Live: Israel ramps up strikes on Gaza after Iran attack

Yemen's Houthi movement on Wednesday said they had fired cruise missiles "deep inside" Israel, although there was no confirmation from Israeli authorities.

The statement by the Houthis' armed forces came after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel late on Tuesday.

"The missile force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting military sites deep inside the Zionist entity (Israel) in occupied Palestine with three Quds 5 cruise missiles," the statement said.

"The missiles were able to successfully reach their targets amid the enemy's secrecy about the results of the operation."

The timing of the claimed attack was not clear. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Reporting by AFP

Good morning Middle East Eye readers, 

It is now just after 10am in Palestine, Israel and Lebanon. A lot has happened since last night, so here's a recap of how events played out in case you missed it:

Tuesday 

• Around 7pm (16:00 GMT) - Two Palestinians opened fire at a train station in Tel Aviv, killing seven people and wounding nine others. 

• Around 7.30pm - Iran began a massive missile attack it said was in retaliation for the Israeli killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Abbas Nilforoushan in Beirut last week.  

• Around 8.30pm - The Israeli military announced the missile attack was over. 

  • Around 180 missiles were fired at areas across Israel in less than an hour, with sirens sounding almost in every city. 

  • Eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions and footage showed direct hits in army bases in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Negev and other areas.

  • Iran said it targeted the Mossad headquarters, three airbases and military positions near the Gaza Strip fence. 

• Around 9.30pm - Reports emerged the Israeli forces began heavy aerial and artillery shelling of eastern Khan Younis neighbourhoods before carrying out an attack that lasted into the early hours of Wednesday. At least 30 Palestinians were killed in the attack, according to media reports. 

• Around 9.45pm - Israeli forces bombed a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 10 people, including children. The attack coincided with intense shelling across the Nuseirat refugee camp, south of the Israeli-occupied Netzarim corridor, after reports said some displaced Palestinians attempted to cross back into northern Gaza from the south.  

• Around 11.30pm - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first comments after the Iranian attack, saying Tehran made a "big mistake" and vowed that "it will pay for it".

Wednesday 

• Around 12.15am - The Israeli military issued fresh ejection orders for residents of Beirut's southern suburbs,  an area colloquially known as Dahiyeh. 

• Around 3.30am - Israel began a series of heavy air strikes in Beirut's Dahiyeh. At least 10 raids rocked the densely-populated area within the next two hours. At least four residential buildings were destroyed, according to Arab media. 

• Around 8am - Hezbollah claimed a series of attacks on Israeli troops stationed along the boundary with Lebanon. 

  • The attacks included clashing with troops who attempted to "infiltrate" the Lebanese town of Odaisseh, forcing them to retreat.

  • In separate statements, the Lebanese group said it targeted three different military positions along the boundary with rockets and artillery fire, achieving "direct hits". 

  • Israeli Telegram pages said rescue helicopters were seen transporting soldiers from the northern border to hospitals in Haifa after the attacks. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. 

All flights in Iran will remain cancelled until Thursday at 5 am local time (12:30 am GMT), the country's Civil Aviation Organisation announced on Wednesday, according to semi-official Tasnim news agency, a day after Tehran fired missiles at Israel.

Reporting by Reuters

Hezbollah said on Wednesday it clashed with Israeli soldiers who tried to infiltrate into Lebanon, and also targeted Israeli troops across the border, according to statements from the Lebanese group.

Hezbollah fighters confronted "an Israeli enemy infantry force that tried to infiltrate into the village of Odaisseh... and clashed with them," a statement said, adding separately that Hezbollah fighters also targeted Israeli forces at three different points across the border with rockets and artillery.

Israeli Telegram news pages reported that military rescue helicopter were seen transporting soldiers from the northern border to hospitals in Haifa.

Reporting by Reuters and MEE  

Danish police said on Wednesday they were investigating two blasts in the vicinity of Israel's embassy in Copenhagen.

There were no injuries reported, police said in a statement.

Reporting by Reuters

Israeli fighter jets targeted the family home of journalist Ahmed al-Zard in southeastern Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Wafa news agency reported.

The strike resulted in the deaths of al-Zard's brother, uncle, and two cousins. Al-Zard himself, along with his mother and another brother, was seriously injured and is currently receiving treatment in hospital.

