U.S. hits I-ran-linked targets in Syria

U.S. hits Iran-linked targets in Syria

NBC-Oct 27th2023

What we know

The U.S. launched strikes on Iranian-linked targets in Syria in retaliation for a series of drone attacks on American military bases in Iraq and Syria, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said overnight.
Israeli forces conducted another raid in the Gaza Strip in advance of an expected ground invasion into the Hamas-ruled territory. Troops, fighter jets and drones hit anti-tank missile launch sites and command and control centers, according to the IDF.
The IDF said a “terrorist headquarters” exists under Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, where tens of thousands have taken refuge. Hamas denied the allegation and said it proved Israel had targeted targeted al-Ahli Baptist Hospital on Oct. 17.
In Gaza, supplies of food, medicine and fuel for powering emergency generators are running low, according to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, which provides basic services to hundreds of thousands of people.
More than 7,000 people, including women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. In Israel, about 1,400 people have died. At least 229 people were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack — some of them infants and small children.
International calls for a cease-fire have been rejected by Israel, which also angrily denounced U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres over comments about the conflict.
NBC News’ Richard Engel, Raf Sanchez, Kelly Cobiella, Josh Lederman, Matt Bradley, Ellison Barber, Meagan Fitzgerald, Jay Gray, Hala Gorani, Chantal Da Silva and Alexander Smith are reporting from the region.

19m ago / 10:42 AM PDT

Near-total internet blackout hits Gaza as Israel ramps up strikes

A near total internet blackout has taken hold across much of Gaza, according to witnesses there and companies that monitor global connectivity.

The largest telecommunications provider in Gaza that was still largely operational, Paltel, said Friday that it had suffered a complete disruption of all services after heavy Israeli bombing earlier in the day destroyed its last remaining infrastructure connecting it to the global internet.

Isik Mater, the director of research at Netblocks, a U.K. company that tracks global internet connectivity, said the bombing created the biggest internet blackout since the conflict began.

“Today’s incident is the largest single disruption to internet connectivity in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict and will be perceived by many as a total or near-total internet blackout,” Mater said. “The loss of international routes is likely to severely limit residents’ ability to communicate with the outside world.”