Oct. 26: UN watchdog: Iran nuclear sites ‘not impacted’ by strikes; IDF eases restrictions in north

IDF says it downed drone launched ‘from the east’

The IDF says it successfully intercepted a drone making its way “from the east” a short while ago, using terminology usually reserved for UAVs launched from Iraq by Iran-backed militias.

The drone did not cross into Israeli territory, the military says.

Rocket sirens activated in northern border communities

Incoming rocket sirens are activated in the northern border communities of Kiryat Shmona, Misgav Am, Kfar Giladi, and Margalit.

צבע אדום (26/10/2024 23:45-23:46): קריית שמונה, משגב עם, כפר גלעדי, מרגליות pic.twitter.com/LyVF902VHQ

— צופר – צבע אדום (@tzevaadom_) October 26, 2024

Iran’s Khamenei opens Hebrew account on X after Israeli strikes

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei opens a Hebrew-language account on X following Israel’s airstrikes on the country.

His first post reads: In the name of Allah the merciful and compassionate.

בשם אללה הרחמן והרחום

— Khamenei.ir Hebrew (@Khamenei_Heb) October 26, 2024

Israeli negotiator tells families Mossad chief yet to receive wide enough mandate to achieve results in hostage talks — report

Protesters on Tel Aviv's Begin Road call for a deal to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza by the Hamas terror group, October 26, 2024. (Yael Gadot/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

Any hostage deal will require an end to the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, an official in Israel’s negotiation team told families of captives, Channel 12 reports.

The official told the families that Mossad Director David Barnea’s trip to Doha tomorrow to try to restart mediated talks will only achieve results if the government gives him a broad enough mandate, which has yet to be provided.

The negotiator’s assessment comes despite Israel’s hope that Hamas’s conditions for a deal would be eased in the wake of the killing of its leader Yahya Sinwar.

Iran’s nuclear facilities ‘have not been impacted’ by Israeli strikes, IAEA chief says

Iran’s nuclear facilities were not damaged during Israel’s overnight airstrikes, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency writes on X.

“Iran’s nuclear facilities have not been impacted. IAEA inspectors are safe and continue their vital work. I call for prudence and restraint from actions that could jeopardize the safety & security of nuclear & other radioactive materials,” Rafael Mariano Grossi writes.

Iran’s nuclear facilities have not been impacted. @IAEAorg inspectors are safe and continue their vital work. I call for prudence and restraint from actions that could jeopardize the safety & security of nuclear & other radioactive materials.

— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) October 26, 2024

VP Harris says US seeks de-escalation after Israeli strikes on Iran

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks to the press on arrival at Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field in Battle Creek, Michigan, on October 26, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

US Vice President Kamala Harris reiterates Washington’s desire for de-escalation following Israel’s retaliatory strike against Iran.

“We are also very adamant that we must see de-escalation in the region going forward, and that will be our focus,” she says, telling reporters she just discussed the issue with US President Joe Bien and their national security aides. “Of course, we maintain the importance of supporting Israel’s right to defend itself.”

The Democratic presidential nominee points to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region this week as an example of Washington’s efforts to end the war in Gaza and Lebanon.

“We must get the hostages out and work toward a two-state solution, and we do believe strongly that as it relates to Lebanon and the region, that part of the strength of our work is the diplomatic work we will do to reach that end,” she says.

Asked how Arab allies are responding to Israel’s counter-strike, Harris says they also seek de-escalation.

‘Time to finish the job’: Speakers at Hostages Square demand deal to free captives all at once

Dani Miran, father of hostage Omri Miran, speaks at a rally for a deal to free captives held by Hamas in Gaza, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, October 26, 2024. (Hostage and Missing Families Forum)

During the Hostage and Missing Families Forum rally at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, speakers demand Israel reach a deal that would see a single-phase release of the 101 remaining captives. They say that any other route would see a group of hostages left behind indefinitely.

The demand for a single-phase release, also mentioned in the Forum’s press release announcing the rally, was absent from the group’s statements in earlier rounds of negotiations. Israel’s May 27 proposal, which formed the basis for subsequent talks, envisioned a multi-phase release, with female, elderly, and injured hostages released first.

The negotiations were renewed this week following the death of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, after a roughly two-month pause in the talks.

Dani Miran, father of hostage Omri Miran, says the hostages must be released at once, since “we don’t want any more Ron Arads” — referring to an Israeli Air Force soldier missing since 1986 and believed to have been held by Hezbollah.

“Sinwar has gone up to the sky,” says Miran. “It’s time to finish the job and reach agreements.”

He says government ministers have shown themselves to be “impotent, lacking the capacity to think, lacking the capacity to discuss bringing back the hostages but with great capacity for their own political survival.”

Nira Sharabi, wife of slain hostage Yossi Sharabi and sister-in-law of hostage Eli Sharabi, speaks at a rally for a deal to free captives held by Hamas in Gaza, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, October 26, 2024. (Hostage and Missing Families Forum)

Nira Sharabi, wife of killed hostage Yossi Sharabi and sister-in-law of hostage Eli Sharabi says every day Israel fails to “choose a deal to bring back all the hostages” is “another day the State of Israel chooses not to sanctify life.”

“Let us wake up to a different reality,” she says.

“I refuse to accept this reality. I will continue to refuse, and the nation of Israel refuses with me,” she says.

Other speakers are former hostage Moran Stela Yanai; Yifat Hayman, mother of hostage Inbar Hayman; and Avivit Yablonka, sister of Hanan Yablonka, whose body was recovered in May from Gaza.

The rally also features a video greeting from the family of Nepalese hostage Bipin Joshi, who turned 24 on Saturday.

Joshi came to Israel as an agriculture student a month before being kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim.

Kumar Shrestha, Nepal’s acting ambassador to Israel, speaks at Hostages Square and calls for a hostage and ceasefire deal.

He expresses the Nepalese embassy’s gratitude to the Israeli government for its “continued efforts in finding Bipin,” and to the Hostage Families Forum for “consistently advocating for all hostages in Gaza.”

As the event wraps up, actor Lior Ashkenazi, the regular MC of the Forum’s rallies, strikes a combative tone untypical of the Hostages Square rallies.

“Whoever turns their back on the hostages is a traitor!” he yells. “Anyone who refuses to act now for their return is a fifth column!”

The 500-odd crowd disperses after a chorus of “Hatikva,” the national anthem. Some people remain, chanting: “Everyone — now! In a deal — now!”

PM’s office denies reports Israel changed plans to strike Iranian energy sites after US pressure

Illustrative: A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an oil facility in the Khark Island, Iran, on the shore of the Gulf. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Channel 13 reports that Israel initially planned to strike Iran’s oil and natural gas facilities, but changed its plan to focus exclusively on Iranian military facilities after persistent US pressure.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denies the report, calling it “totally false.”

“Israel chose the targets ahead of time, based on its national interests,” says the PMO, “and not based on American directives.”

“That’s how it was, and that’s how it will be.”

IDF Home Front Command eases restrictions in north, permits ‘partial activity’ in Haifa Bay area

The IDF Home Front Command says it is easing restrictions in several areas in northern Israel, following a fresh assessment.

The changes come despite last night’s strike on Iran.

As part of the changes, the Home Front Command has adjusted the activity scale in the northern frontier communities, Upper Galilee, Golan Heights, and some communities in the Haifa Bay area (Kiryat Ata, Kiryat Bialik, Kiryat Yam, and Kiryat Motzkin) from “limited activity” to “partial activity.”

The changes mean that gatherings of up to 100 people outdoors and 350 people indoors are now permitted, and schools and workplaces can operate if an adequate bomb shelter can be reached in time.