Reports indicate that several people remain trapped under the rubble of the demolished home, and Wafa added that Israeli forces initially fired on those approaching the site, including ambulance crews, preventing them from assisting the wounded.

The Israeli army on Tuesday killed at least 37 Palestinians in seven air strikes across the Gaza Strip and two men in an incursion in the occupied West Bank, according to health officials.

The Palestinian health ministry said two Israeli air strikes on two houses in Nuseirat refugee camp on Tuesday killed at least 13 people, including women and children. 

A third strike targeted a school used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City, killing at least seven people. 

Later on Tuesday, two additional Israeli attacks killed five Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and in the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City, according to health officials.

Additionally, an Israeli air strike targeting a tent for displaced people in Khan Younis killed six Palestinians, and a seventh air strike on the same day hit a car in western Khan Younis, killing six more Palestinians. 

Read more: Israel kills 37 in devastating Gaza air strikes as world's eyes turn to Lebanon

During Tuesday's vice presidential debate, Democrat Tim Walz questioned Republican Donald Trump’s stability, suggesting the former president’s decision to pull the US out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 worsened tensions in the Middle East.

Walz linked the instability to Trump’s actions, arguing, “Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon because of Donald Trump’s fickle leadership.”

JD Vance, Walz's Republican opponent, responded by defending Trump’s decision, claiming that Trump's “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran had bolstered global security.

He expressed support for Israel's right to pre-emptively strike Iran if deemed necessary, saying, “We should support our allies... when they are fighting the bad guys.”

Both candidates reaffirmed their commitment to Israel’s security, though experts caution that the US's unconditional support for Israel might be exacerbating regional tensions.

The US State Department has responded to recent sanctions imposed on two settlers, stating that "those who acted violently in the occupied West Bank must bear responsibility for their actions." The department also urged the Israeli government to take action on the matter.

The sanctions targeted Avichai Swissa, CEO of the "Shomer Yosh" organisation, which supplies volunteers to guard West Bank outposts, and Eitan Yardeni, who has been involved in multiple violent incidents against Palestinians.

Additionally, the US imposed sanctions on "Hill Top Youth," a term used broadly to cover entities that support illegal outposts where settlers have perpetrated violence against Palestinians. 

French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly censured Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel, affirming France's commitment to Israel's security.

As part of this response, France mobilised its military resources in the Middle East on Wednesday, signalling its support.

Israeli fighter jets bombed Muscat School, which had been sheltering displaced civilians in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City.

According to the Wafa news agency, at least three people were killed, and 17 others were injured in the attack.

Following Moody's recent downgrade, credit rating agency S&P has also reduced Israel's credit rating, moving it from A+ to A on Tuesday night.

This new rating includes a negative outlook, indicating a potential for further downgrades in the future. S&P's decision came before Tuesday's retaliatory missile attack by Iran on Israel.

Israeli fighter jets have reportedly bombed the al-Amal Institute for Orphans, which was serving as a shelter for displaced individuals in western Gaza City, according to the Wafa news agency.

Additionally, Israeli forces targeted the Muscat School in Gaza City's Tuffah neighbourhood. This school, like the orphanage, was being used to house displaced civilians affected by the ongoing conflict, Wafa reported.

The Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent for PBS, Nick Schifrin, reported on an incident where an Iranian rocket struck just outside the Mossad headquarters in Israel.

This strike's proximity to the intelligence agency’s location could be interpreted as a clear message from Iran, signaling that its intelligence capabilities and missile reach could target strategic Israeli assets, including Mossad. 

US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has called for a firm response to Iran, urging the Biden administration to abandon its current approach. In his statement, Johnson emphasized the need for a "strong message" to be sent to Iran, denouncing what he referred to as "unjustified violence and terror."

He stated, "The strategy of appeasement has failed, and a policy of interdiction is insufficient." Johnson further criticized the foreign policy under President Biden and Vice President Harris, claiming it has emboldened adversaries to engage in "increasingly dangerous attacks."

He concluded by calling for a return to the "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, suggesting that Biden should clarify the "decisive economic and potential military ramifications" that Iran would face if such actions continue.