World Briefing: October 7, 2024

One year after the October 7 attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country faces war on seven fronts, naming Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas. Israel’s defense minister told CNN “everything is on the table” for its response to last week’s Iranian missile barrage. Thousands gathered for a vigil in Tel Aviv marking the anniversary, where loved ones mourned victims and survivors shared their stories.

Hundreds gathered at 6:29 a.m. (Israel time) outside the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Gaza Street in Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of the Hamas attack of October 7, calling for a hostage and cease-fire deal - Haaretz

Israel’s military said it launched attacks against Hamas positions throughout the Gaza Strip today. Large explosions rocked southern Beirut for another night as Israeli forces continued to pound the Lebanese capital, while at least 10 people were wounded in the Israeli city of Haifa following a Hezbollah rocket attack - Al Jazeera

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has marked the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel by calling on world leaders to bring an end to the “unimaginable suffering” in the Middle East.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Sunday to discuss Iran's destabilizing actions in the Middle East and the current situation in Lebanon and Gaza, a statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said. "Secretary Austin noted that tomorrow marks one year since Hamas perpetrated the worst terrorist attack against Israel in its history, and he reiterated unwavering U.S. commitment to Israel's security, a ceasefire in Gaza, and a diplomatic resolution that enables citizens to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border," it added. According to the statement, "The Secretary reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself and noted that the United States maintains significant capability in the region to defend U.S. personnel and facilities, provide further support for Israel's self-defense and deter further escalation - Haaretz

Other Topics of Interest

Is Moscow Withdrawing From Syria? Yes and No

An analyst claimed the air traffic at Moscow’s air base in Syria showed no hurried departures while asserting that vessels are simply “out to loiter at sea” – but that might not be the full picture.

Two Chinese nationals have been killed and at least ten people injured after an explosion near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan. The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said there were "some local casualties" in what it described as a "terrorist attack", though the overall death toll is still unclear. The embassy added that the explosion targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a power project in the country's Sindh province. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has in recent years carried out attacks on Chinese nationals involved in projects, has claimed responsibility for the attack. - BBC

Ildar Dadin, a well-known Russian opposition activist who was fighting in Ukraine on the side of Kyiv, has been killed in action, according to the group that recruited him. A spokeswoman for that group, the Civic Council, told the BBC that Dadin had died, adding that "he was, and he remains a hero". The activist-turned-fighter was killed when soldiers from his volunteer battalion, the Freedom of Russia Legion, came under Russian artillery fire in the Kharkiv region of north-eastern Ukraine. For now, there are no more details and the Legion itself won’t comment whilst it says a military operation is still active. - BBC

This Briefing is reprinted with the author's permission. Please find the original here.