Additionally, the activity scale has been adjusted from “partial” to “full” in the Jezreel Valley area, some communities in the Haifa Bay area (Hahotrim, Kfar Galim, and some of the communities in the Zvulun Regional Council), and the Galilee town of Hanaton.

The changes mean that gatherings are permitted up to 2,000 people.

There are no changes to other areas in the country.

Home Front Command restrictions issued October 26, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Herzog hails Iran strikes as crucial for Israel’s security, thanks US for cooperation

President Isaac Herzog meets with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, October 10, 2024 (Courtesy)

President Isaac Herzog praises all who took part in strikes on Iran overnight, including those in the security establishment and political echelon.

“Our capabilities that were demonstrated and the goals that were achieved were very important for establishing the security of the State of Israel and the defense of its citizens,” Herzog says.

He also thanks the US for its “overt and covert” cooperation.

Iran says two more Iranian soldiers die, raising toll in Israeli strikes to four

TEHRAN, Iran — The death toll in Israel’s pre-dawn strikes on military bases in Iran on Saturday has risen to four, the Iranian army says.

“Two more soldiers… have succumbed to their wounds and died,” the official IRNA news agency reports, citing an army statement.

500 protesters call for hostage deal outside IDF HQ; captive’s brother demands PM go to Doha himself to negotiate

Demonstrators calling for a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza march with a banner reading, "Your only war: The return of the hostages!" in Tel Aviv, October 26, 2024. (Zohar Bar-Yehuda/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

Some 500 protesters assemble on Tel Aviv’s Begin Road, outside the IDF headquarters, to demand a hostage deal and rail against the government, as around the same number of people gather for a more staid rally at Hostages Square, a block away.

Speaking on Begin Road, Danny Elgarat, brother of hostage Itzik Elgarat, addresses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding to know why the hostage deal is stalling.

“Whom will you blame now” that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar is dead, he asks. “The hostages?”

He demands Netanyahu go to Doha himself for the hostage talks that will resume there after about two months.

“Don’t send the Mossad chief without any authority,” he adds. “Stop playing for time.”

Bolstering the Begin Road protest are the Movement for Quality Government and anti-government reservist group Brothers in Arms — both prominent critics of the judicial overhaul.

Also present are contingents from leftist groups Standing Together and Breaking the Silence.

The drumming and chants of the Begin Road protest contrast with the Hostages Street rally, where the Hostages Families Forum has resumed its weekly rallies since last week, after a monthlong hiatus due to IDF Home Front restrictions amid the escalation in Lebanon.

The rally comes on the eve of the second national day of mourning to mark a year since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

The rally is titled “Another day of mourning” — alluding to the families’ ire toward the government’s capacity for ceremonies without a hostage deal.

Kicking off the rally, actor Lior Ashkenazi, the regular MC of the Forum’s rallies, says: “We don’t need more ceremonies. We need a deal — now!”

Iran says Israeli jets struck Iran from Iraqi airspace, US therefore complicit

Israeli warplanes attacked Iran from Iraqi airspace, Iran’s mission to the UN says, blaming the United States for what it called its complicity.

“Iraqi airspace is under the occupation, command and control of the US military. Conclusion: The US complicity in this crime is certain,” the Iran UN mission says in a post on X.

1. The Zionist regime’s warplanes attacked several Iranian military and radar sites from Iraqi airspace, approximately 70 miles from Iran’s border.

2. Iraqi airspace is under the occupation, command and control of the U.S. military.

Conclusion: The U.S. complicity in this crime…

— I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) October 26, 2024

Qatar’s PM shares ‘grave concern’ with Iran’s FM over results of Israeli strikes

CAIRO, Egypt — Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, during a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi, expresses his country’s “grave concern” over possible consequences of Israeli strikes on Iran, the Qatari foreign ministry says in a statement on Saturday.

Nir Oz says PM has not answered invitation to visit kibbutz on tomorrow’s Oct. 7 memorial day

Hamas terrorists near Kibbutz Nir Oz during the massacre on October 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Hassan Eslaiah)

Kibbutz Nir Oz says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not responded to its invitation to visit the community on tomorrow’s national day of mourning for Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

Nir Oz will not participate in the second state ceremony organized for tomorrow, as most bereaved relatives declined to sign up for the ceremony.

‘No enemy is too far away’: IDF releases audio of call between IAF chief and pilots who struck Iran

The IDF releases audio of the radio communications between the chief of the Israeli Air Force, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, and the commander of the 201st Squadron, during the strikes on Iran last night.

“The historic action you performed tonight proved [that] no enemy is too far away,” Bar says to Lt. Col. “Shin,” the commander of the F-16 fighter jet squadron.

מפקד חיל האוויר לטייסים: ״הפעולה ההיסטורית שביצעתם הלילה הוכיחה – אין אויב שהוא רחוק מידי״ pic.twitter.com/PTgmAK5YNh

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 26, 2024

Iran claims only radar systems damaged in Israeli strikes

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s military says that only radar systems were damaged in pre-dawn Israeli strikes on Tehran and other provinces.

“Thanks to the timely performance of the country’s air defenses, the attacks caused limited damage and a few radar systems were damaged,” the armed forces general staff says in a statement read out on state television.

Israeli strikes on Iran destroyed ballistic missile factory, will take two years to repair — report

This picture released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, is said to show the launching of the 'Martyr Hajj Qassem' missile in an undisclosed location in Iran. (Iranian Defense Ministry via AP)

Israel’s airstrikes on Iran hit a missile factory housing heavy fuel mixers used to power Khaybar and Qassem missiles, ballistic missiles that were launched at Israel in the Iranian strike earlier this month, the Saudi Elaph news site reports, citing an informed source.

The source says that it will take two years to repair the factory, which was completely destroyed.

The report does not say where the factory was located.

Ben Gvir casts airstrikes on Iran as ‘opening blow,’ appearing to critique intensity of attack

In a statement appearing to tacitly criticize the Israeli government for not going far enough in responding to Iran, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir lauds Saturday’s airstrikes as merely an “opening blow” that must be followed by further action.

“The attack on Iran is important as an opening blow for striking Iran’s strategic assets and this must be the next step,” he declares, adding that “this is my position and I will continue to present it in the relevant forums.”

“We have a historical obligation to remove the Iranian threat to destroy Israel,” he adds.

Israel launched a long-awaited retaliatory strike against Iran early Saturday, almost four weeks after the Islamic Republic’s massive ballistic missile barrage on the country, with the military saying the “precise strikes” by the Israeli Air Force targeted strategic military sites — specifically drone and ballistic missile manufacturing and launch sites, as well as air defense batteries.

Rocket sirens sound in Safed

Incoming rocket sirens activate in the northern city of Safed and surrounding communities.

צבע אדום (26/10/2024 19:37): צפת – נוף כנרת, צפת – עיר, ביריה, דלתון, עמוקה pic.twitter.com/hL6n17x37q

— צופר – צבע אדום (@tzevaadom_) October 26, 2024

PM’s office denies reports Israel notified Iran ahead of airstrikes

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denies reports that Israel warned Iran through third parties not to respond to the airstrikes this morning and that it gave a general indication of what it would and wouldn’t target.

The report in the Walla news site is “false and absurd,” says the PMO.

“Israel did not notify Iran before the attack — not about the timing, not about the targets, and not about the scale of the attack.”

Gantz says airstrikes on Iran represent ‘a fraction’ of Israel’s capabilities

Saturday’s Israeli strike on Iran is “nothing more than a fraction of the harm Israel can inflict to the regime, should it choose to continue its aggression,” states Benny Gantz, the chairman of the opposition National Unity party and a former member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet.

“Israel’s direct and precise strike last night on Iranian territory targeting key security industries and military targets is important not only in of itself but due to the method by which it was executed,” the former IDF chief of staff tweets — asserting that the attack “marks a new stage in our war against the Iranian regime” that paves “the way for future operations.”

