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Department of Defense and Priceline Expand American Forces Travel

July 16, 2021

16 Million U.S. Veterans Granted Exclusive Travel Benefits In Recognition Of Their Service

Norwalk, CT., July 16, 2021 – Today, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) officially announced the expansion of American Forces Travel , a leisure travel site created with Priceline, for current and retired members of all six branches of the U.S. military, the National Guard, and their families, along with DoD civilians. The program’s expansion extends benefits to all Veterans of the United States Armed Forces with a discharge status of honorable or general under honorable conditions, allowing an additional 16 million users access to the full-service travel booking platform.

Introduced in 2019 to thank the military community for their service, American Forces Travel is a unique and unprecedented travel platform: a global collection of exceptional deals, assembled in a single place exclusively for those who have served on behalf of our nation. The site is the result of a joint service initiative among the six branches of the United States Armed Forces—the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard—and the National Guard, along with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Priceline, which operates the platform at no cost to the DoD. 

In addition to improving access to Armed Forces’ Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) benefits, every booking on American Forces Travel generates revenue used to support critical quality of life programs for Service members and families.

The platform features privately negotiated deals on the world’s most popular hotel, flight and car rental brands with over a million hotel deals in more than 71,000 destinations globally, providing fast, easy access to a broad selection of deeply discounted leisure travel for the military community and their families. Eligible users can save up to 40% – 60% on leisure travel.

“Priceline is proud to support American Forces Travel by providing the best travel deals the industry has to offer for the brave Americans who support our country through military service,” said Brett Keller, Priceline’s CEO. “We are pleased to expand this program to an additional 16 million Veterans who have served in the United States Military.”

MILITARY STAR Card 

As part of the expansion, the MILITARY STAR card is now available as a payment method on thousands of deeply discounted hotels. The MILITARY STAR card is part of The Exchange Credit Program under the Army & Air Force Exchange Service and offers exclusive credit benefits to military personnel and their families, including a competitive APR regardless of credit score and interest reduction during deployment.

Eligibility Verification

American Forces Travel is open to all military and military affiliated personnel who are eligible to use Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs. First-time users will be asked to verify their eligibility with the Department of Defense through the site. Once verified, they are free to use the site to book discounted travel around the world. The verification process is secure and requested information will not be retained.

Under the expansion, 22 million personnel will now have access to the site, including:

• All current active duty military who serve in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard 
• All members of the Reserve components and National Guard
• Coast Guard Auxiliary Active Duty
• All current active duty and retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• All current active duty and retired US Public Health Service (USPHS)
• All retired military, including those in the Reserves and National Guard who are retirement eligible
• Eligible family members who are officially sponsored (ID card holder) by authorized patrons in the above categories
• All Medal of Honor recipients
• All Veterans of the United States Armed Forces with a discharge status of honorable or general under honorable conditions
• All Veterans with service-connected disabilities, all Veterans who are Purple Heart recipients, all Veterans who are former prisoners of war, all individuals approved and designated as the primary family caregivers of eligible Veterans under the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
• All Department of Defense and Coast Guard civilians, including appropriated funds (APF) employees and nonappropriated funds (NAF) employees
• Full-time, paid employees of the American Red Cross and United Service Organizations (USO) hired in the United States and serving at U.S. DoD installations overseas

Eligible patrons can sign up, book travel, and find more information by visiting AmericanForcesTravel.com .

About American Forces Travel℠

American Forces Travel℠ is a new Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program arising out of a joint service initiative combining the efforts of each of the six branches of service (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard), the National Guard and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy. American Forces Travel℠ is transforming the way MWR provides online leisure services to our Service members and families, empowering them to revitalize, reconnect, be well, and most importantly, be mission-ready. In addition to dramatically enhancing quality of life for the military community, American Forces Travel℠ will inject critical revenue into MWR programs by providing commissions from every booking made.

About Priceline

Priceline , pa rt of Booking Holdings Inc. [NASDAQ: BKNG ], is a world leader in travel deals. Priceline offers exclusive discounts on hotels, flights, alternative accommodations, rental cars, cruises and packages. We offer more than a million lodging properties, helping travelers find the right accommodation at the right price. We negotiate great deals every day, and put our best pricing on the Priceline app. Our deep discounts on hotels, flights, rental cars and more are also distributed through our partnership brand, Priceline Partner Network. With free cancellation for many rates, 24-hour customer assistan ce and the option for both pre-paid and pay upon arrival reservations, Priceline helps millions of travelers be there for the moments that matter. For us, and for our customers, every trip is a big deal.

