250 Hezbollah Fighters, Group's Communications Chief Killed In Israel's Lebanon Ops

TEL AVIV, Oct 4: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday said that around 250 Hezbollah fighters, including a number of battalion and company commanders have been killed since the start of its ground operation in Lebanon earlier this week.

It further said that the chief of Hezbollah’s communication networks, Mohammed Rashid Skafi, was killed in the latest airstrike on Beirut.

“Over the last 4 days, the IDF has eliminated 2,000+ military targets and 250 Hezbollah terrorists. Among them: 5 battalion commanders, ⁠10 company commanders and 6 platoon commanders have been eliminated. The Israeli Air Force is also conducting preemptive strikes during these intelligence-based operations in southern Lebanon,” the IDF stated in a post on X.

“Mohammad Rashid Sakafi, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Communications Unit, was killed during a precise, intelligence-based strike in Beirut yesterday,” the IDF had said in an another post on X.

According to the Israeli military, Sakafi was “a senior Hezbollah terrorist who was responsible for the communications unit since 2000” and was “closely affiliated” with high-up Hezbollah officials.

Israel conducted a series of large airstrikes overnight in the southern suburbs of Beirut and targeted another area that cut off the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, a key route for tens of thousands of people fleeing the Israeli bombardment.

The strike, which Israel has not commented on, follows the recent exodus of 310,000 people, mainly Syrians, fleeing the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon to seek safety in neighbouring Syria.

Earlier today, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel has “more surprises in store” for Hezbollah as ground operations continue in southern Lebanon, according to a report by the Times of Israel.

“Hezbollah is receiving very severe blows, one after the other. We eliminated [Hezbollah chief Hassan] Nasrallah and we have more surprises in store, some of which have already been carried out and some of which will be carried out,” Gallant said during a visit to the 36th Division’s headquarters in northern Israel.

Gallant further added that the IDF is “carrying out an operation today in several villages, and this process will continue wherever necessary to destroy all the infrastructure from which Hezbollah planned to carry out attacks.”

'Israel Won't Last Long': Iran's Khamenei's First Public Sermon In 5 Years

TEHRAN, Oct 4: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel "won't last long" as he backed the Palestinian and Lebanese movements against Israel in his rare Friday sermon.

Addressing tens of thousands of supporters at a mosque in Tehran, Khamenei justified its missile strikes on Israel as a "public service".

A gun kept by his side, the Iran leader declared that Israel would not prevail against Hamas or Hezbollah as chants of "we are with you" from the crowd echoed in the vast mosque grounds.

Khamenei's first Friday sermon in five years marks a crucial show of defiance amid threats to the supreme leader's life. He remains a top target for Israel, which has vowed to retaliate after Tuesday's missile attacks.

In his speech, he also praised Hassan Nasrallah, the former chief of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last week.

"Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is no longer with us, but his spirit and his path will continue to inspire us forever. He was the high-standing flag against the Zionist enemy. His martyrdom will further increase this influence. The loss of Nasrallah is not in vain. We must stand up against the enemy while strengthening our unwavering faith," Khamenei told the gathering.

Khamenei also called Hezbollah a "blessed tree" that grew steadily under the leadership of Nasrallah.

"It is the duty and responsibility of all Muslims to help the blooded people of Lebanon and to support Lebanon's jihad and the battle for al-Aqsa mosque," he declared.

Iran's supreme leader, who backs the Palestinian Hamas group, called their October 7 attacks on Israel the "correct move".

"No international law has the right to object and protest against the Lebanese and Palestinians for standing up for themselves against the occupation," he told the crowd.

Khamenei, who spoke after a prayer ceremony for Nasrallah, also called Israel a "tool" for the United States "to take control of all the lands and resources in the region."

"There is no doubt that the Zionists and the Americans are dreaming - the Zionist entity will be uprooted from the ground, it has no roots, it is fake, unstable, and exists only because of American support," said Khamenei.

