Sept. 24: Air Force chief urges business as usual in Eilat after second drone strike in a week

Denmark airport shuts as drones invade airspace

Denmark’s Aalborg airport is currently closed due to drones in its airspace, a spokesperson for the airport says.

Police say they are investigating.

The airport spokesperson declines to comment on the number of drones in question.

Four flights are affected by the closure, including two SAS planes, one Norwegian and one KLM flight, he says.

Ukraine formally restores ties with Syria after leaders meet at UN

Ukraine and Syria have formally restored diplomatic relations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says after meeting his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Ukraine broke off relations with Syria in 2022 after ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s government recognized swathes of Russian-occupied Ukraine as “independent” Russian-backed areas.

CCTV footage shows moment of drone impact in Eilat

Newly released video from a nearby rooftop shows the moment a drone fired from Yemen impacts in Eilat, in an attack that injured over 20 people, including two people hospitalized in serious condition.

In the security camera footage, the drone can be seen hitting a parking lot feet from a sidewalk on which two people appear to loiter. The explosion creates a large fireball, sending three people scurrying for cover.

תיעוד נוסף ודרמטי מפגיעת הכטב״ם באילת היום. pic.twitter.com/6WmdKmFwk4

— (((IsraelMatzav))) (@IsraelMatzav) September 24, 2025

Iran airs footage it claims show details of alleged Israeli nuclear program

Iranian state television has broadcast images of documents and footage it claims relate to alleged Israeli nuclear activities.

The documentary shows copies of passports said to identify Israeli scientists, along with information on the location of military sites.

It also airs footage said to have been filmed inside the Dimona reactor in southern Israel.

AFP is unable to verify the claims.

In the documentary, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib says Iran used information obtained in June to hit sensitive sites inside Israel that month.

Iranian officials claimed before the June war to have acquired thousands of classified Israeli documents, including details on nuclear and military sites.

The documentary also includes photos of International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, described as personal, with one showing him kissing a person in a Minnie Mouse costume.

It claims the photos were obtained by Israel, accusing it of spying on Grossi.

In NYT, Gantz says Western leaders recognizing Palestinian statehood aim to knock Netanyahu, ignore Israeli security

MK Benny Gantz leads a faction meeting at the Knesset on July 14, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In a New York Times op-ed, National Unity party head Benny Gantz says trending recognition of Palestinian statehood in the international community may be aimed at repudiating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but in actuality, the moves are “a rejection of Israel’s bipartisan security consensus.”

Gantz, a former IDF chief who now leads one of the larger opposition parties, accuses foreign decision-makers of viewing Israel’s policies solely through the lens of whether or not it benefits Netanyahu, rather than Israel’s national security needs. “This view is mistaken and counterproductive to global stability, regional normalization and Israel’s own security,” he writes.

According to Gantz, who has shown more willingness to work with Netanyahu than many others in the opposition, even joining his war cabinet for a time, “opposition to the recognition of Palestinian statehood stands at the heart of [the Israeli] consensus,” a stance he maintains is “rooted in the hard realities of our region.”

Pointing to what happened in Gaza since Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005, he writes that the Palestinian Authority is not up to the task of state-building, accusing it of inciting violence and glorifying terror.

“Any path forward for broader Palestinian civil autonomy must first incorporate a proven long-term track record of accountable governance, comprehensive de-radicalization reforms and a successful crackdown on terror elements targeting Israelis,” he writes.

The former defense minister recalls being dumbfounded during a conversation with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over his “conceptual lack of understanding” of the difference between the challenges their countries face in dealing with terror. The episode “reinforced my understanding of the extent to which Israel’s security challenges are severely underestimated by the international community,” he writes.

Gantz also uses the platform to reiterate his stances in support of a long-term Israeli military presence inside Gaza along its perimeter, to keep Hamas from regrouping, and says “Israel must prepare to assume formal control over the strategic Jordan Valley in the West Bank,” claiming that both are needed to prevent a recurrence of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.

Spain says it will send naval vessel to protect flotilla

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says Madrid will dispatch a naval ship to a flotilla of 51 ships aiming to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza, joining Italy in sending a military vessel to assist the mission carrying a symbolic amount of aid to the beleaguered Strip.

Sanchez, who has been among Israel’s most strident critics, says he is sending the ship “to ensure that, if necessary, our citizens can be rescued.”

“I want to make it clear to the government of Israel that Spain will, of course, protect its nationals, and we will do so both diplomatically and politically,” he adds.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying activists including Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg, has blamed Israel for more than a dozen explosions heard around its vessels off Greece late on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry challenges the assertion that the mission is chiefly concerned with delivering aid and not causing a provocation, saying the activists “are welcome to unload any aid you might have at any port in a nearby country outside Israel, from which it can be transferred peacefully to Gaza.”

https://twitter.com/IsraelMFA/status/1970918594683777195

Air force head urges business as usual in Eilat after second drone strike in week

Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar tells Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri that the drone that hit the southern city earlier today, wounding over 20 people, does not represent a new threat and that business in the resort town should continue as usual.

“We will investigate the interception failure, learn and improve,” Bar is cited as saying in a statement issued by the Eilat Municipality.

A military official confirms the remarks to The Times of Israel.

“There is no new threat here, and there is no reason to stop normal activity in the city,” Bar said.

Bar says aside from improving air defenses following the second successful attack on the city in a week, the air force will also concentrate on halting the source of the drones: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.

“We will work to remove the threat from the root, while strengthening the defense,” he is quoted as saying.

According to an initial probe by the IAF, the drone was detected late, though sirens were still activated by the Home Front Command to warn civilians.

The failure of the Iron Dome to shoot down the drone was possibly because it was flying low, although this is still under investigation. Because of the late detection, the IAF did not have enough time to dispatch helicopters or fighter jets to shoot it down.

Man, 30, shot dead in northern town, MDA says

First responders say a 30-year-old man was shot dead in the Galilee town of Abu Snan in what appears to be a domestic criminal incident.

Medics declared the man dead after he was found unresponsive and without a pulse, the Magen David Adom rescue service says.

The killing would mark the 186th murder in Israel’s Arab community this year, an 8 percent rise over last year’s record-breaking pace, according to numbers published by the Abraham Initiatives NGO.

Tel Aviv play Greece’s PAOK to scoreless draw in soccer match overshadowed by protests

Pro-Palestinian protesters gather ahead of a Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in the port city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Wednesday, September 24, 2025. (AP/Giannis Papanikos)

The Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer club hold Greek side PAOK to a 0-0 draw in their opening Europa League game amid a heavy police presence and protests in Thessaloniki.

Maccabi had a first-half goal disallowed due to offside as both sides wasted a number of decent chances to score.

PAOK fans booed Maccabi at the start, waved Palestinian flags and unveiled a big banner near the pitch in the first half, which read “Show Israel the Red Card.”

Several protesters were detained ahead of the game, police say.

Two small protests took place in the northern Greek city, calling for Israeli clubs to be expelled from European competition in response to mass casualties in the war in Gaza. Protesters unfurled a banner reading “Genocide” in English from scaffolding on a building complex that also houses the US consulate.

Police say they conducted a large-scale security operation outside the stadium while bomb squad sniffer dogs inspected the site.

Ahead of the match, some 120 Israeli fans were held behind a police cordon while the Maccabi team bus was escorted by a police special forces unit to the 28,000-seat Toumba Stadium.

Netanyahu says Damascus deal must demilitarize Syria’s south, protect Druze

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu releases a statement on talks with Damascus, saying Israel will not agree to a deal that does not guarantee the safety of Syria’s Druze minority.