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American Forces Travel Privileges Extended to Eligible Veterans

The Department of Defense announced today a policy change to the current shopping privileges on the American Forces Travel website. As directed by acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Virginia S. Penrod in a memo signed April 12, 2021, the department will extend online access to the website to honorably discharged veterans of the uniformed services.

On average, customers save 35-40% compared to commercial travel pricing by using AFT. This includes discounted rates on hotels (up to 60%), airfare, rental cars, vacation packages, event tickets, and cruises.

“Sixteen million veterans will now be able to access the American Forces Travel website, joining the 10 million active duty, Guard and reserve service members, family members, DOD civilians, and other patrons who are already receiving the benefit,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy Patricia “Patty” Montes Barron. “We are committed to providing quality-of-life programs to our military community, which includes our honorably discharged veterans.”

The change will not affect access for existing patrons, and the increased customer base will allow AFT to negotiate better prices for its customers. 

AFT launched in 2019 as the only official joint service morale, welfare, and recreation leisure travel website exclusively for DOD patrons. In addition to improving access to DOD’s MWR benefits, every booking on American Forces Travel generates revenue to support critical quality-of-life programs for service members and families.

To access the exclusive military discount pricing on travel products, visit the American Forces Travel website . Proof of eligibility is required.

About Military Community and Family Policy

Military Community and Family Policy is directly responsible for establishing and overseeing quality-of-life policies and programs that help our service members, their families and survivors be well and mission-ready. Military OneSource is the gateway to programs and services that support the everyday needs of the 5.2 million service members and immediate family members of the military community. These DOD services can be accessed 24/7/365 around the world.

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• Armed Forces Travel

American Forces Travel

American Forces Travel℠     is the only official joint services MWR leisure travel website.

American Forces Travel is a joint service initiative combining the efforts of each of the five branches of service (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard) and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy. Who is Eligible:  Active military, Guard or Reserve, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired Military, and all eligible MWR patrons.

VIew DEALS  

What is American Forces Travel?

American Forces Travel (AFT) is a new site launched with Priceline that offers discounted travel prices to military service members and their dependents. Despite there being many unofficial sites that boast discounted travel prices for military, AFT is the ONLY official joint service owned leisure travel service for the military community.

Priceline.com a company with over 20 years of online travel expertise, won out the opportunity to sponsor AFT over other travel discount sites in a competitive bidding process AFT was launched as an initiative by five military branches of service and the Office of the Secretary of Defense to provide a modernized, streamlined method for booking travel and vacation packages for the military community.  Previously, most non-official travel for military had been orchestrated through base tickets and tour offices; AFT provides a platform where military members can search for special travel deals online.

What Sets American Forces Travel Apart From Other Discount Sites?

• AFT boasts up to 60% savings on more than a million hotel deals in more than 76,000 destinations worldwide.
• AFT offers reduced fees for reservation changes and all flights cancellable within 24 hours.  With AFT, there is also free cancellation on post-paid cars as well as cancellation discounts for pre-paid rates.
• AFT offers 24/7 customer support.
• There is a commission that goes towards military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation services and military quality of life programs with each transaction on the AFT site.
• Although Priceline.com offers similar discounts and deals for the general public, Priceline has a special team dedicated to the AFT site to search for the best prices specifically for military members.
• Priceline offers the same lowest price guarantee on AFT as it does on its main site.  If a better price or deal is found for any travel arrangements within 24 hours of booking, Priceline will refund 100% of the price difference.

Who is Eligible to Use American Forces Travel?

• Active duty and dependents
• Full-benefit retirees and dependents
• 100% disabled veterans and dependents
• Medal of Honor recipients and dependents
• American Red Cross and USA-paid personnel serving outside of the US and dependents
• DOD civilians and non-appropriated fund employees

How Do I Sign Up To Use American Forces Travel?

- Visit the American Forces Travel site .

- Select the “Get Started” link from the main page.