Khamenei, the supreme leader who holds the highest authority in Iran, had last delivered a Friday sermon five years ago. His sermon comes just three days after Iran launched 180 missiles targeting crucial infrastructure in Israel and three days before the first anniversary of the Israel-Gaza war.

The Iran leader had last led Friday prayers in January 2020 after a missile attack on a US army base in Iraq in response to the killing of top Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani.

Iran supports both Hamas and Hezbollah, who are fighting Israel on its southern and northern fronts.

US airstrikes target Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen after threats to Israel

SANAA, Oct 4: The US military launched airstrikes against several Houthi targets in Yemen, targeting weapons systems, bases, and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed rebel group. A US official confirmed the strikes, noting that aircraft and naval vessels were involved in the operation, which was still concluding at the time of reporting.

Houthi media reported that seven strikes targeted the airport in Hodeida, a key port city, and the Katheib area, which houses a military base controlled by the Houthis. Additional strikes were conducted in Seiyana, the capital Sanaa, and Dhamar province, with reports of three air raids in Bayda province as well.

These military actions follow recent threats from the Houthis, who warned of "escalating military operations" against Israel after claiming to have downed a US military drone over Yemen. Just last week, the group also took responsibility for an attack on American warships.

In a bold offensive, the Houthis launched more than a dozen ballistic and anti-ship cruise missiles, along with two drones, targeting three US ships navigating the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. All incoming threats were intercepted by US Navy destroyers, the report said.

Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict last October, the Houthis have targeted over 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones. This campaign has resulted in the seizure of one vessel, the sinking of two others, and the deaths of four sailors.

While the group claims to focus on ships associated with Israel, the US, or the UK to halt Israel's actions against Hamas, many vessels attacked have no direct links to the conflict, including those heading for Iran.

Jaishankar To Visit Pak for SCO meet

NEW DELHI, Oct 4: S Jaishankar will visit Pakistan later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, becoming the first External Affairs Minister to do so in nine years. The last visit was by Sushma Swaraj in 2015.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that Jaishankar will lead a delegation to Pakistan to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting.

"The External Affairs Minister will lead our delegation to Pakistan to participate in the SCO summit which will be held in Islamabad on October 15 and 16," Jaiswal said, emphasising that the visit will be limited to attending the summit. Pakistan had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the meeting in August.

The decision to send Jaishankar to Pakistan for the summit is being seen as a major one by the Union government given the chill in ties between the two countries since the Pulwama terrorist attack in February 2019, which was followed by the Balakot air strikes, in which India targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp. The relationship got even more strained after Pakistan vociferously opposed India's removal of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

India has repeatedly slammed Pakistan's interference on the issue and reiterated that it is an internal matter.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly last week, Jaishankar had warned Pakistan that its policy of cross-border terrorism could never succeed and also alluded to its economic crisis.

"Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan. Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood," the minister said.

Given all of this, the fact that Jaishankar will attend the summit in the country is being seen as a display of India's commitment to the SCO which, it believes, has been playing a vital role in boosting regional security cooperation. Sushma Swaraj had visited Pakistan in 2015 to attend a conference on Afghanistan.

Apart from India, the SCO has China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as member countries and is an influential economic and security bloc as well as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and India was an observer country for the first time in 2005. It became a permanent member, along with Pakistan, in 2017.

India was the chair of the organisation in 2023 and hosted the SCO summit in the virtual format in July of that year.

The SCO Council of Heads of Government conclave, which Jaishankar will be attending, is the second-highest platform in the grouping while the Heads of State Summit is the top-most forum and is generally attended by the Prime Minister.

Rawhi Mushtaha, Hamas govt head in Gaza, ‘eliminated’ in airstrike: Israeli military

TEL AVIV, Oct 3: The Israeli military announced Thursday that it had "eliminated" Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the Hamas government in Gaza, along with two senior security officials, during airstrikes carried out three months ago.

