IRAN SHOOTS 180 BALLISTIC INTO ALL OF ISRAEL.

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 SHOOTS 180 BALLISTIC INTO ALL OF ISRAEL.

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:

SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that the second angel had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in harvesting.The second angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split seconds."All of Turkey and those [inaudible] countries that have refused me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one another."I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries. I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full of blood. I saw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear weapons used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come." The angel said, "The chosen, the church, the remnant, shall be purified. The Spirit of God shall prepare the children of God."I saw fires rising to heaven.The angel said: "This is the final judgment. My church shall be purified, protected and ready for the final day. Men will die from thirst. Water shall be scarce all over the Middle East. Rivers shall dry up, and men will fight for water in those countries."The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.

PSALMS 83:1-8 (GODS LAND PROMISED TO ISRAEL)
1 O God, do not remain silent;do not turn a deaf ear,do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,  how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they (ARAB,MUSLIMS) conspire against your people;they plot against those you cherish.(ISRAELIS)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;(TREATIES) they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom (JORDAN)  and the Ishmaelites, (EGYPTIAN ARABS SO CALLED PALESTIANS) of Moab (JORDAN) and the Hagrites,(EGYPT)
7 Byblos,(HEZBOLLOH) Ammon (JORDAN) and Amalek,(SYRIAN ARABS IN THE SINAI) Philistia,(ARABS) with the people of Tyre (LEBANON).
8 Even Assyria (SYRIA) has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants.

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

1 OF 3 GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO
1-PROMISCUOUS SEX AMOUNG EACH OTHER.
ROMANS 1:24
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (THE 60S FREE SEX)
2 OF 3 GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO
2-SODOMITES - MEN LUSTING MEN, AND WOMEN LUSTING AFTER WOMEN.
ROMANS 1:26-27
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
3 OF 3 GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO
3-A DEPRAVED MIND-ANY SIN GOES.
ROMANS 1:28-31
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO THESE 3 DEPRAVED ABOMINATION SINS?
OH OH NOAHS DAY. WHAT HAPPENED IN NOAHS DAY. THE WHOLE WORLD WAS JUDGED BY WATER.
GENESIS 6:7,17
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
GENESIS 7:4
4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
GENESIS 8:16
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
WELL THE SODOMITES PICKED THE RIGHT SIGN OF A RAINBOW FOR JUDGEMENT. THE SODOMITES TRYED TO STEAL GODS SIGN THAT THE WHOLE EARTH WILL NEVER DIE FROM FLOOD WATERS AGAIN. BUT THE JUDGEMENT THIS TIME IS GOING TO BE BY FIRE.NOT WATER.
2 PETER 3:7
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

EZIKIEL 38:12-13
13 Sheba, and Dedan,(SAUDIA ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(ENGLAND) with all the young lions thereof,(USA,CANADA,AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND,EU,ENGLAND,ENGLISH SPEAKING 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? (AGAINST ISRAEL)
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, (RUSSIA AND HER MUSLIMS HORDES)Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?

ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST

1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

GENESIS 12:1-3
1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will shew thee:
2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3  And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY) him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE.(ALL THESE ARAB, MUSLIMS ARE OCCUPYING ISRAELS LAND. GET OFF IMMEDIATELY. BECAUSE YOUR DEATH CULT DAYS ARE NUMBERED)

ISLAMIC DEATH CULT AND FAKE MOHAMMAAD AND FAKE MOON GOD ALLAH WHICH IS SIMPLY SATAN IS THE LEADER OF ISLAM.
LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart:(WARS AND DEATH) and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.(CHINA CONTROLS AMERICAS ECONOMY BY BUYING UP DEBT)

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)

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)

The Family Tree of Ishmael
12 This is the family tree of Ishmael son of Abraham, the son that Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maid, bore to Abraham.
13-16 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons in the order of their births: Nebaioth, Ishmael’s firstborn, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah—all the sons of Ishmael. Their settlements and encampments were named after them. Twelve princes with their twelve tribes.
(ISLAM CLAIMS MOHAMMID IS A OFF SPRING OF ISHMAEL THE FIRST BASTARD CHILD OF THE ARABS WITH A SLAVE MOTHER TO THE ISRAELIS.DOES ANY ONE SEE THE NAME OF MOHAMMID IN ISHMAELS FAMILY TREE. BECAUSE I SURE DON'T. I DOUBT MOHAMMID EVEN EXISTS. AND SATAN IS THE LEADER OF ISLAM HHIMSELF. SO ISLAM IS NOT A RELIGION AT ALL. ISLAM IS NOTHING BUT A DEATH CULT THAT WORSHIPS DEATH. AND WILL BURN IN HELL FIRE, THEN THE FINAL JUDGEMENT IN FRONT OF JESUS.ONLY TO BE THROWN IN THE LAKE OF FIRE FOREVER WITH THEIR NEVER DYING BODIES.ISLAM EXPOSED AS A FRAUD SATAN LIE AND MURDER DEAT CULT.

ISAIAH 14:12-14
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-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 (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)

JOHN 8:44
44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

WELL MY PREDICTION BACK IN MAY OR JUNE BY THE BIBLE THAT AMERICA WOULD PAY THE PRICE FOR ALL THE PROTESTERS AGAINST ISRAEL IN AMERICA. I RECALL SAYING GET READY THIS HURRICANE SEASON WILL BE DESTRUCTIVE. I GUESS MY BIBLE PREDICTION CAME TO PASS LAST WEEKEND WHEN AMERICA WAS HUMMELED DROWN OUT BY HURRICANE HELENE. THEN A PORT STRIKE CURRENTLY GOING ON. I'D SAY AMERICA IS NOW PAYING THE PRICE FOR ALL THOSE ISRAEL HATING PROTESTERS. I HEARD THERE COULD BE 2 MORE HURRICANES ON THE WAY, GOD WILL CONVINCE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. YOU COME AGAINST ISRAEL. YOUR COMING AGAINST JESUS AND THE FATHER. AND USE WILL PAY THE PRICE. JUST LIKE IN THE FUTURE WHEN YES THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JERUSALEM WILL BE DIVIDED. AND HALF TO ISRAEL. AND HALF TO THE DEATH CULT ARAB, MUSLIMS. JERUSALEM IS GODS HOLY CITY. AND SAID ITS ISRAELS NOT THE ARAB MUSLIMS. SO AFTER JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED IN THE FUTURE. THE WORLD WILL PAY THE PRICE. THE BIBLE SAYS EYE FOR EYE. GOD SAYS TO HIMSELF. MY HOLY CITY IS DIVIDED. HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION WILL BE KILLED OFF AS A RESULT. BY FIRE WILL 4 BILLION BE KILLED OFF. FOR DIVIDING MY AND ISRAELS HOLY CITY. NOT NO ARAB-MUSLIMS HOLY CITY.

Iran fires 181 missiles at Israel; PM: They made a ‘big mistake’ and ‘will pay for it’IAF, along with US and Jordan, intercept most of the projectiles; 1 Palestinian killed, 2 Israelis hurt; IDF says no harm to ‘competence’ of Air Force as some missiles target bases
By Lazar Berman and Emanuel Fabian-1 October 2024, 11:31 pm

