Israel celebrates after retaliating against Iran. And despite ongoing fighting on all fronts, there is hope for the hostages in Hamas’s hands.
Israel attacks Iran on Shabbat with hundreds of warplanes, the Shiite militia Hezbollah fires rockets towards Israel from Lebanon, and there is hope for hostages in the hands of Hamas. The weekend in the Middle East:
Iran’s religious leader calls for thoughtful action
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say on all strategic matters in Iran. Now the religious leader is calling for a considered approach. “Those responsible must decide how the strength and will of the Iranian people should be made clear to the Zionist regime (Israel),” said Khamenei (85) in the capital Tehran, according to the state agency Irna. Khamenei’s words were comparatively moderate. After the killing of Iranian generals or leading allies, he swore revenge.
Netanyahu: Attack on Iran was ‘precise and powerful’
The attack in Iran was, in the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “precise and powerful.” He had “achieved all of his goals,” said the head of government at a memorial event on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem for the victims of the Hamas massacre on October 7 last year.
“We have severely damaged Iran’s defense capability, as well as its ability to produce missiles aimed at us.” He addressed the Iranian people: “Our fight is not against you, but against the tyrannical regime that oppresses you and threatens the entire region.”
US media: Israel destroys Russian-made Iranian air defenses
According to reports in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, the Israeli Air Force primarily targeted Russian-made air defenses on Saturday night. Citing an Israeli official, the attackers destroyed numerous S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems.
The “NYT” wrote of four S-300s hit – one at a military base in Isfahan province and three at Tehran international airport. Defense systems near refineries and a large gas field were also hit, the newspaper reported, citing Iranian and Israeli sources.
The retaliatory strike was in response to an Iranian attack on October 1 in which around 200 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel.
Iran: Israeli fighter jets did not enter airspace
According to the Iranian military, Israeli fighter jets did not enter its own airspace during the attack. Israel’s air force fired air-launched long-range missiles near the border in Iraq, according to a statement from the General Staff. Radar stations were hit. The damage was “limited and minor”. Four soldiers were killed.
Diplomats want to negotiate a ceasefire in the Gaza war
After Israel’s retaliation, negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war should be resumed in Qatar. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Joav Galant that there are now opportunities to reduce “tensions in the region through diplomatic channels.” This includes a deal in the Gaza war and an agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon that allows civilians on both sides of the border with Israel to return to their homes. Israel is demanding the release of the approximately 100 hostages still held in Gaza, many of whom are believed to no longer be alive.
However, CNN reported, citing government officials, that an agreement was unlikely before the US elections on November 5th.
The Israeli army continued to take action against the Islamist terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. According to local reports, at least 30 Palestinians were killed in an attack in northern Gaza. Israel’s military initially did not comment.
Four more Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting with the Shiite militia Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. On an army memorial page for the fallen, the total number since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon was given as 769.
The current conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah began more than a year ago with rocket attacks by the militia in support of Hamas, against which Israel is waging war in the Gaza Strip. The trigger was the massacre by Hamas and other extremists from the Gaza Strip in Israel on October 7, 2023, with 1,200 dead and 250 abducted.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
