Metro
Israel hits Gaza after rocket attack as Jerusalem tensions spike
Israel carried out its first airstrike on the Gaza Strip in months early Tuesday, in response to a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave after a weekend of violence around a Jerusalem holy site.
The army also said its special forces had made five arrests overnight in the occupied West Bank, which has seen a string of deadly Israeli raids since several recent fatal attacks against the Jewish state.
The latest tensions have focused on the highly contested Al-Aqsa mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Israeli-annexed Old City.
Palestinian worshippers gathering there for Ramadan prayers have been outraged by visits by religious Jewish under heavy Israeli police protection — as well as restrictions on their own access.
The violence, coinciding with the Jewish Passover festival as well as the Muslim holy month, has sparked fears of a repeat of last year’s events, when similar circumstances sparked an 11-day war that levelled parts of Gaza.
On Monday, warning sirens sounded after a rocket was fired into southern Israel from the blockaded enclave, controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, in the first such incident since early January.
The Israeli military said that the rocket had been intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system.
Hours later, the Israeli air force said it had hit a Hamas weapons factory in retaliation.
Hamas claimed to have used its “anti-aircraft defences” to counter the raid, which caused no casualties, according to witnesses and security sources in Gaza.
Deadly attacks
No faction in the crowded enclave of 2.3 million inhabitants immediately claimed responsibility for the rocket.
But it comes after weeks of mounting violence, with a total of 23 Palestinians and Arab-Israelis killed, including assailants who targeted Israelis in four deadly attacks.
Those attacks claimed 14 lives, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally.
The rocket fire also followed a weekend of Israeli-Palestinian violence in and around the Al-Aqsa mosque compound that wounded more than 170 people, mostly Palestinian demonstrators.
Diplomatic sources said the United Nations Security Council was to meet Tuesday to discuss the spike in violence.
Israeli police said they had refused to authorise a march Jewish nationalists had planned around the walls of the Old City.
A similar parade last year, following a similar wave of violence, was interrupted by rocket fire from Gaza which in turn triggered the 11-day war.
This month has also seen violence in the West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Tuesday it had treated 72 people following a demonstration in the village of Burqa, against a march by Israeli settlers demanding the re-establishment of a nearby settlement evacuated in 2005.
The Red Crescent said four people had been directly hit by tear gas canisters and seven had been hit by rubber-coated bullets.
Regional Arab disquiet
Incidents at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest in Islam, have triggered repeated rounds of violence over the past century.
Jews are allowed to visit the site at certain times, but they are prohibited from praying there.
The latest spike in violence has strained Israel’s diplomatic relations with some Muslim countries and drawn wider international concern.
On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates summoned Israel’s ambassador to convey “strong protest and denunciation” of events at Al-Aqsa, particularly “attacks on civilians” and “incursions” by Israeli security forces.
The UAE only established ties with Israel in 2020. Jordan, custodian of east Jerusalem’s holy sites, had already summoned Israel’s charge d’affaires on Monday.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken called both Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday.
Blinken’s calls followed State Department spokesman Ned Price announcing the previous day that the US had “urged all sides to preserve the historic status quo” at the Al-Aqsa compound and avoid “provocative” steps.
Abbas stressed his complete rejection of any changes to the legal and historical status quo, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said.
Lapid meanwhile said he emphasised to Blinken “Israel’s responsible and measured efforts in the face of riots by hundreds of Islamic extremists.”
Hamas has vowed to defend Al-Aqsa’s status as “a purely Islamic site”.
But analysts have said in recent weeks that the movement does not want a war at present, partly because its military capacities were degraded by the last one.
They say Hamas is also wary that a new conflict could prompt Israel to cancel thousands of work permits lately issued to residents of impoverished Gaza.
But Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian faction that Israel says has thousands of fighters and rockets in the enclave, warned Monday that it will not be forced “into silence” over events in Jerusalem.
Customers of Zenith Bank have taken to social media to voice their frustration over difficulties encountered during online banking transactions.
Reports emerged on Tuesday of challenges related to payments and various features, leading to widespread discontent among users on social media platforms like X.
In a statement shared on X on Saturday, Zenith Bank announced that routine maintenance would commence on September 29 and conclude on October 1, running from 12:01 AM to 5:00 AM. The notice, titled ‘Notice of Routine Maintenance,’ stated, “Please be informed that we are currently undertaking routine maintenance of our Information Technology Infrastructure to enable us to significantly improve the quality of service rendered to you.”