Iran fired a massive salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night, sending almost 10 million people into bomb shelters as projectiles and interceptors exploded in the skies above.Soon after the attack, which was largely unsuccessful, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran that it had made “a big mistake” and “will pay for it.”Some 181 missiles were launched in the strike, according to Israeli officials. The Israel Defense Forces said that it intercepted “a large number” of them.One Palestinian in the West Bank was reported killed and two Israelis were injured by falling shrapnel and debris that had caused damage and started fires in the area. Explosions could be heard across much of Israel, from Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley. Reporters on state television lay flat on the ground during live broadcasts.One rocket impacted a school in Gadera, in central Israel, and photos and videos from the scene showed severe damage to the school building, although nobody was injured. Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, the Home Front Command chief, visited the site of the impact alongside first responders.Israel’s air defenses were “effective,” the IDF said. The US also participated in the defense of Israel, both by detecting the threat from Iran ahead of time and intercepting some of the missiles, according to the military.The IDF said there were “isolated” impacts in central Israel and several more impacts in southern Israel. It emphasized that there was no damage to the “competence” of the Israeli Air Force in the attack, and said the IAF’s planes, air defenses, and air traffic control were operating normally.At a security cabinet meeting in a secure bunker near Jerusalem in the aftermath of the attack, Netanyahu warned that Tehran had made a “big mistake tonight” and vowed that “it will pay for it.”The strike on Israel had “failed,” he said, and was “thwarted thanks to Israel’s air defense system, which is the most advanced in the world.”He thanked the US for its support as well.“The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies,” said Netanyahu. “[Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar and [top Hamas military commander Mohammed] Deif did not understand this, [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah and [Hezbollah chief of staff Fuad] Shukr did not understand this, and there are probably those in Tehran who do not understand this.”“They will understand,” he threatened, stressing that “whoever attacks us — we will attack him.”He added that this had been the case wherever Israel fights “the axis of evil” — in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iran.Calling for “the forces of light in the world” to unite against Tehran, the premier urged them to “stand by Israel.”“The choice has never been clearer between tyranny and freedom, between blessing and curse,” he said.“Israel is on the move, and the axis of evil is retreating,” Netanyahu insisted. “We will do everything necessary to continue this trend, to achieve all the goals of the war, primarily the return of all our hostages, and to ensure our existence and our future.”Iran said it fired the missiles into Israel in retaliation for attacks that killed leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian military. It referenced Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut. It also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they targeted three military bases.A senior Iranian official told Reuters the order to launch missiles at Israel had been made by the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei remains in a secure location, the senior official added.A previous attack using 300 missiles and drones in April — the first ever direct Iranian on Israel — was thwarted with the help of the US military and other allies. Israel responded at the time with airstrikes in Iran, but wider escalation was averted.US President Joe Biden directed the US military to aid Israel’s defense against the Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles that are targeting Israel, the White House said.Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris monitored the attack from the White House Situation Room, said the statement.A Palestinian from Gaza was reported killed by shrapnel in Jericho in the West Bank.While only two people were reportedly lightly wounded in Israel proper from shrapnel, videos and photos circulating on social media showed a number of craters caused by impacts.Shortly after midnight, the IDF Home Front Command announced that it was easing restrictions in central Israel, the Jerusalem area, and some parts of northern Israel following the attack.IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters earlier in the night that the IAF “continues to operate at full capacity, and tonight will also continue to strike powerfully in the Middle East, as has been the case for the past year.”“The Israeli and US air defense systems operated effectively. There was close cooperation in detection and interception,” he said.“We are still investigating [the result of the attack] and do not want to give the enemy all the information,” Hagari said.“Iran carried out a serious act tonight and is pushing the Middle East to an escalation. We will act at the place and time of our choosing, in accordance with the guidance of the political echelon,” he continued.“Tonight’s event will have consequences.”Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, however, said that if Israel retaliated Tehran’s response would be “more crushing and ruinous.”American forces are ready to provide “additional defensive support” to Israel after helping protect it during an Iranian missile attack, a US defense official said.US Defense ecretary Lloyd Austin reiterated the US’s commitment to Israel’s safety in a call with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in the aftermath of the attack, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said during a briefing.Austin reaffirmed the US’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s defense and stressed that the US remains well-postured in the Middle East to defend American assets and to defend Israel.Ryder also told reporters that Iran launched about twice as many ballistic missiles on Tuesday as it did in its previous direct attack on Israel in April.Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said its air defenses intercepted missiles and drones as Iran attacked Israel, just as it had done in April.“The Royal Jordanian Air Force and air defense systems responded to a number of missiles and drones that entered Jordanian airspace,” a statement said.There was widespread international condemnation of the strikes.Hamas praised Iran’s missile attack, saying it was in revenge for the killings of Hamas leader Haniyeh and Hezbollah chief Nasrallah.“The Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas] blesses the heroic rocket launches carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran against wide areas of our occupied lands,” a statement said, adding it was “in revenge for the blood of our heroic martyrs.”Iran-backed Iraqi militias said that if the US took part in “any hostile action” against Iran, then American interests in the region would be under threat.The statement from the group calling itself the Coordination Committee for the Iraqi Resistance also warned Israel against using Iraqi airspace to retaliate against Iran, saying “all American bases and interests in Iraq and the region will be our target.”The Iranian attack came after the IDF launched a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon overnight Monday-Tuesday.Amid the US warnings of the imminent Iranian attack, received by Israel earlier in the day,  Netanyahu spoke of “days of great challenges” ahead. In a video statement, he urged unity in Israel, and asked the public to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command.Iran did not give the United States prior notice of its attack on Israel, Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York said.Earlier in the evening, the Home Front Command had issued instructions to residents of the central area of Israel, known as Gush Dan, warning them to remain “nearby” a bomb shelter or other protected area until further notice, following reports of an imminent Iranian attack.Three Israeli officials quoted anonymously by The New York Times said that Iran would likely target three military air bases, and “an intelligence headquarters north of Tel Aviv,” which it said has been evacuated.The US embassy in Jerusalem issued a security warning telling its employees and their families “to shelter in place until further notice.”Earlier, the Pentagon said the US was boosting its forces in the Middle East by a “few thousand” troops, by bringing in new units while extending others that are already there.“A certain number of units already deployed to the Middle East region… will be extended, and the forces due to rotate into theater to replace them will now instead augment” those that are already there, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists on Monday.“These augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F-22 fighter aircraft and associated personnel,” Singh said, later adding that there will be “an additional few thousand” personnel in the region as a result.The US Central Command announced Tuesday that three additional squadrons of warplanes were arriving in the region, while one was already present.Agencies contributed to this report.

'We will continue to support Gaza and to defend Lebanon'Hezbollah’s deputy leader, sweating, says group ready to face potential IDF ground op Looking uncomfortable in recorded speech, the first by Hezbollah official since Israel killed Nasrallah, Naim Qassem says new leader to be named soon, fallen commanders replaceable By Gianluca Pacchiani and Agencies 30 September 2024, 1:59 pm

Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Monday that his organization is ready for any potential ground operation by Israeli troops, in the first speech by an official of the terror group since its leader was killed.Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated on Friday by Israel, the climax of a series of airstrikes over the week that eliminated much of the terror group’s command structure.“We will face any possibility and we are ready if the Israelis decide to enter by land and the resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement,” Qassem said in prerecorded remarks.According to The Wall Street Journal, Israeli special forces have already launched small raids into Lebanon in recent months, including sending troops into Hezbollah tunnels along the border ahead of a wider offensive.“Despite the losses of its commanders, the attacks against civilians throughout Lebanon, and great sacrifices, we will not budge from our position,” Qassem said in a speech from an undisclosed location in Beirut. “We will continue to support Gaza and to defend Lebanon.”Qassem, who appeared to be sweating profusely throughout his speech, asserted that Hezbollah will continue in the footsteps of Nasrallah, who led it since 1992.He said the terror group is continuing its operations, working according to plans already laid out, and described its attacks on Israel thus far as the “minimum.” He added that while the battle could be long, Hezbollah is confident that Israel will not achieve its aims.Qassem eulogized Nasrallah for his leadership, and his popularity with the masses, and said that Hezbollah has already proven its determination to continue fighting, by firing rockets on Haifa and on the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim, an attack that the terror group had previously not claimed and that according to Qassem, sent a million people into bomb shelters.He also said Hezbollah will elect a new secretary-general as soon as possible, using an internal process, highlighting that for every commander and every official, there are replacements.Alongside Nasrallah, more than 20 Hezbollah operatives were killed in the massive airstrike in Beirut, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday, including Ali Karaki, the commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, and several of the terror leader’s advisers.It is expected that Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s cousin and head of Hezbollah’s executive council, will be picked as the new leader.Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza during the war there.Since Israel escalated its airstrikes against Hezbollah on Monday, more than 630 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry. Thousands of pagers detonated on their Hezbollah owners last week, putting a reported 1,500 fighters from the terror group out of commission, in an attack blamed on Israel.Israel has said it targeted homes in which Hezbollah emplaced missiles and rockets, having urged residents to flee. It says that many Hezbollah operatives are among the dead. Numerous senior Hezbollah commanders have been killed, as well as leaders of the group’s elite Radwan Force, which Israel says was planning an invasion of the Galilee.At least a quarter of those killed have been women and children, according to Lebanese health officials, whose figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel has said that many Hezbollah operatives are among the dead.

