other infrastructure.
The IDF says it took steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strikes, including using “precision munitions,” aerial surveillance, and issuing evacuation orders.
Meanwhile, some 60 rockets were fired at northern Israel earlier today in two barrages at the Galilee, the IDF says.
Many of the rockets were intercepted, but some impacted in Karmiel and Deir al-Asad, lightly wounding three and causing damage.
לפני זמן קצר, מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו, בהכוונה מודיעינית של אמ"ן, באופן ממוקד, מפקדות ותשתיות טרור נוספות של מטה המודיעין של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב ביירות>> pic.twitter.com/CSqc9JoeFO
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 5, 2024
Syria pro-government radio reports 1 killed, 3 hurt in Israeli drone strike near Hama
A Syrian pro-government radio station is reporting that an Israeli drone strike on a car in central Syria killed one person and wounded three.
It was not immediately clear who was the target of the airstrike near the central city of Hama, which was reported by pro-government Sham FM radio. It doesn’t give further details, though other reports indicated it was an attack by Syrian rebels.
There is no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel regularly carries out airstrikes inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria but rarely acknowledges them. When it has, it says it targets Iranian-backed groups or Hezbollah weapons shipments.
Macron calls to stop sending Israel weapons that can be used in Gaza fighting
French President Emmanuel Macron attends the opening session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday urges a halt to arms deliveries to Israel, calling for “a political solution” in the nearly yearlong Gaza war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack.
“I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza,” Macron tells broadcaster France Inter, adding that France is not sending any arms to Israel.
‘We’re all Hamas’: Anti-Israel demonstrators march in South Africa to mark Oct. 7
A pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protester protestor holds a placard praising 'the intifada' during a demonstration against Israel for fighting against the Hezbollah and Hamas terror groups, organized by the South African BDS Coalition outside the US Consulate in Johannesburg on October 5, 2024. (Phill Magakoe/AFP)
Several hundred people march through central Cape waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans in a pro-Gaza rally to mark the first anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 onslaught that started the ongoing war in Gaza.
With placards accusing Israel of genocide and racism, the marchers — many of them wearing the keffiyeh scarf that symbolizes the Palestinian struggle against Israel — walked to parliament in a protest organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
“Israel is a racist state” and “We are all Palestinian,” chant some of the marchers. Others hold up placards stating: “We are all Hamas” or “Zionism is racism.”
Some marchers say they agree with the South African case before the International Court of Justice that alleges the Israeli military operation against Hamas in Gaza, launched in response to the October 7 terror attack, amounts to “genocide.”
“I am appalled at Israel and the genocide and the attack on innocent people, children… and now moving on into Lebanon,” Linelle Arendse tells the News24 channel.
Many South Africans compare Israel’s stance towards Palestinians with the racially oppressive system of apartheid that imposed white-minority rule on South Africa until the first all-race election in 1994, a comparison rejected by Israel along with some prominent legal scholars and international organizations.
“I have been through the apartheid struggle so I know the pain of the Palestinians and Lebanese,” Shafiek Barnes tells News24. “I am here because I am Muslim and I feel the pain that they are going through.”
The organizers of the march hand to parliament a memorandum demanding the government implement the UN’s 1973 Apartheid Convention which declares apartheid systems a crime and allows for action against them, such as boycotts.
IDF and Shin Bet say 2 senior Hamas commanders killed in northern Lebanon strikes
The IDF and Shin Bet security agency in a joint statement confirm that two senior Hamas commanders were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon today.
The first strike, which took place overnight in the Beddawi camp for Palestinian refugees near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, targeted and killed Saeed Atallah Ali.
According to the IDF and Shin Bet, Ali advanced terror attacks against Israel and worked to recruit more members to Hamas in Lebanon.
Hamas confirmed Ali’s death, calling him a field commander.
The second strike, which took place this morning near the Beqaa Valley town of Saadnayel, targeted and killed Mohammed Hussein al-Lawis.
The IDF and Shin Bet describe al-Lawis as Hamas’s “executive authority in Lebanon” and say that he directed terror attacks in the West Bank.
The statement adds that he was also responsible for “Hamas’s entrenchment inside Lebanon, using it to supply weapons for rocket attacks against Israel and in attempts to manufacture advanced weaponry.”