The statement from Netanyahu, who confirms for a second time this week that Israel is negotiating with Syria, comes as the premier is set to leave for the UN General Assembly in New York, where reports have indicated he could hold a historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

A deal with Syria, says Netanyahu, “depends on ensuring Israel’s interests, which include, among other things, the demilitarization of southwestern Syria and safeguarding the safety and security of the Druze in Syria.”

Syracuse students charged with hate crime over pork tossed at Jewish frat over holiday

Two students at Syracuse University in New York face hate crimes charges after authorities say one of them tossed a bag of pork into Jewish fraternity house during a Rosh Hashanah celebration.

Allen Groves, the chief student experience officer at Syracuse University, says the incident occurred around 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house, where members had gathered to mark the Jewish New Year.

One of the two men is accused of entering the home and tossing a clear plastic bag of pork against an interior wall, splattering the contents there and on the floor, university police say.

The man then fled the home and got into a vehicle driven by another man. The two, both 18, were soon captured and have been charged with burglary as a hate crime and criminal nuisance.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick says the hate crime charge came about because it happened on a Jewish holiday at a historically Jewish fraternity.

“This incident is not a foolish college prank and will not be treated as such,” Fitzpatrick says. ”It will be treated for what it is, a crime directed against a group of Jewish students enjoying a celebratory dinner and seemingly secure in their residence.”

Houthi attempt to launch missile at Israel falls short — IDF

A ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen a short while ago failed to reach Israel’s airspace, according to military officials.

The IDF identified the launch, but no sirens sounded in Israel because the missile did not pose a threat.

Netanyahu dismisses ’embarrassing surrender to terror’ as allies recognize Palestinian state

Amid a wave of Western leaders recognizing a Palestinian state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a statement that “the embarrassing surrender to Palestinian terrorism by some leaders will not bind Israel in any way.”

“A Palestinian state will not be established,” the premier promises as he prepares to fly to New York for the UN General Assembly, where the issue is expected to dominate the agenda in meetings with other leaders, including US President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu tells Eilat mayor he discussed improving city’s air defenses after drone attack

Israeli forces at the scene after a drone from Yemen hit Eilat, September 24, 2025. (Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says the premier spoke with Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri after a Houthi UAV hit the southern city earlier this evening, injuring over 20 people, including two people hospitalized in serious condition.

Netanyahu told Lankri that “any attack on Israel’s cities will be met with a harsh and painful blow against the Houthi regime, as has already been proven in the past.”

The drone was the second to breach the southern resort city in a week, after another UAV launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels hit a hotel on September 18, sparking a fire but not causing any injuries

According to the PMO, Netanyahu told Lankri that he spoke with the senior IDF command about improving Eilat’s air defenses.

Tel Aviv flight that made emergency stop in Riyadh back in air, Israel says

A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia has taken off for Tel Aviv, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

Saudi airport and medical staff assisted the Israeli passenger, who reportedly suffered a stroke, the ministry notes.

According to Hebrew media, FZ1125 took off at 4:17 p.m. from Dubai but landed at an airport in Riyadh over an hour later due to the medical emergency.

According to Channel 12 news, the passenger was hospitalized in Riyadh.

Witkoff says US ‘confident’ in Gaza breakthrough in days, 21-point Trump peace plan shown to some leaders

The United States is “hopeful… even confident that in the coming days we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough” on efforts to halt the war in Gaza and free hostages held there by Hamas-led terrorists, US special envoy Steve Witkoff says at a New York conference.

Witkoff says US President Donald Trump’s 21-point peace plan was presented to some leaders on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Houthis claim Eilat drone attack that breached air defenses

The Houthis in Yemen take responsibility for today’s drone attack on Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat.

In a statement, the Iran-backed terror group claims to have launched two drones at two separate targets in Eilat.

According to Israeli authorities, only one drone hit Eilat, injuring over 20, including two men hospitalized in serious condition. The second drone likely failed to reach the country.

The Houthis also claim to have launched several more drones at targets in Eilat and Beersheba yesterday. There were no reports of drones reaching Israel from Yemen on Tuesday or any being intercepted, indicating that they all failed to threaten the country.

Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched nearly 90 ballistic missiles and at least 41 drones at Israel, according to a Times of Israel tally based on information provided by the Israel Defense Forces.

Meloni says Italian navy won’t use force to protect ‘irresponsible’ flotilla headed for Gaza

This unlocated and undated handout picture released by the Italian Navy shows the Italian frigate Virginio Fasan at sea. (Handout / Marina Militare / AFP)

An Italian navy ship sent to assist an international flotilla on its way to Gaza is not expected to use military force, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says, calling the activist maritime gambit “dangerous, irresponsible,” while also condemning drone attacks on the vessel.

The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Barcelona earlier this month with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza and delivering symbolic aid to the territory. It currently numbers 51 vessels, most of which are off the Greek island of Crete, with organizers claiming to have been targeted by multiple drones.

Meloni, speaking to journalists in New York, where she is attending the UN General Assembly, says her government has proposed handing over the flotilla’s aid to Cyprus and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem to prevent further risks, rather than having the activists challenge Israel and attempt to deliver the aid themselves.

“There is no need to risk one’s own safety; it is not necessary to go to a war zone to deliver aid to Gaza, which the Italian government and the competent authorities could have delivered in a few hours,” Meloni says ahead of her speech at the UN General Assembly.

She says Italy is expecting an answer from the Gaza flotilla activists about her compromise proposal.

Israeli officials confident US will not force Jerusalem into unwanted Gaza deal — report

US President Donald Trump will not “force a proposal on Israel it doesn’t believe in,” senior Israeli officials tell Channel 12, regarding efforts to end the war in Gaza.

The officials add that this was emphasized in a number of conversations between senior US and Israeli officials, including at the highest levels.

According to the outlet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers that he and Trump will discuss possible responses to the wave of announcements from Western countries recognizing a Palestinian state. He reportedly maintained that any move Israel wants to take would need Trump’s approval.

At UN, Syria’s Sharaa slams Israeli attacks, commits to 1974 disengagement, seeks dialogue

Syria President Ahmad Sharaa speaks during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP/Heather Khalifa)

Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in his address to the UN General Assembly, condemns ongoing Israeli strikes in his country, and says Damascus is committed to the 1974 Disengagement of Forces agreement between Israel and Syria.

Sharaa also says Syria stands “with the people of Gaza, its children and women” and calls for an immediate end to the war there.

Channel 12 reports this evening that the US is seeking to arrange a meeting in New York between Sharaa, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump in the coming days.

Sharaa, the first Syrian president to address the Assembly in some six decades, denounces the Assad regime for using “the worst torture against our people, the chemical weapons, and bombardment… It has torn our country apart and brought forth fighters from around the world. The former regime killed around a million innocent people and displaced thousands and millions and demolished 2 million homes.”

He says the Syrian people “had no choice but to organize militarily to oust a criminal regime. It was a military operation,” he says, “that prioritized tolerance and that did not target civilians. It targeted justice without vengeance. We restored our rights and we became victorious.”

Accordingly, he says, “Syria has transformed from an exporter of crisis to an opportunity for peace for Syria and the region.”

He vows “to try to uproot sectarianism and to fight against attempts to divide our country once again.”

He protests that “Israeli strikes and attacks against my country continue,” in contrast to the internationally supportive position for Syria, and says this “threatens new crises and struggles in our region.”

