Latest war news. Netanyahu: ‘If Hamas does not stop firing rockets from Gaza, we will step up IDF operations’

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz held a meeting this evening with the Chief of the General Staff regarding the threat posed by drones, balloons and kites being launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.” This was announced by the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement. “Israel warns Hamas that if the launches towards Israel do not cease immediately, the IDF will intensify operations against those responsible and will proceed with the evacuation of the population from the areas from which the launches are taking place. The Prime Minister made it clear that there will be no return to the situation prior to 7 October: Israel will not allow the terrorist organisation Hamas, nor any other entity in the Gaza Strip, to resume threatening our communities and undermining our citizens’ sense of security”, the statement concluded.

The news website Quds Network, considered to be close to Hamas, reports that the inner circle of the President of the Palestinian Authority Abu Mazen is reportedly considering the possibility of postponing the parliamentary elections scheduled for 28 November, arguing that there is no mechanism in place to hold them in East Jerusalem. This would be the same reason why Abu Mazen cancelled the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2021, in a move that his opponents regarded as an attempt to avoid an electoral defeat. Israel does not allow the PNA to hold in-person elections in Jerusalem, although there is the possibility of holding them via an electronic voting system – an option to which Abu Mazen is opposed. Furthermore, Quds Network reports that Fatah is conducting negotiations with Marwan Barghouti’s inner circle to win over part of his faction, partly in light of the ongoing talks between Mohammad Dahlan, an opponent of Abu Mazen and leader of the ‘Fatah Reformists’ party’ and Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya to forge an electoral alliance.

Further reading: Fatah at a crossroads: the political landscape after Abu Mazen

The Israeli army has killed Ismail Abu Ful, “the commander of a weapons production site within Hamas headquarters, who played an active role in the manufacture of explosive devices and anti-tank rockets for Hamas’s military wing”. The IDF itself announced this on social media.

Furthermore, the IDF adds, ‘the production site itself, located near an aid distribution point run by an international organisation, was struck’. According to the Israeli army, “these actions demonstrate how Hamas is systematically violating the ceasefire agreement in an attempt to rebuild its military capabilities”.

The goal of a Palestine ‘from the sea to the river’ is ‘more alive and achievable than ever’. This was stated by the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Esmail Qaani, as quoted by the Fars news agency. According to Qaani, the expansion of Israeli settlements – which he described as ‘illegal’ – and what he termed Israel’s ‘crimes’ represent attempts to escape a ‘profound military, security, political and social crisis’. These actions, the commander of the Quds Force continued, cannot conceal the ‘strategic defeats’ suffered by Israel since October 2023. ‘The ideal of Palestine is alive and unchanging,’ Qaani stated, adding that it will remain so ‘until the victory of justice is achieved’.

Two Palestinians, including a four-year-old boy, were killed whilst seven others were injured in two Israeli air strikes carried out in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by Palestinian health officials, according to the Haaretz website. One of the attacks struck a building in the town of Zawayda, in the centre of the Palestinian enclave, after the Israeli army had told the building’s owners to leave the area, according to residents. Paramedics reported that debris and shrapnel, scattered over tens of metres, injured at least six people, including the four-year-old Mohammad Abdel-Salam Taha, who was later pronounced dead in hospital.

“Trump talks too much.” This was stated by Iran’s acting Defence Minister, Majid Ebnolreza, commenting on the remarks made by the US President, Donald Trump, on Strait of Hormuz as ‘new territory’ for the United States. Referring to the US naval blockade and the campaign of economic pressure against Iran, Ebnolreza gave his assurance that Tehran would succeed in overcoming the current situation. “We are relying on Iranian youth and Iranian expertise, and we will overcome these circumstances”, he said.

Azerbaijan is working behind the scenes to ease tensions between Israel and Turkey. This is reported by Ynet, citing Israeli sources, and specifying that a year ago it was the Azerbaijani president who mediated between the two countries, leading to a joint operational coordination mechanism in Syria. A source familiar with the matter stated that the Azerbaijanis are very concerned about the growing tension between Israel and Turkey, both of which are important allies of Azerbaijan.

Iran has discovered a gas field containing over 212 billion cubic metres of natural gas in the southern province of Fars. This was announced by the Iranian Minister of Petroleum Mohsen Paknejad, as reported by state media. According to the minister, over 161 billion cubic metres are recoverable, based on an estimated recovery rate of over 72 per cent. Paknejad explained that the recoverable volume is equivalent to the output of one phase of the South Pars field over a 15-year period.The gas discovered is also ‘sweet’, a characteristic that should reduce development and operating costs. The field is also said to contain large quantities of natural gas condensate and, according to the minister, the total resources would represent a new source of wealth for Iran worth tens of billions of dollars.