Hamas also confirms al-Lawis’s death in a statement.
Funeral held in Jerusalem for Ionas Chrosis, 26, killed in Jaffa terror attack
Mourners react during the funeral of Greek student Ionas Karousis, who was killed along with another six people in a terror attack in Jaffa at the Greek Orthodox cemetery in Jerusalem on Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
The funeral is held in Jerusalem for 26-year-old Ionas Chrosis, who was killed in a terror attack in Jaffa on Tuesday.
Chrosis was a Greek citizen and was raised in Jerusalem after his parents moved to Israel to work as doctors, and decided to stay.
He studied architecture in Tel Aviv and was working on a project for his studies when he was killed in the shooting.
“He was kind-hearted and sensitive and always helped everyone,” one of his classmates told Channel 12 earlier this week. “He expressed infinite optimism in the face of every difficulty that came his way. He was talented, funny, and humble. He was always kind to the people around him and was a loyal friend who saw the good in everyone. He was a talented piano player.”
Seven people were killed and 16 others wounded in the attack on the Tel Aviv light rail and a nearby road in Jaffa, in one of the deadliest terror attacks in recent memory.
Ionas Chrosis. (Courtesy)
Dubai’s Emirates Airlines bans pagers, walkie-talkies after Hezbollah attacks
An Emirates Airlines plane lands at Dubai International Airport in Dubai on October 17, 2023. (Karim Sahib/AFP)
Dubai’s Emirates Airlines has banned passengers from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on its flights, following last month’s attacks on Lebanese group Hezbollah involving communication devices that exploded.
“All passengers traveling to, from, or via Dubai are prohibited from transporting pagers and walkie-talkies in checked or cabin baggage,” the airline says in a statement on its website. It adds that any prohibited items found will be confiscated by Dubai Police as part of heightened security measures.
In the deadly September attacks, thousands of booby-trapped Hezbollah pagers and hundreds of radios exploded – attacks that were widely blamed on Israel but which it has not claimed.
3 lightly injured in rocket strike on Deir al-Asad
Three people were lightly injured as a result of a Hezbollah rocket impact in the northern Arab village of Deir al-Asad, police and medics say.
The three victims were taken to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya by the Hian emergency medical service.
Police say that officers are operating at several scenes of rocket impacts in Karmiel and Deir al-Asad, where damage was also caused.
Assad to Iranian FM: Missile attack was a ‘lesson’ for Israel
This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency Telegram page shows Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (R) meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Damascus on October 5, 2024. (Syrian Presidency Telegram Page/AFP)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Iran’s second-ever missile attack on Israel this week was a “lesson” for Israel, his office says.
The missile attack on Tuesday evening was “a strong response and taught the Zionist entity a lesson,” Assad is quoted as saying as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits Damascus.
10 treated for acute anxiety after rocket fired from Lebanon hit Deir al-Asad
The Magen David Adom emergency service says it has treated 10 people for acute anxiety after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit Deir al-Asad in northern Israel.
There were no physical injuries.
Air defenses engaged ‘hostile targets’ over Homs, Syrian state media says
Syrian air defenses engaged hostile targets over the city of Homs, Syria’s state news agency SANA says.
No further details are immediately available.
Emergency services responding to reports of rocket impacts in Deir al-Asad, Karmiel
Medics are responding to reports of rocket impacts in Deir al-Asad and Karmiel in northern Israel, following a barrage from Lebanon.
Residential buildings in both towns were hit, according to footage from the scene shared on social media.
Numerous Iron Dome interceptions were also reported over the area.
Medics are responding to reports of a direct rocket impact in the northern Arab village of Deir al-Asad, close to Karmiel. pic.twitter.com/kGrK3TvWi0
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 5, 2024
A large barrage of rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Karmiel area in the Galilee, setting off sirens in several towns.
Multiple Iron Dome interceptions are reported. pic.twitter.com/Nz4C6XuG7k
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 5, 2024
IDF releases images of Hezbollah weapons captured by troops in south Lebanon
Hezbollah weapons found by the Golani Brigade during operations in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo published October 5, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF releases footage of Hezbollah weapons captured by troops of the Golani Brigade in southern Lebanon.
