Author: Steven Sahiounie

President Mahmoud Abbas today chaired an emergency leadership meeting that included a number of civilian and security officials. The President gave instructions to provide protection for the Palestinian people, stressing the right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves against the terrorism of settlers and the occupation forces. He also gave directions to provide all that is necessary to bolster the resilience and steadfastness of the Palestinian people in facing the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation and settler gangs. Source: WAFA

We have some additional details from the Israeli army spokesperson’s press briefing. “Right now we’re fighting. We’re fighting in certain locations around the Gaza Strip … our forces are now fighting on the ground,” Richard Hecht told reporters. Hecht called the Palestinian attack “a combined ground raid which happened through paragliders, through the sea and through the ground”. Source: AlJazeera

Although October 7 is a weekend day in 2023, Putin will have a working day Russian President Vladimir Putin turns 71 on Saturday. This year, Putin will celebrate his 20th birthday as Russian president. Although October 7 is a weekend day in 2023, Putin will have a working day as he will attend a ceremonial launch of Russian gas supplies to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan jointly with his Kazakh and Uzbek counterparts, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, respectively. The Russian president himself said on Friday that these will be “the first exports of a kind in the history of these gas…

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Lebanon condemned the terrorist attack that targeted the graduation ceremony of the Military Academy cadets in Homs and resulted in the death and injury of dozens of civilians and soldiers. The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the Syrian people and government over this bereavement, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Source: SANA

Israeli media says nearly 200 people have been wounded in the continuing Hamas attack, according to statements from various hospitals. At least two dozen are seriously or critically wounded, a report by the Times of Israel said. The report added that at least six people have been confirmed killed. Source: Aljazeera

A Palestinian hospital worker was killed today in an Israeli shelling of a hospital in Beit Lahyia, north of the Gaza Strip, according to WAFA correspondent. He said at least one Israeli missile hit the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya killing a worker and injuring others while causing damage to vital hospital equipment. Four Palestinians were earlier killed in Israeli attacks in the north and in the center of the Gaza Strip, according to reports. Source: WAFA

A Palestinian journalist was killed today in an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip, reported WAFA correspondent. He said Mohammad Salhi was killed by an Israeli army bullet while covering the events at the border east of al-Bureij, in the central Gaza Strip. Source: WAFA

The Israeli occupation authorities this morning closed the Allenby/King Hussein/al-Karama Bridge crossing with Jordan for Palestinian travelers and also closed all checkpoints around occupied East Jerusalem, according to various sources. The head of the crossings authority, Nathmi Muhanna, told WAFA that the Israeli occupation authorities closed al-Karama crossing in both directions, leading travelers to return to where they came from. He said no time was given for when the crossing will be reopened. The closure of the bridge crossing is believed related to the ongoing conflict at the Gaza border with Israel. Israel also closed all entrances to the city…

Four Palestinians were killed this morning and many others were injured, some seriously, in an Israeli shelling of the Gaza Strip following an exchange of gunfire between factions in the Gaza Strip and Israeli occupation forces as life came to a standstill in the besieged sea enclave. Two Palestinians were killed in a shelling east of Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, and two others were killed in the north of the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources. The tension started this morning following the surprise firing of a barrage of rockets from Gaza into several Israeli towns and cities…

Raisi urged the United Nations Security Council and other international agencies to take action in response to the tragedy. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has expressed condolences to Syrian President Bashar Assad and implied that “Israel” is responsible for the recent fatal strike on a military academy in Homs, Iranian media reported on Friday. In his letter of sympathy to the Syrian President, Mehr News quoted the Iranian President accusing the Zionist regime of “creating opportunities for terrorist groups like Islamic State to carry out attacks in Syria among foreign powers supplying them with intelligence, security, and logistical support.” Raisi urged the United Nations…