Morning Brief, Sunday 25 October

Israeli forces pushed deeper into Hebron after Friday's checkpoint shooting, and the number of displaced residents rose through Saturday. Reports put the figure at about 1,500 to more than 2,000 people, with more than 200 families forced from homes, shops and industrial sites. Soldiers announced evacuations overnight by megaphone, residents said, and families were allowed to take only essential belongings before leaving through three army exit points after searches and questioning.

Benjamin Netanyahu announced a large West Bank operation and a total blockade after two Israeli soldiers were killed near Hebron. The two suspected attackers, both 27-year-old men from the same family, were shot dead. Israeli authorities say the demolished buildings were illegal structures in Area C and cite security grounds. The army says it has carried out at least 200 searches in Hebron, found no weapons so far and detained ten people for questioning.

The operation has also spread pressure beyond Hebron. WAFA reported arrests in Nablus and Bethlehem governorates, while Al Jazeera said Israeli forces raided at least 15 locations in the northern West Bank. Italy's foreign ministry said five Italian women detained in the West Bank were repatriated on Saturday morning after consular officials visited them at the airport and found them in good physical condition. Defence Minister Israel Katz said residents would not return until what he called the Hamas issues in Hebron had been dealt with.

Ukraine's defence minister, Yevhenii Khmara, said the military had regained full use of Starlink links for drones and other fast-moving equipment. Monitoring systems reported stable connections on objects moving faster than 400 kph, after Ukrainian officials said earlier speed caps had disrupted front-line operations for more than a week and forced commanders to cancel missions. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Donald Trump and the US State Department for resolving the issue.

“The speeds are now at the level we need.”

Elon Musk confirmed that SpaceX had throttled Starlink in Ukraine, but said the Starshield military variant is run by the US government. He accused Ukrainian forces of using the civilian service for offensive drone strikes and said SpaceX had closed that gap during the previous week. Responsibility for the slowdown remains disputed, with Donald Trump saying he spoke to Musk while several senior officials denied ordering the limits.

“Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be.”

Europe has no like-for-like substitute ready. BBC reporting says Eutelsat's OneWeb has about 600 active satellites, against more than 10,000 for Starlink, and the EU's Iris² network is not expected to operate until 2029. Govsatcom can help in the interim, but it cannot control military drones.

• Starlink10,000
• Eutelsat OneWeb600

The restoration comes as Washington pushes talks on the war. Russia agreed to resume trilateral talks with Washington and Kyiv in November 2026, and Kyiv and Moscow accepted a localized ceasefire around Oleshky on 23 October.

Saudi civil defence said it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Mecca and Medina, with fragments falling in several areas of western Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition gave a narrower account, saying it intercepted two missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu. The Houthis confirmed seven attacks using drones and ballistic missiles, denied targeting the holy cities and said the strikes answered Saudi support for Yemen's internationally recognised government.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari named King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Aramco facilities in Yanbu, the Rabigh refinery, pipeline pumping stations, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Najran airport and the Khamis Mushait air base as targets. Houthi-run media also said Saudi coalition air strikes hit Sanaa and Hodeidah, a claim Riyadh has not commented on in the reports. The fragile ceasefire agreed in 2022 fell apart in July.

King Khalid International Airport said flights would resume on Sunday, 25 October 2026. Terminal 1 will handle domestic flights, while Terminal 2 will be reserved for international flights operated by Saudi carriers. The airport had been closed for two weeks after earlier Houthi attacks disrupted operations, and Bloomberg reported it was preparing to reopen after a spate of strikes.

Fighting also continued in Yemen. The government said two ballistic missiles were launched at Aden airport, which the Transport Ministry called the fourth such attack this month. The Houthis claimed attacks on the al-Nasr camp and Aden's naval military base, while the Yemeni army said a Houthi missile malfunctioned and fell on a family home in Sanaa.

Jordanian authorities kept a security cordon around the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George in Hammoud, in Karak governorate, after gunmen opened fire during a funeral service on Friday. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Bdour said on Saturday that the toll had risen to nine after another wounded person died, and that dozens of patients remained under care in hospitals in Karak and Amman. Police have not confirmed any arrests.

Security forces set up dozens of checkpoints across Karak, though some road closures imposed on Friday have been lifted. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the attackers as members of a group of extremists and said security services were mobilised to find them. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said state bodies were working to bring the perpetrators before the courts and declared three days of national mourning from Friday.

King Abdullah II visited wounded people in Karak and ordered a review of anti-terrorism procedures. He called the attack a shameful act of terror, according to Al Mamlaka TV, and said anyone who supported or justified it must face severe punishment. Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas phoned the king on Saturday, and Greece declared the same three days of mourning.

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America wrote to Archbishop Christophoros of Kyriakoupolis and called the attack a shameful terrorist act.

“There are no words that can describe the tragedy that all Orthodox Christians and all people of faith and goodwill around the world have experienced.”

The attackers remain unidentified in public, and the Public Security Directorate says police operations continue.

Italian police used water cannon and tear gas on Saturday as protests against rearmament, high living costs and Giorgia Meloni's government turned violent in several cities. Thousands marched in Rome, Milan, Turin, Naples, Bari and Palermo in the second straight weekend of demonstrations, with Turin and Rome producing the sharpest clashes. Police detained or identified large groups before and during the rallies.

In Turin, protesters threw stones, bottles and fireworks after police blocked the route toward Porta Susa. Officers answered with water cannon and tear gas, pushed groups back from several streets and later charged near the cathedral square. In Rome, an unauthorised march near largo Santa Susanna, close to Termini station, ran into a police cordon, and protesters tore out road signs and set off firecrackers. A separate march under the banner "Italy out of the war" ended without incidents.

Bologna saw burning dumpsters and barricades in via Riva di Reno, while shopkeepers lowered shutters and firefighters put out flames. In Milan, about 3,000 people marched while soldiers and police watched the city centre after looting the previous weekend prompted the government to send 500 troops. Police said nine people were arrested and 371 were temporarily detained, including 110 minors, across eight cities.

Davide Nicco, president of the Piedmont regional council, condemned the violence in Turin.

“These are violent behaviours, not expressions of dissent.”

The weekend leaves the government defending a tougher security response, including easier detention of minors and fines on parents when children cause damage.

Donald Trump announced at a Georgia campaign rally that Audi would build a large factory in the state, producing 200,000 cars a year. Gernot Döllner, Audi's chief executive, joined him on stage and thanked him for support fewer than ten days before the midterm elections. Audi expects to invest about $4bn and create about 4,500 jobs, while Trump put the investment at $4.2bn.

“Think of that. 200,000 cars a year. That's incredible.”

The factory would sit on the Middle Georgia Megasite near Macon, a 620-hectare site that Georgia officials had marketed to carmakers. Audi's statement, cited by WiWo, says construction starts in 2027 and production begins in the early 2030s. Handelsblatt reports a slightly different timetable, with earthworks this year, construction in 2028 and full capacity of 200,000 units in 2031.

The decision also speaks to tariffs. Trump has pressed foreign manufacturers to shift production into the United States and has imposed 25% tariffs on foreign vehicles and auto parts. Audi imports every vehicle it sells in the US from Europe or Mexico, and Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant builds only the Atlas SUV. Handelsblatt says tariff relief is part of talks between Volkswagen and the US government.

Audi may move in two stages. Handelsblatt reports that it could first build a US-focused model at Volkswagen's Scout plant in South Carolina before making larger SUVs in Georgia. Döllner described the commitment in simple terms.

“This is a long-term investment, because we believe in the American market.”