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shadowdaddies · 1 year ago

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Hello! I want to tell you that I just discovered your blog and I love the stories you write. Can I please request something?

Helion and the reader are on the battlefield, and the reader takes a hit meant for Helion, and then the bond snaps for him, the reader survives and declares her love for Helion, telling him that she has long known that he is her mate, but wasn't sure that he might have feelings for her. Thank you!

thank you! I really enjoyed writing this, thanks for the request love💜

My Only Sunshine

Helion x Valkyrie!Reader

Warnings: canon-typical violence, blood/injury, death, not proofread

Flying over the battlefield on your pegasus, you had taken to the skies along with the rest of the Valkyries to battle Koschei’s baitals. He’d sent the vampiric creatures as reinforcements among his air forces, the bony monsters searching the grounds below for dying bodies to possess on the battlegrounds.

An ear-piercing shriek echoed through the air as you cut down a baital, watching as its lifeless body fell to the ground. What you saw below caused you to do a double-take - Helion was battling off four soldiers as he clutched a wound on his side, another baital circling above him, waiting for him to be struck dead. The scene shot horror through you, and without thinking you steered your pegasus toward the ground.

You leapt off the steed to allow it time to swoop back up to the skies, and you rolled gracefully to land on the ground. Your eyes scanned the line of soldiers ahead of you as you drew up your sword in defense. Charging through the battlefield, your focus was only on getting to Helion by whatever means necessary.

You could not afford the time to think of what might happen to your mate - the beautiful and kind male fighting bravely ahead of you - if he did not make it out of this battle before you confessed your feelings for him. You had known that Helion was your mate since the first time you met him, when the Valkyries began training with his pegasus.

You fell for him quickly, his playful and joyous nature bringing a light to your life you didn’t realize you had needed - and you watched as the sun to your moon began to fade.

With a scream of fury, you unleashed yourself upon the soldiers, leaping into the air with a supernatural strength to cut down the baital that was circling overhead. You landed in front of Helion, his shocked eyes focused on you as you checked his wound. You panted out, “we have to get you to a healer, Li,” just in time for him to look behind you, pure fear flashing across his features.

You turned, seeing only a blur of a creature aiming an ash arrow at Helion before you dove in front of him, a searing pain permeating through your body as though it coursed through every vein. A single tear fell from your cheek as Helion caught you, his eyes lining with tears while he held your head in his broad hand and whispered, “why?”

The last words you were able to breathe out as you held your hand to Helion’s cheek were, “my mate,” before the world faded to black.

~~~

Your pegasus had never kicked you in the head, but you imagined that how you currently felt would be quite a similar feeling. Overcome with thirst and an aching body all over, you groaned at the pain that accompanied merely attempting to open your eyes.

You could feel the soft mattress beneath you, silk sheets cool against your stiff muscles as you further awoke from what must have been a deep sleep. Shock overtook your system as you recalled your latest memories of the battlefield and Helion being in danger, and you jolted upright with panic.

Your body did not respond well to the sudden movement, and you yelled out in pain as a blinding pain in your ribs took your breath away. The sound of someone fumbling awake accompanied your gasps for air, and suddenly familiar warm hands were on your back and chest, easing you to lay back down on the mattress.

You looked up to see Helion in a state of disarray you could never have imagined for him, and your heart ached seeing him in pain. You tried to croak out words, choking on the dryness of your throat. Helion quickly grabbed you water, gently propping you up against the pillows as he helped you drink until you were satisfied.

Before you could attempt to get out the words you wanted to, however, Helion took your hand in his and squeezed, taking a deep breath as he seemed to struggle for words since the first time you had met him. Without words from him, you felt his emotions as though they were your own, and you realized - you were feeling him through the bond.

He must have sensed your emotions as well, his eyes showing a glimmer of hope that had been missing since you’d awoken. He brought your hand to his lips and kissed it. “My mate,” Helion whispered as he stared at you in adoration. “I’ve always been awed by you, but I wouldn’t have dreamed to have been blessed to have a female like you as my mate until the bond snapped for me, when you-“

His voice broke off then, the unspoken weight of your sacrifice hanging in the air. You tilted Helion’s face to look at you as you admired his beauty. “Li, I would give my life for yours a thousand times over. I was lucky to be blessed with you as my mate, but you are so much more than that to me. You are a great male, a great leader, and you make the world a better place. I love you, not because you are my mate, but because you are you, Li.”

A tear made its way down Helion’s cheek at your words, and he laughed as he leaned down to kiss you gently, mindful of your injuries. Bending down to nip at your ear, Helion practically growled as he whispered, “heal quickly, my love, because I have a list of ways I will replace your pain with pleasure... for the rest of our lives.” You giggled at that, happy that your mate was feeling his flirtatious self again, and that you would spend the rest of your days with the one person who brought you the most joy.

