IDF soldier killed in gunfight with Hezbollah in Lebanon; another injured by ‘friendly fire’ |
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Thursday’s events as they unfold.
Hezbollah fires salvo at northern Israel, prompting sirens
Hezbollah fires a rocket salvo at the northern town of Misgav Am on the Lebanese border, prompting sirens to sound.
Woman moderately injured running to shelter amid rocket attack from Lebanon — MDA
A woman was moderately wounded when she received a head injury while running to a bomb shelter during tonight’s Hezbollah rocket attack from Lebanon on central Israel, Magen David Adom says.
She has been taken to Sheba Medical Center for treatment, the ambulance service says. Two others were lightly injured in a car accident at the time the siren sounded warning of the attack.
MDA adds that no one has been reported injured directly from the attack. Missile fragments were found in two locations.
In reversal, UK police say they’ll return to arresting supporters of Palestine Action
The UK’s Metropolitan Police announces that it will return to arresting anyone who expresses support for the Palestine Action group, after softening that policy when a ban on the group was struck down in court.
An interim policy put in place last month said that “officers would identify and gather evidence of offenses,” but “arrests would be unlikely,” according to a statement from the department.
But the ban that was struck down is the subject of an ongoing court battle, and the police, who are responsible for Greater London, say they will now return to arresting the group’s supporters.
Because the ruling is under appeal, “That means it is still a criminal offense to support Palestine Action,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman says in a statement. “We must enforce the law as it is at the time, not as it might be at a future date. We must do that consistently and without fear or favor.”
He added, “We have determined that while Palestine Action remains proscribed and support for it remains unlawful under the Terrorism Act, we must continue to enforce the law and this is likely to involve the arrest of those committing offenses.”
The protest group was banned last year, after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged two planes. The ban was struck down in February by the British High Court, a decision the UK government later said it would appeal.
Trump insists Iran is negotiating with US, wants deal ‘so badly’
US President Donald Trump insists that Iran has been negotiating with his administration in recent days, despite officials familiar with the matter clarifying that the engagement has been limited to a passing along of messages through mediators.
“They want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it, because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people. They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us,” Trump says in remarks at a Republican fundraising event.
Fire breaks out at hospital, 4 injured, including one seriously
A 70-year-old woman is seriously injured when a fire breaks out in the Kiryat Shlomo Medical Center in central Israel, according to Hebrew media reports.
Three others are lightly injured in the fire, including one patient and two staff members. The hospital is located south of Netanya.
The woman who was seriously injured is suffering from second-degree burns covering more than a third of her body, according to the reports.
The circumstances of the fire are under investigation.
Australia bans visitors from Iran for 6 months, fearing they’ll overstay visas
Australia bans visitors from Iran, saying the war in the Middle East increases the risk they will refuse to fly home once their short-term visas expire.
For the next six months, people travelling on Iranian passports will be barred from visiting Australia for tourism or work, the Home Affairs department says.
“The conflict in Iran has increased the risk that some temporary visa holders may be unable or unlikely to depart Australia when their visas expire,” it says in a statement.
Some exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis, the department adds, such as for the parents of Australian citizens.
More than 85,000 Australian residents were born in Iran, according to government figures, with vibrant diaspora communities found in major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne.
Australia angered Iran this month when it granted asylum to seven players and officials from the visiting women’s football team.
The players were branded “traitors” at home after refusing to sing the national anthem before an Asian Cup match — a gesture seen as an act of defiance against the Islamic Republic.
Five of those seven later reversed their decisions to seek sanctuary in Australia, fuelling suspicions their families had come under threat.
Hezbollah fires 6 rockets at central Israel; no injuries or impacts reported
Hezbollah fires six roxkets at central Israel, triggering sirens in the area.
Unlike missile fire from Iran, the sirens went off without an early warning. Initial reports indicate that all six rockets were intercepted, and Magen David Adom says no injuries have been reported.
Uganda military chief: Iran war must end, but we’ll join it if Israel’s at risk of defeat
The head of Uganda’s military suggests that his country will join the Iran war if Israel is at risk of defeat.
“We want the war in the Middle East to end now. The world is tired of it. But any talk of destroying or defeating Israel will bring us into the war. On the side of Israel!” Muhoozi Kainerugaba tweets.
Last month, Kainerugaba announced that Uganda would erect a statue of Yoni Netanyahu, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s brother, who was killed leading an elite IDF force in the 1976 rescue of hostages from Entebbe.
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