JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
IRAN MOUTH PIECES AND NO ACTION CLAIME THEIR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL.AFTER ISRAELS ATTACK LAST NIGHT.
WARN THE PEOPLE-WW3
EZEKIEL 33:1-6
1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them,
When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man
of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
4
Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not
warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon
his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not
warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall
deliver his soul.
6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow
not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and
take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but
his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
DANIEL 11:40-45 (WW3 BREAKDOWN)
40
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at
him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM
HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with
chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter
into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall
enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be
overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab,
and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and
over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the
Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the
east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS
LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he
shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away
many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the
tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy
mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
ISAIAH 24:1
1
Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste,(NUKES
USED) and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants
thereof.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel
of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a
son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(ARAB/MUSLIM) because the LORD
hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild
man;(RIOTS-BURNING-MURDEROUUS RAGE) his hand will be against every
man,(ISLAM WANTS WORLD DOMINATION) and every man's hand against
him;(DEFENDING THEMSELVES) and he shall dwell in the presence of all his
brethren.(ARAB/MUSLIMS LIVE WITH ISRAELIS)
ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe
to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed)
and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee!
when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be
spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal
treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19
Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than
thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not
understand.
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the
synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think
that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF THEIR MOON GOD
ALLAH)
ISAIAH 14:12-23
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O
Lucifer, (SATAN) son of the morning! (HEBREW MEANS CRESCENT MOON
ANGEL-ISLAM OVIOUSLY)(SATAN IS THE GOD OF ISLAM) how art thou cut down
to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said
in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in
the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the
realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor
planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
EZEKIEL 31:10-17
10
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself
in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his
heart is lifted up in his height;
11 I have therefore delivered him
into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal
with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.
12 And
strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left
him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen,
and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the
people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
13 Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:
14To
the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for
their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither
their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they
are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the
midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.(HELL).
15Thus
saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a
mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods
thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn
for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
16 I made
the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to
hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the
choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in
the nether parts of the earth.
17They also went down into hell with
him unto [them that be] slain with the sword; and [they that were] his
arm, [that] dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
18To
whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of
Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the
nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the
uncircumcised with [them that be] slain by the sword. This [is] Pharaoh
and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
EZEKIEL 32:17-32
17
It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth [day] of the
month, [that] the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
18 Son of
man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, [even] her,
and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the
earth, with them that go down into the pit.
19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.
20
They shall fall in the midst of [them that are] slain by the sword: she
is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.
21 The
strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with
them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain
by the sword.
22 Asshur [is] there and all her company: his graves [are] about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:
23
Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round
about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused
terror in the land of the living.
24 There [is] Elam (IRAN) and all
her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the
sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the
earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have
they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
25 They
have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her
graves [are] round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the
sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet
have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put
in the midst of [them that be] slain.
26 There [is] Meshech,
Tubal,(RUSSIA) (GERMANY, TURKEY) and all her multitude: her graves [are]
round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though
they caused their terror in the land of the living.
27And they shall
not lie with the mighty [that are] fallen of the uncircumcised, which
are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid
their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their
bones, though [they were] the terror of the mighty in the land of the
living.
28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with [them that are] slain with the sword.
29
There [is] Edom,(JORDAN) her kings, and all her princes, which with
their might are laid by [them that were] slain by the sword: they shall
lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.
30
There [be] the princes of the north, all of them, and all the
Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they
are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with [them that
be] slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to
the pit.
31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all
his multitude, [even] Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith
the Lord GOD.
32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the
living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with
[them that are] slain with the sword, [even] Pharaoh and all his
multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
EZEKIEL 38:1-23
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2
Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA)
the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy
against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against
thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and
Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into
thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee
forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with
all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields,
all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6
Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of
the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and
prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto
thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be
visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is
brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against
the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is
brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of
them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a
cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with
thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall
also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy
mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt
say,(RUSSIA-ARAB-MUSLIMS) I will go up to the land of unwalled
villages;(ISRAEL) I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely,
all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12
To take a spoil,(OIL IS IN SPOIL) and to take a prey; to turn thine
hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the
people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle
and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, and
Dedan,(SAUDI-ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(SPAIN) with all the
young lions thereof,(ENGLAND,AND ALL ITS ASSOCIATES-CANADA,AUSTRALIA-NEW
ZEALAND, USA, AND WESTERN ENGLISH SPEAKING NATIONS) shall say unto
thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to
take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and
goods, to take a great spoil?(OIL IS IN SPOIL-I BELIEVE THATS WHY
RUSSIA,ARAB/MUSLIMS MARCH TO ISRAEL)
14 Therefore, son of man,
prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my
people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And
thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many
people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a
mighty army:
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel,
as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I
will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I
shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
EZEKIEL 39:11-22
11
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog
(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of
the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of
the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall
they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and
they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300
MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
13
Yea, all the people of the land (OF ISRAEL) shall bury them; and it
shall be to them a renown the day that I (GOD-JESUS) shall be glorified,
saith the Lord GOD.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual
employment,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB EXPERTS) passing through the land to
bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth,
to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15
And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s
bone, then shall he set up a sign by it,(WON'T TOUCH IT) till the
buriers have buried it (PROPERLY) in the valley of
Hamongog.(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS NEW BURIEL SITE)(EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN
THE JORDAN VALLEY)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
17
And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every
feathered fowl,(500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THREW ISRAEL EVERY
SPRING,FALL) and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and
come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do
sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel,
that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF THE RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM
ARMIES)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood
of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of
bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21
And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall
see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon
them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and
gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL
NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye
may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of
mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and
the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8
And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that
sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given
unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with
sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE
DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18
By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the
fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their
mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE
17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS
KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE
BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND
DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in
that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN
WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4
billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37
And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto
them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered
together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against
Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten
by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE
SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE
CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH
IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)(50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.(ON EARTH)
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.(ON EARTH)
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the
people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume
away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and
their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)
and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM
ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD
PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that
day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they
shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand
shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN
WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 32:18-29 (NOTICE ALL THE COUNTRIES LAND PROMISED ISRAEL BY GOD ARE IN THE JORDAN VALLEY BURIED)
18
“Son of man, wail for the multitudes of Egypt, and consign her and the
daughters of the mighty nations to the depths of the earth with those
who descend to the Pit:
19 Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised! (IN HELL FIRES)
20 They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is appointed! Let them drag her away along with all her multitudes.
21
Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol about Egypt and her
allies: ‘They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised, with those
slain by the sword.’
22 Assyria (SYRIA) is there with her whole company; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.
23
Her graves are set in the depths of the Pit, and her company is all
around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—those who
once spread terror in the land of the living.
24 Elam (IRAN) is there
with all her multitudes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen
by the sword—those who went down uncircumcised to the earth below, who
once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their
disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.
25 Among the slain they
prepare a resting place for Elam with all her hordes, with her graves
all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword,
although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They
bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed
among the slain.
26 Meshech and Tubal (RUSSIA) are there with all
their multitudes, with their graves all around them. All of them are
uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they spread their terror in
the land of the living.
27 They do not lie down with the fallen
warriors of old, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose
swords were placed under their heads, whose shields rested on their
bones, although the terror of the mighty was once in the land of the
living.