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zelphin124 · 1 month ago

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Beyond the Bound Pages: Homer

Chapter 3: A Camp Of Corpses

Please keep in mind that this series is rated mature, and I shall tag it as such. It is literally just seven pages of description aaaaaaa- Masterpost Chapter 2 <--> Chapter 4

~o0o~

The sky became tainted with an orange color as it set along the horizon. Sunlight shot through the clouds like flaming arrows. It danced along the gentle waves, reflecting its greatness across the west ocean that had no end before Saga’s eyes. The air was the same, humid weather that stuck to her skin if she stayed out in it for too long. The ocean’s smell was vibrant and mixed with the few trees nearby, swaying gently in the soft wind that brushed against her wet hair. Although green, the area felt like a smidge of a desert atmosphere, with weeds sticking out of the tan, dusty rocks, and no visible sign of anyone taking care of the land.

She stood to her feet, glancing toward the north. She quickly assessed that she was on a strip of land surrounded by water, with nothing but ocean to the west and a large bay to the east. The strip of land was small by no means; Saga could barely see its end in her field of view. It stretched wide enough to withhold an army settlement on its earth. In fact, that’s exactly what it held. As Saga stared toward a fort of some kind, it quickly came to her realization that this land had been claimed in bloodshed. There were recently broken-down walls and buildings made of temporary stone with camps and tents littered across the stretch. However, many of the tents collapsed, and a terrible stench rose from the fallen setups. They covered everything from the beach to the bay, with many large ships set on dock in the bay and the ocean.

The warships wavered gently as if they had not been lifted for years. They were long and skinny, with dozens of oars tucked into the sides. Their safety along the top would not prevent shipmates from falling off, but its oval-cut shaped front could easily slice through a wave, potentially another boat too. Its pointed, painted face was sharpened and designed to take blunt damage. Each ship had many strings and ropes attached to it, but most of them were to keep the large, colored sail that was curled amongst its mast. However, there was another sail curled up in front of the eyed front of the ship which puzzled Saga on its use. There wasn’t enough room for Saga to observe each of the eyes painted on the mass, but it was clear that there were hundreds of ships as if dozens of nations had joined forces against whoever they were fighting. They rested on the rocky bay, anchors and ropes holding them in place.

The east bay separated Saga from the rest of the land on the other side. It was clear there was a large city surrounded by a fortified, steep, and well-founded wall of defense not too far from the shore. There was little visible as the walls stretched far beyond her height, never mind its distance from her. From what she could tell, there were curves in the fortress and many towers, but nothing else was notable as the sun continued to set on its boundaries. It rested next to a river that stretched inland, with buildings outside of its protection. The villages outside of its walls looked sacked and abandoned, with smoke rising from a few of the more prominent buildings. They rested in ruin by the river. The reason for its tragic state was found easily. On the other side of the river lay a large battlefield currently not in use. It was difficult to see anything on the battlefield due to a wall. There were no people in sight.

Saga’s gaze turned south, spotting a large limestone wall blocking the only exit on the stretch of land and a large war camp in front of it. The camp was surrounded by a deep trench blocking all assaults not along the main entrances. It had a few stone buildings in the center of it with many tents surrounding it. Their system was systematical, various tents waving in circles and lines around a larger tent, presumably that section’s leader. It was bustling with activity and tension as if many of the inhabitants were panicked. It was unclear what they were doing exactly, but there was a good chunk of them that flocked to the center of the large camp.

The horrid smell of death overpowered the icky smell of the ocean. Saga covered her nose, narrowing her eyes as she turned toward the ruined fortress and tents. She stared, hoping to hear any sound from the north, but the only vibration that greeted her ears was the lapping waves on the rocky shore. Saga knew there was no way she was going to walk into a war camp announced, so she strode carefully toward the ruined camp.

There could be things to steal if the place is abandoned, she thought to herself. Perhaps there’s at least one change of clothes.

The rocky shore wasn’t incredibly difficult to climb across, for Saga had experience navigating difficult terrain. It was similar to the shores in Italy, but nothing looked the same. Pebbles crumbled under her footing and fell into the ocean below, and there were steps where she stumbled on her face, scratching it. Her hands ached in pain, throbbing at the torn knuckles as they started to bleed again. Saga grunted, pausing her ascent to rewrap them; she had to wrap them with the old cloths around her hand tighter each time. It amazed her that they weren’t infected yet, despite the pain that shot through her fingers like arrows. Her feet would have to be wrapped too at the rate she was going. She grimaced as anger boiled in her chest; she could hear Isabella’s advice run through her ears.

“The moment you get used to the pain, the better off you’ll be.” She would say as she whacked another metal pipe across her palms. “I need you to be a loyal fighter for me.”

Saga’s rage was of no short manner. It burned in her chest like fire. Loyal, huh? Says the one who ran away when the slightest danger showed up. Look where that got me.

The horrid stench of burning flesh only got worse as she neared the camp. However, it was nothing compared to the sight she greeted. After a few minutes of aimless walking, she reached the summit and entrance of one of the camps in shambles. Saga pinched her nose, but it didn’t stop her heart from dropping and her eyes widening as she looked into the camp.

Bodies were scattered everywhere. They buried the rocks under them as blood poured like a stream downward. At first, Saga only saw heaps of dead cattle and hounds littered across the plain. Mules had crushed whatever loot they were carrying under their dead weight. The sheep’s wool was stained crimson and the goats’ cry of pain could not be heard. Pigs were flattened to a crisp as if the air in their lungs was punctured. There was no discrimination when it came to death in the camp; everything had been slaughtered like an animal upon a sacrifice. The rotten flesh covering the ground was a smell no one could appreciate and almost forced Saga to gag.