A 14-year-old Palestinian boy, Islam Ahmad Ajjouri, died this afternoon as a result of a serious gunshot wound sustained during an Israeli military raid on the Askar Al-Jadid refugee camp, east of Nablus. This was reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Ajjouri was shot in the chest during the raid and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. The IDF has not yet commented on the incident.

The IDF intends to present to the Defence Minister Israel Katz its position that the transfer of law enforcement powers in the West Bank from the army to the police – a move requested by the minister last week – is not possible without a change to the legal status of West Bank. According to the army’s position, the transfer of powers will only be possible through formal annexation. This is reported by Haaretz, citing military sources, who claim that Katz’s request is driven by political considerations in the context of the election campaign.

Last week, Katz ordered the army to submit a plan on the matter ‘within two weeks’. According to reports in Haaretz, the position being formulated by the army is based on both Israeli and international law. Since 1967, the West Bank – unlike East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights – is not legally part of Israel, which has not exercised sovereignty there; consequently, the governing authority in the area is the head of the IDF’s Central Command.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the IDF to “act firmly” against the launching of kites from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel. Over the weekend, at least four kites from Gaza landed in the kibbutz of Nahal Oz. The army stated that nothing suspicious had been found in the kites and that there was no danger to the public, but many residents linked the incident to the incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza that have plagued southern Israel in recent years. “I have instructed the Israel Defence Forces to act immediately and decisively against any launches from Gaza towards communities in the western Negev,” Katz said in a statement.

An Israeli air strike has targeted the centre of the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian media reports. The strike took place near the town of az-Zawayda, close to the Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza. The IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) has not yet commented on the matter.

What is happening in the West Bank “is unacceptable”. This was stated by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), on the sidelines of the Rimini Meeting. “We must defend coexistence and rights; it is unthinkable that the rights of everyone, particularly those of Arabs, should be trampled upon and humiliated,” he emphasised. “We are continuing to provide aid. We must see what can be done, depending on the situation, in collaboration with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.”

Israeli police have stated that they arrested a 16-year-old settler yesterday on suspicion of physically assaulting a Palestinian amputee, as well as a 17-year-old Israeli who is alleged to have filmed the attack. This has been reported by the Israeli media. The alleged attacker, from the Avigayil settlement in the Hebron area, was arrested overnight and the police will request that he remain in custody until he appears before a judge later today. The 17-year-old, from Jerusalem, has been released and placed under house arrest, according to police reports.

Former spy Jonathan Pollard announced this morning that he had joined the Israel First party, led by MP Sharan Haskel, a former deputy foreign minister. “The abandonment and betrayal I suffered were not isolated incidents,” Pollard said. “On 7 October, I saw that the whole country had been abandoned and betrayed. With you, Sharan, I hope we will have a new government.” Pollard explained that his support for Haskel stems from his belief that the country needs Zionist, nationalist and courageous leadership that puts Israel’s security first and recognises the Jewish people’s right to their own land. Pollard is an American Jew who worked for the US Navy’s intelligence service in Washington. In 1985, he was arrested and convicted of espionage and of passing classified information to Israel. He served 30 years in prison in the United States and, following his release, moved to Israel.

“The response to 7 October has become disproportionate. Especially when a people are denied the very right to exist. Then there is a second level – that of the physical destruction of people – which is on a massive scale. Of course, what is happening today is not the Holocaust. I use the word ‘genocide’ precisely because I do not confuse it with the Holocaust, which remains a unique historical event. But the fact that the two are not comparable does not mean that we cannot speak of genocide. For me, the Israeli authorities today are operating according to a genocidal logic because they are aiming for the disappearance of the Palestinian people as a political and territorial entity. “And I also interpret what is happening through a colonial lens.” Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers and adviser to Pope Leo XIV, made these remarks in an interview with *Il Messaggero*.

In Palestine, he explains, “today I see colonisation. Conquest means seizing a territory and driving out its inhabitants or subjugating them. Every colonial process contains a potentially genocidal element”.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei, has stated that the Chief of the Pakistani Army, Asim Munir, will visit Tehran tomorrow. “During the visit, discussions will focus on the development of mutual cooperation and sincere efforts to ensure peace and security in the region,” he added, according to a report by IRNA. Munir held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi last night.