Gantz emphasizes that “the campaign is far from over.”

“We must continue persevering in the efforts to bring our hostages home, replace the Hamas regime, and continue to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities to create a new reality on our northern border that will enable our citizens to return home and live in safety,” he says.

Israel’s direct and precise strike last night on Iranian territory targeting key security industries and military targets is important not only in of itself but due to the method by which it was executed.

It marks a new stage in our war against the Iranian regime, inflicting…

— בני גנץ – Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) October 26, 2024

Israeli drone struck secretive Iranian base linked to rocket making — report

Satellite image of the Parchin facility, April 2012 (AP/Institute for Science and International Security)

Israeli drones targeted the secretive Parchin military base on the outskirts of Tehran during airstrikes on Iran overnight, The New York Times reports, citing two unnamed Iranian officials.

There was no confirmation of the specific target at Parchin, however, and a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies said it was a plant related to rocket manufacture.

One of the drones hit the site while others were downed, the Iranian officials say.

Israel has stated for years that Iran has carried out activities linked to its nuclear weapons program at Parchin, where the UN’s IAEA nuclear watchdog in 2016 reportedly found evidence of nuclear weapons-related activity.

One of the first confirmed Israeli targets:
Iran's new solid-propellant rocket motor plant in Parchin, inaugurated only in 2021. https://t.co/gV0rovvoCM pic.twitter.com/dFC0uQEv6a

— Fabian Hinz (@fab_hinz) October 26, 2024

Biden says Israel appears to have only hit Iranian military targets: ‘My hope is this is the end’

US President Joe Biden walks to board Air Force One after speaking with reporters at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

US President Joe Biden says that Israel appears to have exclusively hit military targets in last night’s retaliatory attack against Iran.

Biden tells reporters that he hopes the Israeli strike marks the end of the back and forth with Iran.

“It looks like they didn’t hit anything other than military targets. My hope is this is the end,” he says.

Footage apparently shows settlers stealing olive harvest tools from Palestinians as IDF troops look on

Palestinian media sites have published footage reportedly taken earlier today that shows Israeli settlers from Hebron stealing equipment used for the olive harvest while IDF soldiers look on without acting.

The reports say that the settlers also attacked the Palestinian family that owns the plot of land.

There are no reports of arrests.

Prosecution of such alleged crimes by Israeli settlers are incredibly rare, leading to a wave of sanctions by Western countries earlier this year.

♦️مجموعة من المستوطنين تعتدي على عائلة اسعيد أثناء قطفهم الزيتون في تل الرميدة بــ #الخليل وتسرق الشوادر وبعض الثمار . على مرأى ومسمع الجنود في المنطقة بدون تدخلهم لمنعهم pic.twitter.com/taUBYaSfWY

— قدس فيد (@quds_feed) October 26, 2024

Another recent video clip from the security camera footage from the Palestinian village of Susya shows a young Israeli settler walking up to a clothesline and stealing a sweatshirt.

סרטון שצולם על ידי מצלמת אבטחה בבית פלסטיני בכפר סוסיה: עליונות יהודית קווים לדמותה. מתנחל גונב סווטשירט מחבל כביסה של משפחה פלסטינית pic.twitter.com/FPeh2z2i8A

— מחוץ לעדר (@masafering) October 26, 2024

Iran raises death toll from Israeli strikes, says 4 soldiers killed

Commuters drive past an anti-Israel billboard covering the facade of a building in Tehran, Iran, October 26, 2024. (Atta Kenare/AFP)

Iran raises the death toll from Israel’s overnight airstrikes, saying four soldiers were killed in the operation.

No further details are given.

Iran claims its air defenses successfully countered the attack but four soldiers were killed and some locations suffered “limited damage.”

Rockets fired from Lebanon spark fires in northern Israel

Firefighters are battling blazes sparked by rocket fire from Lebanon in a number of locations in the north.

Video posted to social media shows burnt trees in the Hula Nature Reserve.

שמורת החולה עכשיו. כאב לב
צילום: גיא אילון רשות הטבע והגנים pic.twitter.com/W4YQyfhtju

— Guy Cotev גיא קוטב (@guycotev) October 26, 2024

IDF releases video, images of fighter jets heading out to carry out airstrikes in Iran

Israeli Air Force fighter jets prepare to head out for strikes in Iran, early October 26, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF releases a video and photos showing F-15 and F-16 fighter jets heading out to carry out last night’s strikes in Iran.

The images show some of the four female navigators in the Israeli Air Force squadrons who participated in the operation.

According to the military, dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft, including fighter jets, refuelers, and spy planes, participated in the strikes some 1,600 kilometers from Israel.

The aircraft safely returned to Israel following the “complex” operation.

The IDF releases a video showing F-15 fighter jets heading out to carry out last night's strikes in Iran. pic.twitter.com/9BAjeSBP5H

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 26, 2024

Israeli Air Force fighter jets prepare to head out for strikes in Iran, early October 26, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Israeli pilots prepare for takeoff ahead of the IAF’s strikes on Iran, early on October 26, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Rocket sirens sound in Nahariya, surrounding communities

Sirens sound in Nahariya and nearby towns, warning of incoming rocket fire.

The IDF said earlier that some 185 rockets have been fired at Israel from Lebanon today.

IDF says troops seized 4 launchers loaded with some 160 rockets in south Lebanon

A truck-mounted rocket launcher found by troops in southern Lebanon in a handout image published October 26, 2024 (Israel Defense Forces)

Troops with the 91st Division seized four truck-mounted rocket launchers during operations in southern Lebanon this week, the IDF says.

According to the military, the launchers were loaded with some 160 rockets.

Separately, around 130 Hezbollah launchers were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the past week, the IDF says.

The launchers included those used to fire rockets at Israel, including in Friday’s deadly attack on Majd al-Krum.

Meanwhile, some 125 rockets were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon at northern Israel in two barrages in the past few hours. The IDF says some of the rockets were intercepted, and there are no reports of injuries.

Israeli troops withdraw from north Gaza hospital after counter-terror op

A picture shows the damage to an ambulance at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia the northern Gaza Strip on October 26, 2024. (AFP)

Israeli forces have reportedly withdrawn from the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, a day after the IDF said it was operating at the medical center amid “intelligence information on terrorists and terror infrastructure in the area.”

There is no comment from the IDF.

In the weeks before the operation, the military said it enabled the evacuation of patients and staff from the hospital, while also ensuring that the medical center’s emergency systems continued to function.

Kamal Adwan is the last functioning hospital in Gaza’s north. The facility said it has been struggling with shortages since the start of the war, which has been increasingly aggravated by the launch of an Israeli operation in northern Gaza earlier this month.

In recent months, the IDF has carried out dozens of operations and airstrikes on what it says are Hamas sites embedded within locations used as shelters for civilians, including hospitals, schools and UN facilities. It says it regularly takes steps to limit the harm to civilians by such operations.

Images appear to show missile parts that fell in Iraq amid Israeli strikes on Iran

Images and videos on social media from Iraq appear to show booster sections of missiles used by Israel in its overnight strikes on Iran.

The fragments of the missiles appear to have fallen in an area north of Baghdad.

The veracity of the images cannot be immediately confirmed.

Israeli jets conducted strikes on military targets throughout the Islamic Republic in retaliation for Tehran’s ballistic missile barrage on the country earlier this month.

חימושים של חיל האוויר הישראלי שהתגלו בעירק. אף אות בעברית. pic.twitter.com/eVtdPQpG3C

— Or Heller אור הלר (@OrHeller) October 26, 2024

דיווח בעיראק: שרידי טיל אותרו מצפון לבגדד | תיעוד pic.twitter.com/MgCh7MmbWD

— ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) October 26, 2024

Clocks in Israel to turn back an hour as daylight saving time set to end

A clock in a Tel Aviv hotel, March 09, 2011 (Sophie Gordon/Flash90)

Israel is set to turn clocks back one hour overnight Saturday-Sunday, marking the end of daylight saving time for the year.