But a different smell greeted her nose quickly, and as soon as the air settled around her, it became difficult to see. Saga’s eyes quickly winced as smoke filled her nostrils. It was difficult to tell which direction it came from until she bent down to get out of the smoke’s range. There were dozens of pyres lined up on the edge of the camp, fire set ablaze to every one of them. The smell of burned corpses mixed with the rotting flesh, made the environment almost unbearable to rest in. Saga kept her nose closed as she wandered on the outside of the camp, careful not to trip on any sudden cliffs or loose rocks as she did so.

Her heart sank further into fear as she neared one of the pyres. At first glance, it was a fancy box with intricate designs across its sides. However, as she got closer, Saga saw the entire structure was made up of wood. The base rested across dozens of tree logs underneath it. Its sides were scorched with flames as it burned. The fire cackled mercilessly, licking everything that dared to get close to its territory. The intricate designs Saga thought she saw revealed themselves amid the flames.

They were human skulls.

It wasn’t just the skulls either, every limb, bone, and muscle could be found on the burning sacrifice. Bodies of men lay naked on the logs as the flames consumed them. Every few seconds, the pyre crumbled into a smaller thing, crushing the ashed bodies underneath them. Some bodies were old, and some were freshly put onto the pyre. Each of them held a face of reverence and dread, as if a catastrophe had befallen upon them and they were begging for their life. Their necks had been pierced like an arrow shooting through its target. Their blood separated from the water in their veins, but it was useless against the fire they were upon. Many bodies lay helpless on the heap of ash, waiting for the fire to consume whatever was left of their mortal vessel.

It answered Saga’s question as to where the horrific stench was coming from, but she wished she never had that answer, regretting her curiosity. She had seen many horrors in life, but nothing compared to the sight she beheld at that moment. Its memory seared itself in her brain. She backed away out of fright, almost tripping over a ledge behind her. Her breathing quickened, inhaling the smoke that rose from the funeral. Her thoughts raced, but it was difficult to think clearly. Sweat dripped from her brow and she couldn’t breathe or swallow. Everything in her told her to run for her life, but it felt as if her feet were cemented in the ground. All she could do was move her eyes around, reinforcing the memory before her. She glanced back at the rotting cattle as the human’s blood mixed with theirs.

It was as if whatever killed the cattle had slaughtered the men alike in a blinding fury.

Saga felt a shiver run down her spine, her hands trembling. The bodies are fresh… Which means that whoever did this… is still nearby.

The cackles of the fire teased her with their sudden sparks, frightening her. Every sound became suspicious and a threat. Its heat lapped at her wet clothes. It eased her shivering, but it didn’t make her clothes warmer. Saga wasn’t used to the loads of adrenaline that ran through her veins. In most circumstances, she had some advantage to get out of scary winks alive. However, she had never seen a massacre like this…

It wasn’t the only pyre either. Across the entire shambled camp, pyres of burning humans were set up. The darkness claimed the land as the sun fled into the ocean. The fire from each funeral site became more visible under the night sky. It was clear some of them were set up in a rush, but they were easy to see under the night sky. Saga counted at least twelve; all of them held the same revulsions as the one in front of her.

She forced her foot forward and it brushed against something hard. She glanced down, the flames behind her assisting her sight. It was a helmet. It shimmered softly in the limited light, shaped perfectly to fit the face of a warrior. It had holes for the eyes and mouth but covered everything else around a skull. There was an extension in the back that looped across the top, holding burned, trimmed, red feathers.

Saga bent down and lifted the helmet, running her fingers across its crevices. There were a few dents and blood stains on the side; the helmet had seen war. She was able to identify it was made of a pure, complex bronze. Its carvings were ancient and something well sought after in the modern-day. This is maybe worth millions… She hesitated. She wanted to say today, but nothing about this massacred camp felt modern. She didn’t know where she was or even when.

When Saga stared at the river of blood, she realized it trailed along many other helmets amongst other armor pieces: shields, swords of iron, wooden bows and arrows, breastplates, greaves… they all were thrown to the side in a rush. They circled the pyres as if they were formed by its ashes.

Or they were carried and worn by the dead… soldiers. It didn’t take long for Saga to piece together what had happened. Her guess was in vain, but she had enough evidence to conclude that the dead, naked men burning alive on the stake were soldiers who had been slaughtered by the killer of their cattle. However, there was no blood on their swords that lay on the ground as if they had died before they could hit their attackers. What period was she in that possessed armies with bronze and iron tools? Did guns not exist? What army was strong enough to sweep through an entire camp without a trained man landing a hit on them?

There was no sign of enemy bodies and armor, either. Every piece she found was of the same suit coming from the same blacksmith. Saga slowly made her way through the camp, observing each piece of armor she could find. Her footsteps were as light as a feather. Intentionally, too, for she did not wish to alert an enemy that was nearby. However, it was nearly impossible to find places to rest her feet without them touching flesh, stepping in blood, or clanging against something sharp. The hope of finding a new set of clothes to wear faded by the second. Armor didn’t seem like the worst idea, but Saga knew it would weigh her down and she would not be able to move with her natural agility.