“In the face of this aggression, Syria is committed to dialogue,” he says, “and we are committed to the disengagement of the Forces Agreement of 1974. We call on the international community to stand beside us in the face of these attacks.”

Israel, in December, moved to capture territory in the border buffer zone and said that the 1974 agreement was temporarily void until order had been restored in Syria following the ousting of the Assad regime by Sharaa’s rebel forces.

The Syrian leader calls for the complete lifting of remaining sanctions on the country, and pledges that Damascus is “building institutions and laws that guarantee the rights of all without exception… We are determined to restore Syria’s glory, dignity, and honor.”

Syria, he declares, “is reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world.”

He thanks “everyone who stood by the Syrian cause,” and specifies “Turkey, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and all Arab and Islamic States, the United States of America, and the European Union.”

Concluding, Sharaa says that “the suffering Syria endured we wish upon no one. We are among the people most deeply aware of the horrors of war and destruction. For this reason, we stand firmly with the people of Gaza, its children and women, and all people facing violations and aggression. We call for an immediate end to the war.”

Katz threatens to hit Houthis back ‘sevenfold’

Defense Minister Israel Katz threatens the Houthis in Yemen after today’s drone attack on Eilat that wounded over 20, including two men hospitalized in serious condition.

“The Houthi terrorists refuse to learn from Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza, and will learn the hard way,” Katz says on X.

“Whoever harms Israel will be harmed sevenfold,” he adds.

Macron says deal with Iran to stave off sanctions possible, but only hours left

French President Emmanuel Macron says a deal between Iran and Germany, France and Britain to delay a return of UN sanctions on Tehran is still possible, but there are only a few hours left.

“An agreement is still possible. There are only a few hours left. It is up to Iran to meet the legitimate conditions we have set,” Macron posts on X after meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1970902605476905322

Protesters at airport rally against Netanyahu ahead of New York trip

Hundreds of protesters are gathered at Ben Gurion Airport’s arrivals hall to demonstrate against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he takes off for the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Protesters rally both against the government and for a deal to bring hostages home, waving Israeli flags and yellow banners. Signs rail against Netanyahu’s nomination of David Zini as head of the Shin Bet security service, amid concerns from activists that he will act as a rubber stamp for the premier.

https://twitter.com/lirishavit/status/1970899785029738959

Several demonstrators wear orange jumpsuits adorned with signs calling for Netanyahu to be jailed, posing alongside other protesters dressed as Gulf sheikhs waving around wads of cash, a reference to allegations of covert dealings between Netanyahu’s office and Qatar.

https://twitter.com/lirishavit/status/1970893259955114239

WATCH: Syria’s president addresses UN General Assembly for first time since 1967

Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa addresses the UN General Assembly, September 24, 2025 (UN screenshot)

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa is addressing the UN General Assembly, the first time a Syrian head of state has addressed the forum since 1967.

Around 700,000 Palestinians have evacuated Gaza City, IDF estimates

Some 700,000 Palestinians have so far evacuated Gaza City to the Strip’s south, according to fresh IDF estimates.

Around one million Palestinians were estimated to be residing in Gaza City before the IDF launched a major offensive against Hamas in the area. Civilians were ordered to evacuate to an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.

The rate of Palestinians leaving the area has risen in recent days, as the IDF advances deeper into Gaza City.

IDF chief calls on Gazans to rebel against Hamas to end war

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (right) speaks with Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor in the south of Gaza City, September 24, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

During a visit to the south of Gaza City earlier today, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir calls on Gazans to rebel against Hamas to bring about an end to the war.

“Most of Gaza’s population has already left the city, and we are moving them southward for their protection,” Zamir says during the visit alongside Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor and other commanders, according to remarks published by the IDF.

“I address the residents of Gaza: Rebel and separate yourselves from Hamas, it is responsible for your suffering. The war and the suffering will end if Hamas releases the hostages and gives up its weapons,” he says.

Zamir also says the IDF is operating in Gaza City “with large forces… to create conditions for the release of the hostages and to defeat Hamas.”

Argentina’s Milei recalls Israeli embassy, AMIA bombings at UN, urges return of hostages

Argentina's President Javier Milei walks to the podium to address the United Nations General Assembly during the 80th session of the annual event on September 24, 2025, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP)

Argentina’s President Javier Milei says he rejects “fundamentalist violence” spreading across the war, noting the terror attack against the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992, and the AMIA Jewish community center in 1994.

“Finally, we reiterate our demand for the immediate release of the hostages who remain captive in Gaza,” he says.

Netanyahu speaks to hostage Alon Ohel’s parents, who urge PM to return from US trip with news of hostages’ return

Hostage Alon Ohel is seen in still image approved by his family for publication from a Hamas propaganda video released on September 22, 2025. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the parents of Alon Ohel over the Rosh Hashana holiday, says his office.

Hamas released a propaganda video of Ohel, who is being held hostage in Gaza, on Monday.

Government hostage pointman Gal Hirsch joined the call, in which Netanyahu described a “joint military-diplomatic move” that Israel is carrying out in order to free the hostages and defeat Hamas, says the PMO.

In a statement, Ohel’s mother, Idit, says that after watching the propaganda video, it is clear her son is “blind in one eye.”

“You can see the eye is totally not functioning,” she says, thanking Netanyahu for speaking to her and Ohel’s father, Kobi.

“The prime minister is leaving now on a critical and historic trip to the US. Idit and I expect that from this trip he will return with an announcement — the announcement that the entire nation of Israel is waiting for,” Kobi Ohel says.

IAF sends helicopter to take those seriously hurt in Eilat drone attack to Beersheba hospital

The Israeli Air Force has dispatched a helicopter to evacuate those seriously wounded in the Houthi drone attack on Eilat to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.

Eilat’s Yoseftal Medical Center, the country’s smallest general hospital, is treating some 20 others wounded in the attack.

The military says troops are also operating at the scene of the impact alongside police officers.

German ambassador: ‘World mustn’t get used to the Houthis‘ trying to kill Israeli civilians’

Germany’s Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert says “the world mustn’t get used to the Houthis‘ trying to kill Israeli civilians,” responding to a drone strike by the Iran-backed terror group in Eilat that injured 20 people.

“A Houthi drone hits Eilat and injures several people — I wish them all a full recovery. The world mustn’t get used to the Houthis‘ trying to kill Israeli civilians just because they say they act for the people of Gaza. Whom of course they do not help one bit,” he writes on X.

https://twitter.com/GerAmbTLV/status/1970875658969772074

Israeli traveler said to suffer stroke, forcing Dubai-Tel Aviv flight to land in Saudi Arabia

A Fly Dubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, full of Israelis, was forced to make an emergency landing after a passenger suffered a stroke, Hebrew media outlets report.

FZ1125 took off at 4:17 p.m. from Dubai but landed at an airport in Riyadh over an hour later.

Channel 12 reports that an Israeli passenger suffered a stroke and was hospitalized in Riyadh.

The passengers are expected to continue to Tel Aviv within the hour, the report says.

Israel does not have formal ties with Saudi Arabia, but the countries have inched closer in recent years, and were reportedly nearing a US-brokered diplomatic breakthrough before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre.

IAF probing failure to intercept Houthi drone that hit Eilat

The Israeli Air Force has launched an investigation after failing to intercept the Houthi drone that struck Eilat a short while ago, wounding 20, including two seriously.

Two Iron Dome interceptor missiles were fired at the drone, but both failed to take down the device.

Sirens had sounded in the city warning of the drone attack, “according to protocol,” the military says.