28 But you too will be shattered and lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.
29
Edom (JORDAN) is there, and all her kings and princes, who despite
their might are laid among those slain by the sword. They lie down with
the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.THIS IS RIGHT FROM
93:
Warns it has many more targets if Iran 'escalates'IDF hits
military sites across Iran in hours-long attack, weeks after Iran’s
missile barrage-Warplanes operate freely over skies of Islamic Republic
in unprecedented op, with Israel saying it hit air defenses, key missile
and drone sites, in response to ‘months of attacks’By Emanuel
Fabian,ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 5:09 am-OCT 26,24
Israel
launched a long-awaited retaliatory strike against Iran early Saturday,
almost four weeks after the Islamic Republic’s massive ballistic missile
barrage on the country, with the military saying the “precise strikes”
by the Israeli Air Force targeted strategic military sites —
specifically drone and ballistic missile manufacturing and launch sites,
as well as air defense batteries.Reports of explosions near Tehran
began to emerge around 2:15 a.m. local time, with the Israel Defense
Forces quickly releasing a statement confirming that it was attacking,
in response to “months of continuous attacks from the Iranian regime
against the State of Israel.”The strikes were carried out in several
waves over the course of several hours, in various areas of Iran, with
the Islamic Republic closing its airspace for the duration and seemingly
showing little ability to counter the assault. Strikes were reported in
the Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan and Shiraz areas.The operation, hitting
targets some 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) away, marked an
unprecedented attack in terms of its scale, duration and Israel’s
immediate acknowledgment of responsibility.The first wave of attacks
apparently targeted Iran’s air defense capabilities, both to ensure the
IDF’s freedom of operations during Saturday’s sorties, and to lay the
ground for further strikes, should Iran retaliate.As the campaign was
underway, Syrian state media reported that Israel struck several
military sites in the south and center of the country, action possibly
taken to enable the IAF to operate more freely in Iran.The next waves
hit drone and ballistic missile manufacturing sites — those used in
direct Iranian attacks on Israel on April 14 and October 1 — as well as
sites used to launch such weapons.Iran confirmed an Israeli attack had
targeted military sites in the capital Tehran and other parts of the
country, but said it had caused “limited damage” and that air defense
systems had successfully countered much of the attacks — an assertion
dismissed in Israel.The Israeli military said at 6 a.m. that the assault
had been completed, with “all goals achieved” and all aircraft
returning safely home. It dubbed the campaign “Days of Repentance,” a
reference to the recent Yom Kippur holiday.It said dozens of IAF
aircraft, including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes, participated
in the “complex” operation some 1,600 kilometers from Israel.The IDF
releases a video showing F-15 fighter jets heading out to carry out last
night's strikes in Iran. pic.twitter.com/9BAjeSBP5H— Emanuel (Mannie)
Fabian (@manniefabian) October 26, 2024-The military said the strikes
had given the IAF “wider freedom of aerial action in Iran,” and that it
had a broad bank of targets that it could hit in the future if
required.“The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been
relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th –- on seven fronts –-
including direct attacks from Iranian soil,” the IDF said. “Like every
other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right
and the duty to respond.”Following the strikes, the IDF said it was
holding an assessment on a potential Iranian response to the attack, but
as of now, there were no changes to guidelines for civilians. The IDF
added that its “defensive and offensive capabilities are fully
mobilized,” and that it “will do whatever necessary to defend the State
of Israel and the people of Israel.”“Iran struck Israel twice… and has
paid the price for that,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a
statement, referring to Iran’s direct attacks on Israel in April and
earlier this month. “We are focused on the goals of the war in Gaza and
Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for a wide regional
escalation.“If the regime in Iran were to make the mistake of beginning a
new round of escalation — we will be obligated to respond,” he
continued. “Our message is clear: All those who threaten the State of
Israel and seek to drag the region into a wider escalation will pay a
heavy price. We demonstrated today that we have both the capability and
the resolve to act decisively, and we are prepared — on offense and
defense — to defend Israel and the people of Israel.”Ynet cited an
Israeli source with knowledge of the matter as saying: “The intelligence
provided here by the IDF Intelligence Directorate was science
fiction-like, beyond imagination.” He said the highly precise intel
enabled Israel to hit “an irreplaceable factory” behind the manufacture
of surface-to-surface missiles.There was no immediate comment from
Israeli political leaders, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
office released a picture of him huddled with Defense Minister Yoav
Gallant and top IDF generals at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv as the
operation was launched. It later said he held a security assessment with
Gallant and the heads of the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet.The IDF said
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi was also below the Kirya base to
command the strikes from the Israeli Air Force’s command center, with
the chief of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.In a statement, Iranian air
defenses said Israel attacked military targets in the provinces of
Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam.“The loud blasts heard around Tehran were
related to the activation of the air defense system against the actions
of Zionist regime which attacked three locations outside of Tehran
city,” state TV reported, citing officials of the Tehran province air
defense.An unidentified Israeli source told the Ynet news that the
Iranian claim of interception was “a lie. It was a total failure, [there
were] zero interceptions.”According to an Israeli official quoted by
NBC News, Israel did not target Iranian nuclear facilities or oil fields
and focused on military targets.“We’re targeting things that might have
threatened us in the past or could do in the future,” the official
said.The Biden Administration had pressed Israel not to strike nuclear
or oil sites, while backing Israel’s right to respond to Iran’s October 1
ballistic missile attack.An American official told Reuters that Israel
notified the US ahead of the strikes, stressing the United States was
not involved in the operation.“We understand that Israel is conducting
targeted strikes against military targets in Iran as an exercise of
self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against
Israel on October 1,” said White House National Security Council
spokesperson Sean Savett.Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported
that several military bases in the Tehran area were targeted in Israeli
strikes. It specified that several bases in the western and southern
areas of the capital were attacked.Sources quoted by the Tasnim news
agency threatened that Iran was prepared to respond to any Israeli
“aggression.”“There is no doubt that Israel will face a proportional
reaction for any action it takes,” Tasnim quoted the sources as
saying.Iran had braced for an Israeli reprisal after its latest direct
attack on Israel, in which it fired 200 ballistic missiles that sent
most of Israel to bomb shelters on October 1, killed a Palestinian man
in the West Bank, and caused damage in residential areas and at military
bases — although the IDF said that the attack had no operational
impact.Netanyahu also blamed “the agents of Iran” for an attack by a
drone fired by Hezbollah last Saturday that smashed a window and caused
additional minor damage at his home in Caesarea. The prime minister, who
was not at home at the time, described the attack as an assassination
attempt and warned that anyone who harmed Israelis would pay “a heavy
price.”Iran said that the October 1 attack came in response to strikes
in Lebanon that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and much of the
terror group’s senior leadership last month, as well as the killing of
Hamas politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July in a blast which
has been widely blamed on Israel despite its silence on the matter.
Op-ed:
Day 386 of the war-Israel’s strike on Iran was ‘historic,’ but it’s not
‘the end’ of anything-The calibrated attacks aimed to expose the
vulnerability of Iran’s air-defense systems, while building legitimacy,
crucially with the US, for the inevitable rounds to come-By David
Horovitz-Today, 7:42 pm-OCT 26,24
Initial reports indicate that
the Israeli Air Force struck at least 20 military targets across Iran in
the course of its unprecedented four-hour attack on Iran in the early
hours of Saturday morning — focusing on air-defense systems and missile
production facilities.The IDF stressed that the “precise” strikes, for
which it took immediate responsibility, were launched in response to
months of attacks by Iran and its proxies, the most relevant of which
was Iran’s barrage of 200 ballistic missiles, which sent almost all of
Israel dashing for safety on October 1. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu issued a further warning that a price would be paid when he
blamed “the agents of Iran” for an attack a week ago in which a drone
fired by Hezbollah exploded at his home in Caesarea, smashing a bedroom
window.A former head of the IDF’s Operations Division, Yisrael Ziv,
described the Israeli attack as “historic” in scale and scope, as
“amazingly well executed” 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) away from
Israel, and as devastating for the Iranian regime in that it showed
Israel to have freedom of operation for hours in the skies above
Iran.The attack, apparently involving more than 100 planes, was
carefully calibrated. It harmed Iran’s missile industry — targeting
factories, stores, launchers and research facilities — in a direct
response to the October 1 barrage. And it hit and exposed the
vulnerability of Iran’s air-defense systems, which the IAF neutralized
at the start of the strikes and would likely be no match for more
intensive and broader operations in the future.But as far as is known,
Israel did not target the regime’s nuclear or oil sites. There have been
unconfirmed reports that an Israeli drone hit the Parchin base near
Tehran, identified for years by Israel as an element in Iran’s nuclear
weapons program. But other military activity goes on at Parchin, too,
and a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies
has claimed that what was targeted was a plant related to rocket
manufacture.Thus Israel appears to have heeded pressure from the Biden
Administration to eschew nuclear and energy targets, and in turn to have
retained firm American support in defending against any Iranian
response.Iran is, nonetheless, entirely capable of attempting to
escalate the direct conflict with Israel still further. There is no
suggestion that Saturday morning’s attack strategically harmed the
regime’s offensive capabilities. But it did underline the weakness of
Iran’s defenses if –as it surely would — a further Iranian attack
prompted a more aggressive Israeli response next time around.In
attacking what it did, Israel was seeking both to deter Iran and to
bolster its own legitimacy, with the US most of all, to indeed tackle
broader targets in the future, including those the Biden Administration
had urged it to avoid on Saturday.These first hours after the strike
have seen official Iran asserting a duty to defend itself but not
issuing direct threats to strike at Israel, while also claiming that
Israel is exaggerating the scale of the attack and that it caused only
minor damage.That response might be misinterpreted as indicating that
the regime is prepared to swallow the humiliation and heed the Israeli
warnings against escalation. Military sources quoted in Hebrew media on
Saturday night said the IDF does not regard the incident as over, that
Iran was still assessing the damage and its options, and that the IDF
has “a bank of targets” ready to hit in a next round if necessary.The
ayatollahs have shown themselves to be patient and unrelenting in their
strategic effort to destroy Israel. Their most potent proxy Hezbollah is
much weakened, and Hamas, which began this war with its October 7
invasion, is no longer an organized military force. But even after the
most significant Israeli strikes to date on the regime, its nuclear
program remains untouched.One way or another, the Islamic Republic can
be relied upon to try, for as long as it takes, to harm Israel or indeed
Diaspora targets in response to Saturday’s attack.And so long as the
regime remains in power, nothing will deter it from its goal of
destroying Israel. Which is why US President Joe Biden’s stated hope
that the Israeli strike “is the end” can have only very limited
application.
