The Times of Israel is liveblogging Friday’s events as they happen.
Iran readying for war with Israel as it braces for response to missile attack — NYT
Iran is readying for a war with Israel while at the same seeking to avoid one, according to a New York Times report that comes as the Islamic Republic waits for Israel’s response to its latest missile attack. “Iran has ordered the armed forces to be prepared for war but also to try to avoid it,” the report says.
The report cites four Iranian officials who say Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered Iran’s armed forces to formulate numerous plans for responding to the expected Israeli retaliation. They warn Iran will attack if there is significant damage or casualties, but may stay its hand if Israel only targets a limited number of military sites and weapons depots.
The officials — two of whom belong to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — say that Iran will definitely respond if Israel hits oil sites, nuclear facilities or targets senior officials, with potential options including an attack with up to 1,000 ballistic missiles or the disruption of energy supplies in the region.
Democrats urge probe of Kushner for speaking to MBS about Israel-Saudi normalization
WASHINGTON — The Democratic chair of the US Senate Finance Committee and a prominent Democratic congressman have asked the US attorney general to appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Jared Kushner, former president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was functioning as an unregistered foreign agent for Saudi Arabia, according to a letter from the lawmakers.
The letter from US Senator Ron Wyden and US Representative Jamie Raskin cites an October 4 Reuters report that revealed that Kushner on multiple occasions had discussed US-Saudi diplomacy concerning Israel with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, since leaving government.
“This revelation is deeply disturbing, as Mr. Kushner appears to be influencing US foreign policy by acting as a political consultant to the Saudi government while also accepting their money,” Wyden and Raskin wrote in the eight-page letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. The letter has not been previously reported.
“Mr. Kushner’s proximity to President Trump and the potential for political interference warrants the appointment of a Special Counsel,” the letter adds.
Saudi Arabia has invested $2 billion into a private equity fund, Affinity Partners, that Kushner, who was a top adviser on the Middle East during Trump’s administration, founded in 2021 after leaving government, according to congressional investigators.
In a statement, Kushner says, “There is no conflict of interest.” He dismissed the letter as “silly political stunts” and says it’s ” beneath the level of seriousness that both of their chambers deserve.”
Chad Mizelle, Chief Legal Officer at Affinity Partners, calls the request for a special counsel “a disgraceful attempt by Wyden and Raskin to turn an already weaponized DOJ into a fully political operation with accusations that have no merit or evidence.”
The Department of Justice acknowledges receipt of the letter but declines further comment.
The Saudi Arabian embassy doesn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Drone launched from Iraq crashes in Red Sea near Eilat
A drone launched from Iraq at Israel crashed in the Red Sea a short while ago, close to Eilat.
The IDF says the drone was identified heading toward Israel, but it impacted an “open area” in the Red Sea, before reaching Israeli territory.
The drone had been launched “from the East,” a term the IDF uses to refer to attacks from Iraq.
Locals in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat reported seeing interceptor missiles launched amid the incident.
UNRWA confirms Hamas Nukhba force commander killed in IDF strike was a staff member
UNRWA confirms that Muhammad Abu Attawi was a staffer and killed on Wednesday, after Israel announced it had targeted him in a strike.
The IDF and Shin Bet said that Attawi, a Hamas Nukhba Force commander who led the killing and kidnapping of Israelis from a roadside bomb shelter near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7, had been employed by UNRWA since July 2022.
According to UNRWA, Attawi’s name was included in a letter the Palestinian refugee agency received from Israel in July that included a list of 100 staff members who were also allegedly members of armed groups, including Hamas.
“The UNRWA commissioner general responded to that letter immediately stating that any allegation is taken seriously. He urged (the government of Israel) to cooperate with the agency by providing more information so he could take action. To date, UNRWA has not received any response to that letter,” says Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications.
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari says Israel “has requested urgent clarifications from senior UN officials and an urgent investigation into the involvement of UNRWA employees in the October 7 massacre.”