- You will be prompted to verify your military status by providing your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your social security number.

- This information does not go through Priceline but is verified against a DOD database.

- Login information is not captured or retained in any way.

What Types of Discounts Does American Forces Travel Offer?

• Travel packages

AFT hopes to also offer discounts on theme parks and other attractions at a future date

Does American Forces Travel Really Deliver Discounts to the Military Community?

A review done by Military.com of the American Forces Travel site uncovered that on travel to San Diego, hotel deals ranging $20-$50 dollars less than prices found on regular travel discount sites and $10-$18 off per day for vehicle rentals.  According to the same review, a round-trip Alaska Airlines flight from Washington, D.C. to San Diego for one February weekend was $354, while on American Forces Travel the same round-trip flight was only $323.  However, non-stop flights for the same weekend could be purchased on United Airlines for $200-$400 less on a travel discount site other than AFT.

Discounts on hotels seems to vary by season and by room type. For example, a cursory search on AFT for hotels in Seattle, WA during the month of August showed variance in discounted prices when compared to prices on other discount travel sites, ranging from prices on AFT being $10-$20 higher than to $10-$30 lower than on other travel sites. It did seem that there were better discounts on searches for double occupancy rooms than on searches for rooms for more than two people, which could signify that when looking for hotels, AFT offers better discounts for groups travelling with less people as opposed to families with children or larger groups.

Discounts on automobile rentals also vary by auto type and rental by day or by week. Cruise prices also appear to vary based on season or berthing type.

In short, there is probably still no substitute for doing the research when one is looking for good deals on travel. AFT probably does offer significant discounts for military members but not necessarily on every travel item nor in every circumstance, so it is still important to search for deals and discounts using various resources. 

It’s important to consider, too, that AFT launched only within the past few months and still has plans to expand its scope and improve its services. It would be well worth providing further analysis after the site has been up and running for a year or two. 

At the very least American Forces Travel puts another discount travel booking tool in the back pockets of military members and their dependents and can be considered a legitimate means to secure the best price for all leisure travel needs.

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April 12, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

By Chris Lau, Sana Noor Haq, Adrienne Vogt , Matt Meyer and Tori B. Powell , CNN

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USAID worker killed in Israel, agency says

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

A staff member with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) died Friday in the Israeli port city of Jaffa, the agency announced.

The male staffer was with USAID’s West Bank and Gaza mission, the agency said in a brief statement.

USAID did not provide details on the circumstances around his death or his identity or citizenship.

“He was a dedicated member of our team for more than two decades, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues,” USAID said.

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US expects Iran to carry out direct strikes against targets inside Israel, sources say

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The United States currently expects Iran will carry out strikes against multiple targets inside Israel and that Iranian proxies could also be involved in carrying out the attacks, according to a senior administration official and a source familiar with the intelligence.  

The targets would likely be both inside Israel and around the region.

The beginning of a state-on-state conflict between Iran and Israel would mark a serious escalation in the region that the US has hoped to avoid.

US sees Iran moving military assets including drones and cruise missiles, sources say

From Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann

The US observed Iran moving military assets around internally, including drones and cruise missiles, signaling that it is possibly preparing to attack Israeli targets from inside its own territory, according to two people familiar with US intelligence. 

It is not clear whether Iran is preparing to strike from its soil as part of an initial attack, or if it is posturing to try to deter Israel or the US from conducting a possible counter strike on its territory. 

One of the people said the US had observed Iran readying as many as 100 cruise missiles.

Some context: The Iranians want their retaliatory strike on Israel — a response to the Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate last week in Damascus — to be "significant," one of the people familiar with the intelligence said. But they also want to avoid getting embroiled in a direct war with Israel and the US, CNN has reported, which is why US intelligence has assessed that Iran may use its proxy forces to launch the first attack.

Israeli settlers storm village in West Bank and kill at least 1 Palestinian. Here's what you should know

From CNN staff

Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to several homes and cars — and leaving at least one Palestinian dead — in one of the largest attacks by settlers this year, according to Palestinian officials. 

The settlers attacked Al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah, raided homes and fired gunshots at residents, according to Amin Abu-Alia, the head of the village council. Videos obtained by CNN show parts of the village burning, with smoke billowing over several buildings and settlers lobbing rocks. Houses and cars are seen completely burnt up, with sounds of gunfire and clashes heard in the background.

