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Riyadh Under Fire: Houthi Attacks Escalate · Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Israel Today ongoing war report. I'm Noah Levi.
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  Speaker 1: We begin with escalating regional tensions as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis
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  Speaker 1: have intensified their missile attacks on Saudi Arabia. Riyadh experienced
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  Speaker 1: loud booms Thursday, leading to disrupted flights and some office
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  Speaker 1: staff being advised to work from home. Israel Hayim reports
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  Speaker 1: a Houthi missile strike hit a passenger plane at King
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  Speaker 1: Khalid International Airport, while Saudi Arabia states it intercepted two
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  Speaker 1: additional ballistic missiles. Notably, reports indicate Pakistan's air force has
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  Speaker 1: joined strikes against the Houthis for the first time, signalling
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  Speaker 1: broader regional involvement. This conflict is described as an overspill
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  Speaker 1: of the US-Iran war. On the diplomatic front, Iran's Foreign
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  Speaker 1: Minister Arbus Arachi stated that Tehran is reviewing a US
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  Speaker 1: proposal and expects to reply within days, with indirect talks
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  Speaker 1: continuing through mediators. Tasnim News Agency reported Arakchi saying the
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  Speaker 1: diplomatic process is ongoing and that Iran had presented a
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  Speaker 1: seven-day plan. A formal response is expected shortly, as messages
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  Speaker 1: are exchanged between the sides. Turning to economic forecasts, the
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  Speaker 1: World Bank projects the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and
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  Speaker 1: Pakistan regions' economy will contract by 2.1% in 2026. Gulf
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  Speaker 1: Cooperation Council states are expected to see a steeper contraction
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  Speaker 1: of 4.3% on average, with Qatar and Kuwait forecast to
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  Speaker 1: be the hardest hit. The report also details significant GDP
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  Speaker 1: declines for Iraq and Iran and notes rising fuel prices
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  Speaker 1: in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. In diplomatic moves,
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  Speaker 1: Israel officially closed the British consulate in Jerusalem on Thursday,
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  Speaker 1: ordering 20 of its diplomats to leave the country. Foreign
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  Speaker 1: Minister Gideon Saar stated the consulate has ceased to exist.
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  Speaker 1: A last-minute agreement with the UK allows Britain to retain
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  Speaker 1: a seven-member diplomatic team with a sharply restricted mandate, operating
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  Speaker 1: under the name UK Mission Jerusalem. Britain maintains a different interpretation,
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  Speaker 1: referring to Eastern Jerusalem as occupied territory. A new study
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  Speaker 1: details Hamas's strategy, conceived in early 2022 to deceive Israel.
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  Speaker 1: Researchers found Hamas used double agents and reassurance messages to
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  Speaker 1: create an impression of routine in Gaza, a tactic active
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  Speaker 1: until the eve of the October 7 attacks. Hamas officials
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  Speaker 1: have acknowledged the use of deception, with one senior official
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  Speaker 1: admitting inspiration from Egypt's strategy during the Yom Kippur War.
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  Speaker 1: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a speech on
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  Speaker 1: October 7, presented America's current outlook, referencing ancient Greek civilisation
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  Speaker 1: and its values. He discussed the importance of strong nations, nationalism,
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  Speaker 1: defence and manufacturing, drawing parallels to modern Israel's potential challenges
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  Speaker 1: fighting on multiple fronts. Gadi Gronish, head of the Conference
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  Speaker 1: of European Rabbis Foundation, has stated that the European Union
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  Speaker 1: offers sympathy but lacks real power to combat antisemitism. He
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  Speaker 1: also noted that Muslim Brotherhood financing in Europe remains uninvestigated
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  Speaker 1: for years. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidon indicated that Turkey
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  Speaker 1: anticipates no significant change in Israel's foreign policy following the
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  Speaker 1: October 27 elections. Fidon also discussed Turkey's role in the
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  Speaker 1: defensive Mecca joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan,
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  Speaker 1: specifically its support against Houthi attacks from Yemen. In Spain,
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  Speaker 1: Vox MEP Juan Carlos Gerota has called for a 180-degree
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  Speaker 1: shift in the country's foreign policy. Linking these desired changes
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  Speaker 1: to the outcome of the snap general election, scheduled for
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  Speaker 1: November 29. In the disputed territories, Palestinians have reported being
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  Speaker 1: prevented from harvesting their olives in recent years, causing severe
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  Speaker 1: economic harm, with attacks already reported this year. Domestically, reports
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: indicate a Haredi protest is blocking traffic on roads. For
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: continuing coverage of antisemitism around the world, listen to Antisemitism,
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: watch from Clockwork Media. Find it at clockworkmedia.org slash watch.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: I'm Noah Levi, thank you for listening to Israel Today
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: ongoing war report. Stay safe and informed. Follow Israel Today
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  Speaker 1: ongoing war report in your podcast app so you don't
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: miss the next update. Keep in mind that this AI
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  Speaker 1: generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources
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  Speaker 1: for a comprehensive view.