Israel strikes Iran Live Updates: 'Appointment is temporary, the countdown has begun,' says Israel on new Hezbollah chief

Israel Hezbollah War Live Updates: Israel announced the launch of "precise strikes" on military targets in Iran on Saturday, retaliating against recent attacks attributed to Iran. According to Israeli military statements, these strikes respond to "months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel."

Iran’s state media reported several explosions around Tehran, with Iranian state television confirming "strong explosions" heard across the capital, though the cause of the blasts was unspecified.

Israel had vowed retaliation after Iran’s missile attack on October 1. Since the October 7, 2023, attack by Iran-backed Hamas, Israel has engaged in intensified operations in Gaza and expanded its focus to Lebanon, seeking to secure its northern border amid repeated cross-border aggression from Iran-backed Hezbollah. "Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized," the Israeli military said, while spokesman Daniel Hagari urged citizens to remain "alert and vigilant."

The United States described Israel's strikes as "an exercise of self-defense," citing Iran's ballistic missile assault on Israel earlier in the month. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett stated the strikes were a direct response to that aggression. Syrian state news agency SANA also reported that Syrian air defenses intercepted "hostile targets" near Damascus, with explosions heard around the Syrian capital, though the source of these blasts remains unclear.

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06:26 (IST) Oct 28

Israeli military operations in Gaza making life 'untenable': UN

The "devastation and deprivation" caused by Israel's military operations in northern Gaza is "making the conditions of life untenable" for Palestinians there, the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

"The plight of Palestinian civilians trapped in north Gaza is unbearable," Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Sunday.

Israel has been bombarding northern Gaza for weeks, after saying it received intelligence that Hamas is rebuilding in the area, CNN reported.

06:26 (IST) Oct 28

Hamas and Hezbollah no longer 'effective' proxies for Iran: Israeli Defence minister

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that Hezbollah and Hamas are no longer "effective" proxies for Iran after Israeli operations killed several leading leaders from the two groups in recent weeks.

Gallant was speaking on Sunday at a memorial ceremony on Mount Herzl for Israeli soldiers killed on October 7 last year, CNN reported.

"In the south, Hamas ceased to function as a military entity. In the north, Hezbollah continued to absorb blows, its command chain was eliminated, and most of its missile and rocket capabilities were destroyed," he said.

The Israeli Defence Minister added that Hamas and Hezbollah, "long prepared as Iran's extended arms against Israel, no longer serve as effective tools."

Hezbollah's Hashem Safieddine, widely seen as the successor to secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, the group confirmed on Wednesday. Safieddine had been leading Hezbollah alongside deputy secretary general Naim Qassem following Nasrallah's assassination and was expected to be officially named the group's leader. A relative of Nasrallah, Safieddine played a key role in overseeing Hezbollah's military operations as a member of its Jihad Council and managed its financial affairs as head of the executive council. His death is a significant blow to Hezbollah's leadership as Israeli strikes continue targeting its strongholds in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is intensifying, with heavy clashes reported in southern Lebanon and ongoing airstrikes on Hezbollah positions. Despite international calls for restraint, Israel has ramped up its military actions. In response to US pressure, Israel permitted limited humanitarian aid into Gaza, though the situation remains dire. Qatar confirmed that no ceasefire negotiations have occurred in recent weeks.

In a separate development, Israel's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) reported a drone attack targeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea. Israeli air defenses intercepted the drone, and two others launched from Lebanon were downed near Tel Aviv. The PMO confirmed that Netanyahu and his wife were not at the residence at the time, and there were no injuries.