Situation escalates in West Asia; Israel hints at intensifying its operations

The Israeli military has signalled plans to escalate its operations on multiple fronts, timed around the anniversary of the 7 October attacks. This includes a significant and serious retaliation against Iran for last week’s large-scale ballistic missile assault on Israel. Reports indicate, that preparations are underway for a response the Iranian attack earlier this week.

Meanwhile, air raids continue to devastate Gaza, with at least 12 people reported dead since Saturday morning. The airstrikes follow a pattern of increasing intensity, with waves of attacks targeting key locations in the besieged region. Beyond Gaza, the conflict is also spreading into northern Lebanon, where an Israeli strike killed a Hamas commander, Saeed Attallah Ali, along with his wife and two daughters near Tripoli. The escalation extends to the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Israeli air raids continue to target Hezbollah strongholds.

Meanwhile, Emirates Airlines has implemented a ban on pagers and walkie-talkies for all passengers traveling to, from, or via Dubai. The decision came in the wake of attacks on Hezbollah last month, which reportedly involved explosive communication devices. The airline has also announced several flight suspensions. Flights to Iraq and Iran will remain suspended until Tuesday, while services to Jordan are set to resume on Sunday. However, flights to Lebanon will remain suspended until October 15 due to escalating Israeli attacks against Hezbollah, including strikes near Beirut’s airport.