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Israel’s Security Cabinet was set to convene on Thursday to vote on a proposal to authorize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to determine the country’s response to last week’s Iranian missile attack.

Jerusalem has vowed a significant retaliation for Tehran’s second-ever direct attack on the Jewish state, in which more than 180 ballistic missiles were fired in two waves on the evening of Oct. 1.

The Israeli military, with the assistance of the United States and Jordan, shot down most of the missiles, with the sole casualty of the attack being a Palestinian man from Gaza who was struck by missile debris near Jericho in the Jordan Valley.

On Wednesday, Gallant said Israel’s response “will be powerful, precise and above all—surprising,” adding that the Islamic Regime “will not understand what happened and how it happened.”

(photo: Flash90)

Mossad Chief David Barnea wants to leverage the IDF’s success against Hezbollah in the North to pressure Hamas into accepting a hostage deal and has spoken with the United States about that possibility, according to a security source.

“He presented to the Americans the idea of connecting the two fronts,” the source said, explaining that a conversation had taken place with CIA Director William Burns. He has been one of the leading Biden administration officials involved in efforts to secure the release of the remaining 101 captives.

The proposal is only at the initial discussion stage and no concrete action has been taken, the source explained. Barnea has been the lead Israeli figure in the talks to free the hostages, including efforts to finalize a three-part deal first put on the table by the US on May 31. Qatar and Egypt have been the main mediators for those talks with the help of the US.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned early Wednesday evening that the northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton had started to spread onshore along the Florida Gulf Coast.

“The northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton is beginning to move onshore of the Florida gulf coast near Tampa and St. Petersburg where an Extreme Wind Warning is now in effect,” the center warned in advisory, pleading with residents to “shelter in place as these extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds overspread the region.”

The phone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris ends after 50 minutes, Netanyahu’s office tells The Times of Israel.

No readout of the call has been issued yet.

(photo: Reuters)

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar may be refraining from engaging in Gaza hostage talks out of a belief that a regional war is on the horizon, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller speculated on Wednesday during a conversation with reporters.

“Sinwar has been unwilling to engage in any meaningful way in the ceasefire talks,” Miller said.

“I think it is probably reasonable to conclude he's watching what's happening in the north. He's watching Iran's attacks against Israel and looking and thinking maybe he's about to get what he's always wanted, which is a full-scale regional war,” Miller said.

The Biden administration has in recent weeks grown increasingly distrustful of what the Israeli government says about its military and diplomatic plans in the multi-front war it is fighting, four U.S. officials told Axios. 

Why it matters: The worsening trust crisis is magnified by Israel's planned retaliation against Iran for its massive missile attack, which requires coordination with the U.S. in case Iran responds.

• The Biden administration isn't opposed to Israel responding to the Iranian attack last week but wants it to be measured, U.S. officials said.  
   
• "Our trust of the Israelis is very low right now and for a good reason," one U.S. official said.

No matter how perfect conditions may get, a hurricane can only get so strong.

At least that’s what the science says. Milton, which blew up into a Category 5 hurricane Monday and kept going, is pushing the boundaries, approaching what’s known among hurricane experts as the Maximum Potential Intensity or MPI. When meteorologists pull out that measure, you know the hurricane is a monster — and Milton is that by any measure.

At 8 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said its sustained winds had hit 180 mph. By barometric pressure — a measure of storm intensity — Milton is already the fourth strongest hurricane on record with central barometric pressure at 897 millibars . Only five hurricanes in records have dipped below 900 in official records dating back more than 170 years. 

Israel is not expected to attack Iran's nuclear program but rather to focus on various kinds of military bases and intelligence sites, the Jerusalem Post has learned, following a New York Times report on the issue.

Hezbollah pelted Haifa with rockets on Tuesday in the heaviest attack yet on the northern Israeli port city, as the Lebanese terror group insisted its military capabilities “were fine” despites weeks of devastating IDF strikes.

More than 100 rockets were fired at the city within half an hour around midday. Most of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, although some got through, exploding in the Haifa suburbs of Kiryat Yam and Kiryat Motzkin, security services said.

Milton strengthened rapidly Monday into a Category 5 hurricane on a path toward Florida, threatening the densely populated Tampa area with a potential direct hit and menacing the same stretch of coastline that was battered by Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago.

The center of the storm could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a head-on hit by a major hurricane in more than a century. Scientists expect the system to weaken slightly before landfall, though it could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other states ravaged by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains.