At 2 a.m., Israel’s clocks will wind back to 1 a.m. again, giving people an extra hour of sleep.

Daylight saving time will return on March 28, 2025.

Hezbollah claims responsibility for rocket barrages on civilian areas in north

Hezbollah says it fired rockets at five residential areas in northern Israel.

In a series of statements, Hezbollah claims “rocket salvos” on five residential areas in northern Israel, including the outskirts of Krayot near Haifa.

Rocket sirens sound in towns close to northern border

Sirens sound in communities close to the northern border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.

10 border police officers killed in attack in restive southeast Iran

Ten Iranian border guards were killed in an attack in restive southeastern Iran, state media quotes the interior ministry as saying, in the latest clash with suspected Sunni Muslim militants.

The 10 were killed in an ambush in an area that borders Afghanistan and Pakistan and has long been the site of clashes between Iranian security forces and Sunni militants as well as drug traffickers.

They were killed during an attack on “police vehicles” in Sistan-Baluchistan province’s Taftan county, the Mehr and Tasnim news agencies report, without saying how it was carried out.

No group immediately claims responsibility for the attack, which occurred some 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran.

The official IRNA news agency, citing a police statement, reports the death of “10 personnel in two patrol units” in what it called an ambush.

Sistan-Baluchistan borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, and is one of the most impoverished provinces in the Islamic Republic.

It is home to a large number of the Baluch minority, an ethnic group spread between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan who practice Sunni Islam in contrast to the country’s predominantly Shiite population.

The province has experienced recurring clashes between Iranian security forces and rebels from the Baluch minority, radical Sunni groups and drug traffickers.

Today’s attack was one of the deadliest attacks in the area in recent months.

Hezbollah fired some 80 rockets at northern Israel today so far — IDF tally

Hezbollah has fired some 80 rockets at northern Israel today so far, according to an IDF tally.

The military said earlier that it has downed four drones launched from Lebanon today.

תיעוד נדיר של יירוט הכטב"ם בשמי יחיעם הבוקר.
השימוש בהתאם לסעיף 27א' לחוק זכויות יוצרים pic.twitter.com/9FoaWDcXKV

— ישראל היום (@IsraelHayomHeb) October 26, 2024

‘This must end now’: Germany’s Scholz calls on Iran to de-escalate after Israeli airstrikes

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a media conference at an European Union summit in Brussels, October 17, 2024. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP)

BERLIN – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz calls on Tehran to end the cycle of escalation following Israeli strikes on Iranian military sites early this morning, saying restraint could pave the way for peace in the Middle East.

“My message to Iran is clear: We cannot continue with massive reactions of escalation. This must end now. This will provide an opportunity for peaceful development in the Middle East,” Scholz writes in a post on X.

Israel struck military sites in Iran early today, but its retaliation for an Iranian attack this month did not appear aimed at the country’s most sensitive oil and nuclear targets after urgent calls from allies and neighbors for restraint.

Afghan Taliban: Israeli strikes ‘attempt to aggravate violence’ in the Middle East

Afghanistan’s Taliban government condemns retaliatory strikes by Israel on military targets in Iran, saying they will intensify violence in the Middle East.

The strikes are “an attempt to aggravate the violence in the region, which further complicates and intensifies the unfavorable situation in the region,” a statement from the Afghani foreign ministry says.

Israel launched its long-awaited strike against Iran early this morning, weeks after the Islamic Republic’s massive ballistic missile barrage on the country, with the military saying the “precise strikes” by the Israeli Air Force targeted strategic military sites — specifically drone and ballistic missile manufacturing and launch sites, as well as air defense batteries.

Hamas operative planning ‘imminent’ terror attack killed by special forces in West Bank — IDF, Shin Bet, police

Illustrative: IDF troops seen operating in Tulkarem in the West Bank in a picture released on September 13, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

A Hamas operative planning an “imminent” terror attack was killed by special forces in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, the IDF, Shin Bet, and police say.

Members of the police’s elite Yamam counter-terrorism unit and the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit encircled a building in Tulkarem this morning and carried out a tactic known as “pressure cooker” that involves escalating the volume of fire directed at a building to force a suspect to come out.

The IDF says the suspect, Islam Odeh, opened fire from the building and was eventually killed in an exchange of fire.

In the suspect’s car, the IDF says it found weapons, including parts to build a bomb.

According to the military, Odeh was a member of a Hamas network in Tulkarem and was involved in planning a major terror attack on the anniversary of the October 7 massacre with Hamas commander Zahi Oufi, who was killed in an airstrike on October 3.

“After the assassination of Oufi, Odeh commanded and led the network and in recent days was planning more attacks,” the statement says.

במהלך הפעילות, המחבל פתח באש לעבר הלוחמים שהחלו בנוהל "סיר לחץ" וירו לעברו. בתום חילופי האש המחבל אסלאם עודה חוסל.
ברכבו נמצאו אמצעי לחימה בהם חומרים להרכבת מטענים>>

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 26, 2024

Russia voices concerns of ‘explosive escalation’ after Israeli airstrikes on Iran

Russia voices concerns about an “explosive escalation” in hostilities between Israel and Iran, after Israel carried out airstrikes on military targets in the Islamic Republic early this morning.

“We urge all parties involved to exercise restraint, stop the violence, and prevent events from developing into a catastrophic scenario,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says, warning of an “explosive escalation.”

Earlier, Sky News Arabia reported that Russia warned Iran hours ahead of the impending Israeli strikes.

Poll: Most Israelis favor early elections, amid low confidence in Netanyahu

Anti-government protesters march in the northern city of Haifa, with a banner reading, 'The government of Israel against the people of Israel. Elections now,' on July 6, 2024. (Pro-Democracy Protest Movement/Eilat Markovitch)

Public confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is low and most Israelis favor early elections, according to a poll released by Channel 12 news last night, before the IDF carried out retaliatory airstrikes on military targets in Iran.

Asked when elections should be held, 51 percent of respondents say as soon as possible, while 39% want to wait until the next general elections, formally scheduled for October 2026.

Israel’s security chiefs get better grades in the television news poll than the premier, who was rated “good” by 41% of respondents and “bad” by 55%.

By way of comparison, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is rated positively by 58% of respondents and negatively by 34%, while IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halev gets “good” marks from 59% and “bad” from 30%.

Similarly, 55% of respondents rate Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar’s performance as “good” and only 29% “bad,” and Mossad head David Barnea is positively rated by 60% of respondents and negatively by just 20%.

The polls also finds overwhelming support for a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas — even if it means a halt to fighting in Gaza — with 73% supporting a deal and only 14% opposing it.

The vast majority of participants in the survey also call for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the failures leading to Hamas’s devastating October 7, 2023 attack, with 80% for and 10% against.

The survey, by pollster Manu Geva, questioned 502 respondents and has a 4.4% margin of error. Data was collected on September 29.

Rocket sirens sounding again in northern border communities, Hula Valley

Sirens are sounding again in communities near the border with Lebanon and in the Hula Valley in northern Israel, after the IDF said it shot down four drones launched at northern Israel today.

The fresh rocket sirens are sounding in locations including Sdeh Eliezer, Yesud Hama’ala, Ayelet HaShachar, Hulata, Mishmar HaYarden, Ramot Naftali, Yiftach and Kidmat Zvi.