Hamas leaders rejected Israeli offer of safe passage
if they freed hostages — report-Senior Israeli official urges Jerusalem
to be more flexible with demands for deal, warns against ‘pulling the
wool’ over the eyes of hostage families-By ToI Staff Today, 6:26 pm-OCT
26,24
Hamas has refused an Israeli proposal that offered the
terror group’s leaders safe passage out of the Gaza Strip if they
disarmed and freed the hostages they are holding, according to a US
media report Friday.Citing Arab mediators, The Wall Street Journal
reported that the head of Israel’s spy agency Mossad, David Barnea,
conveyed the offer during meetings in Egypt over the past week.Hamas
“swiftly” rebuffed the proposal with Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s deputy
leader for Gaza, saying the offer showed Israel misunderstood the terror
group and risked extending the war for months or years, according to
the report.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior political adviser
Ophir Falk told the newspaper that the premier “has reiterated that we
are willing to give them safe passage if they lay down their arms and
release the hostages,” while those who harm the captives will be
pursued.Hamas refused to comment on the report.-Barnea is set to travel
on Sunday to Qatar, which is mediating ceasefire-hostage talks and hosts
a number of top Hamas leaders, to restart discussions on a deal,
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Thursday evening.A senior Israeli
official with knowledge of the hostage negotiations told Channel 12
news on Friday night there will be no progress if Israel does not show
some flexibility in its demands.“They’re pulling the wool over the eyes
of the public and hostages’ families,” the anonymous source said,
referring to hopes that a deal could be more likely with Hamas leader
Yahya Sinwar dead.Israel and the US have hoped that Sinwar’s death could
be an opportunity to restart negotiations, as the terror chief had been
described by officials from both countries as the main obstacle to
progress in talks.“He blocks everything or doesn’t respond,” an Israeli
official told The Times of Israel before Sinwar was killed on October
16.In addition to having the final say on Hamas’s position during the
hostage talks and having been the architect of the October 7 terror
onslaught, in which 251 hostages were abducted, Sinwar also appeared to
have been heavily involved in their captivity inside of the Strip.Israel
and Hamas have clashed in negotiating rooms over whether a ceasefire
will constitute an end to the war; over the numbers and identities of
Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be freed; whether Israel
will maintain control over the Gaza-Egypt border; and whether Israel
will allow a return of residents to north Gaza; and more.It is believed
that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in
Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the
IDF.Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late
November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages
have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 37 hostages have
also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military
as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli
civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies
of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
Hezbollah bombards
north with rockets and drones as IDF targets launchers in
Lebanon-Footage shows controlled explosion in southern Lebanon that
triggered earthquake alerts in northern Israel; Israeli jets strike
Hezbollah weapons and command sites in Beirut-By Emanuel Fabian and
Agencies Today, 5:49 pm-OCT 26,24
Hezbollah fired dozens of
rockets at northern Israel while Israel’s air defenses shot down four
drones launched from Lebanon by the Iran-backed terror group on
Saturday.The hostile aircraft triggered air raid sirens in the Upper and
Western Galilee as well as the northern border cities and towns of
Kiryat Shmona, Metula and Tel Hai, but no injuries were reported.In a
statement, Hezbollah claimed it launched a drone attack against the Tel
Nof air force base, south of Tel Aviv.In addition to the drones,
Hezbollah fired some 150 rockets at northern Israel throughout the day,
according to an IDF tally.In one of the barrages, 15 rockets were
launched from Lebanon at the Western Galilee, with some intercepted
while the rest hit open areas, the IDF said.There were no reports of
injuries from the rocket fire, which sparked fires at several locations
in the north.The attacks on the north came as the army pressed on with
operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Footage posted on social media
showed a massive IDF explosion in southern Lebanon Saturday morning,
which triggered earthquake alerts across northern Israel.The blast was
from the detonation of a Hezbollah tunnel.This morning, earthquake
alerts were activated across northern Israel due to a massive controlled
IDF explosion in southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/o818I6ALeZ— Emanuel
(Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 26, 2024-The IDF also said
Saturday that troops with the 91st Division seized four truck-mounted
rocket launchers during operations in southern Lebanon this week.
According to the military, the launchers were loaded with some 160
rockets.Separately, around 130 Hezbollah launchers were struck by the
Israeli Air Force in the past week, the IDF says.The launchers included
those used to fire rockets at Israel, including in Friday’s attack on
Majd al-Krum that killed two residents of the northern Arab
town.Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah targets in
Beirut.According to the IDF, the targets included weapons manufacturing
sites, a command room belonging to Hezbollah’s intelligence division,
and surveillance equipment.The Hezbollah assets were all located in
civilian buildings in Beirut’s southern suburb, according to the IDF.
Before the strike, the military issued evacuation warnings to
civilians.Separately, the IDF said a cell of Hezbollah operatives who
launched a missile at an IDF drone in southern Lebanon Friday were
killed in a drone strike a short while later.The drone flying over Kfar
Fila was not hit in the incident, according to the IDF.Lebanon’s health
ministry reported that a Hezbollah-affiliated paramedic was killed in an
Israeli strike on a medical center in southern Lebanon, which left five
others wounded, three of them also members of the Islamic Health
Committee.Hezbollah began attacking Israel a day after thousands of
Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, to kill
nearly 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in
Gaza.Shortly afterward, Israel evacuated communities along the border
with Lebanon, fearing Hezbollah would carry out a similar attack.Israel
stepped up its airstrikes on the Iran-backed terror group in September,
after adding to its official war aims the return home of some 60,000
northern residents. The airstrikes all but decimated Hezbollah’s
leadership, paving the way for the ground operation, launched on
September 23.The attacks on northern Israel since October 2023 have
resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians. In addition, 55 IDF soldiers and
reservists have died in cross-border skirmishes and in the ensuing
ground operation launched in southern Lebanon in late September.Two
soldiers have been killed in a drone attack from Iraq, and there have
also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.The IDF
estimates that more than 2,000 Hezbollah operatives have been killed in
the conflict. Around 100 members of other terror groups, along with
hundreds of civilians, have also been reported killed in Lebanon.