20 hurt, two seriously, in Houthi drone attack on Eilat

Security forces at the scene of a Houthi drone strike, in Eilat, September 24, 2025. (Yehuda Ben Itach/Flash90)

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it took 20 victims of the Houthi drone attack in Eilat to a hospital in the city.

They include two men in their 60s in serious condition, one person moderately wounded, and another 17 lightly hurt, according to MDA.

Most of the injured were hit by shrapnel, MDA says.

Trump promised leaders of Arab, Muslim countries he won’t allow West Bank annexation — sources tell ToI

US President Donald Trump told participants at his meeting yesterday with the leaders of eight Arab and Muslim countries that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, a source at the sit-down and a second source briefed on the matter tell The Times of Israel, confirming a report in Politico.

Erdogan stopped to make way for Trump’s motorcade in New York, days after Macron also blocked

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was stopped by New York police to make way for US President Donald Trump’s motorcade yesterday, footage shows, days after his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron experienced the same inconvenience.

Erdogan appears visibly annoyed as police stop him and his entourage from continuing on their path as they leave the United Nations headquarters, where the Turkish leader is visiting for the 80th General Assembly.

https://twitter.com/dw_turkce/status/1970805411432554854

Medics say five hurt in Houthi drone attack on Eilat

Five people are wounded by shrapnel, including two seriously, after a Houthi drone launched from Yemen struck Israel’s southermost city of Eilat, medics say.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it took the five to Yoseftal Hospital in the city.

Several additional casualties are being treated at the scene, MDA adds.

Footage from the attack shows that the drone hit a shopping area in the resort city.

Footage posted to social media shows the moment a Houthi drone from Yemen hit Eilat in southern Israel, September 25, 2025. (Social media; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Four hurt in Houthi drone attack on southern city of Eilat

Four people are wounded after an explosive-laden drone, launched by the Houthis in Yemen, struck Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat a short while ago, the Magen David Adom ambulance service says.

Footage circulating on social media shows the moment the drone struck the city.

Police say officers have been dispatched to the scene.

Additional footage of the drone impact in Eilat. pic.twitter.com/D9h3EdMgnV

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 24, 2025

The IDF confirms that the drone was launched by the Houthis.

Attempts to intercept the drone failed, the military says.

The IDF confirms that a drone launched from Yemen at Israel struck Israel's southernmost city of Eilat a short while ago.

Attempts to intercept the drone failed, the military says.

At least four people were injured in the attack. pic.twitter.com/kp8Lp6Bb5s

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 24, 2025

Family of hostage Alon Ohel issues still from Hamas propaganda video

Hostage Alon Ohel is seen in still image approved by his family for publication from a Hamas propaganda video released on September 22, 2025. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

The family of Alon Ohel, who is held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, approves the publication of a still from a propaganda video released on Monday.

This evening, at the end of the Rosh Hashanah festival, the family will hold a press conference about the video.

Drone impact reported in Eilat after sirens sound in city

Medics and security forces are responding to reports of an impact in Eilat after sirens warning of a drone infiltration sounded in the city.

Eilat has been a frequent target of attacks carried out by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Last week, a drone fired by the Houthis smashed into a hotel in Eilat without causing injuries.

Medics and security forces are responding to reports of an impact in Eilat after sirens warning of a drone infiltration sounded in the city. pic.twitter.com/VpC9noHnGG

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 24, 2025

Sirens warn of suspected drone attack in Eilat

Sirens warning of a suspected drone infiltration are sounding in Eilat.

The IDF says it is looking into the details.

Pezeshkian vows Iran will ‘never bow before aggressors’ as snapback sanctions loom

Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, September 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian vows to “never bow before aggressors” as it faces snapback sanctions over its nuclear program, and months after Israel targeted its nuclear facilities.

He denounces the “aerial assaults of the Zionist regime and the United States of America against Iran’s cities, homes and infrastructures precisely at a time when we were treading the path of diplomatic negotiations,” adding that it “constituted a grave betrayal of diplomacy and a subversion of efforts towards the establishment of stability and peace.”

“This brazen act of aggression, in addition to monitoring a number of commanders, citizens, children, women, scientists and intellectual elites of my country, inflicted a grievous blow upon international trust and the very prospect of peace in the region. Should we fail to confront such perilous breaches of international norms?”

Pezeshkian repeatedly accuses Israel of “genocide” in the Gaza Strip, accusing Israel of killing “at the very least, over 35,000 innocent civilians in Gaza.”

It is unclear where his figure comes from. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 65,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.

Israel says it has killed over 22,000 combatants in battle as of August and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught.

“We do not seek nuclear weapons. This is our belief, based on the edict issued by the supreme leader and by religious authorities,” Pezeshkian asserts, although it avowedly seeks Israel’s destruction, built multiple heavily protected nuclear facilities, enriched uranium to levels with no civilian application, worked on weaponization, and developed a large ballistic missile arsenal.

Pezeshkian describes “the ludicrous and delusional scheme of a Greater Israel is being proclaimed with brazenness by the highest echelons of that regime.”

“The scheme encompasses vast swaths of the region. The map itself lays bare the true intentions of the Zionist regime, intentions that have of late been openly endorsed by its criminal prime minister,” he states.

“None in the world is secure from the aggressive machinations of this regime. It is manifest that the Zionist regime and its sponsors no longer even content themselves with normalization through political means. Rather, they impose their presence through naked force and have styled it peace through strength. Yet this is neither peace nor power. It is nothing but aggression, rooted in coercion and bullying,” he says.

Iran has used proxy terror groups throughout the Middle East to expand its influence, including the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza — groups that are all sworn to the destruction of Israel, and have instigated attacks on the Jewish state over the past two years, drawing IDF responses.

IDF says troops killed gunman in close combat deep in Gaza City

IDF soldiers seen operating in Gaza City in a picture released for publication on September 24, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)

Troops of the Nahal Infantry Brigade killed a gunman in a close-quarters battle deep in Gaza City, the military says.

The IDF says the Nahal Brigade has advanced further into Gaza City in recent days, amid an ongoing offensive against Hamas.

In addition to killing the gunman, the military says the Nahal troops located numerous weapons and military equipment, including IDF uniforms and destroyed a compound used by terror operatives, which resulted in a rocket being fired from the site.

Israeli cycling team says it’s reviewing branding as sponsors push for name change

Team Israel Premier Tech's US rider Matthew Riccitello competes during the 18th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, a 26 km race against the clock between Valladolid and Valladolid, on September 11, 2025. (Miguel Riopa/AFP)

PARIS, France — The Israeli cycling team that has been a focus for pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests says it is reviewing its branding for next year as sponsors pressure for a name change.

The Israel-Premier Tech team took their full name off riders’ jerseys for the recent Vuelta a España, which was halted early due to a plethora of protests over the Gaza war.

Some media have reported that the word Israel may be removed in the future, but the team does not confirm that.

“The team is currently in the planning phase for 2026 team branding and will communicate any potential changes in due course,” Israel-Premier Tech says in a message to Reuters.

The team is owned by Canadian-Israeli businessman Sylvan Adams and has an Israeli licence.

One of its sponsors, UK-based Factor Bikes, has said its support was conditional on disassociating from Israel.

“Without a name change, without a flag change, we won’t continue,” its founder, Rob Gitelis, told Cyclingnews.

Another sponsor, Canadian-based manufacturer and horticulture firm Premier Tech, expressed a similar stance in a statement published by some media this week.

“We are sensitive and attentive to the situation on the international scene, which has evolved considerably since our arrival on the World Tour in 2017,” it said, adding that it had always supported cyclists from Quebec and Canada.