Airlines scramble to divert flights following Iranian missile attack on Israel-Latest disruptions to air traffic expected to deal further blow to industry already battered by wars between Israel and Hamas, and Russia and Ukraine-By Reuters Today, 4:21 am-OCT 1,24

PARIS, France — Israel’s neighbors closed airspace and airline crews skirted an escalating conflict, with many seeking diversions, after Iran fired some 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in its second-ever direct attack on the Jewish state.A spokesperson for tracking service FlightRadar24 said flights diverted “anywhere they could,” and a snapshot of traffic in the region showed flights spreading in wide arcs to the north and south, with many converging on Cairo and Istanbul.FlightRadar24 said Istanbul and Antalya in southern Turkey were becoming congested, forcing some airlines to divert south.Iran launched the largely unsuccessful bombardment in retaliation for the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last week, and the recent killings of a slew of other senior members of Iran-backed terror groups.Eurocontrol, a pan-European air traffic control agency, earlier sent a warning to pilots about the escalating conflict.“A major missile attack has been launched against Israel in the last few minutes. At present the entire country is under a missile warning,” it said in an urgent navigation bulletin.Shortly afterwards it announced the closure of Jordanian and Iraqi airspace as well as the closure of a key crossing point into airspace controlled by Cyprus.An Iraqi pilot bulletin said its Baghdad-controlled airspace was “closed due to security until further notice.”Iraq’s transport ministry later announced the reopening of Iraqi airspace to incoming and outgoing civilian flights at Iraqi airports. FlightRadar24 said on X that “it will be a while before flights are active there again.”Jordan also reopened its airspace after closing it following the attack, the Jordanian state news agency reported.Lebanon’s transport minister Ali Hamie said on X that airspace would be closed to air traffic for a two-hour period on Tuesday.The latest disruptions were expected to deal a further blow to an industry already facing a host of restrictions due to conflicts between Israel and Hamas, and Russia and Ukraine.Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.

Stock markets slump, oil jumps as Iran attack sparks fear of all-out war in Mideast-Wall Street’s main indices sunk in the immediate aftermath of the missile attack and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 1.5 percent By AFP Today, 2:49 am-OCT 1,24

WASHINGTON — Global markets sank and oil soared Tuesday, after Iran launched around 180 missiles at Israel, prompting fears of a region-wide conflagration after almost a year of war between Israel and the Hamas terror group in Gaza.US and European stocks turned sharply lower after the strikes, which Iran said it had launched in retaliation to recent killings of Tehran-backed terrorist leaders.Most missiles were intercepted by Israeli air defenses or by air forces before they reached Israel, and the Israeli military announced after around an hour that the attack was over.The headlines caused a sharp turnaround on global markets, with Wall Street’s main indices sinking and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropping 1.5 percent.Gold, considered a safe haven asset, jumped around one percent to a new record high just above $2,600 an ounce because of the tensions.Earlier, European shares opened higher after the eurozone’s annual inflation rate slowed. US shares closed lower as a recent rally ran out of steam ahead of economic reports this week that should shine greater light on the direction of interest rates.The mood also soured as US dockworkers went on strike at East and Gulf coast ports, which could cost the world’s largest economy billions of dollars a day and stoke inflation.“Participants cast a wary eye toward escalating Middle East tensions and a US port strike while awaiting the first batch of this week’s pivotal US jobs and manufacturing data,” said Joe Mazzola, a strategist at Charles Schwab.Official data showed that eurozone inflation fell below the European Central Bank’s two-percent target in September for the first time since 2021.The fall “opens room for the ECB to cut rates again on October 17,” said GianLuigi Mandruzzato, an economist at EFG Asset Management.Paris lagged behind other European bourses as new Prime Minister Michel Barnier presented the policies of his fragile minority government to parliament, including spending cuts and higher taxes for companies.Barnier said it would take two years longer than previously planned for France to reduce its deficit to the European Union limit of three percent of national output as the country faces a massive debt pile.London was the only major market to break the trend, rising on the back of energy companies.There are several US economic reports expected this week. By far the most important for the markets is Friday’s monthly jobs report.In Asia, Hong Kong and mainland Chinese bourses closed for a holiday after thundering higher over the past week on China’s new economic stimulus.Tokyo closed up almost two percent, paring some of Monday’s nearly five-percent drop, as the yen pulled back against the dollar, giving Japanese exporters some much-needed relief.Data showing Japanese business confidence remained positive in the third quarter also provided support.Oil prices initially slid on expectations of increasing supply after Libya appointed a new central bank governor Monday, a key step to resolving a dispute between the country’s rival administrations and allowing oil output to resume.Oil prices shot higher after news of Iran’s missile attack, before pulling back slightly.

Urges 'every nation in world' to denounce Iran-US: We will help Israel exact ‘severe consequences’ from Iran for missile attack
Pledge to assist goes further than DC’s support after April attack, when Biden sought to limit Israel’s response; president says strike unsuccessful partly due to US assistance-By Jacob Magid-Today, 1:40 am-OCT 1,24

The US warned Tuesday that there would be “severe consequences” for Iran after its missile attack against Israel, pledging to work with Jerusalem to extract a price from Tehran.Washington offered similar support for Israel after helping it thwart Iran’s previous attack in April, but then it quickly turned to caution Israel against responding too broadly, fearing an escalation into a regional war. On Tuesday, though, Biden officials weren’t just stressing Israel’s right to respond but indicating that the US would be assisting Israel in launching that response.“There will be severe consequences for this attack and we will work with Israel to make that the case,” Sullivan said during a press briefing at the White House hours after Iran launched some 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.One Palestinian in the West Bank was killed and two Israelis were injured by falling shrapnel and debris that had caused damage and started fires in the area.The Israel Defense Forces said that it intercepted “a large number” of the missiles. Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said US Navy destroyers fired roughly one dozen interceptors at Iranian missiles. Sullivan said US “partners” also took part in thwarting the attack, but declined to identify them. Jordan Public Security Directorate said its air defenses intercepted missiles and drones over its airspace during the attack.“At my direction, the United States military actively supported the defense of Israel,” US President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House, adding that the Iranian attack “appears to have been defeated and ineffective.”“This is testament to Israeli military capability… [and] also a testament to intensive planning [between] the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against a brazen attack,” he added.“Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel,” the US president stressed.Asked how he wanted Israel to respond, Biden said this was a matter in “active discussion” and that the consequences for Tehran “remain to be seen.”Biden monitored the attack with US Vice President Kamala Harris from the Situation Room, and the pair held another meeting earlier Tuesday after the US received intelligence that an attack was imminent — information that was quickly shared with Israel.In her own statement to the press, Harris said she backs Biden’s decision to order US military personnel to shoot down Iranian missiles targeting Israel, as he did in April.She slammed the “reckless and brazen” Iranian missile attack, which further demonstrates that Tehran is a “destabilizing, dangerous force” in the Middle East.“Iran is not only a threat to Israel, Iran is also a threat to American personnel in the region, American interests and innocent civilians across the region who suffer at the hands of Iran-based and backed terrorist proxies,” Harris continued. “We will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend US forces and interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists, and we will continue to work with our allies and partners to disrupt Iran’s aggressive behavior and hold them accountable.”Pressed on what the pledged response to Iran might look like, Sullivan said the US had already begun discussing the issue with Israel before the strike was carried out and that those conversations would continue, but he declined to offer additional details.“This is a significant escalation by Iran, and it is equally significant that we were able to step up with Israel and create a situation in which no one was killed in this attack in Israel,” said the top Biden aide.“We are now going to look at what the appropriate next steps are to secure first and foremost American interests and then to promote stability — to the maximum extent possible — as we go forward,” he said.“We are proud of the actions that we’ve taken alongside Israel to protect and defend Israel,” Sullivan said.In a subsequent briefing, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called on “every nation in the world must join us in condemning” Iran’s attack.Miller fiercely denied reports that Iran passed along a message to the US warning of the impending attack shortly before it was launched.“What you saw Iran do today was come to the defense of a terrorist organization,” Miller added.The State Department spokesperson also flatly rejected Iran’s claim that its attack was in response to Israel’s violation of its sovereignty when it killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.“This event had nothing to do with Iran’s sovereignty. It has to do with the fact that a number of the terrorist organizations that Iran has set up for years as a way to undermine and attack the State of Israel have been weakened first over the past few months and then most recently over the past few weeks,” Miller said, highlighting the recent Israeli killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.“To the extent that any Iranian officials have been killed in the past few days in Lebanon or in Syria, it’s because they were meeting with terrorist leaders,” the State Department spokesperson said.