Clocks
in Israel to turn back as daylight saving time ends-People in Israel to
get an extra hour of sleep overnight Saturday-Sunday when clocks wind
back an hour at 2 a.m.By ToI Staff Today, 5:14 pm-OCT 26,24
Israel
will turn its clocks back by one hour overnight Saturday-Sunday,
marking the end of daylight savings time for the year.At 2 a.m. early
Sunday, Israel’s clocks will wind back to 1 a.m. with many gaining an
extra hour of sleep.Daylight saving time will return on March 28,
2025.The time change coincides with that of the EU, but not with the US,
which will switch back on November 3.In 2013, the Knesset passed
legislation extending daylight saving time from the last Sunday in March
to the last Sunday in October.Before that, standard time would begin
the Saturday night before Yom Kippur, so that the day’s fast, which is
pegged to nightfall, would end — but also begin — an hour
“earlier.”Because the Hebrew calendar is lunar, Yom Kippur can fall
between mid-September and mid-October, which used to mean that Israelis
returned to standard time as much as a month and a half before most
other countries.As a result, the issue of the seasonal time transition
became contentious and was caught up in political tensions between
religious and secular parties before the 2013 change was implemented.
Israeli
forces kill Hamas operative in Tulkarem plotting ‘imminent’ attack-IDF
says Islam Odeh planned ‘major terror attack’ for Oct. 7 anniversary
with other members of terror group; troops find bomb parts in his car-By
Emanuel Fabian-and ToI Staff Today, 5:08 pm-OCT 26,24
A Hamas
operative planning an “imminent” terror attack was killed by special
forces in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Saturday, the IDF, Shin Bet,
and police announced.Members of the police’s elite Yamam
counter-terrorism unit and the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit
encircled a building in Tulkarem Saturday morning and carried out a
tactic known as “pressure cooker,” which involves escalating the volume
of fire directed at a building to force a suspect to come out.The IDF
said the suspect, Islam Odeh, opened fire from the building and was
eventually killed in an exchange of fire.In the suspect’s car, the IDF
said it found weapons, including parts to build a bomb.According to the
military, Odeh was a member of a Hamas network in Tulkarem and was
involved in planning a major terror attack on the anniversary of the
October 7 massacre with Hamas commander Zahi Oufi, who was killed in an
airstrike earlier this month along with 11 other operatives and six
civilians.“After the assassination of Oufi, Odeh commanded and led the
network and in recent days was planning more attacks,” the statement
said.Tulkarem is a major city in the northern West Bank, near the Green
Line with Israel. The army says Tulkarem is a hotbed of terror activity,
and has carried out numerous operations including airstrikes against
operatives in the city over the course of the past year.Since October 7,
2023, the IDF has carried out more than 70 airstrikes in the West Bank,
using drones, attack helicopters, and fighter jets. Israeli troops have
arrested some 5,250 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank over the
past year, including more than 2,050 affiliated with Hamas.According to
the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 716 West Bank
Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast
majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who
clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.During the same
period, 41 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been
killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another six
members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror
operatives in the West Bank.
Several Israelis remain in Sri Lanka
surfing town despite terror alert-Man waiting for his family to arrive
in Arugam Bay dismisses warnings from National Security Council about
threat to attack beaches and tourist hotspots: ‘Don’t think it’s
serious’By Uditha Jayasinghe Today, 4:49 pm-OCT 26,24
ARUGAM BAY,
Sri Lanka (Reuters) — The last of the Israelis left in a scenic surfing
hotspot in Sri Lanka said they felt safe and would stay put despite a
warning from Jerusalem to immediately leave due to the threat of a
possible terrorist attack.Israel’s National Security Council called on
Israelis on Wednesday to get out of tourist areas in the south of the
Indian Ocean island nation, saying it had information about a terrorist
threat focused on tourist areas and beaches.The agency did not specify
the nature of the threat but said the warning pertained to the Arugam
Bay area — a popular haunt for Israelis — and beaches in the south and
west of the country.The US embassy in Sri Lanka and the German foreign
ministry also followed with similar warnings, prompting Colombo to step
up security and go on high alert.Sri Lankan police have arrested three
suspects for questioning in connection with an unspecified threat.“We
are working to ensure that all tourists are protected and their safety
assured at all times,” police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa told
Reuters.There were about 600-700 Israeli tourists from September to
early October in Arugam Bay, local authorities said, but that number had
dwindled to just 20 when the security warning was issued this week
which came at the tail-end of the tourist season.By Friday, 17 had moved
out of the area with some of them flying out of the country, leaving
behind three Israelis in the south-eastern town of about 7,000
residents.One of them, who has been coming to Sri Lanka since 1991 and
is a long-term resident, said he feels safe and is expecting his wife
and 17-year-old twin sons to join him in a week’s time.“I love coming
here and my family loves coming here, and we surf for about three to
four hours every day when my sons are here,” he told Reuters on Friday
after returning home from his morning surfing. “I don’t think there is a
serious security threat.”The man, who declined to be identified, said
two policemen showed up after the first security warnings. Now, there
are 16 security personnel, including police special forces, stationed
around his small, blue-painted house in Arugam Bay.Two other Israeli
men, brothers who were lounging in their room at a nearby homestay,
surrounded by about eight police and special forces personnel, also said
they would remain until the end of the month and then relocate to
nearby Ahangama town.Sri Lanka has nevertheless beefed up security, with
the memory of the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 still fresh. Those
attacks blamed on Islamic State targeted churches and three hotels,
killing 267 people, including at least 45 foreign
nationals.Unprecedented security-Checkpoints have sprung up on the main
roads and bridges in Arugam Bay and the surrounding area, and as many as
500 police, military and special forces were deployed.Police stopped
vehicles and checked the identification cards of passengers.Israeli
officials have warned of an increase in threats of attacks on Israelis
outside their country since the start of the war in Gaza. There has also
been a surge in reports of antisemitic incidents in many parts of the
world since war broke out in the Middle East after Palestinian Islamist
terror group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.Arugam Bay
residents dismissed social media speculation of tensions in the
Muslim-majority town over the presence of Israelis in the wake of the
Gaza war.“I started renting out rooms to foreigners last year and they
are happy to stay here because they are not scared,” said Abubakar
Rinosha, 41, who owns the homestay of the Israeli brothers.Other
residents said Israeli tourists are a major source of income, accounting
for 70 percent of the town’s revenue.
After attack, Tehran
residents fear war while officials project business as usual-Some say
they’re unaware of strikes as state media downplays Israeli response to
Oct. 1 missile barrage; others are concerned: ‘If they attack, it’s us
who will be crushed’By Majid Sourati Today, 4:10 pm-OCT 26,24
TEHRAN,
Iran (AFP) — Residents of Tehran awoke and went about their business as
planned on Saturday after their sleep was troubled by Israeli strikes
that triggered blasts that echoed across the city.The night skies had
been criss-crossed by light trails from air defense weapons, but by
mid-morning the capital had resumed its usual rhythm and buses wove
through the streets, taking troubled Iranians to work.Iranian officials
and media have played down the attack, but on the streets of Tehran,
many were concerned that it had marked a new escalation and a step
towards all-out war.Hooman, a 42-year-old factory employee, was on a
factory night shift when he heard the blasts.“It was an echoing sound…
terrible and horrifying,” he told AFP. “Now that there is war in the
Middle East, we are afraid that we will be dragged into it.”Israel
attacked Iran in response to Iran’s October 1 missile strike, which came
days after Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime leader of
Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah.On Saturday, the IDF said it had
conducted “precise strikes on military targets in Iran,” in response to
what it said were “months of continuous attacks from the regime in
Iran.”It warned Tehran not to “make the mistake” of responding.Iran
confirmed Israel targeted military sites in Tehran province as well as
other areas, saying the blasts heard were the “activation of the air
defense system” intercepting the Israeli attack.At least four Iranian
soldiers died in the strikes.Some in Tehran voiced fears over an
escalation of the conflict.“If they attack, it will be us who will be
crushed,” said Moharam, a 51-year-old day laborer.Others, however, said
they were entirely unaware that an attack had even happened.Iranian
media has downplayed the attack, which also targeted areas in the border
provinces of Khuzestan and Ilam, and reported it caused “limited
damage” thanks to Iran’s air defense forces.State media carried footage
showing traffic flowing normally in several cities as people went about
their daily business.Iranian officials emphasized that all school
activities and sports events were to be held as scheduled.Flights over
Iran were briefly suspended for a few hours following the attack, but
later resumed as scheduled.Sepideh, a 30-year-old insurance manager,
said she woke up Saturday and hurried to work like usual despite her
worries.“War is frightening… but I don’t think a terrible war will
happen in Iran,” she said.Times of Israel staff contributed to this
report.