As evacuation orders were issued, forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge (2.4 to 3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay and widespread flooding from 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain in mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) in places. The Tampa metro area has a population of more than 3.2 million people.

The United States will not ease its "pressure" on Israel and Arab leaders to reach a deal on hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, Vice President Kamala Harris said in an interview released Sunday.

Washington is working with Israel on humanitarian aid and "the need for a deal to be done which would release the hostages and create a ceasefire. And we're not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel and in the region, including Arab leaders," Harris told CBS' "60 Minutes."

When asked by Whitaker if the US has a "real, close ally" in Netanyahu, Harris responded that the "better question is: do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people?"

"And the answer to that question is yes."

There is a “direct and immediate connection between pressure on Israel and Hamas’s appetite for negotiations” on a hostage deal, says government hostage point-man Gal Hirsch, hinting at recent decisions by France and the UK.

He says that he would like to get all the hostages released at once, though Plan A is still the staged proposal presented by US President Joe Biden.

“But we are unable to get to effective negotiations with Hamas, which torpedoes talks all the time,” says the ex-general. “I am happy that this is said publicly by our friends in the US, including US Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken, [Middle East czar] Brett McGurk, and others.”

Though he laments pressure put on Israel in March “by our friends,” Hirsch speaks at length about the US contributions to hostage talks.

The Biden administration has been offering to compensate Israel for refraining from striking certain targets in Iran as part of its planned response to the regime’s ballistic missile assault last week, Israel’s Kan News reported Sunday.

“You can call this a ‘compensation/temptation package’ which the U.S. government is offering Israel in the past days,” said Amichai Stein, the channel’s diplomatic correspondent.

He cited informed sources saying that American officials have offered extensive diplomatic backing and a large, additional package of military assistance if Israel complied with the Biden administration’s requests.

“We consider the US our ally, and are always ready to listen,” a source told Kan. “At the same time, we will do everything necessary to protect the citizens of Israel and Israel’s security.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls a security briefing after the government meeting marking the anniversary of the October 7 attacks, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

The meeting seems to be urgent, as a scheduled meeting between Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was postponed at the last minute.

Hamas fired five rockets at central Israel from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, the IDF said on Monday, following the rocket sirens that sounded in the area starting at 11:00 a.m. local time.

Alerts sounded in Tel Aviv, Kfar Chabad, and Rishon Lezion, among other localities in the country's center. 

The military noted that rocket impacts had been identified.

"We have an obligation to respond to Iran - and we will," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded message broadcasted on Israeli media channels on Saturday night.

"No country in the world would have accepted such an attack, and neither will Israel," he added.

"Twice already, Iran has fired, and we have intercepted hundreds of missiles from the largest ballistic missile attack in history. No country in the world would have accepted such an attack, and neither will Israel, and we will respond to these attacks," he concluded.

Former President Trump on Friday said that Israel should attack Iran’s nuclear facilities while mocking President Biden’s answer earlier this week on the subject.  

While speaking at a campaign event in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he said when Biden was asked about Israel attacking Iran, the president answered, "’As long as they don’t hit the nuclear stuff.’ That’s the thing you wanna hit, right? I said, ‘I think he’s got that one wrong. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to hit?’" 

Trump went on to say that nuclear proliferation is the "biggest risk we have."

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is set to visit Washington on Tuesday as the United States seeks to weigh in on the scope of Israel’s anticipated retaliatory strike against Iran.

“Whoever thinks that a mere attempt to harm us will deter us from taking action, should take a look at [our achievements] in Gaza and Beirut,” Gallant said Sunday, less than a week after Iran attacked Israel with ballistic missiles.

“We are powerful in both defense and offense, and this will be reflected in the manner of our choosing, at the time and place of our choosing,” he said as he visited the Nevatim Air Force base.

The head of the US Central Command, General Michael Erik Kurilla, arrived in Israel amid tensions in the Middle East.

Local media reported that will participate in the coordination of the Hebrew State's response to Tuesday's Iranian attack.

... Israel [is] prepar[ing] its response to the massive attack by the Islamic Republic, which will be “serious and significant,” armed forces officials said...

The Israel Defense Forces continued its campaign to degrade Hezbollah in Lebanon on Saturday as it targeted command centers, weapons caches, tunnels and more, and as the military said it believed it had killed at least 440 Hezbollah operatives since the start of ground operations on Monday.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a statement that Israel “must continue exerting pressure on Hezbollah and creating additional and lasting damage to the enemy. Without relief and without allowing a respite for the organization.”