She walked west, gently walking through the massacre away from the first pyre. The fires continued to burn and light up the ruined camp; they had not ceased since they started. Some of them looked like they had been there for days. Saga did her best to put the sight of melting skin in the back of her mind as she scavenged the remains. A type of survival instinct kicked in; it was painfully cold to sneak out of the heat’s grasp, but too hot to cuddle close to it. This resulted in her walking around the oval of armor scraps.

Saga picked up the ones that were most completed and fresh. They were shockingly heavy and uncomfortable. The bronze metal started to sink in her hands the moment she picked it up. Do people fight in this? She couldn’t imagine the strength it would take to wear a full set… what she estimated to be three-fourths of her body weight.

The swords and bows, however, were incredibly light. Some of the swords were too big to carry, but some obeyed her command when she picked them up. There were iron and bronze spears which didn’t strike her interest. Makhairas were scattered across the piles as well: a curved blade used for cutting and thrusting, but what really captured her eyes was the xiphos. They were iron and bronze blades that were too long to be a dagger, and too short to be a sword. Saga was short enough that it looked like a sword in her hands. She picked up one, observing it in the fiery light. It flowed with great ease as she swung it around, but her hands faltered and shot pain through her arm as she rotated it. She dropped it, and it clashed against a bronze helmet and breastplate. “No–” she cut herself off, wincing as the sound echoed in the silence.

She stood there, waiting. However, no unusual sound responded to the metal’s shout. Her ears only picked up on the cracks of the fire behind her. Her shoulders relaxed as much as they could. Her instincts were telling her to flee the scene, but her curiosity got the better of her. The camp was flooded with things she had never seen before: things she could sell.

As she dared to take a step forward into the darkness, her toe scraped against something sharp. She winced, feeling blood pour across the rest of her foot. Her eyes met what had struck her, the tip of an arrow. It was made of carved and sanded-down wood with a bronze tip the size of her palm. It was about the length of Saga’s leg.

Next to it laid a carefully crafted bow. Her torn hands wrapped around its base and lifted it to her eyes so she could scrutinize it. It was a fine bow, crafted delicately from a sturdy wood. It warped inward at its base before its structure went out in a curve-like manner. Carved parts of goat horn held the shafts of the limbs to the riser, and both tips were met with a strong sinew cord.

Saga pushed her strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder to get it out of the way. It was still heavy and wet on her back from the water and made her shiver as it dripped onto her neck. She bent over to pick up the arrow and fasten it onto the bough’s string. She glanced around; it was difficult to make anything out in the dark. However, the urge to fire the arrow surged through her. She had never shot a bow but always had the desire to as she had seen in movies. She stared at the pyre she was beside, debating whether or not to try. Surely it can’t harm my hands too much…

Her torn fingers wrapped around the string, and her right arm lifted the bow. She aimed the bow at the pyre, exhaling a shaky breath. Pulling with all her might, the string slowly came back toward her face. Its draw strength was massive and immediately ached on Saga’s biceps. They trembled as she held it in place, trying to master the strength it took to pull the weight back. Her eyes spotted an ashed skull in the flames that she decided she didn’t like and aimed the arrow at it.

Her fingers straightened and let go. The bowstring tore at her bandages, ripping her skin along with it. The arrow went flying at a speed Saga didn’t know it was possible. It whipped through the flames and crunched the skull she was aiming at in two. Her shock and glee were immediately overcome by the pain that shot through her phalanges. She dropped the bow onto a nearby dead sheep and clenched her hand in pain. She bent over and gasped. Blood trickled through her palm as she tried to wrap it again. The pain went from the tips of her fingerprints to her shoulder; she reasoned there was no way she could shoot a bow with that draw strength again.

Saga bit her tongue and gritted her teeth as she stared at the arrow she shot. It caught fire amid the burning coals, but she had hit her target successfully. She took a step closer to the pyre, covering her nose once more at the stench. The smoke wasn’t as visible in the dark, but the smell told her it was still polluting the sky. The heat slowly dried her hair and clothes, but it wasn’t enough to get her warm. However, her gaze stayed fixed on the arrow and its successful shot. Zack always talked about how difficult it was to aim a bow… Was that another lie?

Any trace of the sun that once was in the sky disappeared. The wind shifted east, blowing the smoke away from the camp, along with the smell. The further Saga leaned away from the fire, the better the smell got. She wasn’t ready to leave the light of the fire, but the smell had not gotten better. She sighed, hopping over the oval of armor pieces, and descended into the nearby camp.

There were not as many corpses and dead cattle around the heart of the camp. All the weapons and arrows were held up and kept away, much to Saga’s relief. Armor was set on stands outside of various tents, showcasing its full bronze coverage of the chest and head, but little to none near the legs and feet. Do they not care if their feet get tattered across rough terrain? She wondered, turning her gaze to the tents themselves.

