The Times of Israel is liveblogging Thursday’s events as they happen.
Israeli strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs for first time in days, say witnesses
BEIRUT — Israel is carrying out airstrikes early Friday on Beirut’s southern suburbs, Reuters witnesses say, the first strikes there in nearly a week.
US: Month-long extension of Israeli waiver for cooperation with PA risks ‘another looming crisis’
The US government says Israel’s decision to sign a waiver to extend cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian banks for another month is for a “very short term duration” and will create “another looming crisis” by November 30.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s spokesman said on Thursday he will sign a waiver to extend cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian banks for another month after the cabinet agreed.
IDF issues evacuation orders for Beirut’s southern suburb ahead of strikes on Hezbollah
The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman publishes a statement calling on residents of Beirut’s southern suburb to clear away from several buildings in the area, saying the military will soon strike targets in the Hezbollah stronghold for the first time in several days.
#عاجل إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في المناطق التالية:
????الغبيري
????حارة حريك⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب… pic.twitter.com/TuWhPQFw4b
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) October 31, 2024
Islamic Resistance of Iraq claims drone attack targeting southern Israel
The Iran-backed Islamic Resistance of Iraq issues a statement claiming responsibility for a drone attack targeting southern Israel, after the military said it intercepted a pair of UAVs over the Red Sea.
IDF denies damaging UNRWA office in West Bank, says terror operatives detonated bomb in area
The IDF issues a statement denying responsibility for damaging UNRWA’s office in the West Bank camp of Nur Shams, saying the damage was caused by Palestinian terror operatives.
“The claim that the UNRWA offices in Nur Shams were destroyed by IDF soldiers is false,” the statement reads.
“Terrorists planted explosives in the proximity of the UNRWA offices that were then detonated in an attempt to harm IDF soldiers. The explosives likely caused damage to the structure,” the IDF statement adds.
Pentagon says Austin discussed ‘regional deescalation opportunities’ with Gallant
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed “opportunities for regional deescalation” with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant during a phone call, the Pentagon says, amid the conflict in the Middle East.
Austin “also reviewed steps Israel is taking and should continue to advance to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, and prospects for a hostage release and ceasefire deal,” according to the readout.
Chicago cops add terrorism and hate crimes charges to counts facing man who shot Jew
The Chicago Police Department announces that it will add felony terrorism and hate crimes charges to the counts that a man is facing for shooting an Orthodox Jew walking to synagogue in the Midwest city last Shabbat, following criticism from local Jews over the omission of the latter charges.
“We will never tolerate violence that’s rooted in hate and bigotry,” says police chief Larry Snelling during a press conference.
Pushing back on criticism over the force’s handling of the case, Snelling says police wanted to ensure there was sufficient evidence to back up the hate crimes charges against Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, which he says “takes time.”
According to Snelling, officers found evidence on Abdallahi’s phone that he “planned the shooting and specifically targeted people of Jewish faith. This evidence allowed us to secure the terrorism and hate crime charges.”
IDF says it downed 2 drones over Red Sea that were launched ‘from the east’
The IDF says that the air force downed a pair of drones over the Red Sea as they headed toward Israeli territory.
According to the military, the drones came “from the east,” a term the IDF uses for attacks launched from Iraq.
UNRWA chief says agency’s office in West Bank camp was damaged by Israeli bulldozers
Israeli bulldozers damaged the office of UN aid agency UNRWA in the West Bank’s Nur Shams camp on Thursday, the agency’s chief, Philippe Lazzarini, says.
Lazzarini says in a post on social media platform X that the office “can no longer be used,” hours after the IDF announced that it was carrying out a counter-terror raid in Nur Shams.