Skip next section Sirens blare, explosions heard over Israel
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Sirens blare, explosions heard over Israel
Explosions were heard and seen over the skies of Israel after the Israeli military said that Iran had launched missiles toward Israel.
It was not clear whether the explosions came from strikes or Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system.
Reuters cited Israeli media as saying that Iran had fired more than 100 missiles in total.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lIwZ
Skip next section Israel says Iran has launched missiles
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Israel says Iran has launched missiles
The Israeli military said on Tuesday night that Iran had launched missiles toward Israel.
It was not immediately clear how many or what type of missiles they were, but Israel had already said it was prepared for such an attack.
Air raid sirens also went off in parts of the country.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lIvC
Skip next section US and Israeli defense officials discuss ‘imminent threat’ from Iran
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
US and Israeli defense officials discuss ‘imminent threat’ from Iran
The US and Israeli defense ministers spoke on Tuesday after the US said they suspected that was preparing an attack against Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin “discussed the imminent threat of an Iranian missile attack against Israel,” Israel’s Defense Ministry said.
“The minister and secretary discussed Israel’s operational readiness to defend its citizens and military assets, as well as US force posture in the region.”
The Israeli military earlier said it had not detected any “aerial threat” from Iran, but said it was ready to defend itself.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lIul
Skip next section Airlines extend flight suspension to and from affected Middle East cities
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Airlines extend flight suspension to and from affected Middle East cities
Several international airlines have continued to avoid flying over areas , with many extending their suspension of flights, particularly to Beirut, Tel Aviv and Tehran.
German airline group , which includes Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings, said its flights to and from Tel Aviv through October 31. Trips to and from Beirut won’t take off until November 30 and October 14, respectively.
Swiss Air said the suspensions were “intended to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews.”
Dutch airline KLM also announced Friday that its one daily flight to Tel Aviv will be suspended until the end of the year.
Ryanair, Europe’s biggest budget airline, has canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 26, citing “operational restrictions.”
US airlines Delta and United have also suspended flights to Israel. Qatar Airways canceled flights to and from Beirut until further notice.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lIDw
Skip next section South Beirut hit again as Hezbollah claims it targeted Israeli airbase
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
South Beirut hit again as Hezbollah claims it targeted Israeli airbase
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) said two areas of south Beirut were hit by Israeli air strikes. One of the buildings was close to the Zahraa hospital, and the other one near the Kuwaiti embassy.
Israel’s military said it conducted “a precise strike in Beirut,” without giving details.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from south Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold.
Meanwhile, the Iran-backed group said it launched rockets toward the disused Sde Dov airbase near Tel Aviv in retaliation for attacks on civilians in Lebanon. Hezbollah dedicated the attack to its slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut on Friday.
The Israeli army reported that a number of missiles crossed into Israel from Lebanon and fell in open areas in central Israel, without mentioning the specific location.
According to Israeli media reports, at least two people were injured in previous strikes on Tel Aviv earlier on Tuesday.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lIZg
Skip next section US warns of possible Iranian attack against Israel
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
US warns of possible Iranian attack against Israel
A White House official told reporters on condition of anonymity that the US has “indications that is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel.”
“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack,” the official was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency, warning that such an action “will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
In April, Iran launched a drone-and-missile assault on Israel. However most of the slow-moving projectiles were intercepted before reaching their target, as many were shot down by a US-led coalition .
Since the August assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran has threatened revenge and made similar comments after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last week.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lIJN
Skip next section Russia, China condemn Israeli raids in Lebanon
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Russia, China condemn Israeli raids in Lebanon
Foreign Ministry has “strongly” condemned Israel’s ground incursion in southern Lebanon and called on Israel to “immediately” withdraw its forces.
Moscow, , urged Israel to engage “in a real search for peaceful ways to resolve the Middle East conflict.”
“We express our solidarity with the leadership and people of friendly Lebanon, which has been subjected to armed aggression,” the ministry said.
Russia maintains close ties with Iran, which backs Hezbollah.
The government in also said it opposed “infringements on Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
“China is highly concerned about the current situation between Lebanon and Israel and is deeply concerned about the further escalation of regional tensions due to related military actions,” China’s Foreign Ministry said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lHys
Skip next section Israel expands restrictions on public gatherings
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Israel expands restrictions on public gatherings
Israel’s military has announced tighter restrictions on public gatherings across the country, expanding measures to include and Tel Aviv.
The decision limits the number of people that can gather outside ahead of the Jewish new year to up to 30 people in an open area and 300 in a structure.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is marked on October 3 this year, with festivities running from October 2-4. Israeli media reported that the measures would be in place until Saturday.
Authorities are also closing beaches, as Hezbollah launches rocket attacks against Israel. On Tuesday, the Israeli army said at least 30 rockets were fired from .
https://p.dw.com/p/4lHpE
Skip next section Israel says its forces have been carrying out raids in Lebanon for months
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Israel says its forces have been carrying out raids in Lebanon for months
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari told reporters that Israeli troops have carried out several ground operations in Lebanon over the last year, blowing up tunnels and arsenals linked to Hezbollah.