🚨 Rocket Alert [14:09:29] – 15 Alerts:

• Upper Galilee — Sdeh Eliezer, Yesud Hama'ala (×3), Ayelet HaShachar, Yarden Estate Boutique Hotel, Hulata (×2), Mishmar HaYarden
• Confrontation Line — Lev Ha-Hula, Mevuot Hermon Regional Council, Ramot Naftali (×2), Iftach
• Southern… pic.twitter.com/00QJCfc78q

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) October 26, 2024

Egypt expresses concern over Middle East escalation after Israeli strikes on Iran, calls for Gaza hostage-truce deal

Egypt says it is gravely concerned over the escalation in the Middle East, noting this morning’s IDF strikes on Iran, and condemns all measures that threaten regional security and stability.

In a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Cairo also reiterates its call for a “quick ceasefire” in Gaza that will see the release of hostages held by Hamas since October 7, 2023 and a truce in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group.

IDF expands designated ‘humanitarian zone’ in southern Gaza

This map released by the IDF on October 26, 2024, shows an adjustment to the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF says it has expanded the designated “humanitarian zone” in southern Gaza, where the vast majority of the Palestinian population in the Strip currently resides.

The zone is where most humanitarian aid is directed, and where several field hospitals were established.

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

“The expanded Humanitarian Area includes field hospitals that have been established since the start of the war, tent compounds, and shelter equipment, as well as food, water, medicine, and medical equipment that has entered Gaza through coordination between COGAT and the international community,” the IDF says in a statement.

“The IDF will continue to operate to achieve the war objectives, including dismantling Hamas and returning all the hostages,” it adds.

IDF: Air defenses shoot down fourth drone this morning, over Western Galilee

Another drone launched from Lebanon was shot down by air defenses a short while ago, over the Western Galilee, the IDF says.

It marks the fourth intercepted drone since this morning.

Suspected drone sirens sounding again in communities near northern border with Lebanon

Sirens are sounding again in northern communities near the border with Lebanon, warning of suspected drone infiltration.

The alerts, which come a short while after the IDF shot down two drones launched from Lebanon, are sounding in towns including Metzuba, Arab al-Aramshe, Shlomi, Manot, Goren, Gornot HaGalil, Eilon, Maona, Hanita, Mi’ilya, Hila and Ya’ara.

The sirens come as Hezbollah claims to have launched drones against the Tel Nof air base south of Tel Aviv.

🚨 ✈️ Hostile Aircraft Intrusion [13:18:55] – 13 Alerts:

• Confrontation Line — Goren Farm Guesthouse, Metzuba, Arab al-Aramshe, Shlomi, Manot, Goren, Gornot HaGalil, Eilon, Maona, Hanita, Mi'ilya, Hila, Ya'ara

Population: 43,000 pic.twitter.com/eQV26Brh3S

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) October 26, 2024

Liberman says IDF strikes on Iran failed to ‘exact a real price,’ accuses government of ‘showmanship’

MK Avigdor Liberman and MK Gadi Eisenkot at a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset in Jerusalem, September 9, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman lauds the capabilities and professionalism of the Israeli Air Force in striking military targets in Iran early this morning but says that the operation failed to “exact a real price” from the Islamic Republic.

“We cannot ignore the hard reality and the fact that the Iranians won’t stop here. They’ll continue their efforts to obtain nuclear weapons and they’ll continue to transfer the funds from the sale of oil and gas to Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Shiite militias, and various proxies,” the hawkish veteran politician says in a post on X.

He accuses the government of being “once again content with showmanship” and calls for Israel to “act in a way that reflects our strength — rather than just talking about it.”

Last week, Liberman said Hezbollah’s drone attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea was “further proof that Tehran has no red lines” and called for Israel to target Iran’s “strategic facilities” and “military and political elite.”

IDF says drone from Lebanon shot down over Upper Galilee

A drone launched from Lebanon was shot down by air defenses over the Upper Galilee, the IDF says.

Sirens had sounded in Metula and Kfar Yuval amid the incident.

Israeli strikes targeted S-300 defense system near Tehran airport, IRGC bases, secretive Parchin military base — NYT

Illustrative: A Russian-made S-300 air defense system sits on display at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, September 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

One of the sites targeted in Israel’s overnight airstrikes was the S-300 air defense of Imam Khomeini International Airport near Tehran, according to two Iranian officials quoted by The New York Times.

Israel reportedly targeted a Russian-made S-300 air defense system near Iran’s Natanz nuclear site in April.

At least three Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps missile bases were targeted in the strikes, according to the unnamed officials, one of whom is a member of the IRGC.

Israeli drones also targeted the secretive Parchin military base on the outskirts of Tehran in this morning’s strikes, the report adds, citing the officials as saying that one hit the site while others were downed.

In 2022, an engineer was killed and another employee injured in an apparent drone attack on the Parchin military complex.

IDF: Around 15 rockets fired at Western Galilee from Lebanon; some intercepted; no injuries reported

A barrage of some 15 rockets was launched from Lebanon at the Western Galilee a short while ago, the IDF says.

According to the military, some of the rockets were intercepted and the rest hit open areas.

There are no reports of injuries.

Sirens that sounded near the Gaza border at the same time were false alarms, according to the military.

Iran says Tehran has ‘duty’ to defend itself after Israeli strikes, but sources say no response planned

Iran says it is obliged to defend itself after Israeli retaliatory strikes hit military targets and reportedly killed two soldiers in the Islamic Republic early this morning.

“Iran has the right and the duty to defend itself against foreign acts of aggression,” the Iran foreign ministry says in a statement, citing Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

The statement comes as Sky News Arabia quotes anonymous sources as saying that Iran has informed Israel through a foreign mediator that it will not respond to the overnight strikes.

Rocket sirens sounding in northern communities near Lebanon border, towns near Gaza

Sirens are blaring again in a number of northern communities near the border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.

The latest alerts can be heard in cities and towns including Nahariya, Cabri, Betzet, Manot, Goren, Shlomi, Avdon, Neveh Ziv and Rosh HaNikra.

Rocket sirens are also sounding in communities near the Gaza Strip.

🔴 Rocket Alert [12:24:11] – 19 Alerts 🔴:

• Gaza Envelope — Dekel, Talmei Yossef
• Confrontation Line — Betzet, Milouot Industrial Zone North, Betzet Beach, Metzuba, Gornot HaGalil, Manot, Goren, Shlomi, Cabri, Avdon, Nahariya, Neveh Ziv, Rosh HaNikra, Hanita, Sa'ar, Gesher… pic.twitter.com/sCDRN5kc4J

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) October 26, 2024

Jordanian military source says no jets were allowed to cross country’s airspace during Israel’s strike on Iran

Jordanian state media cites a military source as saying that no fighter jets from any conflicting regional parties were allowed to cross into the country’s airspace, after Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iran overnight.

Jordan also says the strikes were “in violation of international law and [Iran’s] sovereignty, and a dangerous escalation that leads to more tension in the region.”

The strikes came after Iran launched some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1, some of which were downed by the Jordanian Air Force.

Jordan also helped Israel thwart its previous attack on Israel in April this year.

IDF: Fighter jets also struck Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut overnight

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike on a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs on October 25, 2024. (Ibrahim Amro/AFP)

Overnight, Israeli fighter jets also struck Hezbollah targets in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

According to the IDF, the targets included weapons manufacturing sites, a command room belonging to Hezbollah’s intelligence division, and surveillance equipment.

The Hezbollah assets were all located in civilian buildings in Beirut’s southern suburb, according to the IDF. Before the strike, the military issued evacuation warnings to civilians.

Separately, the IDF says a cell of Hezbollah operatives who launched a missile at an IDF drone in southern Lebanon yesterday were killed in a drone strike a short while later.

The drone flying over Kfar Fila was not hit in the incident, according to the IDF.