The Golani Brigade, operating under the 36th Division, has been working to clear southern Lebanese villages of Hezbollah infrastructure and weapons.
The IDF says the troops located caches of weapons and tunnel shafts, and killed several Hezbollah gunmen during the operations.
Some of the weapon caches, that were later destroyed, were located inside civilian homes, according to the military.
Hezbollah weapons found by the Golani Brigade during operations in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo published October 5, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Report: Israeli sources say Nasrallah’s presumed successor Safieddine killed in airstrike
Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine (C) attends the funeral ceremony of slain top commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 1, 2024. (Khaled Desouki/AFP)
Unnamed Israeli sources tell Sky News Arabia that the presumed successor to Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a heavy airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight Thursday-Friday.
The IDF said yesterday morning that the airstrike in Beirut targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters. The military did not disclose who was at the underground bunker.
Lebanese security sources told Reuters earlier today that Hashem Safieddine, widely expected to succeed Nasrallah, has been “unreachable” since the strike targeting an underground bunker in the Lebanese capital.
Iran’s oil minister ‘not worried’ amid reports Israel could strike energy sites
Mohsen Paknejad, Iran's nominee for the Oil Ministry, attends a parliament session in the capital Tehran, on August 17, 2024. (Atta Kenare/AFP)
Iran’s oil minister Mohsen Paknejad says he is “not worried” about the escalating conflict in the region amid reports that Israel could strike Iran, the ministry’s Shana news site says.
Paknejad’s comments are made during a visit to Assaluyeh, the energy capital of Iran.
Yesterday, US President Joe Biden said Israel has not yet decided how it’s going to respond to Iran’s ballistic missile assault, but suggested it should refrain from attacking Iranian oil facilities.
The US president’s latest remarks came a day after he said the idea of an Israeli strike on Iranian oil sites was “in discussion,” causing oil prices to shoot up amid fears of a sudden shock to the global supply.
Rocket sirens sound in Galilee towns and villages
Sirens sound in multiple towns and villages in the Galilee region, warning of incoming rocket fire.
2 rockets fired at Haifa from Lebanon; no injuries reported
Two rockets were launched from Lebanon at the Haifa Bay area a short while ago.
The IDF says one of the rockets was intercepted, while the second struck an open area.
There were no reports of injuries or major damage in the attack.
דקות ארוכות של יירוטים שנצפים מעל מפרץ חיפה pic.twitter.com/5KgJCronz3
— יואב איתיאל מדווח כי (@yoavetiel) October 5, 2024
Hezbollah’s Safieddine ‘unreachable’ since Israeli strike on bunker, Lebanese security sources say
Senior Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine speaks during a conference for Saudi opposition in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, Lebanon, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs have kept rescue workers from searching the site of an Israeli strike suspected to have killed Hezbollah’s anticipated next leader, three Lebanese security sources tell Reuters.
One of the sources says Hashem Safieddine, widely expected to succeed slain terror leader Hassan Nasrallah, has been “unreachable” since the strike targeting an underground bunker in the Lebanese capital.
The IDF said Friday morning that the airstrike in Beirut targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters. The military did not disclose who was at the underground bunker.
There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah.
Rocket sirens sound in Haifa and surrounding towns
Sirens sound in Haifa and the surrounding area, warning of incoming rocket fire.
IDF’s central Gaza evacuation call comes amid preparation for potential Oct. 7 anniversary attacks
A boy walks amid the rubble of a house hit by an Israeli strike in Deir El-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on October 4, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP)
The IDF’s calls to evacuate parts of central Gaza’s Nuseirat and Bureij come as the military plans to expand ground operations in the Strip in the coming period, military sources say.
It also comes amid preparations in the IDF for planned Hamas attacks on the anniversary of the October 7 onslaught.
The evacuated zones are located just south of the Netzarim Corridor, where the military maintains a semi-permanent presence.
There have been numerous attempts by Hamas to attack troops in the corridor amid the war, and recently, a large crowd of Palestinians attempted to return to north Gaza through the area but were pushed back by the IDF.
Suspected drone shot down over northern community Adamit, IDF says
A suspected drone launched from Lebanon was shot down by Israeli air defenses over the northern community of Adamit, the IDF says.