According to an Israeli military statement, the strike targeted an underground compound in northern Gaza, which served as a command and control centre.

Mushtaha and commanders Sameh al-Siraj and Sami Oudeh were reportedly taking refuge there when the strike hit.

"Mushtaha was one of Hamas' most senior operatives and had a direct impact on decisions relating to Hamas' force deployment," said the military in a statement.

Sameh al-Siraj held the security portfolio for Hamas's political bureau.

Mushtaha was described as a close associate of Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader, who is believed to have helped mastermind the October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war. Sinwar is thought to be alive and in hiding within Gaza.

Separately, Hamas media and medics said Israel had killed Abdel-Aziz Salha, a West Bank Hamas militant, in an airstrike earlier on Thursday. Salha, jailed for life for his role in the 2000 lynching of two Israeli reservists in Ramallah, was released in a 2011 prisoner swap. Medics said Salha was killed in a strike on a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians inside Al-Aklouk School in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza.

The 2000 killings took place in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where a mob set upon the two Israeli reservists who had been seized at a Palestinian checkpoint and taken to a police station, choking and beating them to death.

After Iran's Missile Attack On Israel, US' 'Severe Consequences' Warning

TEL AVIV, Oct 2: Iran launched a barrage of 181 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night, triggering nationwide air raid sirens and forcing nearly 10 million Israelis into bomb shelters. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that a large portion of the missiles was intercepted by the country's advanced missile defence systems, including the Iron Dome and Arrow systems. However, several projectiles managed to penetrate the defence shield, leading to minor damage and light injuries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, stating that Iran had made a "big mistake" and warned Tehran that it "will pay for it."

The missile salvo is the second direct attack by Iran on Israel this year, following a similar offensive in April, which was quickly subdued by Israeli and allied defences. Tuesday's strikes, according to Iranian officials, were in retaliation for the recent killing of senior Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Israeli military operations.

In response to the attack, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan issued a stark warning to Iran, stating that the missile strike represented a "significant escalation" and that there would be "severe consequences."

During a press briefing at the White House, Sullivan pledged that the US would stand by Israel and support any retaliatory measures.

US President Joe Biden echoed this sentiment, expressing full support for Israel and indicating that military discussions were underway to determine an appropriate response. Biden assured that the US military would assist in Israel's defence and intercept any further Iranian missile strikes. Asked about the scope of US involvement, Biden commented that discussions on a joint response were "active" and "ongoing."

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the missile assault, targeting three Israeli military bases near Tel Aviv. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared the attack concluded unless Israel escalated further. The IRGC warned that any Israeli retaliation would result in "crushing attacks."

Although the majority of missiles were intercepted, there were scattered reports of damage and injuries. In Tel Aviv, two civilians were lightly injured by shrapnel, while in the West Bank city of Jericho, a Palestinian civilian was killed by debris from one of the missiles, news agency AFP reported. The Israeli military quickly announced that the immediate threat had passed, and civilians were allowed to leave bomb shelters after an hour.

Tehran's missile strike comes amid growing fears of a broader regional conflict. In a related escalation, Israeli forces conducted ground raids in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions. Lebanese authorities reported that the latest Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 55 people, adding to the mounting casualties since the conflict intensified in early October.

Lebanon's health ministry stated that over 1,800 people had been killed since the conflict began, with hundreds of thousands displaced across the region. The potential for further escalation between Israel and Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon and Gaza has raised alarms across the international community.

'Israel's Chance To Change Face Of Middle East': Ex PM After Iran Offensive

TEL AVIV, Oct 2: Iran's missile offensive against Israel was a "terrible mistake" and Tel Aviv has its greatest opportunity in 50 years to change the face of the Middle East, former Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said.

In a post on X after Tehran fired ballistic missiles targeting Israel last night, the former Prime Minister said Israel must act now and destroy Iran's nuclear programme and energy facilities.

