PinnedWhite House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed reports of a Palestinian being killed in the West Bank town of Jerricho from a projectile during Iran’s missile attack on Israel. It is unclear what the projectile was.
Sullivan expressed the Biden administration’s condolences to “the family of the Palestinian civilian in Jerricho.”
Israel reported no casualties so far from the Iranian strikes.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan briefed reporters about the ongoing Iranian attack against Israel. He noted that the strikes seem to have been unsuccessful based on current information.
“In short, based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective," Sullivan said.
"We are still working with the IDF and the authorities in Israel to assess the impact of the attack.”
Israel’s military says it killed Muhammad Jaafar Katzir in an airstrike in Beirut on Tuesday evening. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Katzir was a senior Hezbollah operative responsible for importing Iranian weapons into Lebanon.
The IDF said Katzir led Hezbollah Unit 4400 and assisted in developing the terror group’s missile forces for about 15 years. Katzir later became a financier for Hezbollah, flowing hundreds of millions to the designated terrorist group in recent years, according to the IDF.
Following the Iranian missile barrage, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari reported that Israeli air defense systems “carried out quite a few interceptions,” but said a few areas of central and southern Israel were struck.
Hagari said the IDF is still evaluating the situation but is not aware of any casualties from the Iranian attack.
Two terrorists killed six people and injured two others in an attack in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, according to Israel police.
The attack occurred shortly before Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel and a day after Israel began a ground operation in Lebanon amid fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Israel will respond to the Iranian missile attack, said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
"We will protect the citizens of Israel. This attack will have consequences. We have plans. We will act at the time and place of our choosing," said IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a statement.
Iran launched 181 missiles at Israel, according to the Jewish state.
The information was included in an X post directed at U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after he commented on the conflict.
“I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation. This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire,” Guterres posted on X.
Iran’s missile attacks on Israel are over, at least for now, according to the regime’s mission to the United Nations.
“Iran’s legal, rational, and legitimate response to the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime—which involved targeting Iranian nationals and interests and infringing upon the national sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran—has been duly carried out,” the regime posted on X.
Iran warned that it will respond to any Israeli retaliation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has given the all-clear for civilians to leave their shelter following Iranian missile attacks on the Jewish state.
“At the end of the situation assessment, it was decided that it is now possible to leave the protected area in all areas of the country,” said the IDF in a statement.
“You must continue to obey the directives of the Home Front Command.”
The White House said that President Joe Biden has ordered the U.S. military to shoot down any missiles targeting Israel.
Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are “monitoring the Iranian attack against Israel from the White House Situation Room,” National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett wrote on X.
The president “directed the U.S. military to aid Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks & shoot down missiles targeting Israel,” Savett said.
Former President Donald Trump released a statement ahead of the Iranian missile attack on Israel.
"The World is on fire and spiraling out of control,” the GOP presidential nominee said.
Trump, who was hawkish on Iran during his presidency, blamed the Biden administration for enabling the growing crisis in the Middle East.
Israeli law enforcement said in a statement on Tuesday, “At this point there is another scene in the Herzliya area with a fear of terrorists in the Sharon Hotel. Large police forces are combing the area.”
The development comes less than an hour after two men launched an attack in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, where four civilians were confirmed dead. A picture shared with The Epoch Times shows two men leaving a tram with what appears to be machine guns.
The enhanced police activity is occurring as Iran launches a missile attack against Israel.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), issued a statement through Iranian state media on Tuesday, claiming responsibility for the missile barrages targeting Israel.
The IRGC said the missile strikes are in retaliation for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, and the Israeli air strike that killed Hezbollah political leader Hassan Nasrallah last week.
Though no one claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s death in a July 31 blast, Iran and Hamas had both concluded Israel was behind the killing, and Iran vowed to respond.
- Iran has launched a missile attack against Israel.
- The missiles have been intercepted by Israel over Tel Aviv, Jaffa, and Jerusalem.
Iran Launches Missiles at Israel, Israeli Military Says
Israeli civilians entered bomb shelters on Oct. 1 as the Israeli military reported incoming missile fire from Iran.“A short time ago, missiles were launched from Iran towards the State of Israel,” Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said in a Tuesday statement. “You are asked to remain vigilant and follow the Home Front Command’s instructions precisely.”
Hagari said Israeli air defense capabilities were actively engaging the incoming Iranian munitions, but warned the defense network is not airtight and urged civilians to follow safety advisories from the Israeli military’s Home Front Command.
“You may hear explosions, which could be the result of interceptions or impacts,” he said. “Due to the variety of threats, alarms may be triggered in widespread areas.”
The Israeli military issued the alert just hours after a senior White House official warned Iran was preparing to “imminently” launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel.
“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” the official said in an email to The Epoch Times.
“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
Israeli forces had reported launching cross-border ground raids into Lebanon in the early morning hours of Tuesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the Biden administration is watching the situation between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon “very closely.”
Blinken did not directly address the reported Iranian missile threat during the brief remarks ahead of talks with the visiting foreign minister of Morocco.
“The United States is committed to Israel’s defense,” he said. “We’re watching developments, as I said, very carefully at this moment.”
Israel’s Home Front Command said residents in and around Haifa, and further south into central Israel, could hold slightly larger public gatherings. Educational activities could also proceed in areas close to bomb shelters.
Netanyahu urged Israelis to closely follow the Home Front Command’s instructions.