Here are other headlines you should know:

• More Israeli attacks: An Israeli airstrike early Friday killed at least 29 people and injured dozens more after troops targeted a house belonging to the well-known Al-Tabatibi family in eastern Gaza City, according to a local health official. Israeli forces also surrounded and attacked the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, wounding several journalists and at least one other person. And in the occupied West Bank, troops killed two Hamas members in a raid on the city of Tubas, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials.
• Hezbollah-Israel clashes: Around 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon on Friday evening, according to the Israeli military. Some were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. Israeli warplanes also carried out several airstrikes on Friday, targeting "military buildings" used by Hezbollah fighters in parts of southern Lebanon, the IDF said.
• Iranian threats: US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday he expects an attack from Iran will happen “sooner than later," with the White House adding that there is a "very credible" threat of Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel. Additionally, the US Defense Department is moving additional assets to the Middle East region, a defense official told CNN, as the US and Israel brace for the potential attack . Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Central Command Commander Gen. Erik Kurilla on Friday discussed preparations for the  potential attack .
• Warnings amid Iranian threats: France , Germany, Canada and the United States are among countries that are warning their citizens not to travel to the region due to the threat of an Iranian attack against Israel.
• Humanitarian aid: The Israeli military does not understand how humanitarian operations work, a top United Nations official said Friday, maintaining there is a "degree of mistrust" that needs to be resolved between the IDF and nongovernmental organizations on the ground in Gaza.
• Sanctions: The European Council has  adopted sanctions  against three Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad entities , in light of "their responsibilities in the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks" that occurred across Israel on October 7. The US is also sanctioning four leaders of Hamas’ cyber and drone operations based in Gaza and Lebanon, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced on Friday. 

US will attempt to intercept launches at Israel if feasible, US officials say

From CNN's Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand

The US will attempt to intercept any weapons launched at Israel if it’s feasible to do so, two US officials told CNN, in an indication of the level of ongoing cooperation between the two militaries before an anticipated Iranian attack .

US Navy forces in the Red Sea have previously intercepted long-range missiles launched from the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel. US forces in Iraq and Syria could also potentially intercept drones and rockets targeting northern Israel, depending on the location from which they’re launched.

Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, has been in Israel meeting with the country’s security leadership. On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, met with Kurilla.

There have been a number of conversations where US officials have urged Israel not to escalate the situation in retaliating against Iran, according to one of the US officials. 

Remember: An Iranian attack is expected in response to Israel’s deadly strike of Tehran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, last week.

The Damascus attack was the latest incident to stoke fears of a wider regional conflict breaking out in the Middle East during Israel's campaign in Gaza.

Diplomatic efforts: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held a slew of calls to foreign counterparts aimed at pressuring Iran not to attack Israel.

The top US diplomat spoke with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday, according to a readout from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Blinken also spoke with the Turkish, Chinese and Saudi foreign ministers in recent days, Miller said.

Israeli settlers kill at least 1 Palestinian while storming West Bank village

From CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem and CNN’s Benjamin Brown in London

Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to several homes and cars in one of the largest attacks by settlers this year, according to Palestinian officials. 

At least one Palestinian man was killed when shots were fired by Israeli settlers in the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, according to the head of the village council Amin Abu-Alia. He said he identified the killed Palestinian as his 26-year-old relative named Jihad Abu-Alia, who was meant to get married this summer.

At least 25 others were injured in the rampage, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the scale of which has not been seen since hundreds of settlers stormed through the villages of  Turmusayya  and  Huwara  in two separate incidents last year. 

Between 1,000 and 1,200 settlers surrounded the village, and around 500 stormed it just after midday local time on Friday, blocking all the roads in the area, Abu-Alia told CNN.

He added that Israeli security forces informed Palestinian officials that the settlers were looking for a 14-year-old Israeli boy who had gone missing earlier in the day.

They attacked the village, raided homes and fired gunshots at residents, Abu-Alia said. Videos obtained by CNN show parts of the village burning, with smoke billowing over several buildings and settlers lobbing rocks. Houses and cars are seen completely burnt up, with sounds of gunfire and clashes heard in the background.

