The situation in the Middle East continues to be anxiously monitored by the whole world. While international organisations call for a ceasefire, fighting continues to claim the lives of civilians in Gaza.
“Significant number” of Israeli F-35s have been destroyed
Major General Ebrahim Jabari, advisor to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), confirmed the information that Iranian missiles hit Israeli F-35 aircraft in a strike on Israel. The Iranian Defence Ministry’s press service quoted the general as saying:
“In this operation, Iran’s missiles successfully hit important military facilities and hangars of Israeli criminals‘ F-35 fighter jets, which destroyed a significant number of these fighters, it was only a small part of the defence capabilities of our country’s armed forces.”
Jabari also said:
“The Americans and the Zionists [Israel] used all their state-of-the-art weapons to confront us during Operation True Promise-2, but from the military and intelligence point of view they were stunned by the suddenness [of the operation].”
The recent missile strike on Israel was dubbed Operation True Promise – 2 in Iran, similar to True Promise – 1, an Iranian attack on the Jewish state in April 2024 in response to Israeli shelling of the Islamic republic’s consulate in Damascus.
Earlier, Iran’s ShafaqNA news agency reported that more than 20 Israeli Air Force F-35 aircraft were hit in an IRGC missile strike on Israel.
Iran reported a cyberattack on Israel’s air defences
Iran carried out a cyberattack on Israeli air defence systems during a missile strike on Israel, allowing Tehran to hit the designated targets. Major General Ebrahim Jabari said:
“Simultaneously with the attack, we conducted a cyber operation and [used means of] electronic warfare against the [air] defence systems of the Israeli criminals, thanks to which our missiles bypassed [the air defence] and hit the intended targets.”
The Israeli army claimed the destruction of an underground Hezbollah warehouse
The Israeli military found and destroyed a warehouse about 7 metres underground during an operation in southern Lebanon, the army press service said.
The facility was used by Hezbollah members to store weapons. It was placed under a residential house in a Lebanese village, the army said.
More than 42,000 Palestinians died since October 2023
The number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military since the start of the enclave’s operation in October 2023 has surpassed the 42,000 mark, the Palestinian enclave’s health ministry has released such figures. The ministry said in a statement published on its official Telegram channel:
“The number of people killed as a result of Israeli actions in Gaza since October 2023 has risen to 42,010, with another 97,720 wounded.”
The enclave’s Health Ministry noted that “over the past 24 hours, 45 Palestinians were killed and 130 were injured as a result of Israeli shelling and bombardment in various areas of Gaza.”
A video with a list of victims of Israeli attacks was published by Al Jazeera. For almost two minutes, only the names of the murdered newborn babies, who were not even a year old, are listed. The recording also lists the age of each child, from newborns to 17-year-olds. As noted, the actual number of such victims is at least twice as high.
In total, more than 27,100 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing fighting. According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), some 17,000 children in Gaza have been separated from their families.
Netanyahu and Biden plan to call on October 9
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden plan to call each other on 9 October, Dmitry Gendelman, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister’s office, said. He informed:
“A telephone conversation with Biden is scheduled for today.”
Earlier, Israeli TV Channel 12 pointed out that Netanyahu has not been in contact with Biden for about 50 days. At the same time, it was noted that the Israeli prime minister had been waiting for a call from the American leader for about 10 days.
On Tuesday, the Axios portal, citing sources among American officials, reported that Biden may hold a telephone conversation with Netanyahu on October 9 to discuss Israel’s plans to strike Iran. The portal source clarified that the US wants the Israeli strike to be significant but not disproportionate as it could lead to further escalation.
UNRWA said that at least 400 thousand people are blocked in Gaza
At least 400,000 people have been blocked in the northern Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing hostilities. Philip Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said. Lazzarini wrote on X:
“At least 400,000 people are trapped in the area. The recent evacuation orders by the Israeli authorities are forcing people to flee again and again, especially from the [refugee] Jabalia camp. Many refuse because they know very well that there are no safe places in Gaza.”
He also said Israel’s military operation is also jeopardising the second phase of polio vaccinations for children in Gaza.
More than 11,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel since October 2023
About 11,200 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli security forces in the West Bank and Jerusalem since October 2023, the Palestinian Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs on its Facebook page.
According to its version, at least 25 people, including minors, have been harassed in the last 12 hours alone. The detentions are allegedly accompanied by beatings, damage to property, and threats against the persecuted and their families.
Fatah and Hamas agree to establish a committee to govern Gaza
Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas agreed during the first day of consultations in Cairo to establish a committee to govern the Gaza Strip, Sky News Arabia TV reported.
The committee will be “administratively linked to the Palestinian government” and will consist of 10-15 people “who are not members of the various Palestinian factions.” The committee, the sources emphasise, will deal with “border crossing management, health, education, social development, as well as humanitarian aid and housing” for Gazans.
Sky News Arabia claims that during the second day of talks on Wednesday, Fatah and Hamas will discuss the details of the formation and work of the new committee. The movements themselves have not yet commented on this information.
A day earlier, the Palestinian Maan news agency reported that a Hamas delegation arrived in the Egyptian capital to meet with Fatah representatives to discuss issues related to reconciliation between the factions and to “reach agreements on the unity of the Palestinian ranks.”
The agency indicated at the time that the bilateral talks between Hamas and Fatah were to be followed by “an expanded meeting in Cairo with the participation of other Palestinian movements and factions” and noted that the Egyptian side was supervising the upcoming event.
