Israeli troops are pursuing operations inside the northern Gaza Strip, a day after authorities said they would extend ground activities in the Palestinian enclave, army radio reported. Israeli fighter jets struck about 150 underground targets in Gaza overnight.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned that new fronts would open against the US if it continues its unequivocal support for Israel. Iran began two days of exercises on Friday in its central Isfahan province involving helicopters, missiles, drones and artillery.
Israel said that it’s expanding military activity in Gaza, as the strip lost internet and telephone service and international agencies lost contact with staff there. The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” in the conflict.
(All time stamps are Israeli time)
Israel Pursues Gaza Ground Operation, Army Radio Says (9.00 a.m.)
Troops are pursuing operations inside the northern Gaza Strip, a day after Israel said it would extend ground activities in the Palestinian enclave, Israel Defense Forces Radio reported, without giving further details. The IDF didn’t respond to a request for comment on the current presence of ground forces in Gaza.
Israel Strikes Underground Targets in Gaza (8:19 a.m.)
Israel’s army said fighter jets bombed 150 underground targets in the northern Gaza Strip overnight, including tunnels and other subterranean military infrastructure. Hamas has a vast network of underground tunnels dubbed the “Gaza Metro” that is one of the biggest dangers for an expected Israeli ground offensive.
Iran Begins Military Exercises (8:00 a.m.)
Iran’s army is carrying out military drills, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. The two-day “offensive” exercises started on Friday in the central Isfahan province and involved more than 200 helicopters as well as missiles, drones and artillery, according to Tasnim.
Israel Says It Killed Head of Hamas’s Aerial Array (7:38 a.m.)
The Israeli military said its jets struck overnight and killed the head of Hamas’ Aerial Array, who was responsible for the organization’s drones, paragliders, aerial detection and aerial defense. He took part in planning killings in communities surrounding the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7. He directed those who infiltrated Israel on paragliders and was responsible for drone attacks on military posts, according to a statement.
US Says No Casualties in Strikes on Iranian Targets (1:45 a.m.)
The Pentagon said US attacks on Iranian targets Thursday night were focused on storage facilities for weapons and ammunition used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and resulted in no casualties.
“These narrowly-tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend US personnel in Iraq and Syria,” Brigadier General Pat Ryder, a Defense Department spokesman, said in a statement. “They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in the U.S. approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict.” Ryder said that coalition forces had been attacked 14 times in Iraq and six times in Syria by rockets and drones. Most of the attacks failed to reach their targets, he added.
Iran Warns of ‘New Fronts’ Against the US (12:35 a.m,)
Iran’s foreign minister warned that new fronts would open against the US if it keeps up unequivocal support for Israel, and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government would regret its actions if it proceeds with a full-scale invasion.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian declined to detail the consequences Iran might have in store. But his comments in an interview signaled an escalation in the rhetoric between Washington and Tehran after a series of attacks on US forces in Syria and Iraq fanned concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict would turn into a wider regional war.
Iran Denies Directing Groups That Attacked US Forces (12:10 a.m.)
Iran’s foreign minister said groups attacking US forces in Syria and Iraq are acting independently, and haven’t received orders or instructions from Tehran. “They’re not receiving any orders from us, any instructions,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “The American side claims that these are linked to Iran. These groups decide for themselves independently.”
Amirabdollahian spoke less than a day after the US said that it had conducted military strikes on two Syrian facilities linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that had been used for attacks against US troops in the region. US officials have said they don’t have evidence that Iran explicitly ordered the attacks, but they hold Iran responsible because it supports the groups.
UN Approves Resolution Calling for Truce (11:12 p.m.)
The UN General Assembly approved a non-binding resolution calling for a truce that would lead to a cessation of hostilities, with the US, Israel and 12 other nations voting no.
The resolution, which was sponsored by several Arab nations, was adopted with 120 votes in favor, 14 opposed and 45 abstentions. It demands that all parties comply with international law and allow the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
US Says No Red Lines in Conversations with Israel (10:29 p.m.)
White House National Security Council John Kirby told reporters Friday that the US is “not drawing red lines” for Israel, reiterating support for the country’s defense against Hamas.
“We have had and will continue to have conversations with them about the manner in which they’re doing this, and we have not been shy about expressing our concerns over civilian casualties, collateral damage and the approach that they might choose to take,” Kirby added.
--With assistance from Henry Meyer and Arsalan Shahla.