ToI in south Lebanon Earthquake alarms sound in northern
Israel as IDF blows it up-Under a Lebanese border village, IDF finds
huge Hezbollah base primed for invasion-ToI joins commander of 98th
Division for tour of terror group’s subterranean staging ground; at 2 km
long and some 40 meters deep, it is the largest tunnel network found to
date-By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 7:00 pm-OCT 26,24
SOUTH LEBANON —
Under the cover of darkness and strict security, the Israeli military
earlier this week led The Times of Israel and other reporters from an
army post near Kiryat Shmona into southern Lebanon.Traveling in a convoy
of open-top humvees, we were being taken to a village several
kilometers from the border, where Hezbollah had constructed a massive
underground military base that the Israel Defense Forces says was to be
used by the terror group in a planned invasion of Israel.Members of the
press were instructed to put their phones on airplane mode, not to turn
on their screens throughout the drive, and to be as silent as possible,
amid fears that Hezbollah operatives could spot us and launch anti-tank
missiles at the convoy during the drive in enemy territory.The humvees
turned their headlights off as the convoy approached the border, and
upon crossing it, the soldiers cocked their weapons.Intermittent sounds
of gunfire and explosions from artillery shelling were heard around us
as we drove along a dirt path, the humvees kicking up dust. The soldiers
leading the convoy were using night vision to see their way in the
pitch black.Upon arriving at the village, which the army asked us not to
name in our reporting, and with just the moonlight to illuminate our
way, the soldiers led us to the yard of a home. There, next to a tree,
was a hole in the ground.A small jump down and we were greeted with a
long staircase running dozens of meters down. From there, the soldiers
directed us on the correct pathway, taking us to the tunnel network’s
main hallway.But calling the passages tunnels fails to capture the scale
of the subterranean system.In all, the underground site — dug into a
mountain — was some 2 kilometers in length. It reached depths of around
40 meters in some areas, and the hallways themselves were more than two
meters high. In fact, it was the largest tunnel found by the army in
southern Lebanon to date.The Hezbollah site dwarfed even the most
impressive Hamas tunnels uncovered in the Gaza Strip. Those are far more
claustrophobic, with many requiring ducking and even crawling in some
areas, and have limited ventilation.“This isn’t a ‘tunnel,’ it’s an
underground combat site, extremely significant, which the enemy
constructed over years for the purpose of an invasion of Israel — we
estimate targeting the northern towns,” said Brig. Gen. Guy Levy, the
commander of the 98th Division, as he gave us a tour of the complex.The
military estimated that the tunnels were built by Hezbollah over the
past 15 years.The IDF believes the underground site was intended by
Hezbollah for use as a staging ground, where hundreds of terror
operatives would arrive when called, gather equipment, and ready
themselves to attack Israeli towns. Hezbollah’s invasion plans never
materialized.In the event of fighting, Hezbollah members could also
reside in the site for lengthy periods. It could also be used by
officers for command and control, the IDF assesses.According to the
general, the tunnel network was large enough to hold hundreds of
Hezbollah fighters, members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, to
prepare for an attack on Israel — though only a handful were there when
the military arrived.The tunnel had several emergency exits, which were
normally covered above ground. When deciding to launch an assault, the
Radwan Force terrorists would potentially leave the tunnel from the
various exits that led to open areas in the Lebanese village, and from
there head toward the Israeli border, according to the IDF.As we walked
through the subterranean passages, low thuds could be heard from Israeli
airstrikes as well as Hezbollah rocket attacks.Along the wide corridors
of the underground site were doorways leading to dozens of rooms,
including an armory, food storage, living quarters, showers, generator
rooms and kitchens. Reporters were given a tour of several hundred
meters of the tunnel, as other sections were not deemed safe enough at
the time.In one of the rooms, dozens of weapons were being stored,
including AK-47 assault rifles, explosive devices, RPGs and launchers,
sniper rifles and anti-tank guided missiles and launchers. Next to the
weapons were stacks of canned food, from chocolate spread and halva to
pickled olives.“Everything here is ready ahead of the action they
planned to carry out in Israel. It’s a warehouse ready for the day the
order is given,” said the commander of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 890th
Battalion, Lt. Col. Yoni Hacohen, who participated in the raid on the
tunnel complex.The commander said that capturing the “strategic” site
was a “huge victory” for his forces.Some of the rooms reporters were
able to enter resembled galleries or halls, with high ceilings of around
four meters, large enough for well over 100 people to stay in
comfortably.“As you can see, it is a big room, with electricity, places
for lockers, mattresses, anything that is needed to reside in. In the
hallway, there were toilets and showers. Everything needed for an enemy
Radwan company to prepare, reside here, and head from here to an attack
on Israel,” Hacohen said.As we strode through the tunnel’s main hallway,
officers warned us to watch our step, as Hezbollah had left behind
weapons strewn on the ground. “Don’t touch, don’t step, don’t play
around, don’t do anything,” the battalion commander said.Grenades,
assault rifles, RPGs and mines were seen along the ground. In one of the
living quarters, an AK-type gun and a grenade were left on a
bed.Several days before reporters were brought to the site, troops of
the Paratroopers Brigade, with support from tank forces and combat
engineers, raided the village above the network and searched for the
shafts leading into it.Levy said that the army had prior intelligence
regarding the underground site and some of the shafts, and his forces
were able to quickly reach it during the assault.Over the course of
around 48 hours, the troops battled Hezbollah operatives around the
village, including a cell stationed at the main entrance to the tunnel
system which the military believes was responsible for guarding the
underground site.Another cell of four Hezbollah operatives was killed by
troops in another, smaller tunnel in the village.After troops entered
the passages, removed booby traps — including a claymore-style mine
planted on the ceiling in one of the hallways — and breached Hezbollah’s
heavy blast doors, the site was mapped out by combat engineers, ahead
of its planned demolition.“We came here with intelligence. This is a
central target, among many other targets that the division has operated
against and destroyed in recent days,” Levy said.“We will stay here
until the site is destroyed completely and it no longer poses a threat
to the residents of the north,” the general added.“They won’t be able to
launch an attack from here on our towns.”Update: On Saturday morning,
using 400 tons of explosives, the underground base was blown up.The
subterranean explosion was so massive that it was registered as an
earthquake, setting off alarms across northern Israel.