According to Abu-Alia, the Israeli military arrived at the scene at around 3 p.m. and didn’t stop the settlers from attacking the village. Israeli soldiers allowed them to raid homes, prevented Palestinian residents from moving around and blocked ambulances from reaching the injured, he added.  

Abu-Alia told CNN settlers stole approximately 70 sheep from the Palestinian village.

In response to a question by CNN, the IDF said “violent riots were instigated in multiple locations in the area” following the search for the boy.

Israel says airstrikes targeted Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes carried out several airstrikes on Friday, targeting "military buildings" used by Hezbollah fighters in parts of southern Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The areas include the Aita al-Shaab and the Taybeh in southern Lebanon, said Avichay Adraee, I DF spokesperson for Arab media,  in a post on X.

"During the day, several shells were fired from Lebanon towards the Upper Galilee region, without causing any casualties. IDF forces attacked the sources of fire," Adraee added. 

The Israeli airstrikes were before the 40 rockets that were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel Friday evening and claimed by Hezbollah.

Biden expects an attack from Iran will happen "sooner than later"

From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg

US President Joe Biden expects an attack from Iran will happen “sooner than later," he told reporters at the White House Friday.

“I don’t want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later,” Biden said when asked how imminent an attack on Israel was.

Asked what his message to Tehran is right now, the president said “Don’t.”

In response to more shouted questions from reporters asking if American troops were at risk, Biden returned to the podium and said that the United States is "devoted” to the defense of Israel. 

“We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” Biden said.

Remember: The United States says it is on high alert for a significant Iranian retaliatory attack following Israel's deadly strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus last week, raising fears of a wider regional war. There remains a “real,” “credible” and “viable” threat of Iran launching strikes, the White House said earlier Friday, following Israel’s attack on  a diplomatic compound in Syria that killed three Iranian generals.

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Middle East latest: 'Unknown airstrike' on Iraqi military base; Iranian minister downplays Israeli attack

Injuries and "material losses" have been reported after a large explosion at a military base in Iraq. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister dismissed the apparent Israeli attack as ineffective in an interview with Sky News' US partner NBC News.

Saturday 20 April 2024 11:11, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• Airstrike on Iraqi base from 'unknown source'
• Iraqi security force claims explosion was result of attack
• Iranian minister compares 'drones' in attack to 'children's toys'
• What we know so far about Israel's apparent attack on Iran
• Iran has 'no plan for immediate retaliation'
• Analysis:  This strike has escalation written all over it
• Analysis: Iran isn't biggest threat to the coalition right now
• Live reporting by Narbeh Minassian

We reported last night London's Met Police apologised twice after an officer was recorded preventing a Jewish man from crossing a road by a pro-Palestinian march because he is "openly Jewish".

Video showed the police officer telling him: "You are quite openly Jewish, this is a pro-Palestinian march, I'm not accusing you of anything but I'm worried about the reaction to your presence."

The officer also warned he could arrest Gideon Falter, who is the chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism and was wearing a kippah skull cap.

The home secretary, James Cleverly, has now written to the Met and Mayor of London regarding the incident last Saturday.

While the contents of the letter remain private, a Home Office spokesperson said: "We welcome the Met Police's apology, and recognise the complexities of policing fast-moving public protests, but simply being Jewish - or of any other race or religion - should never be seen as provocative.

"Anyone of any religion should be free to go about their lives and feel safe doing so."

Hamas has condemned what it described as a strike on Kalsu military base in Iraq.

"We consider it an assault and violation of Iraq's sovereignty and security," the militants said in a statement.

"We also hold the administration of US President Biden responsible for the escalation in the region."

One member of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces was killed in the blast, which the pro-Iran group says was the result of an attack.

Security sources had earlier told Reuters news agency an air strike caused the explosion.

Hamas said the incident is an "embodiment" of Israel's "barbarism".

"We renew our affirmation that the region will not witness stability or peace except by ending the Zionist occupation of our occupied Palestinian and Arab lands," the statement adds.

There is no confirmation of Israeli involvement.

Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces has said the explosion at its Kalsu base was the result of an attack.

It's not yet clear who the group may believe was behind the alleged attack.

The US has already denied any role in the incident.