Footage shows massive IDF explosion which triggered earthquake alerts across northern Israel this morning

Footage shows the massive IDF explosion in southern Lebanon this morning which triggered earthquake alerts across northern Israel.

This morning, earthquake alerts were activated across northern Israel due to a massive controlled IDF explosion in southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/o818I6ALeZ

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 26, 2024

הפיצוץ האדיר בלבנון – שהוביל להתרעה על רעידת אדמה בצפון | תיעוד pic.twitter.com/uAzG1jPmqw

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) October 26, 2024

UAE condemns ‘military targeting’ of Iran without mentioning Israel, urges ‘maximum restraint’

The United Arab Emirates condemns the military targeting of Iran and stressed the importance of exercising “maximum restraint” to avoid escalation after Israel carried out airstrikes on military sites in Iran overnight.

“The UAE strongly condemns the military targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran and expresses deep concern over the continued escalation and its impact on regional security and stability,” a statement from the UAE’s foreign ministry reads.

The statement emphasizes the “importance of exercising the highest levels of restraint and wisdom to avoid risks and the expansion of conflict,” without mentioning Israel.

Footage purports to show damage to drone factory in Shamsabad, south of Tehran

Footage published by Qatar-funded Al Araby TV purports to show damage from Israeli strikes overnight to a factory in Shamsabad, south of Tehran.

Unverified reports on social media say three workers were killed at the factory, which is said to be involved in the development and production of military drones.

Iranian media has reported that two soldiers were killed in the Israeli strikes, which the IDF said targeted strategic military sites — specifically drone and ballistic missile manufacturing and launch sites, as well as air defense batteries.

مشاهد أولية لآثار القصف الإسرائيلي على شمس آباد جنوب #طهران #إيران pic.twitter.com/cWcyUolfg2

— التلفزيون العربي (@AlarabyTV) October 26, 2024

Hamas condemns Israeli airstrikes on Iran ‘in the strongest terms’

A Hamas statement strongly condemns Israel’s overnight strikes on military targets in Iran, as the Palestinian terror group continues to fight the IDF in the Gaza Strip.

“We… condemn in the strongest terms the Zionist aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the targeting of military sites in several provinces,” the statement says, calling the move “a blatant violation of Iranian sovereignty and an escalation that threatens the security of the region.”

Two Iranian soldiers reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes overnight

Two Iranian soldiers were killed in Israel’s overnight strikes on the Islamic Republic, according to state news agency Tasnim.

No further details are given.

British PM says Israel has right to self-defense against ‘Iranian aggression,’ Tehran shouldn’t strike back

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Iran should not respond to a wave of Israeli strikes, urging restraint on all sides.

“I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression. I’m equally clear that we need to avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to show restraint. Iran should not respond,” he says in a statement.

The IDF struck military sites in Iran earlier this morning in retaliation for Tehran’s strikes on Israel this month.

Russia gave Iran a heads up hours before Israeli strikes began — Sky News Arabia

Sky News Arabia quotes an unnamed source as saying that Russia warned Iran ahead of the impending Israeli airstrikes this morning.

The report says that the intelligence was provided hours before Israel announced the waves of strikes on Iranian military targets.

Lapid criticizes Israeli strikes on Iran, says ‘decision not to attack strategic and economic targets in Iran was wrong’

Yesh Atid head MK Yair Lapid speaks during a faction meeting in Tel Aviv, October 14, 2024. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticizes the IDF’s apparently limited military response to Iran’s massive ballistic missile attack on Israel, saying Tehran “is the head of the ‘Axis of Evil’ and must pay a heavy price for its aggression.”

In a statement after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on military targets in Iran, Lapid says, “The decision not to attack strategic and economic targets in Iran was wrong. We could and should have exacted a much heavier price from Iran.”

The opposition leader also lauds the Israeli Air Force for “once again demonstrating world-class operational capabilities and air superiority.”

The military said that dozens of IAF aircraft, including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes, participated in the “complex” operation early this morning some 1,600 kilometers from Israel.

Report: Israeli strikes on Iran were designed to minimize casualties, prevent escalation

Israel’s overnight retaliatory strikes on Iran were a larger scale of the response it carried out on Isfahan in April, according to an informed source quoted by The Washington Post.

The source says that the strike was designed to minimize casualties and to prevent an escalation between Israel and Iran.

Israel launched its long-awaited retaliatory strike against Iran early this morning, weeks after the Islamic Republic’s massive ballistic missile barrage on the country, with the military saying the “precise strikes” by the Israeli Air Force targeted strategic military sites — specifically drone and ballistic missile manufacturing and launch sites, as well as air defense batteries.

Iran confirmed the attack had targeted military sites in the capital Tehran and other parts of the country, but said it had caused “limited damage” and that air defense systems had successfully countered much of the attacks — an assertion dismissed in Israel.

The Washington Post reports that the Israeli strikes this morning aimed to keep the impact at a level that Iran would be able to downplay.

Israel is believed to have carried out a drone strike in April on a radar system for an air defense battery in Iran’s central city of Isfahan, in response to Tehran’s massive drone-and-missile attack against Israel on April 13. Iran downplayed that alleged Israeli strike and did not retaliate.

Iraqi state media says flights resumed in all airports following brief suspension during Israeli strikes

Baghdad announces the reopening of its airspace and the resumption of flights, according to state news agency INA, citing the Iraqi Transportation Ministry, following a brief suspension attributed to regional tensions.

Israel launched a wave of retaliatory strikes against Iran early this morning, with the military saying the “precise strikes” by the Israeli Air Force targeted strategic military sites — specifically drone and ballistic missile manufacturing and launch sites, as well as air defense batteries.

Iran also announced the resumption of all flights this morning, following a brief suspension.

IDF intercepts another suspected drone from Lebanon; no reports of injuries

The IDF says it intercepted another suspected drone that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon, the second in less than an hour.

Sirens sounded in the Western Galilee amid the incident.

There are no immediate reports of injuries in either attempted attack.

Iranian media downplays Israeli strikes, says reports of 100 jets taking part in attack ‘complete lies’

Iran appears to be downplaying Israel’s overnight strikes, with a source quoted by state media denying the IDF’s announcement that dozens of fighter jets took part in the retaliatory attack.

“The reports alleging that 100 Israeli military planes have had a role in the strike are also complete lies, as Israel is seeking to overplay its weak attack,” the source is quoted as saying by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The report also claims that Israeli jets did not cross into Iranian airspace during the strikes and that they caused only limited damage.

Earlier, Iran said its air defense system had successfully countered Israel’s attacks on military targets in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam with “limited damage” to some locations.

The source quoted by Tasnim also says that sites of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in Tehran were not targeted.

IDF says drone from Lebanon intercepted near northern border; none hurt

The IDF says it intercepted a suspected drone that crossed into Israel’s airspace from Lebanon a short while ago.

Sirens were activated in cities and towns near the northern border including Kiryat Shmona, Metula and Tel Hai.

There are no reports of injuries or damage in the incident.

Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli strikes on Iran as ‘violation of its sovereignty’

Saudi Arabia condemns Israel’s targeting of Iran this morning as a “violation of its sovereignty” and international laws, urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint and calling on the international community to take action towards de-escalation and ending conflicts in the region.

The comments came in a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement after Israel this morning launched several waves of what it called “precise strikes” on Iranian military sites, including air defense batteries and ballistic missile manufacturing sites.

Israel says the sites were used in Iran’s latest attack on Israel on October 1 and an earlier attack on April 14.

The Saudi statement does not mention Israel by name.

Jerusalem and Riyadn have never had diplomatic relations, despite US efforts which stalled after Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel last year and the ensuing war in Gaza.