Jordan:
Breach of international law; Egypt: Grave concern-After Israeli strikes,
West urges Iran to stand down as Muslim nations slam
Jerusalem-Washington says Islamic Republic must end ‘cycle of fighting,’
as official signals approval of Jerusalem’s ‘targeted and proportional’
response to Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attack-By ToI Staff, Agencies, Jacob
Magid-and Emanuel Fabian-Today, 11:10 am-OCT 26,24
Western
leaders on Saturday urged Iran not to respond to Israel’s overnight
strikes in its territory, conducted in retaliation for its October 1
missile barrage on the Jewish state.Meanwhile, Arab and Muslim nations
and the Hamas terror group condemned the Israeli assault and warned it
was contributing to regional instability.“We urge Iran to cease its
attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further
escalation,” US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett told
reporters, in a position echoed by London and Berlin.The Israeli
military conducted air strikes against Iran early on Saturday, hitting
military bases, missile sites, and other systems in several
regions.“Their response was an exercise in self-defense and specifically
avoided populated areas and focused solely on military targets,
contrary to Iran’s attack against Israel that targeted Israel’s most
populous city,” Savett added.Stressing that the US did not participate
in the operation, he said “it is our aim to accelerate diplomacy and
de-escalate tensions in the Middle East region.”A senior administration
official signaled approval of Israel’s “targeted and proportional”
strikes in a briefing with reporters, saying US President Joe Biden and
his national security team have worked with the “Israelis over recent
weeks to encourage Israel to conduct a response that was targeted and
proportional with low risk of civilian harm.”“And that appears to have
been precisely what transpired this evening,” the official told
reporters.Biden had encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to
design a response that served to deter further attacks against Israel
while reducing risks of further escalation, and that is our
objective.”Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also said Iran
should not respond to the wave of Israeli strikes, urging restraint on
all sides.“I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against
Iranian aggression. I’m equally clear that we need to avoid further
regional escalation and urge all sides to show restraint. Iran should
not respond,” he said, speaking at a press conference in Samoa, where he
has been attending a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.Germany’s
Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Iran against any “escalation.”“My message
to Iran is clear: massive escalating reactions must not continue. These
must stop immediately. Only then can we open the possibility of a
peaceful evolution in the Middle East,” he posted on X.France, in a more
neutral statement said it had “taken note” of Israel’s announcement of
strikes, and “urges the parties to refrain from any escalation and
action likely to aggravate the context of extreme tension prevailing in
the region.”Russia warned that an “explosive escalation” in hostilities
between Iran and Israel risked spiraling out of control. “We urge all
parties involved to exercise restraint, stop the violence and prevent
events from developing into a catastrophic scenario,” Russian foreign
ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.The US official said that
“should Iran choose to respond, we are fully prepared to once again
defend against any attack,” pointing to the recent US deployment of
THAAD missile defense batteries to Israel.“This should be the end of
this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran,” the US official
said, adding that “Israel has made clear to the world that its response
is now complete.”“Accordingly, we will call on all countries of
influence to press Iran to stop these attacks against Israel.”Arab and
Muslim condemnations-Egypt said it was “gravely concerned” over the
escalation in the Middle East including the Israeli air attack on Iran,
and condemned all measures that threaten regional security and
stability, the foreign ministry said in a statement.Jordan said the
strikes were “in violation of international law and [Iran’s]
sovereignty, and a dangerous escalation that leads to more tension in
the region.” Foreign ministry spokesman Sufyan Qudah called on the
international community to “assume its responsibilities and take
immediate measures to impose a halt to the Israeli aggression on Gaza,
the West Bank and Lebanon as a first step towards reducing the
escalation.”Turkey said “Putting an end to the terror created by Israel
in the region has become an historic task for the establishment of
international peace and security. We condemn in the strongest terms the
Israeli attack on Iran. By committing genocide in Gaza, preparing to
annex the West Bank and killing civilians every day in Lebanon, Israel
has brought our region to the brink of a greater war,” the ministry
added.Saudi Arabia, a regional rival of Iran widely considered an
unofficial ally of Israel, particularly on issues pertaining to the
Islamic Republic, condemned the Israeli strikes, warning against any
further expansion of the conflict in the Middle East.“The Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia expresses its condemnation and denunciation” of the Israeli
strikes and emphasizes its “firm position rejecting escalation of the
conflict in the region,” which “threatens the security and the stability
of countries and peoples” in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said
on X.Israel ally the United Arab Emirates said it “strongly condemns
the military targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran and expresses
deep concern over the continued escalation and its impact on regional
security and stability.”The ministry emphasized the “importance of
exercising the highest levels of restraint and wisdom to avoid risks and
the expansion of conflict.”Iranian ally Qatar, which has been a key
mediator between Israel and Hamas amid the war in Gaza, condemned
Israel’s airstrikes and urged restraint and dialogue to avoid regional
instability.Palestinian terror group Hamas, at war with Israel in Gaza,
said it strongly condemned “the Zionist aggression against the Islamic
Republic of Iran, and the targeting of military sites in several
provinces,” which it called “a blatant violation of Iranian sovereignty
and an escalation that threatens the security of the region.”Syria
expressed its “solidarity” with Iran. The Syrian foreign ministry said
in a statement that it supported “Iran’s legitimate right to defend
itself and protect its territory and the lives of its citizens.”Iraq
denounced global inaction against Israel which it accused of expanding
conflict in the Middle East.“The occupying Zionist entity continues its
aggressive policies and widening the conflict in the region through
blatant attacks that it carries out with impunity,” including against
Iranian targets, government spokesman Basim Alawadi said in a statement
denouncing “the international community’s silence” on Israeli
actions.And Pakistan said the strikes “undermine [a] path to regional
peace and stability and also constitute a dangerous escalation in an
already volatile region.”“Israel bears full responsibility for the
current cycle of escalation and expansion of the conflict. We call on
the UN Security Council to play its role for the maintenance of
international peace and security, and to take immediate steps to bring
an end to Israeli recklessness in the region and its criminal
behavior.”Widespread strikes-Israel struck military sites in Iran early
on Saturday, saying it had achieved its objectives and warning Iran not
to respond. A semi-official Iranian news agency vowed a “proportional
reaction” to the Israeli moves against Tehran.Iranian media reported
multiple explosions over several hours in the capital and at nearby
military bases, starting shortly after 2 a.m.The military said later it
had completed its “targeted” attacks in Iran, striking missile and drone
manufacturing facilities and launch sites as well as surface-to-air
missile arrays.Targets did not include energy infrastructure or Iran’s
nuclear facilities.Iran claimed its air defense systems successfully
countered Israel’s attack with “limited damage” to some locations.The
Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel’s retaliation for a
ballistic missile barrage carried out by Iran on October 1, in which it
fired around 200 missiles at Israel, sending millions of Israelis into
shelters but killing only one Palestinian in the West Bank, while
causing minor damage to air bases.The rapid escalation of violence has
heightened fears across the region and beyond of a wider war, pitting
Israel against Iran and the allies it dubs the “axis of resistance” on
multiple fronts.Iran had in recent weeks warned that any attack on its
infrastructure would provoke an “even stronger response,” while
Revolutionary Guards general Rassul Sanairad said an attack on nuclear
or energy sites would cross a red line.
Explainer-What Iran and
Israel would wield in any long-range air war-A look at the enemies’ air
forces and aerial defense systems as their conflict continues to
escalate-By Reuters Today, 12:45 pm-OCT 26,24
Israel struck
military sites in Iran on Saturday, saying it was retaliating against
Tehran’s massive missile attack on Israel on October 1, as the conflict
escalated between the Middle East rivals.The Israeli military said it
had completed the strikes and achieved its objectives, warning Iran not
to respond, while a semi-official Iranian news agency vowed a
“proportional reaction” to the Israeli action.Below is a look at both
countries’ air forces and aerial defense systems:Iran-The Iranian air
force has 37,000 personnel but decades of international sanctions have
largely cut off Iran from the latest high-tech military equipment,
according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London
(IISS).The air force has only a few dozen working strike aircraft,
including Russian jets and aging US models acquired before the country’s
1979 Islamic Revolution.The Islamic Republic has a squadron of nine F-4
and F-5 fighter jets, one squadron of Russian-made Sukhoi-24 jets, and
some MiG-29s, F7 and F14 aircraft, IISS said.Iran also has pilotless
planes designed to fly into targets and explode. Analysts estimate its
drone arsenal to be in the low thousands. Further, they say, Iran has
more than 3,500 surface-to-surface missiles, some of which carry
half-ton warheads. The number capable of reaching Israel may be lower,
however.Iran’s air force commander said in April that the Sukhoi-24s
were in their “best state of preparedness” to counter any potential
Israeli attack. But Iran’s dependence on Sukhoi-24s, first developed in
the 1960s, underscores the relative weakness of its air force.For
defense, Iran relies on a mixture of Russian and domestically produced
surface-to-air missile and air defense systems.Iran received deliveries
of the S-300 anti-aircraft system from Russia in 2016 – long-range
surface-to-air missiles capable of engaging multiple targets
simultaneously, including aircraft and ballistic missiles.Tehran also
has the domestically produced Bavar-373 surface-to-air missile platform,
as well as the Sayyad and Raad defense systems.The semi-official
Iranian news outlet ISNA published a graphic in April showing nine
Iranian missiles it said could reach Israel. These included the “Sejil,”
capable of flying at more than 17,000 kilometers (10,500 miles) per
hour and with a range of 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles); the “Kheibar”
with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles); and the “Haj Qasem,”
which has a range of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles), according to
ISNA.According to a 2023 report by Behnam Ben Taleblu, a Senior Fellow
at the US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Iran continues to
develop underground missile depots complete with transport and firing
systems, and subterranean missile production and storage centers. In
June 2020, Iran fired its first-ever ballistic missile from underground,
it said.“Years of reverse-engineering missiles and producing various
missile classes have also taught Iran about stretching airframes and
building them with lighter composite materials to increase missile
range,” the report said.Israel-Israel has an advanced, US-supplied air
force with hundreds of F-15, F-16 and F-35 multipurpose jet fighters.
