Iran launches explosive drones, missiles at Israel

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Summary:

• Iran launched drones and cruise missiles at Israel directly from its territory Saturday, the Israeli army said, marking a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes. Israel had earlier said that it was bracing for a possible Iranian attack after an air strike killed two Iranian generals in Syria last week. Iran blamed Israel for the air strike and vowed revenge. Israel has not commented on the strike. 

• Jordan announced it was closing its airspace Saturday as regional tensions soared after Iran threatened reprisals against Israel for a deadly air strike on its consulate building in Damascus.

• Commandos from Iran's Revolutionary Guard rappelled onto a container ship "linked to Israel" near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel on Saturday, Iran's state news agency claimed, adding that the ship was being transferred to Iran's territorial waters. An Israeli military spokesperson warned that Iran "will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further".

• US troop reinforcements are headed to the Middle East amid fears of a wider regional war emerging from Israel's battle against Hamas in Gaza.

• At least 33,686 Palestinians have been killed and 76,309 injured in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Around 1,170 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and 250 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, with 132 still missing.

Yesterday's key developments: 

• Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group on Friday said it had fired dozens of rockets at Israeli artillery positions in response to Israeli strikes in the south.

• The United States said Friday it was sending reinforcements to the Middle East amid growing fears that Iran will launch an attack on Israel in retaliation for what it claims was an Israeli air strike last week on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus.

• The EU on Friday sanctioned the military and special forces wings of Hamas and the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad for widespread sexual and gender-based violence in their October 7 attacks on Israel.

• Norway on Friday joined a growing list of countries, including Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia, by saying it is “ready to recognise the state of Palestine”.

• France on Friday warned its citizens against travelling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories due to heightened tensions following last week’s attack on Iran’s diplomatic mission in Syria.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)