“However, the current situation regarding the team name is no longer sustainable to achieve our goal, which is the very reason for our involvement in cycling.”

Neither company can immediately be reached for comment.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Trump used UN meet with Muslim leaders to present comprehensive Gaza war-ending plan — Arab diplomats

US President Donald Trump, alongside Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks during a multilateral meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, on September 23, 2025. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

US President Donald Trump presented his plan for ending the war, the release of the hostages and the rehabilitation of Gaza under non-Hamas rule during a multilateral meeting with the leaders of eight Arab and Muslim countries, two Arab diplomats briefed on the proposal tell The Times of Israel.

Parts of the plan presented by Trump are based on the one crafted by former UK prime minister Tony Blair, which was revealed by The Times of Israel last week.

But while the Blair plan focused on the post-war management of Gaza, the plan presented by Trump also outlined how the war itself would end, envisioning a ceasefire of several weeks during which all of the remaining 48 hostages would be released, one of the Arab diplomats says.

The participating countries were briefed on the US proposal ahead of time and presented a position paper that welcomed Trump’s plan, a source familiar with the matter says.

The paper included four points: welcoming the proposal for a comprehensive end to the war in Gaza; stressing the importance of bringing back the hostages, ending the war and allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza; committing to be part of a peaceful solution for the region, based on Trump’s vision; and calling out continued Israeli strikes on countries in the region, including Qatar.

The position paper also rejected the following: the continued Israeli military operation in Gaza, Israeli occupation of Gaza and establishment of settlements there, forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and preventing those who leave Gaza from the ability to return, Israeli annexation of the West Bank, and preventative steps that violate the status quo at Jerusalem holy sites.

At UN, Spain’s king says country ‘proud of its Sephardic roots,’ which is why it is ‘so pained’ by Gaza war

King Felipe VI of Spain addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Spain sees “full severity” of violations of international law in “Palestine, in the Gaza Strip,” its King Felipe VI tells the UN General Assembly.

“Spain is a nation deeply proud of its Sephardic roots,” the king says, referring to its Jewish population, many of whom were massacred in the Inquisition of the late 15th century, then expelled in 1492. Jews began to return to the country around the 19th century.

“When we speak to the people of Israel, we speak to a people of brothers and sisters, a people who, when they return to Spain, to Cordoba, Toledo, Seville, Barcelona, and so many other places, come home. This was the spirit behind the 2015 law, which was passed with broad consensus, granting Spanish nationality to descendants of Sephardic Jews, originally from Spain,” he says.

“It is for this reason, and it is so difficult for us to understand, and we are so pained by the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza. We therefore cry out, we implore, we demand, stop this massacre now. No more deaths in the name of a people that are so wise and ancient, who have suffered so greatly throughout history,” he states.

“Let us be clear, we unequivocally condemn the heinous terrorism of Hamas, especially the brutal massacre of the seventh of October 2023 against the Israeli population. And we recognize Israel’s right to self-defense, but with equal strength, we demand that the Israeli government fully uphold international humanitarian law throughout Gaza and the West Bank,” he says, calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid to be sent into the Strip.

Danish pension fund drops Israeli assets due to war in Gaza, West Bank settlements

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish fund manager AkademikerPension is excluding Israeli state assets, including government-controlled companies, from its investment portfolio, it says, due to the war in Gaza and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

It is the latest decision by a European fund manager to curtail investments in Israel, following recent divestments by Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund.

The 157 billion Danish crowns ($24.77 billion) AkademikerPension, which manages the pensions of Danish teachers and university lecturers, says the conflict was not in accordance with international humanitarian principles.

“This comes as an assessment of the state of Israel’s ability to uphold human rights,” CEO Jens Munch Holst tells Reuters.

The ongoing war in Gaza was sparked when Hamas-led terrorists murdered 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages, on October 7, 2023.

Trump is ‘racist, sexist, Islamophobic,’ London mayor says after US president’s UN speech

London Mayor Sadiq Khan gives his acceptance speech after being declared the winner of the London Mayoral election at City Hall in London on May 8, 2021, winning his second term. (Justin Tallis/AFP)

LONDON — London Mayor Sadiq Khan calls Donald Trump “Islamophobic” and “racist” after the US president appeared to suggest the British politician wanted to introduce sharia law in the UK’s capital city.

Khan, of the center-left Labour party, and the Republican Trump have traded insults for years, with the latest row stemming from comments the president made at the United Nations this week.

“I think President Trump has shown he is racist, he is sexist, he is misogynistic, and he is Islamophobic,” the mayor of London tells Sky News.

During his speech to the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Trump said: “I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor, and it’s been changed, it’s been so changed.

“Now they want to go to Sharia law. But you are in a different country, you can’t do that,” he added, referring to the Islamic law code based on the teachings of the Koran.

UN calls for probe into alleged ‘attacks’ on Gaza-bound flotilla

GENEVA, Switzerland — The United Nations calls for an investigation into alleged drone “attacks” against a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, saying anyone responsible for the “violations” should be held accountable.

“There must be an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into the reported attacks and harassment by drones and other objects” on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which said a dozen explosions were heard around its ships late Tuesday, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan says in a statement.

WATCH: Leaders of Spain, Argentina, Iran and Syria to speak at 2nd day of UNGA

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the UN General Assembly during the 80th session of the annual event on September 23, 2025, in New York City. (SPENCER PLATT / Getty Images via AFP)

The second day of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly begins, with leaders of Spain, Argentina, Iran and Syria set to speak today.

Spain’s King Don Felipe VI will represent the southern European country, which has been fiercely critical of the war in Gaza.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian will speak second, and Argentina’s President Javier Milei, who has adopted a stridently pro-Israel stance and visited Israel earlier this year, will be the 12th speaker.

Syria’s President Ahmad Al-Sharaa is the 14th speaker. He is the first Syrian president to visit the UNGA since 1967.

Iran’s rial falls to all-time low of 1,074,000 to US dollar after Khamenei rejects talks

This picture shows new Iranian bank notes of one million, 500,000, and 100,000 rials on August 3, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s rial currency falls to a new all-time low, reaching 1,074,000 to the US dollar just before Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is due to address the United Nations.

The currency’s fall follows Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rejection of direct talks with the United States over its nuclear program.

Khamenei’s announcement likely boxes in the diplomacy that Pezeshkian and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi could have done in New York.

It also suggests that last-minute talks between Iran and European nations won’t stop the coming reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. A 30-day window to stop the sanctions will end Sunday.

Russia, Iran ink memo on construction of nuclear plants in Islamic Republic

A worker rides a bicycle in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, Oct. 26, 2010. (Majid Asgaripour/Mehr News Agency via AP)

MOSCOW, Russia — Russia and Iran sign a memorandum of understanding on the construction of small nuclear power plants in Iran, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom says.

The agreement is signed by Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev and Iran’s top nuclear official, Mohammad Eslami, at a meeting in Moscow. Rosatom described it as a “strategic project.”

Eslami, who is also Iran’s vice president, told Iranian state media earlier this week that the plan was to construct eight nuclear power plants as Tehran seeks to reach 20 GW of nuclear energy capacity by 2040.

Iran, which suffers from electricity shortages during high-demand months, has only one operating nuclear power plant, in the southern city of Bushehr. It was built by Russia and has a capacity of around 1 GW.

Russia has close relations with Iran and condemned US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites earlier this year that were carried out with the stated aim of preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb.