These played a role in shooting down Iranian drones in April when the
Islamic Republic launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel
in its first direct attack on Israeli territory.The air force lacks
long-range bombers, though a smaller fleet of repurposed Boeing 707s
serve as refueling tankers that could enable its fighters to reach Iran
for pinpoint sorties.The Israeli air force demonstrated its ability to
hit long-range targets in July when its fighter jets struck areas near
Yemen’s Hodeida port in retaliation for a Houthi drone strike in Tel
Aviv.A pioneer in drone technology, Israel has Heron pilotless planes
capable of flying for more than 30 hours, enough for far-flung
operations. Its Delilah loitering munition has an estimated range of 250
kilometers (155 miles) — far short of the Gulf region where Iran is,
though the air force could close the gap by delivering one of the
munitions closer to Iran’s border.Israel is widely believed to have
developed long-range surface-to-surface missiles, but neither confirms
nor denies this.A multi-layer aerial defense system developed with US
help after the 1991 Gulf War provides Israel with several additional
options for shooting down long-range Iranian drones and missiles.The
highest-altitude system is the Arrow-3, which intercepts ballistic
missiles in space. An earlier model, the Arrow-2, works at lower
altitudes. The mid-range David’s Sling counters ballistic missiles and
cruise missiles, while the short-range Iron Dome tackles the kind of
rockets and mortars used by Iranian-backed groups in Gaza and Lebanon —
but can also, in theory, be fired at any more powerful missiles missed
by Arrow or David’s Sling.The Israeli systems are designed to be patched
into counterpart US interceptors in the region for coalition-strength
defenses.
\
LeoStella and BlackSky join SDA's Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit initiative-by Clarence Oxford
Los
Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 25, 2024-LeoStella has been chosen by the Space
Development Agency (SDA) to contribute to the Hybrid Acquisition for
Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit (HALO) program. This initiative opens doors
for nontraditional defense contractors to collaborate directly with SDA
on rapid on-orbit mission feasibility prototypes. LeoStella, a small
satellite manufacturer, will partner with BlackSky as a subcontractor to
develop these mission prototypes. This selection pre-qualifies
LeoStella to work closely with SDA in this capacity."This new,
innovative program will be an integral tool for the Government to engage
with industry. This award enables SDA to leverage nearly 60 years of
successful on-orbit experience with a proven heritage across more than
20 satellites that deliver real-time space-based monitoring
capabilities," explained Nick Merski, LeoStella Board Member and Chief
Operating Officer at BlackSky. "We appreciate SDA's innovative approach
to acquisition problem solving. This contract enables users to combine
industry innovation and apply it to current and future SDA mission needs
on mission-ready timelines.""SDA is proud to welcome 19 vendors into
the first-ever HALO pool," said SDA Director Derek Tournear. "This
creative award solution enables SDA to quickly compete, build, and fly
demonstration missions to burn down risk for the future of the
Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. We also hope, through the
HALO pool, to build a broader base of vendors that can compete for work
on operational layers of future tranches."LeoStella's approach centers
on developing flexible and scalable satellite solutions, ensuring these
designs can be efficiently produced at scale. As part of the HALO
program, and with SDA's vision, companies can rapidly develop, test, and
deploy small satellite capabilities. Since its inception in 2018,
LeoStella has delivered 23 satellites, 19 of which are currently
operating in LEO. These satellites have demonstrated excellent
performance, consistently delivering customer data with over 99 percent
uptime. With this award, LeoStella and BlackSky are now positioned to
compete for SDA's Tranche 3 opportunities.
EU calls for 'utmost restraint' after Israel strikes Iran.
Brussels,
Belgium, Oct 26 (AFP) Oct 26, 2024-The European Union on Saturday
called for all parties to exercise utmost restraint to avoid an
"uncontrollable escalation" in the Middle East, after Israel carried out
deadly air strikes in Iran.Earlier Israel said its warplanes carried
out raids targeting Iranian military facilities in retaliation for a
missile barrage -- further stoking fears of a full-scale regional
war."The dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliations risks causing a
further expansion of the regional conflict," the EU said in a
statement."While acknowledging Israel's right to self-defence, the EU
calls on all parties to exercise utmost restraint to avoid an
uncontrollable escalation, which is in no one's interest."Iran warned it
would defend itself after the strikes, which the Israeli military said
hit Iranian missile factories and military facilities in several
regions, killed two soldiers.Israel in turn cautioned that Iran would
"pay a heavy price" if it responded to the strikes, which it said came
in retaliation for Iran's October 1 missile attack, which saw the
country launch around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel.The EU called for
calm saying the strikes came amid "severe and growing regional
tensions"."The EU remains fully committed to lowering tensions and
contributing to de-escalation and, to this end, remains in close contact
with all relevant actors," the 27-nation bloc added.
Japan to resume trial removal of Fukushima nuclear debris: reports.
Tokyo,
Oct 25 (AFP) Oct 25, 2024-The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima
nuclear plant will resume an operation to remove a sample of highly
radioactive material next week, reports said Friday, after having
suspended the effort over a technical snag.Extracting the estimated 880
tons of highly radioactive fuel and debris inside the former power
station remains the most challenging part of decommissioning the
facility, which was hit by a catastrophic tsunami in 2011.Radioactivity
levels inside are far too high for humans to enter, and last month
engineers began inserting an extendable device to try and remove a small
sample.However, operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) had to
halt the procedure after noticing that remote cameras on the apparatus
were not beaming back images to the control centre.TEPCO on Friday said
it would resume the removal on Monday after replacing the cameras with
new ones, the Asahi Shimbun daily and other local media reported.TEPCO
officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the reports.Three
of Fukushima's six reactors went into meltdown after a tsunami triggered
by Japan's biggest earthquake on record swamped the facility in one of
the world's worst atomic accidents.Japan last year began releasing into
the Pacific Ocean some of the 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of
reactor cooling water amassed since the catastrophe.China and Russia
banned Japanese seafood imports as a result although Tokyo insists the
discharge is safe, a view backed by the UN atomic agency.Beijing last
month said it would "gradually resume" importing seafood from Japan
after imposing the blanket ban.In a TEPCO initiative to promote food
from the Fukushima area, swanky London department store Harrods began
selling peaches grown in the region last month.kh/smwTEPCO - TOKYO
ELECTRIC POWER
Indonesia drives Chinese ship from disputed waters again.
Jakarta,
Oct 26 (AFP) Oct 26, 2024-Indonesia has driven a Chinese coast guard
ship from contested waters in the South China Sea for the third time
this week, its maritime security agency said Saturday.It is the latest
move by a Southeast Asian nation against Beijing's actions in the
strategic waterway, which it claims almost in full.Chinese vessels have
occasionally entered Indonesia-claimed areas of the North Natuna Sea at
the southern edge of the South China Sea, drawing protests from
Jakarta."The China Coast Guard-5402 (CCG-5402) re-entered the Indonesian
jurisdiction on Friday," Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency said in a
statement Saturday.The same ship first entered the disputed waters on
Monday and again on Wednesday, with Indonesian patrol ships driving it
away both times, the agency said.It added that the Chinese vessel on
Monday had disrupted a survey being conducted by state-owned oil company
Pertamina, and that when contacted by an Indonesian ship, the Chinese
coast guard said the area was part of Beijing's jurisdiction.Indonesia
said the area was recognised as its territory under international
law."Indonesia has a sovereign right to explore the natural resource in
that area and that cannot be disturbed by any country," the agency
statement said.Huge, unexploited oil and gas deposits are believed to
lie under the South China Sea's seabed, though estimates vary
greatly.The incidents are an early test for newly inaugurated President
Prabowo Subianto who has pledged to bolster the defence of Indonesian
territory.In 2020, Indonesia deployed fighter jets and warships to
patrol the Natuna islands' waters in a spat with Beijing after Chinese
vessels entered the area.Beijing and Jakarta are key economic allies but
the world's largest archipelago nation is trying to stop foreign
vessels from fishing in its waters, saying it costs the economy billions
of dollars annually.China has ignored an international tribunal ruling
that its claims to almost all of the South China Sea have no legal
basis.It has deployed military and coast guard vessels in recent months
in a bid to eject the Philippines from a trio of strategically important
reefs and islands in the contested waterway.It has also been ratcheting
up pressure over a disputed island group controlled by Japan in the
East China Sea, rattling Tokyo and its allies.
