Global News Roundup: Israel Launches West Bank Operation Amidst International Tensions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a military operation in the occupied West Bank following a Palestinian attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and injured at least three others. The operation has already led to orders for 250 Palestinian families in Hebron to evacuate their homes, with some forced to leave overnight. Netanyahu stated that a "big surprise" awaits the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority, in turn, called for international pressure on Israel to protect Palestinians from "forced displacement, destruction, and the accompanying crimes and aggressions targeting Palestinian citizens and their property."

In Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition announced the interception and destruction of two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis towards the cities of Taif and Yanbu. This followed an earlier interception of a missile aimed at Riyadh. Saudi civil defense issued a "danger warning" for residents in Jeddah, Taif, Yanbu, and Mecca. Conversely, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel reported three deaths and injuries in a Saudi airstrike on Sanaa, with preliminary reports indicating further Saudi raids on the coastal city of Mokha.

Regarding Iran, the Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Ali Abdollahi, declared that Iran would not permit U.S. warships to enter the Persian Gulf under any circumstances. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned that Iran has "intensified" its efforts to target Americans in and outside the Gulf. Separately, Iranian media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week.

In Jordan, the death toll from an attack on a church in the southern Karak Governorate rose to eight, according to a new toll announced by Health Minister Ibrahim Al-Badour. Meanwhile, France is experiencing new protests against the rising cost of living, with a heavy security presence amid fears of violence and looting. The Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, reported 135 arrests and the seizure of various weapons. The far-right National Rally party is holding a conference ahead of presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's first rally. In a separate incident, counter-terrorism investigators extended the detention of a man suspected of a shooting in the Paris suburbs that killed one person and injured five in what authorities called a "terrorist attack" with racist motives.

Other international developments include Ukrainian strikes causing water and electricity outages in Crimea and a large-scale drone attack in southeastern Russia. Ukraine announced it has restored a stable connection to SpaceX's Starlink service. In Albania, protests against poor study conditions and corruption continued in Tirana, with demonstrators demanding the Prime Minister's resignation. Five Italian activists detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank have returned to Italy. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un returned to Pyongyang after a one-day visit to Dandong, China. Clashes between Somali and Oromia regional forces in southern Ethiopia over border disputes resulted in several deaths. Four pilots died when two military aircraft collided mid-air during a training exercise in the Philippines. Emergency crews are working to restore power to tens of thousands of homes in Taiwan after Typhoon Chaba hit the island. The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced the start of the first clinical trial for an Ebola vaccine. Indonesia announced a reduction in natural gas exports to Singapore to prioritize domestic demand, amid tensions over air pollution from forest fires. Over two thousand people were evacuated in northeastern Argentina due to floods caused by El Niño, which claimed two lives.