Sirens had sounded in the area amid the incident.
IDF says commandos demolished tunnels used by Hezbollah to get close to Israeli border
Troops of the IDF Commando Brigade operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo published October 5, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Troops of the IDF’s Commando Brigade and elite Yahalom Unit demolished several Hezbollah tunnel shafts that the military says were used by operatives to get close to the Israeli border in southern Lebanon.
The soldiers also located and demolished underground caches of weapons, observation posts, and rocket launching sites in villages in southern Lebanon.
Dozens of Hezbollah operatives were also killed in airstrikes directed by the commandos, the military adds.
Iranian flight allegedly ferrying weapons for Hezbollah makes U-turn after IDF warnings
An Iranian Qeshm Fars Air flight from Tehran, heading for Lebanon or Syria, made a U-turn over Iraqi airspace earlier today, data from flight tracking websites show.
The flight was allegedly carrying weapons to Hezbollah, and therefore, the IDF worked to warn it to turn around.
The IDF is saying that its “military blockade” on Lebanon will continue, likely for a long time.
As part of the blockade, aimed at preventing Iranian arms from being delivered to Hezbollah, the IDF struck all of the “military” crossings between Lebanon and Syria — including a tunnel — and also hit a civilian crossing after Hezbollah began to use it.
The IDF has also warned it would foil any attempts by Iran to transfer weapons to Hezbollah via the civilian Beirut airport.
Separately, the IDF has allegedly struck several warehouses in Syria in recent days, that were believed by the military to have been used to store Iranian weapons that were to be delivered to Hezbollah.
Here we go again. Aircraft turning 180° west of Baghdad, just as it did a week ago. pic.twitter.com/wX9l7szDD1
— Johnny Gemini (@Borrowed7Time) October 5, 2024
IDF planning ‘serious and significant’ response to Iranian ballistic missile attack
Image taken from video shows missiles fired from Iran being intercepted over Jerusalem, October 1, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli military is in the midst of planning a response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on the country earlier this week, and warns that it will be “serious and significant.”
The IDF has said that Iran’s attack of some 200 ballistic missiles on the country will “have consequences.”
The attack caused damage in Israel, including in Israeli airbases, though the military has said that no aircraft or critical infrastructure were hit.
IDF assesses over 400 Hezbollah operatives killed in Lebanon ground op so far
Troops of the 188th Armored Brigade are seen operating in southern Lebanon, in handout image published October 4, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF assesses that it has killed more than 400 Hezbollah operatives during ground operations in southern Lebanon so far.
The operatives, including many field commanders, were killed both in airstrikes and during fighting with IDF troops, according to the military.
The field commanders include the officers in charge of various regional units and villages in southern Lebanon, the IDF says.
The Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon have been described by the IDF as “limited, localized, and targeted raids,” with the goal of demolishing Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the border area, especially in the villages adjacent to Israel, to enable residents of the north to return home.
The raids are focusing on Hezbollah’s “centers of gravity” in southern Lebanon villages, where troops have so far found massive amounts of weapons.
The IDF is saying that the operations in southern Lebanon will expand as needed, but that it still intends for the operations to end as quickly as possible, even within a few weeks.
Hezbollah claims Fadi-1 rocket attack this morning targeted Ramat David air base near Haifa
Hezbollah says it fired Fadi-1 rockets earlier this morning at the Ramat David air base near the northern city of Haifa, about 45 kilometers (30 miles) from the Lebanese border.
The attack triggered sirens in multiple towns and communities, including in Nazareth.
The military said all of the rockets were intercepted or struck open ground.
Rocket sirens sound in Safed, surrounding towns
Sirens sound in Safed and a number of nearby communities, warning of incoming rocket fire.
Hochstein: ‘Irresponsible reporting’ to claim US gave Israel green light for Lebanon op
US special envoy Amos Hochstein delivers a statement after his meeting with Lebanon's parliament speaker (not pictured) in Beirut on August 14, 2024. (AFP)
US special envoy to the region Amos Hochstein blasts what he calls “irresponsible reporting” claiming that the US gave Israel the go-ahead to launch a ground offensive in Lebanon.