However, customers reported that the maintenance did not begin as scheduled, causing considerable inconvenience.
On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the bank’s Mobile Banking App, USSD Service, Internet Banking, and Corporate Internet Banking platforms remained unavailable for an extended period, specifically between 12:01 AM and 2:30 PM WAT.
One dissatisfied customer, Adetunji Akeem, expressed his frustration, sharing that he was unable to withdraw money for food and transportation to work, which forced him to borrow from colleagues.
“It is frustrating. I haven’t eaten all day because I wasn’t able to withdraw money today. Zenith said they would be undergoing maintenance on Saturday through a pop-up message on the bank app, but they didn’t start until this morning,” he lamented.
Another customer, Adeleye A. P., known on X as #deji4ever, criticised the bank for not scheduling maintenance during the night, especially at the end of the month when many employees are expecting their salaries.
He tweeted, “The worst bank award should be given to Zenith. Why deny customers transfer privileges to other banks on the last day of the month? It’s a bad business strategy to ensure money doesn’t leave its coffers.”
Dave Oriss, tweeting under the handle #orissonline, echoed similar sentiments, adding, “#ZenithBank, you should keep frustrating your customers. Some have emergencies, and you are busy shifting the time for maintenance.”
Iran fired 200 missiles, including hypersonic weapons, at Israel in a major escalation of the ongoing conflict, state television reported on Wednesday.
The barrage, which Iran claims targeted military bases near Tel Aviv, came as retaliation for the recent killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israeli forces.
This picture shows a projectile flying above the Jordanian capital Amman towards Israel, on October 1, 2024. – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said a missile attack under way against Israel on October 1 was in response to the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week as well as that of the Hamas leader. (Photo by Khalil MAZRAAWI / AFP)
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the missile launches, stating that “90 percent” of the projectiles hit their intended targets, which included three military bases.
The footage of the missile strikes was broadcast on Iranian media, showing a significant show of force by Tehran.
This picture taken from the West Bank city of Hebron shows projectiles above the Israeli city of Ashdod on October 1, 2024. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)
The Israeli military countered that 180 missiles had been fired into their territory, with most being intercepted by Israel’s advanced defense systems.
Despite the intercepts, the attack marks the first reported use of hypersonic missiles by Iran against Israel.
This picture shows projectiles being intercepted by Israel above Jerusalem on October 1, 2024. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP)
Hypersonic missiles, capable of traveling at speeds of up to 15 times the speed of sound, pose a unique threat due to their low-altitude flight path and ability to evade conventional missile defenses.
Iran unveiled this advanced missile technology in June 2023, with then-president Ebrahim Raisi proclaiming it as a cornerstone of Iran’s deterrence capabilities, designed to maintain peace and stability in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded swiftly to the attack, warning that Tehran had made a “big mistake.” He vowed to make Iran “pay” for the strikes, further raising tensions in an already volatile situation.
Fire erupts between Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and the city of Modiin following an Iranian missile attack, on October 1, 2024. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said a missile attack under way against Israel on October 1 was in response to the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week as well as that of the Hamas leader. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)
In Washington, the United States indicated that it was discussing a joint response with Israel.
Meanwhile, Iran’s chief of staff issued a stern warning that Tehran would strike key Israeli infrastructure if Iran’s territory were attacked in retaliation. The region now braces for potential further escalation amid growing fears of a broader conflict.
No fewer than 60 bodies have been recovered following a tragic boat accident in Niger State, officials confirmed.
According to a statement released by Abubakar Dakani, Press Secretary to the Chairman of Mokwa Local Government, the boat was carrying over 300 passengers when it capsised at the notorious Gbajibo River in Mokwa Local Government Area yesterday evening.
Dakani disclosed that the ill-fated boat was en route from Mundi to Gbajibo for the Annual Maulud celebration when the disaster occurred.
The Chairman of Mokwa Local Government, Abdullahi Muregi, acknowledged the recovery of about 60 bodies and confirmed that 10 survivors have been found so far. Rescue operations, involving the State Emergency Management Agency and local volunteers, are ongoing in a bid to recover the missing passengers.
This incident brings painful memories of a similar boat tragedy in September 2023, when a boat carrying over 50 passengers capsized, killing 24 people who were traveling to their farms for harvest.
Authorities have expressed concerns about the recurring boat accidents in the region, calling for urgent measures to improve safety on the waterways.
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