"Israel has now its greatest opportunity in 50 years, to change the face of the Middle East. The leadership of Iran, which used to be good at chess, made a terrible mistake this evening. We must act *now* to destroy Iran's nuclear program, its central energy facilities, and to fatally cripple this terrorist regime," Bennett wrote.

A former commando in Israel's elite Sayeret Matkal unit, Bennett leads the New Right party and served as Prime Minister from June 2021 to June 2022. He succeeded Benjamin Netanyahu after he was ousted as Prime Minister in 2021.

Bennett described Iran as the head of the octopus of terror. "To strike the head of the octopus of terror, that, in its cowardice, sent its tentacles (Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, etc.) to murder us, while the Ayatollahs sat safely in their palaces in Tehran. The octopus's tentacles are temporarily paralysed - now comes the head. We must remove this terrible threat to our children's future," he said in the post.

"We can grant the Iranian people an opportunity to rise up and shake off the regime that tyrannizes its women and daughters," the former Prime Minister added.

Iran's missile offensive against Israel followed the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Israeli military operations. While Tel Aviv's advanced defence systems intercepted many of the missiles launched by Tehran, many others landed. There have been no casualties in Israel though.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the attack was "in accordance with the United Nations Charter" and followed "a period of restraint" following an "attack on the sovereignty" of Iran -- a reference to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July. The IRGC said the missiles targeted "three military bases" around Tel Aviv as well as air and radar bases.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran made a "big mistake" and warned that it "will pay for it".

In his post on X, Bennett said, "We have the justification. We have the tools. Now that Hezbollah and Hamas are paralyzed, Iran stands exposed. Over this last terrible year, Iranian tentacles murdered our families. Raped our daughters. Kidnapped our children. Ransacked our towns. Burned our fields. Fired on our ships. Terrorized children in Kiryat Shmona, Kfar Aza, and Sderot. Emptied out whole regions of our land. Humiliated us."

"Now is the moment. A Nation of Lions has united and proven its strength over the last year. It has yearned for a change, for action, for so very long. There are times when history knocks at our door, and we must open it. This opportunity must not be missed," the former Prime Minister added.

World leaders call for de-escalation after Iran's missile attack on Israel

NEW YORK, Oct 1: World leaders have urged Iran and Israel to step back from the brink after Tehran fired a barrage of rockets at its arch-rival.

Tehran said the attack on Tuesday – which took place as Israel said it was mounting a ground offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon – was in response to the killings of Iran-backed militant leaders.

It was the second time Iran has directly attacked Israel, after a missile and drone attack in April in retaliation for a deadly Israeli air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

As the attack unfolded, President Joe Biden ordered the US military to “aid Israel’s defence against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles that are targeting Israel”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the attack was “totally unacceptable”.

“Initial reports suggest that Israel, with the active support of the United States and other partners, effectively defeated this attack,” Blinken said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the Iranian strikes and called for an end to the “spiral of violence” blighting the Middle East.

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said that Madrid was issuing “a new call to all the actors, obviously including Israel, to show restraint and not escalation”.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock demanded Iran end its missile attack on Israel: “I condemn the ongoing attack in the strongest possible terms.”

“Iran must stop the attack immediately” as it was “leading the region further towards the abyss”, she added.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Iran’s attacks against Israel “in the strongest possible terms”, adding that France had “mobilised” its military resources in the Middle East to counter Tehran.

Macron also demanded that “Hezbollah cease its terrorist actions against Israel and its population”, and asked Israel to “put an end to their military operations as soon as possible”.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Iran’s attack “in the strongest terms”.

During a call with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, Starmer also “expressed the UK’s steadfast commitment to Israeli security and the protection of civilians.”

Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said missile attacks by Iran on Israel were “unacceptable”.

“We will condemn this strongly. But at the same time, we would like to cooperate (with the US) to defuse the situation and prevent it from escalating into a full-on war,” he said.