Iran celebrates missile attack, as IRGC vows crushing response if Israel hits back-Crowds gather in Tehran’s Palestine Square to rejoice, state TV shows videos of orange glow of missiles streaking toward Israel; festivities in Iraq, Lebanon and West Bank-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 1:40 am-OCT 1,24

Iran on Tuesday boasted of its great success in launching a huge missile strike against Israel, which sparked celebrations in parts of the Muslim world, although the IDF said most of the projectiles were successfully intercepted.For the Iranian regime and its supporters, the attack provided a rare moment to celebrate after several weeks in which Iran and its proxies suffered a series of stunning setbacks as Israeli strikes took out almost all of the Hezbollah terror group’s senior leadership in a series of brazen strikes.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boasted of its ballistic missile attack on Israel and threatened to carry out “crushing attacks” against the Jewish nation if it retaliates.Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei tweeted an illustration of a large underground weapons cache, with the message: “Victory comes from Allah and it is close.”The IRGC claimed that 90 percent of the 180 ballistic missiles it fired toward Israel hit their intended targets, which it said were three military bases around the Tel Aviv area.The IDF said, however, that it intercepted a “large number” of the missiles and that there were only “isolated impacts” in central Israel and several in southern Israel, although it did not specify the exact locations of the impacts.US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called the attack “defeated and ineffective” and echoed Israel in promising the Islamic Regime would face consequences.The IRGC said, meanwhile, that it would respond aggressively to any form of retaliation for the attack.“If the Zionist regime reacts to Iranian operations, it will face crushing attacks,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency, adding that Tuesday’s attack was “in accordance with the United Nations Charter.”It said it came “after a period of restraint” following an “attack on the sovereignty” of Iran — a reference to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, which was blamed on Israel; Jerusalem has not directly acknowledged involvement.Iran said it fired the missiles into Israel as retaliation for the assassination of Haniyeh, and for the killings of Hezbollah leaders and IRGC officials, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut.Iranian state television played upbeat music over footage of the orange glow of missiles streaking across Israel’s night sky as its newscaster spoke of “the brave Iranian people.”It later broadcast images of residents of Iran’s second city Mashhad celebrating the Guards’ attack in the streets, waving Hezbollah’s yellow flag and portraits of slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.Similar celebrations took place in the capital Tehran and several provincial cities including in Arak and Qom.ehran right now after missile strikes on Israel pic.twitter.com/5a2woNTBym-— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) October 1, 2024-Some shouted “God is great!,” “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the country’s “decisive response” to what he called the Israeli “aggression.”Iranian media carried online footage of what they said were missiles being fired at Israel. It also published videos of celebrations in Iraq.The Iraqi people expressing joy over Iran's missile attacks against the occupied territories pic.twitter.com/EYyVuz9dfc— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) October 1, 2024-Celebratory gunfire also erupted from Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, Lebanese state media said.“Heavy gunfire heard from automatic weapons from areas of the southern suburbs, rejoicing in the missile launch from Iran towards Israel,” Lebanon’s National News Agency said.An AFP correspondent also reported the sound of gunfire from the Hezbollah bastion, which has been hit by heavy Israeli raids since Friday, when a huge Israeli strike killed Nasrallah.Hamas praised the attack, saying it congratulated “the heroic rocket launch carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran, on large areas of our occupied territories, in response to the occupation’s continuing crimes against the peoples of the region, and in retaliation for the blood of our nation’s heroic martyrs.”In the West Bank, Palestinians picked up a large piece of a fallen Iranian missile and set it up as a monument in the town of Dura near Hebron, with youths posing next to the twisted metal, flashing victory signs.In the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem, one resident told AFP that “as soon as the Palestinians heard the first sirens, there were whistles and applause, and there were cries of ‘Allahu Akbar!’ (God is Greatest).”She said that people did not go to shelters because they don’t have any, and instead went out into the streets or onto roofs to see what was happening.Sirens sounded across Israel on Tuesday evening as Iran launched its 180 ballistic missiles, forcing people across the country into bomb shelters. The Islamic Regime said the attack was a retaliation for Israel’s killing of Nasrallah amid escalated attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.Israel’s attacks over the past two weeks also killed the vast majority of Hezbollah’s leadership and culminated with the IDF launching a ground operation into southern Lebanon on Monday night which it said was aimed at destroying Hezbollah infrastructure on the border.Similar to Iran’s first direct attack on Israel in April when it fired some 300 missiles and drones, Tuesday’s attack ended with minimal casualties although one Palestinian was killed by shrapnel in the West Bank.In April’s attack, a Bedouin girl from the unrecognized village of Al-Fura near Arad was seriously injured, also by shrapnel.

West denounces Iran’s missile attack on Israel, cautions against further escalation-UN chief issues condemnation of broadening conflict but is mum on Iran attack; Hamas praises ‘revenge for the blood of our heroic martyrs’By Agencies, ToI Staff and Jacob Magid
Today, 12:10 am-OCT 1,24

Western countries on Tuesday blasted Iran for its ballistic missile attack on Israel and expressed concerns over the potential for the attack to lead to a further escalation of the conflict in the region.The massive barrage launched by Iran against Israel on Tuesday comprised some 180 ballistic missiles, though the military said it intercepted a “large number” of the projectiles. A 37-year-old Palestinian man was killed by shrapnel in the West Bank village of Nu’eima, near Jericho, and two people were reportedly lightly wounded in Israel proper from shrapnel.Britain “completely condemns” Iran’s actions after it fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel and calls for de-escalation across the region, the office of Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.Starmer expressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his country’s “steadfast commitment” to Israeli security and protection of civilians after the attack.Starmer condemned Iran’s attack on Israel, which began during the leaders’ conversation, in the “strongest terms,” the spokesperson added.Starmer also spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah, and they underscored the urgent need for a ceasefire in both Lebanon and Gaza.“The prime minister said he will work alongside partners and do everything possible to push for de-escalation and push for a diplomatic solution,” the spokesperson said.Following Starmer’s comments, UK Defense Secretary John Healey said that British forces played a role in preventing further escalation fuelled by Iran’s missile attack against Israel, but declined to specify how they were involved.In a statement on X, Healey wrote: “British forces have this evening played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East,” and thanked the personnel involved for their courage and professionalism.He did not elaborate and the defense ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment on how British forces were involved.German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she condemned the Iranian missile attack in the “strongest possible terms,” saying Iran must stop the attack immediately.“We have urgently warned Iran about this dangerous escalation. Iran must stop the attack immediately. It is driving the region further to the brink of the abyss,” Baerbock said in a post on social media platform X.French Prime Minister Michel Barnier said that he was concerned about an “escalation” in the Middle East, as the attack was launched.“I am speaking now, it is 7:16 pm, at a time when the situation is worsening in the Near and Middle East, with an escalation and an attack, and a direct conflict that seems to be underway between Iran and Israel,” Barnier said in parliament, adding that the situation was “extremely serious.”France’s President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack in the “strongest possible terms,” and said France had “mobilized” its military resources in the Middle East to counter Tehran.Macron also demanded that Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah “cease its terrorist actions against Israel and its population”, and asked Israel to “put an end to their military operations as soon as possible”, the Elysee Palace said in a statement, adding France would “shortly be organizing a conference in support of the Lebanese people and its institutions.”Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also condemned the salvo and called for an end to the “spiral of violence” blighting the Middle East, while Spain’s foreign minister demanded “restraint” from actors involved in the conflict.I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation.This must stop.We absolutely need a ceasefire. António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 1, 2024-In Japan, the country’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said that missile attacks by Iran on Israel were “unacceptable,” and told reporters that the country “would like to cooperate (with the United States) to defuse the situation and prevent it from escalating into a full-on war.”UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement condemning the “broadening of the Middle East conflict” that made no mention of Iran, which launched 181 ballistic missiles at Israel earlier tonight.“This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire,” Guterres said.The Hamas terror group meanwhile praised the Iranian missile strikes as avenging the deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan.“The Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas] blesses the heroic rocket launches carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran against wide areas of our occupied lands,” a statement said, adding it was “in revenge for the blood of our heroic martyrs.”Tehran had launched a similar missile and drone attack in April, but Israel, the US, and Western and Arab allies shot down almost all the 300 projectiles. The only injury in that assault was sustained by a seven-year-old Bedouin girl in southern Israel.Tuesday’s assault came hours after a US warning that a wide-scale attack was about to be directed at the Jewish state from Iran, which allowed the IDF to prepare its air defenses and the Home Front Command to warn the population to remain in the proximity of bomb shelters, thereby keeping the number of casualties to a minimum. Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York denied giving prior notice of the attack to the US.The projectiles launched by Iran on Tuesday night caused a number of craters around Israel.

