Rockets Fired From Gaza Ahead Of October 7 Anniversary As Iran’s Khamenei Issues New Warning Against Israel

As Israeli forces remain on standby ahead of the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Sunday warned Israel that it would launch attacks against Israel once more if required.

Meanwhile, Israel intercepted rockets fired from northern Gaza and neutralized a shooter in Beersheba.

Khamenei in a series of tweets also appeared to attack the US and other Muslim nations in the West Asia region as well, in a jibe to those who have normalised relations with Israel.

The unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian group resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

One year later, the war in Gaza continues while Israel has shifted its focus north to Lebanon and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The Israeli military said it had killed around 440 Hezbollah fighters “from the ground and from the air” since Monday, when troops began “targeted” ground operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel says it aims to allow tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by almost a year of Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel to return home.

Here Are The Latest Updates From Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah War:

• The Israeli military said that rockets fired from northern Gaza crossed into southern Israel on Sunday, a day ahead of the first anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack.
• Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, in a social media post, said there is need to strengthen defences and safeguard independence and dignity across Islamic nations, from Afghanistan to Yemen, Iran to Gaza, and Lebanon. He said that the enemies of Iran are the same as those of Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis, Egyptians, Syrians, and Yemenis, though their tactics differ from country to country.
• ‘Pursues Policies With A Smile’: Khamenei, in an apparent reference to Arab nations that normalised relations with Israel, said Israel uses various methods from country-to-country. “In some they use 2-ton bombs. But in others, they pursue policies with smiles,” he said.
• One Command Centre: In what may have been an apparent reference to the US, Khamenei said ‘the command centre is 1 place’ and ‘they receive orders to attack Muslims from one place’.
• Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said one person was killed and 10 others were wounded in a stabbing and shooting attack in the southern city of Beersheba.
• French President Emmanuel Macron called for “a halt to arms exports for use in Gaza,” saying it’s urgent to avoid escalating tensions in the region, his office said.
• Based on IDF intelligence, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) targeted and eliminated Hader Ali Taweel, the Kfarkela Company Commander of Hezbollah. Taweel had been responsible for launching hundreds of projectiles and anti-tank missiles at Israeli communities in northern Israel.
• An apparent Israeli airstrike early Sunday killed at least 18 people in central Gaza, Palestinian medical officials said. The strike hit a mosque sheltering displaced people near the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah.
• Lebanon said an Israeli air strike on the Syrian border cut off the main international road linking the two countries. Israel has repeatedly targeted the border area in recent days because it says Hezbollah is bringing in weapons across the border from ally Syria.
• The Israeli military said Sunday its forces surrounded the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza in response to indications that Hamas was rebuilding despite nearly a year of strikes and fighting.