Iran announces resumption of flights after brief suspension following Israeli airstrikes

This photo shows a page on the Flightradar24 website, taken in Nicosia early on October 26, 2024, displaying commercial flights around Iran's airspace during Israeli strikes (AFP)

TEHRAN – Iran has announced the resumption of flights after a brief suspension following Israeli airstrikes on several military sites in the country earlier this morning.

“Flights will return to normal from 9:00 am (0530 GMT) on Saturday,” the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Organisation says, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Suspected drone sirens sounding in northern communities near Lebanon border

Sirens are sounding in northern communities near the border with Lebanon, warning of a suspected drone infiltration.

The sirens are sounding in largely evacuated cities and towns including Kiryat Shmona, Kfar Giladi, Metula and Kfar Yuval.

🚨 ✈️ Hostile Aircraft Intrusion [08:39:53] – 3 Alerts:

• Confrontation Line — Kfar Giladi, Metulla, Kfar Yuval

Population: 2,900 pic.twitter.com/7d3kPnxT8Z

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) October 26, 2024

Report: Israel sent message to Iran ahead of strike via third parties with details, warning not to retaliate

A general view of Tehran after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military sites weeks October 26, 2024. (Atta Kenare/AFP)

Israel warned Iran ahead of its retaliatory airstrikes earlier this morning not to hit back, in an attempt to prevent back-and-forth attacks from spiraling into a wider conflict, according to sources quoted by the Axios news site.

Three sources quoted in the report say the Israeli message was passed to Iran via several third parties, including the Dutch foreign minister.

“The Israelis made it clear to the Iranians in advance what they are going to attack in general and what they are not going to attack,” one source is quoted as saying in the report.

The IDF said a short while after the strikes that among the military sites targeted were air defense batteries and ballistic missile manufacturing sites — those used in direct Iran’s latest attack on Israel on October 1 and an earlier attack on April 14.

Israel also warned Iran that if it does retaliate, further strikes will be more powerful, according to two other sources quoted by Axios.

Announcing the completion of the strikes a few hours ago, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned that if Iran were to “make the mistake” of escalating further, Israel would respond.

Earthquake alerts across northern Israel said triggered by controlled IDF explosion of Hezbollah weapons

Earthquake alerts that were triggered across northern Israel around an hour ago appear to have been related to a controlled explosion carried out by Israel Defense Forces, after Israeli fighter jets launched strikes on Iranian military targets earlier this morning.

Ynet news quotes the Israel Meteorological Service as saying that the earthquake warnings “occurred after a significant, controlled explosion carried out this morning in the northern region. The system recognized the explosion as an earthquake, and the warning was issued accordingly.”

The explosion was a Hezbollah weapons stockpile being destroyed by the IDF, according to the report.

🔴 🌏 Earthquake Alert [07:02:46] – 20 Alerts 🔴:

• Beit Sha'an Valley — Ma'aleh Gilboa, Beit She'an, Yardena, Neveh Or, Shlafim, Reshafim, Sdeh Nachum, Maoz Haim, Beit Alfa and Heftziba, Beit Yossef, Moledet, Hamadia, Messilot, Ganey Hugga, Neve Eitan, Shluchot, Beit HaShita,… pic.twitter.com/OnXVFXVQf2

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) October 26, 2024

Hagari says aims of attack ‘achieved,’ warns Iran that Israel can hit ‘additional targets’

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the goals of the overnight attack on Iran were achieved successfully.

“The reprisal strike was completed, and its objectives were achieved,” Hagari says in a press conference.

The IDF strike targeted Iranian missile manufacturing sites and air defense batteries, in response to Iran’s direct attacks on Israel earlier this month and in April, as well as continuous attacks by its proxies across the Middle East.

“Now, Israel has wider freedom of action also in Iran. Iran struck Israel twice… and has paid the price for that,” he says.

“We are focused on the goals of the war in Gaza and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for a wide regional escalation,” Hagari says.

He says the targets that were hit in Iran overnight were selected from a “wide bank of targets.”

“We will know how to select additional targets [from the bank], and strike them if required. This is a clear message, whoever threatens Israel, will pay a heavy price,” Hagari adds.

Senior Biden official signals approval of Israel’s ‘targeted and proportional’ strikes

Israel’s retaliatory strike against Iran earlier this evening targeted “multiple military targets across Iran and outside populated areas,” a senior Biden administration official says.

While the US was not a participant in the attack, President Joe Biden and his national security team worked with their Israeli counterparts over recent weeks to encourage Jerusalem “to conduct a response that was targeted and proportional with low risk of civilian harm.”

“That appears to have been precisely what transpired this evening,” the senior US official says during a briefing with reporters.

During his call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Biden encouraged the Israeli premier “to design a response that served to deter further attacks against Israel while reducing risk of further escalation. That is our objective, and it’s Israel’s objective,” the official says.

“Should Iran choose to respond, we are fully prepared to once again defend against any attack,” the US official stresses, pointing to the recent US deployment of THAAD missile defense batteries to Israel.

“This should be the end of this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran,” the US official says, adding that “Israel has made clear to the world that its response is now complete.”

“Accordingly, we will call on all countries of influence to press Iran to stop these attacks against Israel so that we can move beyond this direct cycle of attacks over the coming days,” he says.

The US official says Washington remains prepared to lead the effort to bring about ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, and has been engaged in those efforts in recent days.

Iran claims to have successfully countered Israeli attack but ‘limited damage’ caused

Iran says its air defense system successfully countered Israel’s attacks but that “limited damage” was caused to some locations.

In a statement, the Iranian air defense says Israel attacked military targets in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam.

After strikes, IDF spokesman warns Iran not to ‘make mistake’ of further escalating

In this image taken from video released by the IDF on October 26, 2024, military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announces that the IDF is conducting strikes on military targets in Iran. (Israel Defense Forces via AP)

Following the completion of Israel’s strikes in Iran, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in an English-language statement warns that if Iran was to “make the mistake” of escalating further, Israel would respond.

“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel,” he says in a video statement disturbed to foreign media.

“We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran — thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel. The Israel Defense Forces has fulfilled its mission,” Hagari says.

“If the regime in Iran were to make the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation — we will be obligated to respond,” he continues.

“Our message is clear: All those who threaten the State of Israel and seek to drag the region into a wider escalation — will pay a heavy price. We demonstrated today that we have both the capability and the resolve to act decisively — and we are prepared — on offense and defense — to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel,” Hagari adds.

IDF says aircraft safely back in Israel after several waves of strikes on Iran military targets

The IDF says it has completed its overnight airstrikes against Iranian military sites in response to Iran’s attacks on Israel in recent months, including the 200 ballistic missiles on October 1.

The name of the operation is dubbed by the military “Days of Repentance.”

According to the military, dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft, including fighter jets, refuelers, and spy planes, participated in the strikes some 1,600 kilometers from Israel.

The aircraft safely returned to Israel following the “complex” operation, it says.

The strikes were carried out in several waves over the course of several hours, in various areas of Iran.

The IDF says the strikes targeted Iranian military sites, including air defense batteries and ballistic missile manufacturing sites — those used in direct Iranian attacks on Israel on October 1 and April 14.

Additionally, the military says the strikes have given the IAF “wider freedom of aerial action in Iran,” and that it has a wide bank of targets that it can hit in future operations if required.

The damage caused by the strikes will be revealed in time, the IDF says, adding that Iran has paid a price for its attacks on Israel.

The IDF is holding an assessment now on a potential Iranian response to the attack, but as of now, there are no changes to guidelines for civilians.

Iran cancels flights on all routes until further notice

A spokesperson for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said flights on all routes have been cancelled until further notice, the country’s state news agency IRNA reports.

Netanyahu holds security assessment with Gallant and security chiefs

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials are assessing the security situation, his office says, as the military carries out airstrikes on Iran.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is conducting an assessment of the security situation at the air force Base in the Kirya (defense ministry) with the defense minister, the army chief, the head of the Mossad and the head of the Shin Bet,” a statement from his office says.

