Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Gallant | 2 terrorists killed in IDF operation in Samaria | IDF fends off overnight drone attacks from Iraq and Lebanon

20:02 - Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Yoav Gallant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday night, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Gideon Sa'ar will become the head of theforeign ministry, the PMO announced.

17:37 - Syrian outlets report Israeli strikes in Syrian town al-Qusayr

Israeli airstrikes hit Hezbollah weapons warehouses in the Syrian town of al-Qusayr, around 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the Lebanese border, according to reports in Syrian media.

The strikes reportedly also hit a fuel depot in the town that had already been struck by Israeli attacks earlier this week.

There was no immediate comment or confirmation of the strikes from Israeli officials.

16:39 - Blinken calls on Iraq not to be drawn into regional conflicts amid Iranian threats against Israel

U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani yesterday, the State Department said.

According to the official readout, they discussed diplomatic efforts to end the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, and also, apparently talked about reports that Iran could attack Israel from Iraqi territory.

Blinken "called on the Iraqi government to fulfill its commitments to protect U.S. personnel and to pursue those responsible for attacks from Iraq on U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria, including from attacks by Iran-aligned militias."

"The Secretary emphasized it is important that Iraq not be drawn into regional conflict and underscored the need for Iraq to exert control over armed groups launching unauthorized attacks from its territory."

15:18 - Israeli ambassador presents credentials to Russian President Putin

Israeli Ambassador to Russia Simona Halperin officially presented her credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also met other new ambassadors, including from Japan and Canada.

Halperin is a career diplomat and has been in office for almost a year. The once relatively warm relations between Russia and Israel have been strained since the Russian war in Ukraine began in early 2022.

In February, Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned Halperin over “unacceptable comments” she made in an interview. The ambassador criticized Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for downplaying the importance of the Holocaust and said Russia was too friendly with the Hamas terrorist organization.

13:56 - Air defense sirens sound in Manara, northern Israel

13:37 - Airstrike kills 2 terrorists in Samaria as IDF starts brigade-level counter-terror raids

IDF, Shin Bet and Israeli police forces embarked on a brigade-level counter-terror raid in Samaria during the night, the IDF stated.

During the operation, Israeli soldiers encircled a target in the area of Qabatiya and began exchanging fire with several terrorists. An aircraft later struck and killed two terrorists, while another terrorist was killed in the gunfight.

IDF soldiers later found seven explosive devices hidden in a nearby mosque.

During several other overnight raids, Israeli forces arrested at least nine wanted suspects, found numerous weapons and explosives, located an explosives laboratory and an underground tunnel, and confiscated terror funds.

כוחות צה"ל, שב"כ, מג"ב ויחידת מצדה של שב"ס החלו הלילה במבצעים חטיבתיים בחטיבות הבקעה והעמקים, במנשה ובשומרון>> pic.twitter.com/XFIKaC3NdI

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 5, 2024

11:46 - Israel's Security Cabinet to meet on Thursday amid rising tensions with Iran

The Israeli Security Cabinet is set to meet in the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv on Thursday, Israeli media reported.

The normally routine meetings of the Cabinet have received heightened media attention in recent months, particularly amid periods of rising tensions with the Iranian regime, which is again threatening to attack Israel in the coming days.

Since the dissolution of the War Cabinet, the Security Cabinet once again has the sole authority to approve military actions like Israel's wave of airstrikes in Iran two weeks ago.

10:39 - IAF strikes around 100 terror targets in Lebanon and Gaza in past 24 hours

The IDF stated that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck about 100 terror targets in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip over the past day.

Among the targets were weapons warehouses, launcher positions for rockets and anti-tank missiles, military buildings and more.

במהלך היממה האחרונה, חיל האוויר תקף כ-100 מטרות טרור בלבנון וברצועת עזה, בין המטרות שהותקפו: מחסני אמצעי לחימה, עמדות משגר, מבנים צבאיים ועוד pic.twitter.com/64fT9qpV1v

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 5, 2024

09:04 - Iran-backed militias in Iraq claim to have launched drones at Israel overnight

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of several Iran-backed militias in Iraq, claimed responsibility for launching drones at Haifa overnight.

The IDF reported shooting down a drone approaching Israeli airspace from the direction of Syria earlier in the night.

08:05 - Hostile drone shot down near Metula in Upper Galilee

The IAF shot down a hostile drone launched from Lebanon after alerts were triggered in the area of Metula and Kfar Giladi in the Upper Galilee.

07:24 - IDF shoots down hostile drone after unusual alert near Masada

The IAF shot down a hostile drone that approached Israeli territory from Jordan.

The drone infiltration triggered drone alarm sirens in the area of the ancient fortress of Masada near the Dead Sea, the first time the area heard siren alarms during the war, except for the two large-scale Iranian missile assaults that triggered sirens across the whole country.

🚨 ✈️ Hostile Aircraft Intrusion [07:24:13] - 1 Alert:

• Dead Sea — Massada

Population: <500 pic.twitter.com/iZzAmXb8gy

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) November 5, 2024

06:38 - IDF intercepts hostile drone approaching from Syria overnight

During the night, the IAF intercepted a hostile drone that crossed into the territory of Israel from the direction of Syria, the IDF stated.

06:37 - Rocket sirens activated in the greater Haifa area, Carmel Mountain, and Zichron Yaakov

The IDF said two rockets launched from Lebanon were intercepted after alarm sirens were triggered across a large area, including Haifa, its suburbs along the Haifa Bay, several towns on the Carmel Mountains, as well as towns surrounding Zichron Ya'akov.

🔴 Rocket Alert [06:37:44] - 49 Alerts 🔴:

• HaMifratz — Kfar Hassidim, Ibtin, Rechasim, Usha, Kiryat Atta, Kfar HaMaccabi, Kfar Biyalik, Kiryat Yam, Yagur, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Biyalik
• HaCarmel — Geva Carmel, Merav Center, Dor, Ein Chod, Ein Carmel, Yemin Orde Youth… pic.twitter.com/2Qo4A1UJRw

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) November 5, 2024

01:42 - US soldier wounded in Gaza pier operation earlier this year succumbs to wounds

A soldier of the U.S. Army succumbed to critical wounds he sustained during the operation to install and maintain a floating pier off the Gaza coast earlier this year, the U.S. military stated.

Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley was critically injured in a non-combat incident at an unspecified time. The U.S. military said Stanley had been treated in a long-term care medical center.

Of the three soldiers troops who sustained non-combat injuries during the pier operation, only Stanley suffered serious injuries. The other two soldiers have since returned to duty.