Details remain unclear around the explosion at the Iraqi military base, which houses a group sponsored by Iran.

The blast at the Kalsu base, which killed one member of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces, is under investigation.

Speaking from Tel Aviv, Sky's international correspondent Alex Rossi noted it is "interesting" the US has already denied any responsibility.

The blast comes one day on from an attack on Iran - widely believed to be from Israel.

"I think what it really speaks to is the fact that although the direct confrontation that we've seen in this phase between Iran and Israel may be over, there are still significant tensions in the region," Rossi said.

"In terms of that direct confrontation, I think the indications we're getting from both sides is that they don't want this to escalate anymore and that's reflected in the language that they are using."

There are still "significant flashpoints", he added, with daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah and the ongoing offensive in Gaza.

But it is unclear if the incident in Iraq is related to a so-called shadow war between Iran and Israel.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reports 34,049 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since 7 October, with 76,901 wounded.

The new figures come as the health ministry claims 37 Palestinians have been killed and 68 injured in the past 24 hours.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its reports, but says most of those killed are women and children.

The Israel Defence Forces has said it "attacked targets" overnight in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza.

In a post on X, the IDF claims it initiated the attack after a "launch" crossed from Beit Hanoun towards the city of Sderot in southern Israel.

That attack, it says, was intercepted.

Over the past day, the IDF says its air force has attacked "dozens" of targets, including "armed terrorists, military infrastructures and military buildings".

One member of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces has been killed and eight wounded during the overnight explosion at its Kalsu base, according to a military statement.

As we reported earlier (see 7.32am post), the cause of the blast at the facility is still unconfirmed, although sources have claimed it came from an unknown airstrike.

The military says there were no drones or fighter jets detected in the air space around the area before or during the blast.

A committee has been formed to investigate what happened.

In a world-first interview, a senior Hezbollah figure has told us violence will not stop until the war in Gaza ends.

Ibrahim Moussawi, a Hezbollah spokesperson, also warned Israel "will see results" if they continue provoking Iran.

And he said the responsibility for ending the war lies with the West.

"In order to reach an agreement, they have to stop the aggressor," he said.

"They have to stop Netanyahu and this bunch of idiots who are in the occupied Palestine to stop their genocidal war."

Hezbollah warns against provoking Iran

He added they do not want to see a "comprehensive confrontation" but "if it is imposed, they see and we will see the kind of results that will unfold".

He also played down the strikes against Iran yesterday, claiming he has "never heard of such a thing" and he had "heard it in the news".

"My understanding is that the Israelis, up till now, they want to save their face," he said.

For the full story, read the article below...

Iran's foreign minister has questioned if Israel was behind Friday's attack on the country.

Iran said its air defences destroyed three drones and reported no damage or casualties - though Sky's military analyst Michael Clarke said Israel almost certainly used ballistic missiles, rather than drones.

Speaking to our US partner network NBC News, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed drones took off from within Iran and only flew a few hundred metres before being shot down.

The foreign minister added they were "more like toys that our children play with" than a serious threat, as he sought to play down the threat.

Israel hasn't commented but is widely believed to be behind the strike targeting an airbase and nuclear site near Isfahan.

"It has not been proved to us that there is a connection between these and Israel," Mr Amir-Abdollahian added.

Read the full story here...

A blast at an Iraqi military base came from an airstrike from an unknown source, two security sources have told Reuters news agency.

Injuries and "material losses" have been reported after the explosion at the Kalsu facility in the city of Babylon, which is about 30 miles (50km) south of the capital Baghdad.

A US official said it wasn't caused by American military operations.

The base is used by Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of dozens of armed groups, and is home to its chief of staff.

One PMF fighter was killed and six were wounded, according to sources at the nearby hospital in Hilla.

Video appears to show explosion

The group did not confirm any deaths in its initial statement, adding: "An explosion occurred at the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces at the Kalsu military base in the al Mashrou district on the highway, north of Babil Governorate.

"An investigation team immediately arrived at the scene, and the explosion caused material losses and injuries. 

"We will provide you with the details once the preliminary investigation is completed."

Factions within the PMF took part in rocket and drone attacks on US forces in Iraq in the early months of Israel's Gaza offensive.

However, the group stopped the attacks in early February.

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