Iranian sources threaten ‘proportional reaction’ to Israeli ‘aggression’

Iran is prepared to respond to any Israeli “aggression,” Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency says, citing sources.

“There is no doubt that Israel will face a proportional reaction for any action it takes,” Tasnim quotes the sources as saying.

Israeli strikes said expected to continue several more hours

The Washington Post reports that Israeli strikes on Iran are expected to last several more hours, citing a person briefed on Israel’s military plans.

The source says among the military sites being targeted are air defenses and missile production plants.

Fresh wave of Israeli strikes reported in Iran

All three of Israel’s main TV stations are reporting a second wave of Israeli strikes on Iran. Channel 12 quotes non-state reports in Iran saying Israeli raids are taking place in eastern Tehran and at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command facility.

According to AFP reporters, continuous explosions and light trails are visible across the sky in central Tehran following the new blasts.

Reuters quotes local media saying that four further explosions were heard in eastern Tehran and that “air defense is still active” in the capital.

The ongoing attack is expected to be a one-night affair, ABC News reports. ABC also cites a source who says there are no Israeli casualties or damage to warplanes reported thus far.

Channel 12 also reports that the first wave of Israeli airstrikes targeted missile production and air defense facilities.

Yisrael Ziv, a former head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate, calls the Israeli strikes “historic,” and says Israel has for hours been doing “whatever it wants” in the skies of Iran, targeting some of its most important military targets.

The fact that Israel has solely targeted military targets “presents Iran with a dilemma” regarding its response, Ziv says.

US official says Austin held phone call with Gallant

WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a call with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, a US defense official says, after Israel announced strikes on targets in Iran.

The US official, who speaks on condition of anonymity, doesn’t immediately provide details on Austin and Gallant’s conversation, including what they discussed, how long the call was or what time it took place.

IDF says drone from Lebanon impacted in Western Galilee; no injuries

The IDF says that a drone from Lebanon impacted in the Western Galilee, after sirens sounded in communities along the Mediterranean coast.

There are no reports of injuries.

Suspected drone sirens sound in Acre and Nahariya

Suspected drone alerts are activated in the northern coastal cities of Nahariya and Acre.

Iran news agency says Israeli strikes targeted several military bases near Tehran

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reports that several military bases in the Tehran area were targeted in Israeli strikes. It specifies that several bases in the western and southern areas of the capital were attacked.

Iranian media also says there are no fires or explosions reported at a key refinery south of the capital. “There are no reports of fire or explosions at a Tehran refinery,” Tasnim news agency reports.

Iranian state TV, meanwhile, says operations at Tehran’s airports, including Imam Khomeini International airport, are continuing as usual.

“Operations at Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport are normal and they continue to operate according to the schedule,” the state TV presenter says, citing the chiefs of Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini airports.

Syrian state media says Israel hit military sites in south and center of country

Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reports that Israel struck several military sites in southern and central Syria at around 2 a.m.

The strikes came simultaneously as Israel launched attacks on Iran.

SANA says that air defenses shot down some of the Israeli missiles, and authorities are still assessing the damage.

Israeli official to NBC: Strikes not targeting Iran’s nuclear sites or oil facilities

Israel is not striking Iranian nuclear sites or oil facilities and is focusing on military targets, NBC cites an unnamed Israeli official as saying.

“We’re targeting things that might have threatened us in the past or could do in the future,” the official is quoted saying.

The Biden Administration has been urging Israel not to strike nuclear or energy targets, while backing Israel’s right to respond to Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile attack.

IDF says Halevi commanding strikes on Iran alongside air force chief

An IDF handout photo released on October 26, 2024, shows Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and IAF commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar in a bunker below the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF releases an image of Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi commanding the strikes on Iran from the Israeli Air Force’s command center, with the chief of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.

US National Security Council: Israeli strikes on Iran ‘an exercise of self-defense’

Israeli strikes on military targets in Iran are “an exercise of self-defense” following Tehran’s ballistic missile attack earlier this month, the White House says.

National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett says the “targeted strikes on military targets” are “an exercise of self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1.”

PM’s office releases photo of him meeting defense brass in bunker as Israel strikes Iran

A handout photo released by his office on October 26, 2024, shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF commanders in the bunker below the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv. (Avi Ohayun/GPO)

As Israel strikes in Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office releases a picture of the premier huddled with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and top IDF generals in the bunker below the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv.

White House reportedly given heads up shortly before Israel began striking Iran

WASHINGTON — The White House was notified shortly before Israel carried out airstrikes on Iran, Fox News reports.

US officials were reportedly angry that Israel did not give them advance warning last month when its air strikes eliminated Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

IDF spokesman says no current changes to home front guidelines as Israel strikes Iran

In a brief video statement, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says there are no changes to instructions for civilians at this time, as strikes are being carried out in Iran.

“The IDF is fully prepared in attack and defense. We are following the developments from Iran and its proxies in the region,” he says.

“We are conducting a continuous assessment of the situation in the home front, and at this stage, there is no change in the instructions of the Home Front Command. You must continue to be alert and vigilant, and obey the guidelines of the Home Front Command,” Hagari adds.

He says further updates will be provided as needed.

IDF announces Israel carrying out ‘precise strikes’ on military targets in Iran

An unconfirmed image circulating on social media purports to show a site of an explosion in the Tehran area in the early hours of October 26, 2024, as Israel announces it is carrying out 'precise strikes' on Iranian military targets. (Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The IDF confirms launching strikes in Iran.

In a statement, the IDF says it is carrying out “precise strikes” on Iranian military targets, in response to “months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel.”

“The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th – on seven fronts – including direct attacks from Iranian soil,” the military says.

“Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond,” the statement continues.

The IDF says its “defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized,” and that it “will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel.”

Israeli sources confirm IDF has launched retaliatory strike on Iran

An unconfirmed image circulating on social media purports to show a site of an explosion in the Tehran area in the early hours of October 26, 2024, as Israel announces it is carrying out 'precise strikes' on Iranian military targets. (Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Israeli sources confirm that the IDF has begun its retaliatory strike on Iran.

The strike comes following Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile attack on Israel. On October 19, furthermore, a drone fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon smashed a window at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea. Netanyahu, in response, said, “The agents of Iran who tried to assassinate me and my wife today made a bitter mistake.”

Iranian authorities have not yet blamed Israel for the blasts seen in the Tehran area.

Iranian media reports loud explosions in Tehran and nearby city of Karaj

An unconfirmed image circulating on social media purports to show a site of an explosion in the Tehran area in the early hours of October 26, 2024, as Israel announces it is carrying out 'precise strikes' on Iranian military targets. (Social media; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Several loud explosions have been heard in Iran’s capital Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj city early Saturday, semi-official Iranian media says, adding that the cause is unknown.

The New York Times quotes Fars News, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reporting multiple large explosions in Tehran. It says other Iranian media reporting explosions near or at Imam Khomeini international airport. Eyewitnesses say residents have poured into the streets, the Times says.

Syrian media reports blasts over Damascus and Homs

While explosions are reportedly heard in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Syrian media outlets also report blasts over Damascus and Homs in Syria.

At least 5 explosions reportedly heard near Tehran

An unconfirmed image circulating on social media purports to show a site of an explosion in the Tehran area in the early hours of October 26, 2024, as Israel announces it is carrying out 'precise strikes' on Iranian military targets. (Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

At least five explosions are heard near the Iranian capital of Tehran, according to multiple reports on social media.

No further details are immediately available.

There is no official comment from Iranian authorities on the blasts.

The reports come amid repeated promises by Israeli leaders in recent days to respond to Iran’s firing of 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1.