Seven people killed in shooting, stabbing terror attack in Jaffa-Two terrorists attack civilians on Tel Aviv light rail, proceed to attack more people on foot before being shot, killed by security guard, civilians-By Emanuel Fabian-and ToI Staff 1 October 2024, 10:41 pm-OCT 1,24

Seven people were killed and at least eight others wounded in a shooting and stabbing terror attack in Jaffa on Tuesday evening, according to Israel Police, in one of the deadliest terror attacks in recent years.Two terrorists, one of whom was armed with a rifle and the other with a knife, attacked civilians on the Tel Aviv light rail before getting off and continuing on foot and shooting and stabbing people on Jerusalem Street in the city.A municipal security officer and armed civilians shot and “neutralized” the two terrorists, police added.The two terrorists were identified as Mehmed Khalaf Saher Rajab and Hassan Mohammed Hassan Tamimi, both Palestinian residents of Hebron in the West Bank.Casualties were evacuated to Wolfson Medical Center in Holon and Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv.The identities of the victims were not immediately released.The terror attack — one of the deadliest single attacks in Israel in recent years — came amid heightened tensions in Israel as the Israel Defense Forces announced a ground incursion into Lebanon in a bid to push the Hezbollah terror group away from the border and just minutes before Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel.Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy visited the scene and told the press that the police were “dealing with a grave incident.”Footage shows the deadly terror shooting attack in Jaffa this evening.Two Palestinian terrorists, one armed with an assault rifle and the other with a knife, murdered six people and wounded nine others on Tel Aviv's light rail and a nearby street. pic.twitter.com/JaZbwgDGdi— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 1, 2024-He added that the police had no prior intelligence of the attack.“We heard non-stop gunfire in every direction. We went outside in fear and saw a couple of figures running in the street, seemingly the terrorists. It was hard to watch,” Motti, an owner of a nearby kiosk, told Ynet.“A woman came off the light rail screaming. Immediately after that, I saw injured people. It’s a bad feeling seeing the scene,” said Mohammed, a flower seller who witnessed the attack, adding that it was a “sad and difficult day.”Following the attack, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X that he would demand the terrorists’ families be “exiled to Gaza” and that their homes be destroyed.

IDF says strike kills head of Hezbollah unit charged with smuggling arms from Iran-Unit 440 chief targeted in Beirut; military says he was also involved in terror group’s precision missile program; Iranian militia commander killed in same strike-By Emanuel Fabian
1 October 2024, 9:26 pm

The IDF said Tuesday it killed the commander of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, which is tasked with delivering weapons from Iran and its proxies to Lebanon in its latest strike targeting the terror group’s top leadership.Muhammad Ja’far Kasir, who headed Unit 4400, was killed in a strike carried out by fighter jets in Beirut, according to the military.The IDF said that it also killed the commander of the Imam Hossein Division, an Iranian militia which operates alongside Hezbollah, in the same strike. The military named the commander as Daw Alfakher Hinawi.It said the Imam Hossein Division has carried out numerous rocket and drone attacks on Israel amid the war, from Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. The division was behind a drone that struck a school in Eilat in November 2023, causing damage.The IDF said Kasir was “one of the senior leaders of the Hezbollah terror organization and the most dominant [person] in the Iran-Hezbollah-Syria terror axis, and is considered close to the Iranian regime.”He was involved in hundreds of “strategic” weapons smuggling operations from Iran to Hezbollah and was among those who advanced the terror group’s precision missile project.Kasir served as head of Unit 4400 for some 15 years, the IDF said.Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.So far, the skirmishes have resulted in 26 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 22 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.Before the escalation of the last two weeks, Hezbollah had named 516 members killed by Israel during the skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. Another 92 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have also been killed.Then, earlier in September, thousands of Hezbollah’s communication devices exploded, reportedly taking some 1,500 fighters out of action, in an attack widely blamed on Israel.Following Israeli airstrikes wiped out most of Hezbollah’s leadership in repeated strikes, culminating in the IDF killing longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, when fighter jets dropped massive bunker-buster bombs on the group’s underground headquarters, located beneath residential buildings in a suburb of Beirut.The IDF said it sent ground forces into southern Lebanon late on Monday night focused on “Hezbollah targets and infrastructure” in a number of Lebanese villages along the border that posed an immediate threat to Israeli towns on the other side of the Blue Line.Lebanon’s Health Ministry says more than 1,000 Lebanese have been killed and 6,000 wounded in the past two weeks, without specifying how many were civilians. Israel has said that many Hezbollah operatives are among the dead. One million people — a fifth of the population — have fled their homes, the government says.

Explainer-As Israel braces for a 2nd attack, what are Iran’s missile and drone capabilities? Iran’s ballistic missiles can reach Israel within 12 minutes, cruise missiles in two hours, and drones some nine hours; in April attack, 99% of projectiles were shot down-By Agencies and ToI Staff 1 October 2024, 7:27 pm

The US announced Tuesday that it had detected that Iran was planning an imminent missile and drone attack on Israel. This would be the second such attack in recent months.Iran has developed a range of ballistic missiles and drones in a program that has long worried the West. Some of these capabilities were shown off on the night of April 13-14, when Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.Its missiles are an important part of the arsenal at Tehran’s disposal as a flurry of reports said Tuesday it was preparing an imminent attack in Israel, after vowing to respond to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year, which it blamed on Israel. It also vowed a response after an Israeli airstrike killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deputy commander in Beirut Friday.The New York Times quoted three Israeli officials on Tuesday saying the anticipated Iranian attack would include drones and missiles, and a US official who said he was anticipating ballistic missiles.When Iran attacked Israel in April, ballistic missiles were calculated to take 12 minutes to reach Israel from Iran, cruise missiles to take two hours, and drones some nine hours to reach their target.According to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Iran is armed with the largest number of ballistic missiles in the region.Here are some details:Ahead of April’s attack, the semi-official Iranian news outlet ISNA published a graphic 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) and is named after Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad four years ago, ISNA said.Iran, a major producer of drones, said last year it had built an advanced homemade drone named Mohajer-10 with an operational range of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) and capable of flying for up to 24 hours with a payload of up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds).Iran says its ballistic missiles are an important deterrent and retaliatory force against the US, Israel, and other potential regional targets. It denies seeking nuclear weapons.Last year, Iran presented what officials described as its first domestically made hypersonic ballistic missile, the official IRNA news agency reported. Hypersonic missiles can fly at least five times faster than the speed of sound and on a complex trajectory, which makes them difficult to intercept.Despite US and European opposition, the Islamic Republic has said it will further develop its defensive missile program.The Arms Control Association, a Washington-based nongovernmental organization, says Iran’s missile program is largely based on North Korean and Russian designs and has benefited from Chinese assistance.The Arms Control Association says Iran’s short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles include: Shahab-1, with an estimated range of 300 kilometers (190 miles); the Zolfaghar, with 700 kilometers (435 miles); Shahab-3, with 800-1,000 kilometers (500 to 620 miles); Emad-1, a missile under development with up to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles); and Sejil, under development, with 1,500-2,500 kilometers (930 to 1,550 miles).Iran also has cruise missiles such as the Kh-55, an air-launched nuclear-capable weapon with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles), and the advanced anti-ship missile the Khalid Farzh, with about 300 kilometers (186 miles), capable of carrying a 1,000-kilogram (1.1-ton) warhead.Regional attacks-Iran drew on the projectiles in April, when it launched more than 300 projectiles at Israel, comprising 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles. The Israel Defense Forces said that 99 percent of them had been intercepted by air defenses — both Israeli and by a coalition of allies.The IRGC said they drew upon their arsenal in January when they attacked the spy headquarters of Israel in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, and said they fired at Islamic State militants in Syria. Iran also announced firing missiles at two bases of a Baluchi militant group in neighboring Pakistan.Saudi Arabia and the US have said they believe Iran was behind a drone and missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s prized oil facilities in 2019. Tehran denied the allegation.In 2020, Iran launched missile attacks on US-led forces in Iraq, including the al-Asad air base, in retaliation for a US drone strike on Iranian commander Soleimani, whose killing raised fears of a wider Middle East conflict.Backing for Yemen’s Houthis-The US accuses Iran of arming the Houthis of Yemen, who have been firing on Red Sea shipping and Israel itself during the Gaza war, in a campaign they say is aimed at supporting the Palestinians.Tehran denies arming the Houthis.Yemen’s Houthis have fired over 220 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at Israel over the past 11 months — mostly toward the southernmost city of Eilat — saying that the attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been battling Hamas since the Palestinian terror group’s October 7 attack.In 2022, the Houthis said they fired a number of ballistic missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates.This included a missile attack targeting a base hosting the US military in the UAE, which was thwarted by US-built Patriot interceptor missiles.Support for Hezbollah-In 2022, Nasrallah claimed the terror group was able to transform standard rockets into precision missiles with the cooperation of “experts from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”The terror group has been left in disarray after thousands of pagers detonated on their Hezbollah owners last month, putting a reported 1,500 fighters from the terror group out of commission, in an attack blamed on Israel.This was followed by the IDF’s aerial campaign targeting homes in which Hezbollah placed missiles and rockets, and killing numerous senior Hezbollah commanders, as well as leaders of the group’s elite Radwan Force, which Israel says was planning an invasion of the Galilee.Syria-Iran has transferred indigenous precision-guided missiles to Syria to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s fight against insurgents, according to Israeli and Western intelligence officials.It has also moved some of its production capacity to underground compounds in Syria, where Assad’s military and other pro-Tehran forces have learned to build their own missiles, those same sources say.