“Initially, some commentators and opposition leaders claimed that the attack in Syria was pointless and politically motivated. Once it had been clarified that it was the IDF that had recommended the attack on the basis of precise intelligence and that the decision had been carefully assessed and approved by the political leadership, they moved on to an alternative version, according to which it is the Prime Minister’s and the Defence Minister’s statements against Erdogan, and our warnings to Turkey that we will not allow it to establish a foothold in Syria and endanger Israel’s security, that are pointless and dangerous.’’ Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote this on X. “According to their position, we should not provoke Erdogan. Fortunately, these people have no influence today, and we hope, for the sake of Israel’s security, that they do not attain positions of power in the future whilst holding such views,” Katz added. The minister’s statement came after opposition leader Yair Lapid, in an interview with Channel 11 this morning, said that the attack on Abu Duhur airport was justified, but criticised the political leadership’s public statements on the matter. “In the Middle East, it is important to launch attacks when necessary, but once an attack has been carried out, one must remain silent. What is the point of turning this into a public row, when the Turks have got the message from the attack?” said Lapid.

A 24-year-old Israeli man has been injured following a stabbing near the Palestinian village of Al-Auja, in the Jordan Valley. This has been reported by the IDF and the Israeli emergency services, who have described the incident as a nationalist attack. The attacker fled and the IDF has launched a manhunt, setting up checkpoints on the surrounding roads, according to an IDF spokesperson.

Palestinian media are reporting images of vandalism, allegedly carried out by Israeli settlers, in the Palestinian village of Usarin, south of Nablus in the West Bank, where a vehicle and a house under construction were set alight during the night. There is also graffiti in Hebrew on a wall reading ‘Revenge, 30 for Benayahu’, apparently referring to the 30 days that have passed since the death of Benayahu Mellet, a security guard at the Gilad Farm settlement, who was killed during an armed clash between settlers and Palestinians in the neighbouring village of Tell last month. No injuries have been reported.

Iran has brought a British power station to a standstill for four days in an unprecedented cyber-attack, according to The Telegraph. It is believed to be the first time that hackers affiliated with the Iranian regime have succeeded in paralysing a facility of this kind in the UK, and it is thought to be the most successful cyber-attack of its kind. The Telegraph has learnt that the incident coincided with a series of attacks on US water infrastructure last month, which affected 12 states and raised concerns at the White House. British officials have refused to specify which power station was affected, citing security reasons, but it is believed the plant remained out of action for four days whilst staff worked to restore its operations. It appears that the affected power station was relatively small and that the outage had no impact on the electricity supply or power generation in the UK. In response, the government has briefed the chief executives of electricity companies and written to the firms providing advice, guidance and information on the next steps to be taken.

Israeli warplanes carried out a series of night-time raids on the Ali al-Taher hill, on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Doha Kafr Rumman, alongside intermittent artillery shelling near Doha Kafr Rumman and al-Dabsha Hill, which continued until dawn. This was reported by the Lebanese news agency NNA.

“Over 100 former high-ranking British and French diplomats have warned their respective governments that Israeli policy is heading towards ‘ethnic cleansing’ and the ‘eradication of Palestine’. In this situation, London and Paris must not hide behind the word ‘concern’”. This was stated by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi to X. “Continuing to send weapons and any form of support to the Israeli regime is a conscious choice to cooperate with and participate in the regime’s crimes,” he added - The former diplomats also urged the UK and France to halt arms transfers, ban trade with the settlements and implement the rulings of the international courts in The Hague.”

“Our enemies imagined that, through their pressure and actions, Iran would collapse. Not only did this not happen, but the strength and unity of the Iranian nation have astonished the world.” This was stated by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian whilst addressing a ceremony to reaffirm loyalty to the ideals of the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Iran is facing a “large-scale economic, military and security war”, Pezeshkian added, according to the Iranian news agency Mehr.

Over 100 former French and British diplomats are calling for urgent action to pressure Israel into accepting a Palestinian state, including a ban on trade and arms sales and the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, as well as the trade agreement between the UK and Israel. The appeal is set out in a joint letter.

‘In Gaza, two million Palestinians are confined to 30 per cent of their devastated territory, starving and deprived of medicines and shelter. Over 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the so-called ceasefire came into effect,’ it reads. It continues: “In East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank, the demolition of Palestinian homes and the rampant violence by settlers – with the complicity of the Israeli army and police – amount to ethnic cleansing.”

Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton are among a group of stars from the Marvel universe who have called for the release of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, who has been held in an Israeli prison since 2002.

More than 20 actors – including many British actors – from famous film franchises based on comic books, such as the X-Men and the Avengers, have signed a petition calling on the UN and governments around the world to put pressure on the State of Israel to secure their release.