N.Korea involvement in Ukraine raises regional security risks: analysts.
Paris,
Oct 26 (AFP) Oct 26, 2024-The deployment of North Korean troops to help
Russia in its war against Ukraine is unlikely to have a significant
impact on the fighting on the ground but could affect security interests
in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere, analysts said.Growing military ties
between Moscow and Pyongyang are a major concern for Washington and
Brussels as Russian leader Vladimir Putin presses ahead with his efforts
to build an anti-Western alliance."The conflict is becoming
international," said Pascal Dayez-Burgeon, a North Korea expert and
former French diplomat in Seoul.But while he said he understood Western
concerns about the risk of the possible expansion of the war, now in its
third year, he downplayed any immediate threat to the global security
architecture."In reality, I find it hard to see North Korea presenting a
threat of escalation," he said, calling the North a "small
dictatorship."On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned
that Russia was planning to send North Korean troops into battle against
his country as early as Sunday. He has claimed North Korea is training
10,000 soldiers to support Russia.South Korea, NATO and the United
States claim thousands of North Korean troops are already training in
Russia.On Thursday, Russian lawmakers voted unanimously to ratify a
treaty with North Korea that provides for "mutual assistance" if either
party faces aggression. South Korea warned it "won't sit idle" over the
North's deployment of troops.- 'No Triple Alliance' -"We are no longer
in a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia, North
Korea and Ukraine," said Marie Dumoulin of the European Council on
Foreign Relations (ECFR).But analysts said it was unclear how North
Korean troops will be used in what has become Russia's war of attrition
against Ukraine, adding the North's forces do not have combat
experience."I don't think that sending a few thousand North Korean
troops, whose level of training we don't know, will make much difference
on the battlefield in operational terms," said Dumoulin."In any case,
10,000 soldiers is not that many," added Isabelle Facon from the
France-based Foundation of Strategic Research.Russia has a long history
of ties with the Stalinist state. Moscow and the North have drawn closer
since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Seoul and Washington
claiming North Korea has been sending weapons for use in the
conflict.Analysts say the new "strategic partnership" between Moscow and
Pyongyang is in line with Putin's efforts to reshape the global
security architecture and build an alliance to undermine the dominance
of the United States.This week Putin hosted around 20 leaders including
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at
the BRICS summit, the largest diplomatic event in Russia since Putin
invaded Ukraine.But experts said they did not believe China and Iran
would become directly involved in Ukraine."There is no Triple Alliance
or Triple Entente," said Dayez-Burgeon, referring to power blocs before
the outbreak of World War I in 1914."That would certainly be the case if
China or Iran were to enter the conflict, but that's just not the
case," he said, adding China's focus is on Taiwan and Iran has vital
interests in the Middle East.- Security on Korean Peninsula -But if the
two Koreas become involved in Ukraine this would affect security on the
Korean Peninsula, analysts said. Seoul has suggested it could revise its
longstanding policy that prevents sending weapons directly to
Ukraine."The Ukrainian theatre risks becoming the first direct test of
opposing Korean military capabilities since the 1953 Armistice," wrote
Darcie Draudt-Vejares, a Korea expert at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace"This development could fundamentally alter the
security balance on the Korean Peninsula - especially if North Korea
gains combat experience while testing its advanced weapons
systems."Dumoulin pointed out that under the "strategic partnership"
agreement Russia could provide support to the North if tensions rise
with South Korea.Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed the
defence deal in June. Under Article 4, the two countries pledge to
provide military and other assistance if one of them is attacked."But
what and how we do so is our business," Putin said this week.Andrew Yeo,
a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said North Korea's
support for Russia may encourage states like Iran to further strengthen
ties with Moscow."Unlike Beijing, Moscow is ready to pursue bloc
politics and embrace the idea of a new Cold War," he added."Russia is
more isolated than China and therefore sees more benefit in rounding
together non-aligned or anti-imperial countries."
What we know about the Israeli strikes on Iran.
Tehran,
Oct 26 (AFP) Oct 26, 2024-Iran said Israeli air strikes targeting its
military sites killed two soldiers on Saturday, after Israel said its
warplanes carried out raids in retaliation for a missile barrage.Here's
what we know:- What happened? -The Israeli army said it conducted
"precise strikes on military targets in Iran" on Saturday.Explosions
were heard in Tehran from around 2:15 am, AFP journalists in the Iranian
capital said.Iranian state television said the blasts were caused by
the "activation of the air defence system" in response to an Israeli
attack.The Israeli military said it simultaneously struck missile
manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays and other
"aerial capabilities".It said later that the air attack had "concluded"
its response to Iran's October 1 missile attack, saying its warplanes
had returned safely and the mission was "fulfilled".Iran's air force
confirmed strikes on military bases in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam
provinces that "caused limited damage".The army said two soldiers were
killed, while the country's civil aviation authority announced the
resumption of flights after a brief suspension.The foreign ministry said
Iran had the "right and the duty to defend itself", citing the UN
Charter.State media in Syria said Israel also launched air strikes on
its territory from the occupied Golan Heights and LebanonIran and Syria
are allies in the so-called "axis of resistance" that also includes
Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.Hezbollah said it had fired
rockets at a northern Israel intelligence base and drones at an airbase
in the south of the country. The Israeli military said that around 80
projectiles were fired.- Why did Israel attack? -The Israeli military
said it had launched the strikes "in response to months of continuous
attacks" from the Islamic republic."The regime in Iran and its proxies
in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th
-- on seven fronts -- including direct attacks from Iranian soil," it
said.Israel had vowed revenge against Tehran for the October 1 missile
attack.Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had said Israel's retaliation would
be "deadly, precise and surprising".Iran launched around 200 ballistic
missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Tehran-backed
leaders belonging to Hamas and Hezbollah, and an Iranian Revolutionary
Guard general.It was Tehran's second-ever direct assault on Israeli
territory, following an April attack in retaliation for a deadly strike
on Iran's consular annex in Damascus.Israel has been fighting
Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant
group's October 7, 2023 attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,206
people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli
official figures.The Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, also backed by
Tehran, has fired missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas since the
Hamas attack which triggered Israel's massive military assault in Gaza.-
World reaction? -The United States and Britain called for
"de-escalation" after the Israeli strikes on Iran, while Muslim
countries blamed Israel for exacerbating the conflict.White House
National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the "targeted
strikes on military targets" were "an exercise of self-defence",
stressing the United States did not take part."It is our aim to
accelerate diplomacy and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East
region," he said.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for "all
sides to show restraint" and Germany warned Tehran against "massive
escalating reactions".Russia urged both sides to halt the violence with
foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, warning of an "explosive
escalation".Turkey called for an end to what it called "Israeli
terror"Saudi Arabia condemned Israel and warned against any further
expansion of the conflict in the Middle East.Syria expressed its
"solidarity" with Iran, saying it supported its right to defend itself,
while Iraq denounced global inaction against what it called Israel's
"aggressive policies".Qatar, a mediator trying to end the Gaza war,
expressed its "deep concern about the serious repercussions that may
result from this escalation" by Israel.Oman, which has long played a
mediating role between Iran and Western countries, said Israel's attack
on Iran "fuels the cycle of violence and undermines efforts" to
de-escalate.burs-/dc/dcp.
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