Iran says it has no such intention. However, it avowedly seeks Israel’s destruction, built multiple heavily protected nuclear facilities, enriched uranium to levels with no civilian application, worked on weaponization, and developed a large ballistic missile arsenal.

British couple held in Iran on spying charges set to appear in court Saturday

A undated handout picture released by the family of Craig and Lindsay Foreman through Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London on February 15, 2025, shows Craig and Lindsay Foreman posing for a selfie photograph at an unknown location. (Photo by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office/AFP)

LONDON — A British couple held in Iran on espionage charges is set to appear in court Saturday for their latest hearing, their family says, as they urge UK government action.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 52, have been held since January after Iranian authorities seized the pair as they passed through Kerman, in central Iran, while on a round-the-world motorbike trip.

Tehran, which is detaining them in separate prisons in or near the capital, has insisted they are spies.

Their family has rejected the claim and complains they are being kept “completely in the dark” about their case.

Relatives only spoke to the pair for the first time in early August, and have grown increasingly frustrated at the handling of their case in Iran as well as at the support received from the British government in London.

“We need to be taken seriously. Our parents are innocent, they are enduring horrific conditions, and they are suffering repeated violations of their human rights,” their son Joe Bennett says in a statement sent to AFP.

“We are calling on the UK government to act,” he adds, urging support for the couple in their court appearances and Lindsay’s requested transfer to Evin prison, where her husband is being held.

Bennett and other relatives also want London to ensure they receive better medical attention and regular family contact.

“They need real, tangible support, not just words,” he says, noting the family has written to new Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper requesting an urgent meeting.

Israeli drone crashes in western Negev after technical malfunction

An Israeli Air Force drone crashed this morning in southern Israel, in the western Negev area, following a technical malfunction, the military says.

The IDF says the drone was collected by troops, and no damage or injuries were caused.

Israeli drone crashed at UNIFIL headquarters in southern Lebanon yesterday

An armoured vehicle of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) moves past destroyed buildings along a road in the village of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon near the border with northern Israel on August 27, 2025. (ANWAR AMRO / AFP)

An Israeli military drone crashed inside the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, in southern Lebanon’s Naqoura, yesterday, the observer force says.

No injuries were caused in the incident. UNIFIL says sappers “neutralized the device,” which was determined to not be armed but equipped with just a camera.

The Israeli military confirmed to UNIFIL that the drone belonged to them.

UNIFIL says that “like all IDF drone and other flights over south Lebanon, this is a violation of resolution 1701 and Lebanese sovereignty,” adding that it “will formally protest this act.”

The IDF has remained deployed to five posts inside southern Lebanon since a November 2024 ceasefire that ended fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group, one of which is located near the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura.

UK police say man arrested as part of probe over airport disruptions

LONDON — British police say a man has been arrested as part of an investigation into a cyberattack last week that hit Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in systems at airports, causing major disruption across Europe.

The National Crime Agency says in a statement that the man, in his 40s, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act and has since been released on conditional bail.

Italy slams alleged attack on Gaza flotilla, offers assistance

Libyan girl scouts pose for a picture in front of the Omar al-Mukhtar ship, a Libyan ship setting sail on September 17 to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, at the port in Tripoli on September 16, 2025. (Mahmud Turkia / AFP)

ROME, Italy — Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto strongly condemns an alleged overnight attack on an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza.

In a statement, Crosetto also says he had redirected an Italian navy ship to head towards the flotilla to possibly offer assistance.

Organizers of the Gaza-bound flotilla carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists say they heard explosions and saw multiple drones that targeted some of their boats, currently situated off Greece.

AFP and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

IDF footage shows Hamas gunmen opening fire from Shifa Hospital

Hamas gunmen opened fire from a building at Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital compound several days ago, the military says, attaching footage from the incident.

“This use of a civilian structure, especially in an active hospital, constitutes further proof of the cynical and consistent modus operandi of the Hamas terror organization, which turns civilian infrastructure into manned terror headquarters,” the military says.

“In doing so, Hamas knowingly endangers the lives of patients, medical staff and innocent residents in the Strip,” it adds.

The IDF has raided Shifa Hospital twice since the beginning of the war, during which troops killed hundreds of gunmen, including top commanders in Hamas and Islamic Jihad; detained hundreds of terror suspects; uncovered tunnels; and seized numerous weapons.

Despite overwhelming evidence, Hamas has denied operating from Shifa and other health facilities.

This video, released by the IDF on September 24, 2025, shows gunfire by Hamas operatives from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. (Israel Defense Forces)

Hamas-run ministry says 37 killed by Israeli fire over past day

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 37 Palestinians were confirmed killed and around 175 were wounded by Israeli fire in the Strip during the previous 24 hours.

Gaza authorities do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The IDF has not yet commented on its strikes in Gaza in the past day.

Iraq’s president tells UN Israel’s treatment of Palestinians ‘inhumane’ and a ‘disgrace’

Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid, addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 23, 2025, at UN headquarters in New York City. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Iraq’s President Abdul Latif Rashid tells the UN General Assembly that the treatment of Palestinians by Israel is “inhumane” and a “disgrace.”

“The Palestinian civilians are beset by killing, starvation, displacement, and the destruction of infrastructure and state institutions. This is inhumane. It’s a disgrace for humanity. Therefore, this must end,” he said in a speech Tuesday.

He calls for the international community to take “urgent measures” to ensure a solution to the Palestinian issue. “This, and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine, is the only pathway to stability and security in the Middle East and the entire world,” he adds.

He claims the treatment of Palestinians is proof of the world’s “selectiveness” when protecting human rights.

Moroccan PM tells UN Rabat ‘stands in solidarity’ with countries attacked by Israel

Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 23, 2025, at UN headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch says his country “stands in solidarity” with Middle Eastern countries attacked by Israel, in a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York.

Akhannouch urged the United Nations to work to “save the region from the cycle of violence.” He outlines several steps that should be taken to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

“One, an immediate ceasefire (in Gaza) and a return to the negotiating table in order to put a final end to the war. Two, ensuring the entry of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank without any conditions or restrictions. Three, promote the vital role of UNRWA [the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees]. And four, implement a clear and comprehensive roadmap for reconstruction,” he said in Tuesday’s address.

“We continue to believe that the two-state solution is the only way to achieve sustainable and comprehensive peace in the Middle East,” he states, adding that such a process cannot be delayed.

At UN, Lebanon’s Aoun calls for end of ‘Israeli aggression,’ IDF pullout from Lebanon

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun addresses the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters, in New York City, on September 23, 2025. (Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun calls for the “immediate cessation of Israeli aggression” in his country during his speech to the UN General Assembly in New York.

He calls Israel’s presence along Lebanon’s southern border a burden, and demands the “full withdrawal of IDF troops.”

“This will be achieved with the help of the mandate given to [the] United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) working in coordination with the Lebanese Army, over a transitional period, to impose peace and stability. In this context, allow me to extend my gratitude to the members of the Security Council who adopted the decision to renew the UNIFIL’s mandate, to help us achieve lasting peace and stability,” he said in his speech Tuesday.

Under a November 27, 2024, ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended over a year of war, weapons in south Lebanon were to be held only by the state, and the IDF was permitted to act against imminent threats by the terror group.

Israel has since carried out hundreds of attacks on Hezbollah personnel or assets, the vast majority of them in southern Lebanon, though it has also taken action deeper inside the country, including in the Beqaa Valley, a stronghold of the Iran-backed group.