“Together we will stand steadfast in the trying days ahead of us,” he said. “Together we will stand. Together we will fight and together we will win.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) mobilized four additional brigades on Tuesday to be deployed in missions along the Lebanese border.
"This will enable the continuation of operational activity against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and the achievement of operational goals, including the safe return of the residents of northern Israel to their homes," the IDF said in a statement.
The statement did not provide details about the new brigades being called up, but a typical Israeli infantry brigade consists of 1,000 to 2,000 soldiers, while an armored tank brigade numbers about 100 tanks.
Israel announced new restrictions on public gatherings across the country, including in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and closed beaches after Hezbollah fired rockets at the country.
The announcement limits public gatherings to 30 people in an open area. It came a day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, when large crowds typically gather to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The changes are in effect until Oct. 5 and could be extended to the point that they could impact memorial events planned to honor victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which sparked the current conflict.
The reaction around the world to Israel’s incursion into Lebanon has been mixed.
While some nations have reacted with cautious support for the Jewish state’s actions, others have labeled it a “dangerous escalation” and “illegal.”
Turkey called it an “unlawful invasion attempt” and demanded an immediate cessation of the offensive and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, saying it jeopardizes the security and stability of countries in and out of the region.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed reports of a Palestinian being killed in the West Bank town of Jerricho from a projectile during Iran’s missile attack on Israel. It is unclear what the projectile was.
Sullivan expressed the Biden administration’s condolences to “the family of the Palestinian civilian in Jerricho.”
Israel reported no casualties so far from the Iranian strikes.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan briefed reporters about the ongoing Iranian attack against Israel. He noted that the strikes seem to have been unsuccessful based on current information.
“In short, based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective," Sullivan said.
"We are still working with the IDF and the authorities in Israel to assess the impact of the attack.”
Israel’s military says it killed Muhammad Jaafar Katzir in an airstrike in Beirut on Tuesday evening. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Katzir was a senior Hezbollah operative responsible for importing Iranian weapons into Lebanon.
The IDF said Katzir led Hezbollah Unit 4400 and assisted in developing the terror group’s missile forces for about 15 years. Katzir later became a financier for Hezbollah, flowing hundreds of millions to the designated terrorist group in recent years, according to the IDF.
Hezbollah has claimed that no Israeli troops have crossed the Lebanese border, contradicting statements from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
The head of the terrorist group's media office, Mohammad Afif, said that no IDF troops have entered the country, and warned that the group's strikes on Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning were "only the beginning."
Earlier, Hezbollah said it launched "Fadi-4" rockets at the headquarters of Israeli intelligence services Mossad and Unit 8200, which are located in the Tel Aviv area.
The Israel Defense Forces has ordered the evacuation of nearly two dozen Lebanese border communities.
The evacuation order was posted by the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson on X and specified about two dozen settlements in southern Lebanon, ordering people to move north of the Awali River, nearly 40 miles from the border.
That is farther than the Litani River, about 20 miles from the Israel–Lebanon border, which marks the northern edge of a U.N.-declared zone that was intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after the 2006 war.
The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) says that the Israeli military notified it the day before of its “intention to undertake limited ground incursions into Lebanon” and labeled the act a “dangerous development.”
The UNIFIL statement did not say if Israeli forces were actually observed crossing the border, however, it did say peacekeepers were in position and “have contingency plans ready to activate if absolutely necessary,” it said.
“Any crossing into Lebanon is in violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of resolution 1701,” it said, referring to the U.N. resolution that put an end to the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Israeli military has said parts of southern Lebanon are witnessing “intense fighting."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted on X on Tuesday morning that people should not drive into the area south of the Litani River, which has dozens of towns and villages close to the Jewish state's border.
Hezbollah has not yet commented on the ground invasion, but, on Monday, acting leader, Naim Kassem, said the group would fight any Israeli troops attempting to occupy parts of Lebanon.
The US National Security Council (NSC) said Israel’s “limited operations” to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure in Lebanon were in line with its right to defend itself.
However, the NSC warned that expansion of the operation was a risk and that a diplomatic solution was the only way to achieve lasting stability.
"This is in line with Israel’s right to defend its citizens and safely return civilians to their homes. We support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah and all Iranian-backed terror groups. Of course, we know that mission creep can be a risk, and we will keep discussing that with the Israelis,” the NSC said.
IDF Says Troops Crossed into Lebanon
Israeli ground forces crossed into southern Lebanon on Sept. 30, in what may be the opening phases of an Israeli invasion of the country.The IDF said planning and training for the “methodical operation” has been ongoing for months.
Dubbed Operation “Northern Arrows,” the IDF said it’s targeting Hezbollah targets close to Israel’s northern border that “pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
“The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes.”
The reported operations come as Israel has been signaling an escalating fight with Hezbollah; a Shia Muslim political and paramilitary faction within Lebanon designated as a terrorist group by the United States and Israel.
The United States confirmed it was aware of limited Israeli military ground operations inside Lebanon’s border earlier on Sept. 30.
Israeli forces have been fighting with Hezbollah in a cross-border skirmish for nearly a year.
“Israel may be now launching a limited operation into Lebanon, are you aware of that? Are you comfortable with their plans?” a reporter asked President Joe Biden at a White House press event on Sept. 30.
“I’m more aware than you might know,” Biden replied, “and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now.”
By Ryan Morgan