“Lots of wrong, irresponsible reporting these last few days. US did not ‘green light’ military operations in Lebanon,” he writes on X.
“Ultimately, only a diplomatic resolution will allow residents to return home. We continue to work [with the] governments of Israel & Lebanon on [the] best path to restore calm,” Hochstein says.
Earlier this week, a US official told The Times of Israel that the Biden administration understands and accepts what Israel is trying to accomplish with a limited ground incursion into Lebanon.
Israeli officials have told their US counterparts that the goal of the limited operation is to remove Hezbollah positions along Israel’s northern border, creating the conditions for a diplomatic agreement under which the terror group’s forces would be pushed back beyond the Litani River, in line with UN Security Council resolution, an Israeli official said.
IDF calls on Palestinians to evacuate some areas of Nuseirat, Bureij in central Gaza
The IDF is calling on Palestinian civilians in some areas of Nuseirat and Bureij in the central Gaza Strip to evacuate to the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes a map of the zones that need to be evacuated.
He says that Hamas and other terror groups “continue their terror activities within your area, and accordingly the IDF will act with great force against these elements.”
#عاجل إلى سكان قطاع غزة المتواجدين في البلوكات التالية: 660, 664-666, 2210, 2220, 2221, 2314-2316, 2322
⭕️تواصل حماس والمنظمات الارهابية أنشطتها الإرهابية داخل منطقتكم وبناء على ذلك سيعمل جيش الدفاع بقوة شديدة ضد هذه العناصر.
⭕️من أجل سلامتكم اخلوا هذه المناطق فورًا نحو المنطقة… pic.twitter.com/7fWHrBLcRo— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) October 5, 2024
IDF says it hit Hezbollah command center embedded in mosque at south Lebanon hospital compound
A graphic showing a mosque in southern Lebanon's Bint Jbeil, within the Martyr Salah Ghandour Hospital compound, issued on October 5, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Overnight, the IDF says it struck Hezbollah operatives at a command center embedded within a mosque in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil, within the Martyr Salah Ghandour Hospital compound.
The IDF says the drone strike was “precise” and based on intelligence.
According to the military, the command room was being used by the Hezbollah operatives “to plan and carry out acts of terror against IDF troops and the State of Israel.”
Before carrying out the strike, the IDF says it sent text messages to the residents and called up officials in the nearby villages, “demanding that all acts of terror carried out at the hospital cease immediately.”
“Since the beginning of the war, and even more so since the beginning of the limited ground activity in southern Lebanon, the IDF has been making great efforts to prevent harming uninvolved civilians and civilian infrastructure, in contrast to the cynical use of the Hezbollah terrorist organization of civilian infrastructure, including essential buildings, for carrying out terrorist acts,” the IDF adds in a statement.
UNIFIL reaffirms peacekeepers staying put in south Lebanon
An armoured personnel carrier of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrols along al-Khardali road in south Lebanon on September 17, 2024. (RABIH DAHER / AFP)
The United Nations peacekeeping force it Lebanon says it will not leave positions in the country’s south despite what it said was an Israeli request to “relocate.”
“On September 30, the IDF (Israeli military) notified UNIFIL of their intention to undertake limited ground incursions into Lebanon. They also requested we relocate from some of our positions,” the UN Interim Force in Lebanon says in a statement, adding that “peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly.”
The organization issued a similar statement on October 1.
British hostage’s mom writes letter to daughter held in Gaza: ‘Please keep strong, be your beautiful self that I love to the moon and back’
Emily Damari was taken captive from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023 by Hamas terrorists (Courtesy)
The mother of Emily Damari, a UK-Israeli hostage held by terrorists in Gaza for almost a year has given British Prime Minister Keir Starmer a note for her daughter and asked him to try and get it to her.
“It is breaking my heart a little more, day by day,” Mandy Damari tells the Daily Mail. “Soon there will be nothing left of my heart – or Emily.”
Damari says that most of the British public don’t know that there is a UK citizen held hostage, and has asked Starmer to mention her 28-year-old daughter whenever he talks about the hostages.
The Daily Mail publishes the note that Mandy wrote to her daughter:
Dear Emily,
I hope this note gets to you when you are alive and home with me, abba and all your family. And you’ll see that we are all alive.