Goatskins and hemp were carefully sown together with fine linen and cords, overlapping each other in their design to prevent rain runoff from entering the tent. Leather coated the inside and straps around it, holding onto the wooden sticks upholding its structures, one beam under the tent and one implanted in the ground. Some tents were larger with more sticks to hold many people inside, but all the tents were saturated and soaked in oil; when Saga looked closer, she was surprised she could tell it was neatsfoot oil. Around each tent were various assortments of supplies that appeared to be abandoned: cooking pots, water jugs, scrolls, and food. Each tent has enclosed straps on it to keep the wind out, sealing things inside.

Saga snatched one of the water jugs on the floor, taking a few seconds to figure out how to open it. She then downed the water, quenching her thirst. The water that spilled onto her clothes only made her colder. Her teeth chattered as she finished, setting the jug aside. She bent down as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, rummaging through the food supply on the side of a larger tent. Her hands rested on a bundle of grapes. They were shockingly large compared to the ones she saw in the store. She ate a few before her eyes widened at how sweet yet bitter they were. Her eyes furrowed as she spit out a seed and chewed on another one. Their flavor was inconsistent, but arguably the best grapes she had eaten in a long time. Her stomach begged her to eat them all, but she got halfway through them before wiping her face and moving on, setting them back where she found them. I need new clothes, it is way too cold…

Saga knelt to the ground and crawled into one of the larger tents, assuring that no one was inside. Flapping one of the tent walls open, her hands came into contact with a type of bedding she’d never seen before. It was made of straw and wool, woven together to make cushions on the hard floor. She could’ve sworn she felt bird feathers in the mix as well, though the leather coverings stopped her as she continued. She tried to crawl over the bedding, but her legs gave way and she fell on top of it. It was oddly comfortable as she sank into its cushion, and it was difficult to not sleep immediately.

As she opened her eyes, she sprang up in delight, wincing as she put weight on her wrists. Before her rested neatly folded fabrics perfectly shaped to fit across the chest and legs. Clothes! She scrambled over to them in delight, tugging them toward her.

There were two fabrics, linen from flax stalk and wool from the sheep. After running her fingers across both, she discarded the wool fabric and searched for the linen one. A series of pins and leather belts were across a defined waistline on the cloth. The wool cloth only had a small button clasp made from metal at the top as if it was to drape over one’s shoulder.

She didn’t waste any more time observing them. Scrambling to the edge of the low bed, she quickly undressed herself, tossing her soaked clothes aside. Her leather jacket was ruined, and her T-shirt and work pants were not drying anytime soon. As she took off her shoes, she looked for anything similar to a bra or underwear. However, there were none. She grunted, finding the holes in the new fabrics before slipping them on. Immediately, the clothes warmed her frigid skin, and the cold left her body. Saga sighed happily, resting back on the bed and glancing up at the tent roof.

The first linen garment didn’t cover her breasts fully, so Saga adjusted the wool chlamys to the other shoulder so it would; she was forced to wear the thick garment. It was longer than the linen cloth, but both only reached her knees. Her body cried out in pain and begged for rest, but no part of her did as much as her hands. She rested on the bedding, staring at the sky through a small hole in the tent. The stars shimmered overhead.

…Stars?

Saga furrowed her eyebrows. She was never able to see stars from the city in Italy. She sat up, feeling her chest sag and pressing against the wool garment, showing her curves. Her hair fell gently over her shoulders as she forced herself up on her bare feet and walked out of the camp before looking up.

Stars; millions of them. Unlike the handful of stars she had ever seen, the sky was littered with brilliant bright sparkles and patterns. There was not a speck of the sky without some constellation crossing it. Supernovas and galaxies colored the sky like a canvas. The smoke from the fires could not stop their glory from shining on the earth.

Saga gasped, having to find her footing again as she stared up in awe. It was a completely different sky. She stroked the end of the chlamys, staring intently. She couldn’t recognize any of the stars simply because there were too many. In a moment, all of her fears and instincts were numbed by the beauty before her. Nothing else mattered in the world except for the glory of the heavens.

That was until she heard a bow be drawn behind her.

#tw blood #tw mature #mature #greek mythology #epic the musical #the odyssey #odyssey #the iliad #iliad #greek gods #writing #chapter #fanfic #homer #saga (greek)

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athena5898 · 5 months ago

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It made sense when Yemen struck “Tel Aviv” with a drone. The drone was calibrated to slowly make its way along the Red Sea, through the Suez (or across Sinai), then a 180 degree turn in order to strike “Tel Aviv” from the Mediterranean. A ballistic missile strike is on a whole other level. This could likely be “Israel’s” biggest security blunder since October 7. For Yemen to strike “Tel Aviv”, the missile would have had to traverse 1700 kilometers, roaring through the skies with such ferocity that it, in theory, should have popped up on Saudi, Jordanian and “Israeli” air radars. Before the missile entered Occupied Palestinian airspace, the “Israeli” Arrow missile defense systems should've been activated and should've intercepted the missile. Yet nothing. “Tel Aviv” Iron Dome system activated before it was too late. The Iron Dome is not designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles. I wonder what new tech Yemen is about to reveal to us because this is truly fucking crazy.