The army said on Saturday said it had struck Hezbollah operatives overnight in a command center embedded in a mosque in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil, located within the Martyr Salah Ghandour Hospital compound.

A senior U.S. State Department official told CNN earlier in the week that Israel has not promised the Biden administration that an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites is "off the table." He added that Washington hoped to see wisdom alongside strength, but there are no guarantees."

U.S. President Joe Biden suggested on Friday that Israel should consider alternative targets rather than attacking Iranian oil fields in response to the Islamic Republic’s massive ballistic missile attack on the Jewish state earlier this week.

Earlier this week, Biden said he opposed Israel targeting Iranian nuclear sites as well.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a rare Friday sermon defending this week’s missile attack on Israel that deepened fears of a regional war, while praising the “logical and legal” Hamas-led October 7 invasion and massacre in southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza and fueled violence throughout the Middle East.

Speaking in front of tens of thousands at a mosque in the capital Tehran, Khamenei said Iran-backed armed groups in the Middle East “will not back down” even after Israel recently killed a spate of terrorist leaders.

In his first public Friday sermon in nearly five years, Khamenei spoke in Arabic to discuss fighting against Israel by the Iran-aligned “axis of resistance,” including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian terror group Hamas.

The US military said it carried out 15 strikes on Friday against targets linked to Iran-aligned Houthi fighters in Yemen, where residents reported blasts at military outposts and even an airport.

Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said the targets were tied to Houthi offensive military capabilities but did not detail whether that included missile, drone, or radar capabilities.

In a post on X, Central Command said the strikes occurred at about 1400 GMT.

(photo: AFP)

US President Joe Biden on Thursday told reporters in Washington that the idea of Israel striking Iran’s oil in retaliation for Tuesday’s ballistic missile attack was “in discussion,” as reports indicated that Israel was determined to strongly respond, but had not yet decided on the scope and timing.

Speaking to reporters as he headed to his Marine One helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House, Biden was asked if he supported Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities.

“We’re in discussion of that. I think — I think that would be a little — anyway,” Biden responded, adding that Israel would ultimately make its own decisions on how to respond to Iran’s massive missile strike.

“First of all, we don’t allow Israel. We advise Israel. And there’s nothing going to happen today. We’ll talk about that later,” Biden said.

(photo: Reuters)

The Biden administration believes it is appropriate for Israel to continue with its ground and air attacks on Hezbollah for now, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday, even as he acknowledged the risk of the operation in Lebanon expanding beyond Israel's current aims.

Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday after two weeks of intense airstrikes in a worsening conflict that has drawn in Iran and risks sucking in the United States.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Miller said the nature of all conflicts was "fluid" and "unpredictable," and therefore, it was impossible to say how long it would take Israel to achieve its stated goal of clearing Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, allowing it to return Israelis displaced from their homes across the border by months of rocket fire.

US President Joe Biden doesn’t back an Israeli retaliatory strike on Iran’s nuclear strike but has striven to build a broad international consensus for a response to the Islamic Republic’s missile strike against the Jewish state Tuesday.

"We'll be discussing with the Israelis what they're going to do, but all seven of us (G7 nations) agree that they have a right to respond, but they should respond proportionally," Biden told reporters before boarding Air Force One. He said he would be speaking soon with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but did not give a timeline for that call.

“Iran is way off board,” he said. “There is going to be some sanctions imposed on Iran,” he stressed.

Israel may respond to Iran’s major Tuesday ballistic missile attack by striking strategic infrastructure, such as gas or oil rigs, or by directly targeting Iran’s nuclear sites, media reports said on Wednesday, citing Israeli officials.

Targeted assassinations and attacks on Iran’s air defense systems are also possible responses, Axios reported.

An attack on Iranian oil facilities could devastate the country’s economy, and any of the considered responses could mark another escalation, almost one year into the ongoing war that began when the Hamas terror group attacked Israel in October 2023.

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that another division, the 36th, was joining its ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, as the Iranian terror proxy continued to launch rocket barrages across the border.

According to the IDF, some 100 rockets were fired at northern Israel during the morning hours, which followed Tuesday night’s second-ever direct attack on Israel by Iran.

In the latest barrage, around 10 rockets were launched at the Western Galiliee and Haifa Bay area.