Netanyahu: There will be 'great challenges' in coming days-Israel braces for ‘widespread’ Iran missile attack; central Israel told to stay near bomb shelters-Senior White House official says move will carry ‘severe consequences’ for Tehran as US sends more troops to region; Iran said to inform others of size and timing of strike-By Lazar Berman-1 October 2024, 7:26 pm

Iran is planning to attack Israel “imminently” with ballistic missiles, a senior White House official told The Times of Israel on Tuesday afternoon, with Israeli officials saying the anticipated strike could be “widespread” and warning citizens to heed emergency warnings and stay near bomb shelters.The US official said that “we are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack.” The official also warned that a direct Iranian attack on Israel “will carry severe consequences for Iran.”The alert over an Iranian attack came after the IDF launched a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon overnight.Amid the warnings, received by Israel earlier in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of “days of great challenges” ahead. In a video statement, he urged unity in Israel, and asked the public to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command.He also called his national security cabinet to meet in Jerusalem at 7:30 p.m.New restrictions announced Tuesday by the IDF’s Home Front Command, seemingly in response to the warnings, shut schools and workplaces that lack adequate access to bomb shelters, ordered beaches closed and restricted gatherings to 30 people outdoors and 300 people indoors.In the evening, the Home Front Command issued new instructions to residents of the central area of Israel, known as Gush Dan, warning them to remain “nearby” a bomb shelter or other protected area until further notice, following reports of an imminent Iranian attack.IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that “a short while ago, our American allies updated us that they identify preparations by Iran for imminent missile fire at the State of Israel.”As of his 5:00 p.m. address, no aerial threats had been launched at Israel from Iran, he said.“We’ve dealt with this threat in the past, and we’ll deal with it now,” he said.Hagari said the IDF is ready with its defensive and offensive capabilities. The Air Force is “patrolling the skies.”“We are at the highest readiness — offensive and defensive,” he said.“Iranian fire on the State of Israel will have consequences,” he warned. “We have plans and we have capabilities.”In a later update, he said the anticipated missile fire from Iran was likely to be large-scale.“We are following the threat seriously. We ask the public to follow the Home Front Command guidelines. The fire from Iran could be wide in scope,” he said in a press conference.“When a siren sounds, you are asked to enter a protected area and stay there until we notify you otherwise,” Hagari added.Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held a situation assessment with senior IDF officers, according to the Defense Ministry.A US military official told The New York Times that the attack would likely occur overnight.Three Israeli officials quoted anonymously by the outlet said that Iran would likely target three military air bases, and “an intelligence headquarters north of Tel Aviv,” which it said has been evacuated.The US believes that a potential attack from Iran would be similar to the attack launched by Tehran in April, CNN reported, citing a US official.Iran informed “international parties” of the size and timing of its anticipated attack on Israel, a US Defense Department official told Sky News Arabia.Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones in April, but Israel, the US, and Western and Arab allies shot down almost all the projectiles.The US embassy in Jerusalem issued a security warning telling its employees and their families “to shelter in place until further notice.”US boosting forces in the region-Also Tuesday, the Pentagon said the US was boosting its forces in the Middle East by a “few thousand” troops, by bringing in new units while extending others that are already there.“A certain number of units already deployed to the Middle East region… will be extended, and the forces due to rotate into theater to replace them will now instead augment” those that are already there, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists on Monday.“These augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F-22 fighter aircraft and associated personnel,” Singh said, later adding that there will be “an additional few thousand” personnel in the region as a result.The US Central Command announced Tuesday that three additional squadrons of warplanes were arriving in the region, while one was already present.In April, Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones at Israel in response to the killing of two senior army generals in a Damascus strike that Tehran blamed on Israel.The wave was intercepted by Israeli air defenses alongside a major US-led coalition of regional forces that included British and French warplanes, as well as, reportedly, intelligence and radar resources from some Arab nations. A few missiles made it through the shield causing very minor damage at an air base, though a young Bedouin girl was seriously injured by falling shrapnel from an intercept.AFP contributed to this report.

Home Front rules tightened in center, north; beaches closed-Israelis told to stay near shelters, Lebanese urged north as troops push across border-Bus driver moderately injured by Hezbollah barrage at Tel Aviv area; terror group claims Israel lying about soldiers entering Lebanon, but says it’s ready for ‘direct confrontation’By Emanuel Fabian,ToI Staff and Agencies 1 October 2024, 4:26 pm