— @Aldanmarki on X: (https://x.com/aldanmarki/status/1835186224849420401?s=46)

#current events #jerusalem #yemen #tel aviv #palestine news #free gaza #palestine #free palestine #gaza #israel

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mbumblebuzz · 8 months ago

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can u explain what tf2 is ? as in depth as possible, if it's not an inconvenience ^^

ANON YOU'VE MADE MY DAY PLEASE MARRY ME /j ohhhhhh boy strap in i'm about to give you one hell of an infodump(seriously this is pretty long there's a lot to cover) team fortress 2(tf2) is a class-based multiplayer shooter game released in 2007 by game developer valve. it was originally developed off a quake mod and released alongside two other valve games-portal and half-life(eps 1 and 2, and hl 2)-as part of the orange box. it is free to play off steam and is the most fun you can have online.

GAMEPLAY

tf2 is generally played in a team vs team format - red vs blue. mainly gonna talk about casual since competitive has its own rules and servers also do sometimes.

there are nine classes/ 'playable characters' - scout - soldier - pyro - demoman - heavy - engineer - medic - sniper - spy

each class has its own function/role on the team. these roles are grouped into 3 different 'types' based on how the class is meant to be played- offense(scout, soldier, pyro), defense(demo, heavy, engineer), and support(sniper, medic, spy), although this system is slightly outdated.

offensive classes are the frontline classes, they're the 'attackers' so to speak. their main function is damage dealing and breaking through the enemy team's frontlines to advance the efforts of their own team.

defensive classes are exactly what they sound like: defense. if the enemy team has manages to break through the frontlines, defense classes are there to deal with them. their main function is to stop the enemy team from advancing.

support classes are also what the name says. they support the efforts of the rest of the team.

CLASSES (please keep in mind i am by no means an expert and these are just the main purposes of the classes. also, i will only be covering the stock weapons, as there are a multitude of alternate weapons and playstyles for each class and if i went into detail about all of them we'd be here all day lol)

SCOUT: the scout's main function is to get in and out and deal damage fast. he has the fastest base movement speed of all classes at 133%. he has a base health of 125, with 185 health with full overheal. he is the only class that can double jump. his stock weapons are the scattergun as the primary, pistol as the secondary, and baseball bat as melee.

SOLDIER: the soldier is mainly meant to be a damage dealer and is very good for clearing out groups of enemy players quickly at mid to long range. his base movement speed is 80%, one of the lowest in the game. base health is 200, 300 with full overheal. the soldier can rocket jump, the act of shooting a rocket at the ground and jumping to launch yourself into the air and across the map, an ability shared with the demoman. soldiers are also effective at destroying engineer nests. soldier's stock weapons are the rocket launcher, shotgun, and shovel.

PYRO: the pyro is most effective clearing out groups of enemy players at close range by setting them on fire. base movement speed is 100%. base health is 175, 260 full overheal. enemies set on fire are subjected to afterburn and take extra damage over time even if they are not being actively attacked. the pyro also has the ability to deflect projectiles(rockets, grenades, arrows, ect.) with their airblast. it can also be used to push away enemy players and extinguish teammates that are on fire. pyro's stock weapons are the flamethrower, shotgun, and fire axe.

DEMOMAN: the demoman specialises in dealing damage through explosions. base movement speed is 93%. base health is 175, 260 full overheal. demo has two main explosive types: stckybombs and grenades. grenades are like rockets in that they expload on contact with enemy players. stickybombs are useful in laying traps, as they do not detonate immediately and can stick to buildings and other surfaces and can be remotely detonated by the player. both can be used in a similar way as rocket jumping. demos are also effective at destroying engineer nests. stock weapons are the grenade launcher, stickybomb launcher, and bottle.

HEAVY: the heavy weapons guy(heavy) is good for mowing down enemies quickly. base movement speed is 77%, slowest in the game. base health 300, 450 overheal, most health in the game. heavy's minigun has a very high firing rate and thus a high damage output but is slowed significantly while firing. stock weapons are the minigun, shotgun, and fists.

ENGINEER: the engineer specialises as the main defensive live. base movement speed is 100%. base health is 125, 185 overheal. the engineer's main ability is constructing buildings. the building he can construct are the sentry gun, dispenser, and teleporter. the sentry gun is a stationary gun that targets enemy players at mid to close range. dispensers are stationary buildings that provide ammunition and health to teammates. teleporters are used to transport teammates around the battlefield quickly. a collection of all these buildings together is sometimes referred to as a nest. the engineer technically has four weapon slots as opposed to the usual three- the stock weapons slots are the shotgun, pistol, and wrench, along with the pda which is used to monitor buildings.

SNIPER: the sniper's main purpose is picking off important enemies at long range. base movement speed is 100%. base health 125, 185 overheal. headshot with the sniper rifle is a guaranteed critical hit that will kill most classes instantly(unless the enemy is overhealed) and a fully charged headshot will instantly kill all classes(unless ubercharged). the rifle charge is built while scoped(zoomed in). stock weapons are the sniper rifle, smg, and kukri.

MEDIC: the medic's job is to heal teammates. base movement speed is 107%. base health is 150, 225 overheal. the medic technically has no primary weapon and instead has the medigun, which heals injured teammates. fully healed teammates get overheal going up to 150% of the player's base health. healing teammates builds ubercharge, that, once fully charged, is used to make both the medic and the target to the charge invincible for 8 seconds. the medic's stock weapons are the medigun, syringe gun, and bonesaw.

