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Israelis dead, wounded as Hamas launches major attack; ‘We are at war,’ Netanyahu says
(JTA) — Hundreds of Israelis are wounded and dozens are dead after Hamas launched a surprise attack early Saturday, sending thousands of rockets into Israel and infiltrating border towns with ground fighters.
Israelis living in border towns shared reports of street fighting and Hamas published footage of Israeli soldiers and civilians it said its fighters had taken hostage, in a dramatic surge of violence while Israelis were celebrating the Simchat Torah holiday and Shabbat.
At least 40 Israelis have been killed, according to local reports. Officials declined to share an official toll but had cautioned that an earlier tally of 22 deaths was expected to rise.
“We are at war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to the attack. Military reservists had been called up and the Israel Defense Forces began striking in Gaza, the Palestinian territory that Hamas controls.
“Hamas opened the gates of hell on the Gaza Strip, Hamas made the decision and Hamas will bear the responsibility and pay the price,” said Ghassan Alian, the IDF’s liaison to the Palestinians.
Palestinians at the Erez Crossing, also known as the Beit Hanoun Crossing, between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip, after Hamas launched a large attack on Israel, Oct. 7, 2023. (Atia Mohammed/Flash90)
The attack came on the 50th anniversary of the first day of the Yom Kippur War, when multiple Arab countries struck Israel in a coordinated attack. Thousands of Israeli soldiers were killed in that conflict, which resulted in a hard-fought Israeli victory and left the country deeply traumatized.
It also came as a political crisis within Israel left Netanyahu and his allies exposed to criticism that they were inadequately focused on potential threats against Israel. Israel’s leading opposition parties issued a statement urging unity in response to the attack.
The attack also comes as Israel is seeking to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia. Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon that is a proxy for Iran, praised the attack and said it should be seen as a message to Arab countries considering ties with Israel, which four countries have struck in the last three years. Saudi officials reportedly were pressing for gains for the Palestinians in their negotiations.
Israelis leave their damaged houses after Hamas rocket strikes in Ramla, Israel, near Tel Aviv, Oct. 7, 2023. (Saeed Qaq/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
According to siren alerts, most rockets landed in the communities in Israel’s south near Gaza, but there were some sirens in the center of the country and as far east as Jerusalem. Photographs showed that rockets had landed in North Tel Aviv, Beersheba and near Jerusalem.
Lines formed at hospitals as Israelis were urged to donate blood to help a growing number of people who were being admitted with serious injuries. Schools across the country were closed.
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The post Israelis dead, wounded as Hamas launches major attack; ‘We are at war,’ Netanyahu says appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Iran Showcases New, Advanced Missile Systems Amid US Threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
i24 News – The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp revealed their latest missile systems on Saturday, which have been deployed on three different Iranian islands.
This comes amid increased US pressure to return to the negotiation table over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with US President Donald Trump implementing a return to his “maximum pressure” policy.
Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, the head of the IRGC’s naval force, threatened that “the enemy would be beaten” in the event of a military confrontation. He boasted missile units, submarines, unmanned aircraft, and defense systems deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, located in the Persian Gulf, and in the islands in the region.
A new hangar was revealed in one of the sites that contains the new missile systems. According to the IRGC, these missiles have the ability to destroy maritime targets up to 600 kilometers (373 miles) from their deployment sites.
Last week, a US official told i24NEWS that Trump gave Khamenei a two-month ultimatum to reach a nuclear agreement. National Security Council Spokesperson Brian Hughes threatened “devastating” results.
Therefore, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attacked Donald Trump in a speech he made, saying “I will not negotiate with you even under threats.” This, after a few days prior, Trump wrote a letter to Iran, asking to restart negotiations on the nuclear issue.
The post Iran Showcases New, Advanced Missile Systems Amid US Threat first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Houthis Falsely Claim to Successfully Hit Ben Gurion Airport, USS Harry Truman
Newly recruited fighters who joined a Houthi military force intended to be sent to fight in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, march during a parade in Sanaa, Yemen, Dec. 2, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The Houthis claimed on Sunday that they targeted Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport with their alleged hypersonic Palestine 2 ballistic missile, with the strike “successfully achieving its goal.”
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree boasted that air traffic at the airport was suspended for more than half an hour.
Additionally, Saree claimed Houthi forces launched missiles and drones at the American aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. There is no indication that this attack succeeded, contrary to the Houthi statement.
At around 7:30 am, sirens blared throughout central Israel, with no injuries reported. The IDF said that a Houthi missile had been intercepted successfully outside of Israeli airspace.
This comes after the Houthis restarted their attacks on the Jewish state last week, triggering sirens in central Israel and the Jerusalem area.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command began an offensive against high-level Houthis and terrorist infrastructure in Yemen. US President Donald Trump has also stated that he will hold Iran responsible for any attack emanating from the Houthis.
The post Houthis Falsely Claim to Successfully Hit Ben Gurion Airport, USS Harry Truman first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas: Senior Official Salah al-Bardawil Killed in Khan Yunis Strike
Senior Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil. Photo: File.
i24 News – Hamas confirmed on Sunday that Salah al-Bardawil, a member of its political bureau, had been killed in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
His wife also perished in the attack. This targeted killing, initially reported by the Palestinian press agency Shehab, affiliated with Hamas, is said to have targeted “tents sheltering displaced persons.” The Israeli authorities have not yet commented on the reports.
This strike is part of a series of targeted operations carried out by Israel against the Hamas leadership. Over the weekend, the Israeli army and Shin Bet security agency also announced that they had eliminated Osama Tabash, who was the chief of military intelligence for Hamas in southern Gaza and led the organization’s surveillance and targeting unit.
According to the joint statement from the army and Shin Bet, Tabash was a “high-ranking terrorist” who possessed “significant operational knowledge for the terrorist organization.” He had held various positions of importance, including that of battalion commander in the Khan Yunis brigade.
The Israeli services attribute to him involvement in several attacks, including a suicide bombing carried out in 2005 at the Gush Katif crossroads in Gaza, which cost the life of Oded Sharon. In his recent roles, Tabash was responsible for developing the Hamas combat strategy and had participated in planning infiltrations during the massacre on October 7 in the Israeli communities in the south of the country.
The post Hamas: Senior Official Salah al-Bardawil Killed in Khan Yunis Strike first appeared on Algemeiner.com.