A rocket fired from Lebanon on Tuesday hit a major highway outside of Tel Aviv, injuring at least two people, authorities said, placing new restrictions on gatherings as the military geared up for fighting with the Hezbollah terror group to escalate after launching a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon overnight.The warnings for millions of Israelis from the northern Galilee down to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv came shortly after the Israel Defense Forces cautioned Lebanese civilians to remain north of the Litani River as it began deploying troops into villages along the border, in a move that will likely shift the ongoing conflict into a higher gear after weeks of heavy airstrikes on Hezbollah bastions throughout the country.The rocket fire late Tuesday morning was the first salvo to target central Israel since the ground operation was announced just after midnight Tuesday, though the morning saw dozens of rocket attacks on northern Israel and a thwarted drone attack near Tel Aviv that was later claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are allied with Hezbollah and its patron, Iran.The new restrictions announced by the IDF’s Home Front Command shut schools and workplaces that lack adequate access to bomb shelters, ordered beaches closed and restricted gatherings to 30 people outdoors and 300 people indoors. The directives covered all of northern and central Israel, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the coastal Sharon region, the Carmel area near Haifa, Wadi Ara, and the northern West Bank.The announcement was made after authorities said three or four rockets were fired at central Israel from Lebanon, with one slamming into Route 6 near the town of Kafr Qassem, leaving a crater in the road and shutting down the busy highway.Other rockets in the volley, which activated sirens in a large number of densely populated towns north and east of Tel Aviv, were swatted down by air defenses, the IDF said.Shrapnel from the rocket impact on Route 6 managed to penetrate a bus with 10 passengers on the highway, wounding the 54-year-old driver in the head, the Magen David Adom rescue service said. He was hospitalized in moderate condition.Others on the bus were treated for acute stress, and another motorist, 31, was hospitalized with light wounds, MDA said.Hezbollah took credit for the launch, saying it had fired medium-range “Fadi 4” missiles at the Glilot military base near Herzliya, which houses the Mossad spy agency’s headquarters and the IDF’s signals intelligence unit 8200.Police said shrapnel also fell in other areas, including Tel Aviv suburb Ramat Hasharon, but there were no other reports of injuries or damage.Throughout Tuesday morning, sporadic rocket fire peppered Israel’s north, with sirens blaring repeatedly in the border town of Metula, and residents in Safed and other northern towns being sent into shelters.Over 30 rockets were fired at the north, most of which were intercepted or landed in open areas. No injuries were reported in the attacks, but some sparked brushfires.The attacks were relatively modest compared to the massive barrages that some had feared could accompany an Israeli ground invasion, challenging Israel’s vaunted air defenses.However, the new Home Front Command restrictions, which came as many Israelis readied for an extended holiday to celebrate the Jewish New Year starting Wednesday night, indicated that officials believed more rocket fire could be in the offing.
Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afifi called the missile fire at the Tel Aviv area “only the beginning.”Before fighting began, Hezbollah was thought to possess a formidable arsenal of some 150,000 rockets, including a small number of precision missiles, along with a highly regimented fighting force.A punishing Israeli air campaign has targeted the group’s weapons stores and manufacturing facilities, while targeted strikes have wiped out much of its leadership, likely depleting the group’s ability to attack.In the days leading up to the ground operation, Israeli military leaders had warned that the air campaign would likely need to be complemented by a ground-based offensive.There were no reports of major fighting in southern Lebanon after Israel announced early Tuesday that it was launching a “limited, localized” operation to push Hezbollah away from the border and allow residents of Israel’s north to return home after a year of incessant rocket fire from Lebanon on towns near the border.Two Lebanese security sources told Reuters that Israeli units had crossed into Lebanon overnight for reconnaissance and probing operations. Lebanese troops also pulled back from positions along the border, the source added.The IDF’s 98th Division, an elite formation of paratrooper and commando units that had been deployed to Gaza for months, led the overnight ground operation in Lebanon, the military said.The division’s Paratroopers and Commando brigades were joined by the 7th Armored Brigade, according to the IDF, which released footage of the start of the operation.After earlier warning Lebanese civilians to remain north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the border, the IDF sent evacuation warnings to the residents of nearly two dozen Lebanese border communities early Tuesday afternoon, telling them to flee north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border.“Urgent warning to the residents of South Lebanon. Heavy fighting is taking place in southern Lebanon with Hezbollah elements using the civilian environment and the population as human shields to launch attacks,” the military’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X.The Litani marks the northern edge of a UN-declared zone intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah, but which Jerusalem says has been overrun by armed terror operatives over the last two decades.IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said troops were conducting “localized ground raids” on villages near the border, accusing Hezbollah of planning to use the towns as “staging grounds for an October 7-style invasion into Israeli homes.”Hezbollah planned “to invade Israel, attack Israeli communities and massacre innocent men, women and children,” he said.An Israeli military official said the troops were within walking distance of the border, focused on villages hundreds of meters from Israel. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, said there had been no clashes yet with Hezbollah fighters on the ground.Hezbollah’s Afifi denied that troops had entered Lebanon but said fighters were ready “to have direct confrontation with enemy forces that dare to or try to enter Lebanon to inflict casualties among them.”The army said it was also continuing to use air power, carrying out strikes on several buildings where Hezbollah stored weapons and rocket launchers in Lebanon. Overnight, it said it struck Hezbollah weapons production facilities and other military infrastructure in the Dahiyeh suburb south of Beirut.In a phone call overnight, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant appeared to win US support for the operation from his counterpart Lloyd Austin. According to the Pentagon, the two “agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities.”The international UNIFIL peacekeeping force said the military had notified it the day before of its “intention to undertake limited ground incursions into Lebanon” and described it as a “dangerous development.”The Blue Helmet force accused Israel of violating UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006 and required that the Iran-backed terror group retreat north of the Litani.Hagari said UNSCR 1701 had not been enforced by Lebanon or UNIFIL, leaving southern Lebanon “swarming with Hezbollah terrorists and weapons.”“If the state of Lebanon and the world can’t push Hezbollah from our border, we have no choice but to do it ourselves,” Hagari said.Ahead of the IDF’s announcement, an Israeli official told the Times of Israel that their US counterparts had been informed that the goal of the limited operation was to remove Hezbollah positions along the northern border, thus creating the conditions for a diplomatic agreement under which the terror group’s forces would be pushed northward beyond the Litani River.Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support the Hamas terror group amid the war in Gaza, which was sparked a day earlier when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists carried out a massive onslaught in southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

Analysis-As UN parley ends, a pact for the future gives multilateralism a fighting chance-With wars casting a shadow over annual summit, a blueprint to foster cooperation on AI, climate change and more buoys hopes that countries can still work together
By Edith M. Lederer and Jennifer Peltz 1 October 2024, 12:32 pm

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — They gathered at the United Nations surrounded by unsettling warnings of an escalating conflict that could engulf the Middle East and further shatter international relations that are based on “multilateralism” — nations working together and sharing power.A week later, world leaders headed home with the prospect of a broader war intensifying and global divisions front and center, not only in the Mideast but elsewhere.There was no expectation of major breakthroughs in the public and private meetings at the annual UN General Assembly meeting of presidents, premiers and other leaders. There rarely is.But this year was especially grim, with no end in sight to the three major conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, and Israeli military action in Lebanon escalating.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ warning that multilateralism needs to be brought back “from the brink” added to the gloom, along with speech after speech decrying failures to tackle climate change and address growing inequalities between rich and poor nations, and warning of artificial intelligence with no guardrails and the potential of killer weapons with no human control.General Assembly President Philémon Yang concluded the weeklong, high-level meeting Monday afternoon, calling it “particularly tumultuous” and pointing to the “violent conflicts” that are raging.“This is, unfortunately, not an exhaustive list of the crises and conflicts affecting member states of the United Nations,” he lamented.Broken system-There was no disagreement that multilateralism is broken, that this founding principle of the United Nations – established in 1945 on the ashes of World War II — needs urgent resuscitation to deal with the challenges the world faces today.One example: During the very hour on Friday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the General Assembly that his country genuinely wants peace — a goal stressed by virtually every leader — Israeli warplanes were bombing areas near Beirut in a strike on the headquarters of the Hezbollah terror group, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah. The strike was part of a military campaign launched by Israel to halt incessant Hezbollah attacks on Israel’s north.In the last few days, Yang said, the world has seen “an extremely dramatic escalation” between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon that risks war in the entire Middle East. “As we speak, peace in the Middle East is hanging delicately on a shoestring,” he warned.UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said this year’s meeting of leaders – with its marquee speeches known in UN-speak as the “general debate” – took place at “a very serious and a very intense time.”“The world doesn’t stop for the general debate,” he told reporters Monday. “So we were focused very much on what member states said, but we continue to be very much focused on what is going on in the world outside of this building.”There was one positive development welcomed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and many leaders: The adoption of a “Pact for the Future” at a summit just before world leaders began their addresses to the General Assembly.The 42-page blueprint aims to bring the 193 UN member nations together to meet today’s challenges, from climate change and artificial intelligence to escalating conflicts and increasing inequality and poverty.It challenges leaders of countries large and small, rich and poor, to turn promises into actions. Whether that happens remains to be seen. Yang, the assembly president, said his office has already instituted “an awareness-raising campaign” to spur implementation.Screeds against selfishness abounded-In an illustration of the blend of woe and weary hope that percolated through the gathering, Burundi’s foreign minister, Albert Shingiro, on Monday decried an international community where “most of us act like we were alone in the world, like others didn’t exist or didn’t count.”Still, he said, the consensus on the Pact for the Future “shows that multilateralism is not dead and buried.”From the vantage points where leaders of smaller or less powerful nations sit, the UN can’t change the world without changing itself. Founded with 51 member countries, it now has 193, and many feel included only to a point.“We must ensure that global institutions give developing countries, especially small, vulnerable ones like my own, seats at the tables of decision-making,” said Barbados’ prime minister, Mia Mottley. “The anger and mistrust of our citizens in institutions, in leaders and in multilateralism and its processes which exclude, while yielding much talk and little action, is very real.”Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s interim government, said “time demands new attitudes, new values, new compacts, across communities and countries.”“I believe, the world needs to engage on a shared vision of ‘three zeroes’ that we can materialize together, targeting zero poverty, zero unemployment, and, zero net carbon emissions — where a young person anywhere in the world will have opportunities to grow, not as a job seeker but as entrepreneur,” he told the assembly.During the global gathering, the assembly heard from 190 countries – all but Brunei, Myanmar and Afghanistan. The speakers included 71 heads of state, 42 heads of government, six vice-presidents and crown princes, eight deputy prime ministers, 53 ministers, three vice-ministers and seven heads of delegations. Usually, the UN Security Council holds one meeting during the high-level week, but this year the council met about a half-dozen times because of the global conflicts and crises.For all the alarm, leaders here are politicians, and many made a point of appealing at least somewhat to optimism. Perhaps none stressed it as much as US President Joe Biden, making his last speech at the annual meeting after more than a half-century in public life.He noted that humanity has brought to a close some of the seemingly intractable threats, conflicts and injustices that beset the world when he was elected as a senator in 1972, from the Cold War to apartheid in South Africa.“Things can get better,” Biden said. “We should never forget that.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