SPY: the spy is a stealth class mean to infiltrate the enemy team and kill targets undetected. base movement speed is 107%. base health is 125, 185 overheal. the spy has the ability to cloak and become invisible or diguise as enemy(and friendly) players. the spy can also backstab, instantly killing the enemy when attacked from behind. spy can also disable and destroy engineer buildings using the electro-sapper. the spy also technically has four weapon slots- stock weapons are the revolver and knife, as well as the disguse kit and invis watch.

GAMEMODES

the main game modes i'm going to talk about are capture the flag, control point, payload, and mann vs machine, as those are generally the most played. capture the flag, control point, and payload are all team vs team, and mann vs machine is technically player vs everyone

CAPTURE THE FLAG pretty simple, the main objective is to get inside the enemy's base and steal their intelligence and bring it back to your own base without getting killed. if a player carrying the intel is killed, it is dropped in that spot and can be picked up by either team. if it is picked up by team it belongs to, it is sent back to their base. if the intel is not picked up within sixty seconds it is also sent back.

CONTROL POINT both teams work to capture all control points. depending on the map, the method of capturing the points may be different, but overall play remains much the same. to capture a point it must be stood on by a member of a team for a certain amount of time. that player must be uncontested(no players from the other team at that point). more teammates on a point mean the point is captured faster. scouts also capture points at twice the speed of one player. there are typically an odd number of points. depending on where the point is, it can be locked, captured, or neutral. locked points cannot be captured by the opposing team until the point before it is captured. captured points are points that are captured but can be taken by the opposing team. neutral points have not been captured by either team.

PAYLOAD the attacking team(blu) attempts to deliver a bomb through a series of checkpoints into the defending base(red) within five minutes. players push the cart foreward by standing on or next to it. each checkpoint the cart reaches adds time to the clock. the more people pushing the cart, the faster it moves. if any member of the opposing team stands next to the cart, the movement is stopped until that player is chased away or killed. if there are no players pushing the cart after thirty seconds, the cart begins to slowly move backwards.

MANN VS MACHINE a group of three to six players fight a horde of robot versions of each class attempting to deliver a bomb into a mann co stronghold. the robots attack in waves and the players must defeat each wave to defend the stronghold and prevent the robots from delivering the bomb. there is a period of set up time for players to choose weapons, set up buildings, and build ubercharge before fighting. dead robots drop money, which can be used to buy upgrades for weapons and ammo, as well as health and crits. medics can also revive dead players, allowing them to get back to fighting faster.

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and that's the game! i didnt include the lore becasue it isnt really necessary to know to understand the game but if yall want to to i can make a continuation of this that explains the lore as well :) also if i got anything wrong feel free to correct me i mainly based this off my own experience and what the wiki says. im not perfect.

if you want even more information about everything i talked about, here are some useful links: official tf2 wiki official tf2 website

and also the petition for #fixtf2, bc the game is kind of overrun by bots atm :(

#team fortress 2 #tf2 #i love this game and have been hyperfixated on it for almost a year now #apologies to anyone who did not sign up for this when they followed me #sorry not sorry <3 #anyways #(also psst...if u wanna come off anon and talk to me in my inbox... dont be afraid to say hi :3)#ask max

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mariacallous · 6 months ago

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Roman Pohorilyi was 22 when he started tracking Russian troop movements near Ukraine’s border. It was the fall of 2021, and he and a childhood friend, Ruslan Mykula, had been sharing news about foreign affairs to an audience of about 200 subscribers on a Telegram channel. It was just a hobby for them. Neither imagined that a year later their country would be in a state of absolute war with Russia, and that their hobby, which they called Deep State, would be tracking every aspect of it.

Although Deep State started as a news channel, it has become most famous for its open access map that charts the shifting front line of Russia’s invasion, and which has become a crucial tool for Ukrainians to keep track of the conflict that once threatened to overrun their country. On some days in late 2022, Deep State’s map received as many as 3 million views. Mykula showed WIRED a screenshot from the website’s dashboard that recorded more than 482 million views between June 2023 and June 2024.

Mykula and Pohorilyi created the map on the first day of the war, after recognizing a demand from their Telegram subscribers for frequent updates about what was happening. Pohorilyi was in the penultimate year of a law degree, and Mykula was working in marketing. But both had been learning open source intelligence skills to help verify videos of military activity that actors on all sides were publishing online.

The basic map itself, which a friend helped to design, is simple but precise. Territories occupied by Russia are shaded in red; those held by Ukraine are shaded in green. Blue marks areas that Ukraine has recently liberated. Known Russian units, airfields, and HQs are marked with small red squares; troop movements with arrows; and railways with black and white lines (Ukrainian positions are not shown). Zooming in, one can see detail down to the level of individual streets, villages, and tree lines. It looks like the board of a computer strategy game.