Those missions were on a small scale, Hagari said, with the aim of collecting information on Hezbollah or destroying the militant group’s infrastructure in Lebanon.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel said it was launching a “limited” ground incursion in southern Lebanon and urged residents to avoid traveling to the region amid what it described as “intense fighting.”
However, Hezbollah later claimed that no Israeli forces had entered Lebanon.
An unnamed Israeli official was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying Tuesday’s operations went only a short distance over the border. The official also said there were no direct clashes with Hezbollah fighters.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lHuR
Skip next section Israel warns several communities in southern Lebanon to evacuate
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Israel warns several communities in southern Lebanon to evacuate
The Israeli military has urged residents in more than 20 areas in southern to leave their homes.
The announcement comes hours after Israel announced it was launching ground incursions into Lebanon against .
The evacuation order was posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, by the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee.
The warning focused on almost two dozen communities in Lebanon’s south and ordered people to evacuate north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (nearly 40 miles) from the Israeli border.
The area is farther north than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of a UN-declared zone that was intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after the 2006 war.
“The IDF [Israeli military] does not want to harm you, and for your own safety you must evacuate your homes immediately. Anyone who is near Hezbollah members, installations and combat equipment is putting his life in danger,” Adraee wrote on X.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lHgU
Skip next section Hezbollah says no Israeli troops entered Lebanon
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Hezbollah says no Israeli troops entered Lebanon
Mohammad Afif, the head of media office, said the militant group has not engaged in “direct ground clashes” with Israeli troops, denying that Israeli forces had entered Lebanon.
Afif said Hezbollah fighters are ready “to have direct confrontation with enemy forces that dare to or try to enter Lebanon to inflict casualties among them.”
Separately, a spokesperson for UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying there was “no ground incursion right now.”
The remarks come after Israel’s military said it began “limited, localized and targeted raids” against militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israel also warned residents against traveling to the area, saying “intense fighting” was taking place.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lHe3
Skip next section Medics say Israeli air raids kill several in Gaza
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Medics say Israeli air raids kill several in Gaza
Palestinian officials in Gaza said at least 21 people in shelters were killed in Israeli airstrikes Tuesday.
According to the civil defense authority in the Hamas-run enclave, an Israeli aid raid killed seven people in a school sheltering in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it had targeted Hamas militants who had allegedly planned and carried out “terrorist attacks” against Israeli soldiers from the school.
Another 13 people, including women and children, were reportedly killed in two Israeli strikes on two houses in Nuseirat, one of Gaza’s built-up refugee camps.
Meanwhile, Hamas and other militant factions in Gaza said in separate statements that they had attacked Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets, mortar fire and explosive devices.
The information provided by both sides could not be independently verified.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lHNR
Skip next section Nearly 1 million displaced by war in Lebanon, PM says
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Nearly 1 million displaced by war in Lebanon, PM says
caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, has called on the UN to provide aid as his country faces “one of the most dangerous phases of its history.”
“Around a million of our people have been displaced because of the devastating war that Israel is waging on Lebanon,” the National News Agency quoted him as saying.
“We urgently call for more aid to reinforce our ongoing efforts to provide basic support to displaced civilians,” he added in a meeting with UN representatives.
According to the UN aid coordinating office OCHA, 90% of the 1 million people displaced in Lebanon fled their homes in just the last week.
OCHA, together with Mikati, launched an appeal for a $426 million (€383 million) in humanitarian aid on Tuesday.
“Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza today launched a $426 million flash appeal to mobilise urgent resources for civilians affected by the escalating conflict and resulting humanitarian crisis in Lebanon,” the agency said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lH8i
Skip next section UK says ship hit off Yemen as Houthis claim unreported attacks on Israel
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
UK says ship hit off Yemen as Houthis claim unreported attacks on Israel
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a drone has hit a ship off the -controlled port city of Hodeida.
“The vessel has been hit by an uncrewed surface vessel. Number 6 port ballast tank has been punctured,” the British military agency said, referring to the tank that controls a ship’s buoyancy.
The suspected Houthi attack and another attempt earlier on Tuesday came after the Shiite militia threatened “escalating military operations” .
The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the latest Red Sea attack. Instead, a spokesperson for the group said the Houthis had targeted Israeli military posts in Tel Aviv and Eilat with drones.
Israeli media reported that the Houthi statement seemed to be connected to a drone intercepted on Tuesday over the .
https://p.dw.com/p/4lH6T
Skip next section Israel warns against travel to southern Lebanon amid ‘intense fighting’
10/01/2024October 1, 2024
Israel warns against travel to southern Lebanon amid ‘intense fighting’
Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said “intense fighting” was taking place in southern Lebanon after Israel started ground raids.
“For your personal safety, we ask you not to travel by vehicles from the north to the south of the Litani River” in Lebanon’s south, he said in a message published in Arabic on Telegram.
Adraee said members in the area were “using the civilian environment and you as a human shield to organize to carry out attacks,” Israel has repeatedly made about , the Islamist militant group ruling .
Israel considers Hezbollah and Hamas, both backed by Iran, as terrorist organizations and has vowed to keep fighting until it destroys them.
The warning against travel to southern “is valid until further notice,” Adraee said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lGun
The post Middle East: Israel’s military says Iran launched missiles appeared first on Deutsche Welle.