Aoun also urges “the revival of a new political track, aimed at finding a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue, based on the decisions of the international community and the principle of a two-state solution, ensuring the right of both states to a secure and dignified existence, as voted by your General Assembly with a majority of 142 states out of 164 states, in the New York Declaration.”

Palestinian who hurled bomb at IDF troops shot dead in West Bank

A Palestinian who hurled an explosive device at Israeli soldiers during a raid in the northern West Bank village of Anza this morning was shot dead, the military says.

The IDF says the forces, of the Paratroopers Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, were not hurt by the bomb.

The slain Palestinian is identified by local media as Ahmed Jihad Barahmeh, 19.

Iran rebuilding missile plants hit during war with Israel, satellite images show

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows reconstruction efforts at Iran's Parchin solid propellant plant outside of Tehran, Iran, August 28, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran has begun rebuilding missile-production sites targeted by Israel during its 12-day war in June, satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press show, but a key component is likely still missing — the large mixers needed to produce solid fuel for the weapons.

Reconstituting the missile program is crucial for the Islamic Republic, which believes another round of war with Israel may happen. The missiles are one of Iran’s few military deterrents after the war decimated its air defense systems — something that Tehran long has insisted will never be included in negotiations with the West.

Missile experts tell AP that obtaining the mixers is a goal for Tehran, particularly as it prepares for possible United Nations sanctions to be reimposed on the country later this month. The sanctions would penalize any development of the missile program, among other measures. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is due to address the United Nations General Assembly today.

Known as planetary mixers, the machines feature blades that revolve around a central point, like orbiting planets, and offer better mixing action than other types of equipment. Iran could purchase them from China, where experts and US officials say they’ve purchased missile fuel ingredients and other components in the past.

“If they’re able to reacquire some key things like planetary mixers, then that infrastructure is still there and ready to get rolling again,” says Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies who studied Iranian missile sites.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to questions about the country’s efforts to rebuild its missile program.

Iran’s oil minister says snapback sanctions won’t have big impact on oil sales

Mohsen Paknejad (R), then-Iran's nominee for oil minister, attends a parliament session in the capital Tehran, on August 17, 2024, as Iran's president defends his cabinet selection. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The triggering of the United Nations snapback mechanism won’t add “new burdensome restrictions” on Iran’s oil sales, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad says, as Tehran and European powers struggle to reach a deal to prevent the return of UN sanctions this week.

“In the last years, we have faced such severe restrictions from the unjust and unilateral US sanctions that, in practice, [UN sanctions] won’t add much to this situation,” Paknejad says, according to the Iranian Oil Ministry’s news outlet.

IDF soldier seriously wounded in north Gaza fighting

IDF soldiers seen operating in Gaza City in a picture released for publication on September 24, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)

A soldier in the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit was seriously wounded by gunfire during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip this morning, the military says.

He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

His family has been notified.

Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, dies

The grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, prays at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque during Eid al-Fitr morning prayers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti and the kingdom’s top religious figure for over a quarter century that saw the ultraconservative Muslim nation socially liberalize, died yesterday. He was in his 80s.

Sheikh Abdulaziz’s role as grand mufti made him one of the top Islamic clerics in the world of Sunni Muslims. Saudi Arabia, home to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, hosts the annual Hajj pilgrimage required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their lives, making the pronouncements of the grand mufti that much more closely followed.

Saudi Arabia’s state media reported Sheikh Abdulaziz’s death, without offering a cause. The kingdom’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who runs the kingdom’s day-to-day governance under his 89-year-old father, King Salman, attended funeral prayers for the late mufti in Riyadh.

“With his passing, the kingdom and the Islamic world have lost a distinguished scholar who made significant contributions to the service of Islam and Muslims,” the Saudi Royal Court says in a statement.

Troops find crude rocket near West Bank’s Tulkarem

A rocket found by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, September 23, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

A crude rocket was found by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Tulkarem last night, the military says.

The rocket was disarmed by police sappers before being taken for investigation.

According to the IDF, the rocket, which had no motor, was located in an open area, where it had apparently been left for a long time. It is unclear whether the rocket had been fired or not.

The military says it was treating the incident “with severity.”

In recent years, there have been several attempts by Palestinian terror groups to develop and launch crude rockets from the West Bank at Israeli settlements and at Israel, though with little to no success.

Last week, forces arrested a Palestinian terror cell in the Ramallah area of the West Bank that had been building rockets intended to be launched at Israeli targets.

Dua Lipa denies report she dropped Jewish agent who urged Kneecap’s removal from Glastonbury

Dua Lipa performs onstage at Madison Square Garden on September 20, 2025 in New York City. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ABA/AFP)

British pop singer Dua Lipa denies reports she dropped her Jewish agent for signing onto a letter to remove the anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian Irish rap group Kneecap from the Glastonbury music festival.

In an Instagram post, Dua Lipa calls the report in the Daily Mail “completely false.” A separate statement by her management company, William Morris Endeavor, says that the agent David Levy had not been involved in managing the artist’s day-to-day activity since 2019.

Levy was one of the first signatories on a leaked letter to Glastonbury’s organizers to remove Kneecap, whose singer is currently facing terrorism charges in the United Kingdom for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a concert.

“I do not condone the actions of David Levy or other music executives toward an artist speaking their truth. I also cannot ignore how this has been handled in the press. Not only was the story completely false but the language used by the Daily Mail has been deliberately inflammatory, crafted purely for clickbait, clearly designed to fuel online division,” Dua Lipa’s statement says.

“It is always Free Palestine but exploiting a global tragedy in order to sell newspapers is something I find deeply troubling,” she adds.

WMA also calls the report “categorically false.”

“Reports suggesting that Dua Lipa or her management dismissed one of our agents because of his political views are categorically false,” WMA says.

“David Levy played a role in Dua’s early career (2016-2019) and as is customary, is credited both internally and in industry journals as being a member of the team. When he moved out of London in 2019, he transitioned into an advisory role and has not been involved in Dua’s day-to-day business since. Levy fully removed himself from the project among others earlier this year,” it says.

Dua Lipa has long been critical of Israel, and in May was one of more than 300 celebrities who signed onto a letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging him to end the country’s “complicity” in Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, sparked by the terror group’s October 7, 2023, massacre and hostage-taking.

Turkey jails comedian and rapper over joke deemed offensive to Islam

Turkey jailed two men pending trial after prosecutors said their online show included a joke referencing a hadith or teaching of the Prophet Muhammad, which they allege could incite religious hatred.

An Istanbul court ordered the detention of YouTuber Bogac Soydemir, host of the program “Soguk Savas,” and his guest Enes Akgunduz, a rapper, after authorities said the show featured a quip about the hadith “wine is the mother of all evil.”

Prosecutors argued the remark risked stirring hostility on religious grounds.

Both men apologized after the broadcast and denied wrongdoing when they appeared in court.

Soydemir said he had no intention of provoking hatred, adding that he removed the video once alerted to the issue and apologized on his social media accounts. He said the remark was a viewer comment he read on air, which he mistook for wordplay.

Akgunduz also rejected any suggestion of deliberate offence and said their conversation had been misinterpreted.

The case follows the jailing of four cartoonists from the satirical weekly Leman over a cartoon deemed to depict Prophets Muhammad and Moses, which President Tayyip Erdogan described as a “vile provocation.”

Japanese PM says Palestine state recognition ‘when not if,’ warns of action if Israel blocks 2-state solution

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on September 23, 2025. (Photo by Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP)

Japan’s prime minister tells the United Nations that Tokyo’s recognition of the State of Palestine is only a question of time, saying he was “indignant” at recent comments by Israeli officials.