US: 'Serious consequences' for Iran if it attacks Israel-Israel sends ground forces into south Lebanon to attack Hezbollah sites near border-‘Localized, targeted’ incursion aimed at removing terror group’s infrastructure in area; US official tells ToI: We understand desire for limited op, but worry about mission creepBy Emanuel Fabian,Jacob Magid,ToI Staff and Agencies 1 October 2024, 4:51 amUpdated at 7:23 am

Israel launched limited ground raids into southern Lebanon late on Monday night against Hezbollah forces and infrastructure positioned along Israel’s northern border, hours after the security cabinet approved plans for the newest phase of the war against the Lebanese terror group, in a move that the US appeared to warily support.Announcing the incursion in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the IDF said that “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids” had begun several hours earlier.It said they were focused on “Hezbollah targets and infrastructure” in a number of Lebanese villages along the border that posed an immediate threat to Israeli towns on the other side of the Blue Line.Ground troops operating inside southern Lebanon were being assisted by air and artillery forces, the military said, adding that the operation was based on plans drawn up by the IDF’s General Staff and Northern Command.The IDF’s formal confirmation that Israeli troops were operating in Lebanon came several hours after various conflicting reports emerged on social media and in some Arabic media outlets as to whether some troops had already crossed the border.Lebanese troops had further added to speculation when they pulled back about five kilometers (three miles) from positions along the border late on Monday, apparently opting to stay on the sidelines, as they have done historically in major conflicts with Israel.On Tuesday morning, the IDF released footage showing the 98th Division, an elite formation of paratrooper and commando units, leading the overnight ground operation.It said the division’s Paratroopers and Commando brigades were joined by the 7th Armored Brigade.Ahead of the IDF’s announcement of the incursion, an Israeli official told the Times of Israel that their US counterparts had been informed that the goal of the limited operation was to remove Hezbollah positions along the northern border, thus creating the conditions for a diplomatic agreement under which the terror group’s forces would be pushed back beyond the Litani River, in line with a UN Security Council resolution.In an apparent attempt to assuage US concerns, two Israeli officials told the Axios news site that the operation would be limited in both time and scope and was not intended to occupy southern Lebanon.While the US had voiced concern earlier on Monday that even a limited incursion could spread further and turn into something else once it was already underway, the Biden administration appeared to express its support for the raids by way of a call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.“We agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities,” Austin said in the Pentagon’s readout of the call.During the call, the pair discussed Israel’s latest military operations, and Austin “made it clear that the United States supports Israel’s right to defend itself.”While he seemed to voice support for the IDF operation, Austin nevertheless stressed that the incursion was not an end in itself.“I reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border,” he said in the readout.The US defense secretary also issued a warning to Iran and its proxies. He “made clear that the United States is well-postured to defend US personnel, partners, and allies in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations and determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict,” the readout continued. It added that Austin “reiterated the serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel.”Speaking to the Times of Israel earlier on Monday night, a US official stressed that while the Biden administration understood and accepted what Israel was trying to accomplish, Washington was still concerned that the IDF would get bogged down in Lebanon or be drawn to expand the mission at a later point. The official noted, however, that Israel was also concerned about such mission creep.Echoing that line of thinking, another US official pointed to how Israel framed its 1982 invasion into Lebanon as a “limited” incursion, and how it had turned into an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon.The start of the IDF’s ground offensive came some two weeks into intensified fighting with Hezbollah, and after Operation Northern Arrows was launched earlier in September to meet the recently declared war goal of bringing residents of the north back to their homes following their evacuation last October under heavy rocket fire from the Lebanese terror group.Earlier in September, thousands of Hezbollah’s communication devices exploded, reportedly taking some 1,500 fighters out of action, in an attack widely blamed on Israel.Israel then engaged in days of targeted attacks, wiping out most of Hezbollah’s leadership in repeated strikes, culminating in the IDF killing longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, when fighter jets dropped massive bunker-buster bombs on the group’s underground headquarters, located beneath residential buildings in a suburb of Beirut.In its statement on Tuesday morning, the military stressed that it was “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.”Throughout the period of intensified fighting, the IDF had warned that it could conduct a limited ground offensive into Lebanon, leading the country’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati to make an apparent last-ditch effort on Monday to stave off the possibility by declaring that the Lebanese government was ready to fully implement a 2006 UN Security Council resolution that had aimed to end Hezbollah’s armed presence south of the Litani River.He did not, however, say that he had reached an agreement with Hezbollah on the matter, and it was not clear how he proposed to implement UN Resolution 1701 — which declares that Hezbollah is barred from maintaining a military presence south of the Litani — without use of force against the terror group that effectively controls southern Lebanon.In the hours leading up to the limited raids, several European countries began pulling their diplomats and citizens out of Lebanon. Germany sent a military plane to evacuate diplomats’ relatives and others, while Bulgaria sent a government jet to get the first group of its citizens out.The UK said that it had chartered a commercial flight for its nationals who wished to evacuate Lebanon, expected to depart from Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday, with further flights dependent on demand. Canada said that it had reserved 800 seats on commercial flights for citizens who wished to evacuate. About 45,000 Canadians are currently in Lebanon, and the next flight was scheduled to depart on Tuesday.At the same time as the IDF announced it had begun operating inside Lebanon, Syrian state media reported that the country’s air defenses had intercepted “hostile targets” over the vicinity of Damascus, following an explosion that was heard in the capital.The state television channel later said that one of its anchors had been killed in what it said was three rounds of allegedly Israeli strikes in the area of the capital. Identifying the anchor as Sadaa Ahmad, the channel said he was “martyred in the Israeli aggression on the capital Damascus.”Citing a military source, the state media outlet said two others had also been killed, and nine people were wounded. There was no immediate comment from the IDF, which rarely comments on reports of airstrikes inside Syria.Sirens warning of incoming Hezbollah rocket fire continued to blare periodically across northern Israel on Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday, alongside reports of Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon and in Beirut.Three rockets were launched from Lebanon toward the Israeli town of Shtula shortly before midnight, setting off sirens in the border community. The rockets all landed in open areas, and the attack was claimed by Hezbollah.Sirens were also triggered in the Upper Galilee town of Misgav Am and the surrounding area shortly after, although there were again no reports of damage or injuries.The IDF later said that ten rockets had been fired from Lebanon, some of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system while others had landed in open areas.In the morning, three more rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Upper Galilee, two of which were intercepted while the third impacted an open area near Bar’am, according to the IDF.The Israeli Air Force, meanwhile, intercepted a drone over the Mediterranean Sea, dozens of kilometers west of Israel’s central coast overnight. The military did not specify where the drone was launched from.Shortly before midnight, the IDF warned civilians to flee three sites in Beirut’s southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh, before it commenced strikes in the area, and Lebanese media outlets reported that large explosions could be heard across the city.Speaking to AFP on the condition of anonymity, a Lebanese security official said that Israel had conducted at least “six or seven strikes” in the southern Beirut suburbs.It was not immediately clear what the targets were, or what damage had been caused, although in a more general update, the Lebanese health ministry said that over the past 24 hours, at least 95 people had been killed and 172 wounded in Israeli strikes on the country’s southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut.In southern Lebanon, Lebanese media and a Palestinian source said that Israel had launched a strike on a building in the Ain El-Hilweh Palestinian camp near Sidon.It was the first strike on the overcrowded camp, the largest of Lebanon’s several Palestinian camps, since cross-border hostilities broke out nearly a year ago.The strike had targeted Mounir Maqdah, commander of the Lebanese branch of the Palestinian Fatah movement’s military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, according to two Palestinian security officials. Maqdah’s fate was not immediately clear.