If it gets to you in Gaza know that we all love you and miss you and are sick with worry about what is happening to you every day and we are praying and meeting whoever we can to get you back home.
Please keep strong, keep praying and just be your beautiful self that I love to the moon and back. You will come home. And I promise that I’ll never complain again about your perfume sticking to me when you’re home.
Love you so much
Your Mum (who is always right!)
Iranian foreign minister arrives in Damascus for talks with Syrian officials
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during a news conference, September 25, 2024, at UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Damascus to discuss regional developments and bilateral relations with Syrian officials, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson says.
Yesterday, Araghchi visited Lebanon for the first time since the leader of Tehran-backed Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in a Beirut airstrike alongside a high-ranking Iranian commander.
Araghchi met with top Lebanese officials, including caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and speaker of parliament Nabih Berri – a Hezbollah ally.
IDF says 5 rockets fired toward Jezreel Valley, Wadi Ara in recent barrage; no injuries
A barrage of five rockets was launched from Lebanon at northern Israel, setting off sirens in many towns in the Jezreel Valley and Wadi Ara area, including Nazareth.
The IDF says some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses while the rest impacted open areas.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
Rocket sirens sound in Nazareth, Yokneam and surrounding communities
Sirens blare in the northern towns of Nazareth, Yokneam and numerous surrounding communities, warning of incoming rocket fire.
FBI warns of threat of violence ahead of anniversary of Oct. 7 attacks
The FBI is warning ahead of the anniversary of the October 7 attacks that it “may be a motivating factor for violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators to engage in violence or threaten public safety.”
It says foreign terrorist organizations and other extremists may seek to “motivate threat actors across ideologies, including those who espouse violent antisemitism and Islamophobia, to engage in violence. Individuals inspired by this online messaging could act alone to commit an attack with little to no warning.”
Hamas commander killed in Israeli strike in north Lebanon, Hamas media says
Saeed Atallah, a leader of Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam brigades, was killed tonight with three family members in an Israeli strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, Hamas-affiliated media reports.
Military says sirens that sounded in southern Israel were ‘false identifications’
The military says sirens that sounded earlier Ein HaShlosha and Kissufim in southern Israel were determined to be false identifications.
Hezbollah says it’s in ongoing clashes with Israeli troops in Lebanon border area
Troops of the 188th Armored Brigade are seen operating in southern Lebanon, in handout image published October 4, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Hezbollah says it is engaged in ongoing clashes with Israeli troops in the Lebanon border area, after earlier saying it forced Israeli soldiers to retreat there.
“Israeli enemy soldiers renewed an attempt to advance towards the vicinity of the municipality in the village of Odaisseh” and Hezbollah fighters confronted the attempt “and clashes are continuing,” the group says in a statement.
The Iran-backed Lebanese terror group also says it targeted troops in south Lebanon’s Yaroun area with a “rocket salvo,” as well as soldiers in two points across the border with rockets.
Trump says he thinks Israel should ‘hit’ Iran nuclear facilities
Republican presidential nominee former US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall, Oct. 4, 2024, in Fayetteville, North Carolina (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump says he believes Israel should strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in response to the Islamic Republic’s recent missile barrage.
The former president, speaking at a campaign event in North Carolina, refers to a question posed to Democratic President Joe Biden this week about the possibility of Israel targeting Iran’s nuclear program.
“They asked him, what do you think about Iran, would you hit Iran? And he goes, ‘As long as they don’t hit the nuclear stuff.’ That’s the thing you want to hit, right?” Trump tells a town hall style event in Fayetteville, near a major US military base.
“I think he’s got that one wrong,” Trump says, in response to a participant’s question about the issue. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to hit? I mean, it’s the biggest risk we have, nuclear weapons.
“When they asked him that question, the answer should have been, hit the nuclear first, and worry about the rest later,” Trump adds.
In contrast to the current White House position, Trump says Israel should attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. This is why Iran is helping to get Kamala elected and why Israelis hate her and love him. pic.twitter.com/9hujRZ3OrL
— Max Abrahms (@MaxAbrahms) October 5, 2024
“If they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it. But we’ll find out whatever their plans are.”
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