Nearly 80 percent of UN members recognize the State of Palestine, with a string of countries including Britain, Canada and France adding their names this week after nearly two years of war in Gaza.

“I feel strongly indignant at the statements made by senior Israeli government officials that appear to categorically reject the very notion of Palestinian state-building,” Shigeru Ishiba says.

“For our country, the question is not whether to recognize a Palestinian state, but when. The continued unilateral actions by the government of Israel can never be accepted,” he says.

“I must state clearly that if further actions are taken that obstruct the realization of a two-state solution, Japan will be compelled to take new measures in response,” he adds.

Ishiba says that the “terror inflicted by Hamas and the devastation in Gaza we are witnessing today have left many feeling deeply saddened.”

“What matters the most is that Palestine can exist in a sustainable manner, living side by side in peace with Israel,” Ishiba says.

“As we invite Palestine to assume its role as a responsible member of the international community, the Palestinian side must establish a system of governance that ensures accountability,” he added.

Macron says Trump should stop Gaza war if he wants Nobel peace prize

US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with France's President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 23, 2025. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

If US President Donald Trump really wants to win the Nobel Peace Prize, he needs to stop the war in Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron says.

Speaking to France’s BFM TV from New York, Macron says only Trump had the power to put pressure on Israel to end the war.

“There is one person who can do something about it, and that is the US president,” Macron says.

“And the reason he can do more than us, is because we do not supply weapons that allow the war in Gaza to be waged. We do not supply equipment that allows war to be waged in Gaza. The United States of America does.”

Trump gave a combative, wide-ranging speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that rejected moves by Western allies to endorse a Palestinian state, saying that would be a reward for Hamas.

“We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately. We have to immediately negotiate peace,” Trump said.

Discussing Trump’s speech, Macron said: “I see an American president who is involved, who reiterated this morning from the podium: ‘I want peace. I have resolved seven conflicts’, who wants the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is only possible if you stop this conflict,” Macron says.

Countries such as Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan are among those that have nominated Trump for the annual prize for brokering peace pacts or ceasefires.

Trump has said he deserves the Norwegian-bestowed accolade given to four of his White House predecessors.

“President Trump has done more for peace than everyone present at the United Nations combined,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.

“Only this president could have accomplished so much for global stability because he has effectively Made America Strong Again.”

Australian public broadcaster ordered to pay journalist fired over post accusing Israel of starving Gazans

Australia’s public broadcaster is ordered Wednesday to pay a hefty penalty to a radio journalist dismissed over a social media post against Israel over its ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

Journalist Antoinette Lattouf took legal action after being fired in December 2023 just three days into a five-day casual contract with the ABC.

She was fired for reposting to Instagram a Human Rights Watch video report on the Gaza conflict with the comment: “HRW reporting starvation as a tool of war.”

Federal Court judge Darryl Rangiah previously said the broadcaster broke employment law by terminating Lattouf “for reasons including that she held political opinions opposing the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.”

Rangiah now says the ABC’s contraventions caused very “significant consequences” for Lattouf.

“For most people, employment is not just a source of income, but contributes substantially to their sense of purpose, identity and self-worth,” he says.

ABC — seen by many Australians as a bastion of fair reporting –is ordered to pay $98,900, in addition to $46,100 that was determined this year.

Rangiah says the compensation awarded to Lattouf is “sufficient” to address the impact of the offense.

The amount must be paid within 28 days.

Lattouf says the ABC had spent “well over $2 million of taxpayer money fighting me.”

“Whatever the penalty, for me this was never about money — it’s always been about accountability and the integrity of the information our public broadcaster gives us,” she posts on social media.

“I hope the ABC takes this opportunity to restore credibility, regain trust, and re-establish integrity, because our democracy depends on a strong fourth estate.”

ABC managing director Hugh Marks says the broadcaster will “continue to reflect on the court’s findings.”

“We take the matter seriously and have reflected on the lessons learned and their implications. We must be better,” he says.

Gaza flotilla activists claim attack by ‘multiple drones’ on ships near Greece

Organizers of a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists say they heard explosions and saw multiple drones that targeted some of their boats, currently situated off Greece.

“Multiple drones, unidentified objects dropped, communications jammed and explosions heard from a number of boats,” the Global Sumud Flotilla says in a statement, without adding whether there were any casualties.

“We are witnessing these psychological operations firsthand, right now, but we will not be intimidated,” the statement says.

German human rights activist and flotilla member Yasemin Acar says in a video she posted on Instagram that five vessels had been attacked.

“We are carrying only humanitarian aid,” she says. “We have no weapons. We pose no threat to anyone. It is Israel who is killing thousands of people (and) starving a whole population.”

Footage of Israeli attack on global sumud flotilla in interviews waters pic.twitter.com/oueqf3vydJ

— Global Sumud Flotilla Commentary (@GlobalSumudF) September 24, 2025

In an earlier video, Acar said the activists had “sighted 15 to 16 drones,” adding that their radios had been jammed as loud music could be heard.

One video posted by the flotilla’s official Instagram page shows an explosion it says it recorded from the Spectre boat at “01:43 GMT +3.”

In another video posted by the same page, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila says four boats were “targeted with drones throwing devices” just before another explosion was heard in the background.

Trump’s meeting with Muslim leaders ends without comment from US; Witkoff gives thumbs up

US President Donald Trump has wrapped up his meeting at the UN with Arab leaders and simply waves to gathered news reporters rather than comment on how things went.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff offers a thumbs-up when asked how the meeting had fared.

The US president had set up the meeting as being critical for figuring out an end to the Israel-Hamas war.

Attending the meeting were leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan.

Emirati state news agency WAM reports that the meeting focused on ending the ongoing war in Gaza and reaching a permanent ceasefire.

The news agency says releasing all hostages and taking steps toward addressing the worsening humanitarian crisis in the war-torn enclave were also discussed as priorities at the meeting.

Syrian leader accuses Israel of ‘stalling on negotiations, insisting on violating our airspace’

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa listens during the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on September 23, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP)

NEW YORK — Syria’s leader warns that the Middle East will face a new round of tumult unless Israel reaches a security agreement with his transitional government that preserves sovereignty.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist whose forces swept out longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, is making a landmark visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

“We are not the ones creating problems for Israel. We are scared of Israel, not the other way around,” he tells an event of the Middle East Institute.

“There are multiple risks with Israel stalling on the negotiations and insisting on violating our airspace and incursions into our territory,” he says.

He rejects any talk of partitioning his country, as Israel makes incursions and says it is championing the interests of the Druze minority.

“Jordan is under pressure, and any talk of partitioning Syria will hurt Iraq, will hurt Turkey,” he says.

“That will take us all back to square one,” he says, noting that Syria has only just emerged from a decade-and-a-half of war.

In an earlier appearance, Sharaa played down prospects for a more historic agreement in which Syria would recognize Israel.

Macron to meet Wednesday with Iran’s president amid efforts to avert nuclear sanctions snapback

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) meets with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on September 24, 2024. (Ludovic Marin/AFP)

UNITED NATIONS — France’s President Emmanuel Macron will meet with his Iranian counterpart at the UN Wednesday as efforts to avert the reimposition of deep sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program intensify.

“Either Iran makes a gesture and goes back to the path of peace and accountability that make it possible to get back on course… or sanctions will have to be imposed,” Macron says from the podium of the UN General Assembly. “I’ll have an occasion to meet with the president tomorrow (Wednesday) on each of these crucial issues.”