Over time, Deep State has added more advanced features and quirks to the map. A toolbar in the bottom-left corner offers the option to enable different layers, including weather patterns, fortifications, and gamma radiation levels in case of nuclear disaster. Users can simulate the effect of different weapons, calculating the range and potential damage of everything from self-propelled howitzers and ballistic missiles to Patriot air defense systems and nuclear explosions. A hidden Easter egg summons an animation of Baby Yoda that, when poked, uses the Force to destroy Russian units.

The map soon became too much for Mykula and Pohorilyi to manage alone; they now enlist the help of more than 100 paid employees and volunteers. Their methods have also evolved. They still use open source intelligence to verify new information, but also acquire data directly from frontline military units whom they’ve developed relationships with. In some cases, the authority of a single source whom they’ve learned to trust is enough, though Mykula admits there have been occasional errors. In other cases, when multiple sources contradict one another, they wait until definitive evidence emerges. Propaganda is rife on both sides, and Mykula insists that Deep State will take no part in it. “We want to win,” he says. “Propaganda will not win.”

Mykula and Pohorilyi do, however, oblige when Ukrainian military commanders request delays to map updates that may compromise their activities. They also receive some government funding for an alternate version of the map available only to verified members of the military. The government funding also goes toward other intelligence activities that Ruslan refuses to discuss; most of their funding comes from public donations.

Late in the first year of the war, Mykula and Pohorilyi learned that their map was helping another, unexpected group of users: Russian soldiers. The map’s designer had added a function that would display instructions to surrender if a user tried to access from a Russian IP address. Then, in October 2022, in an interview with a popular Ukrainian blogger, a Russian POW testified that he had used Deep State’s map for this exact purpose.

The success of Deep State’s map has attracted more users to their original Telegram channel, which now has more than 700,000 subscribers. It publishes its own original reports of the war, all available through a free app, which other established Ukrainian media organizations sometimes refer to. But the map remains the most popular product, used by Ukrainians at home and abroad to track the front line that, at the time of writing, creeps further toward their office in Kyiv every day.

Both Mykula and Pohorilyi approach their work with a stern dedication that belies their youth and inexperience. “We don’t want to disappoint our audience because our projects have become critical for Ukrainians,” Mykula says. “If you compare us to other maps, you will see that Ukrainians don’t go to check on them. They come to us.”

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workersolidarity · 1 year ago

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🇵🇸🇮🇱 🚨 UPDATE ON THE WAR ON GAZA AND ISRAEL'S ETHNIC CLEANSING OPERATIONS TARGETING PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS

• Israeli Occupation Forces were responsible for 10 major massacres in just 10 hours in the Gaza Strip, killing 231 civilians

• Hezbollah launched two Burkan rockets towards an Israeli Military outpost

• Palestinian Resistance launched an Ayyash 250mm long-range rocket towards Eilat settlement

• In response to the recent speech by Hezbollah Commander Nasrallah, multiple Western officials have made attempts to contact Hezbollah's leadership for clarification on the speech's details

• Israeli Occupation Forces claims they have intercepted a missile fired on the occupied Jordan Valley using a high-altitude Hetz/Arrow system interceptor

• Rockets were fired from Southern Lebanon towards Israeli positions, activating the Iron Dome air defenses

• According to representatives of Hamas' military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, Resistance Forces have damaged or destroyed 24 Israeli armored vehicles and tanks

• Channel 12 Zionist media reports confrontations occurring between the family members of Israeli hostages and Israeli Police in front of Prime Minister Netanyahu's resident in occupied al-Quds

• Arab country envoys and foreign ministers are feuding with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinkin over their support for a ceasfire

• Hezbollah Brigades of Iraq say US Secretary of State Antony Blinkin is not welcome to Iraq, and he will be met with escalation if arrives

• Security Official for the Hezbollah Brigades of Iraq, Abu al-Askari says Resistance Forces will work to disrupt US interests in the region if the Massacres on Gaza don't stop

• Abu al-Askari also said his forces will arrive in an “non-peaceful” way to shut down the American embassy in Iraq and said that the forced removal of American troops from the area is inevitable

• 🚨💥Al-Mayadeen News correspondant reports that Israeli air strikes that targeted al-Shati Refugee Camp in the west of Gaza resulted in "shortness of breath, pain in the throat, and a feeling of nausea and drowsiness."

• Israeli Occupation Forces have launched 15 raids and strikes in the vicinity of the Indonesian Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Bait Lahia, northern Gaza

• According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, large numbers of civilians are trapped under the rubble in the al-Maghazi Refugee Camp in central Gaza after an Israeli air strike targeted the residential neighborhood

• Israeli Occupation Forces raid the village of Qasra, southeast of Nablus in the West Bank

• occupation forces bombed the bridge linking Nuseirat Refugee Camp with the village of al-Mughraqa in Central Gaza

• East of Khan Yunis, in the al-Farahin area Qassam Resistance Forces managed to destroy two Zionist armored vehicles using the domestically produced Yassin 105mm rockets

• al-Qassam Brigades ambush targets and destroys two Israeli Merkava tanks penetrating the Khan Yunis area of central Gaza

• Occupation Forces stormed the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank

• Clashes recorded between Occupation Forces and the Palestinian Resistance after an attempted raid on a home in Abu Dis, east of occupied al-Quds

• Israeli occupation snipers seen on top of buildings during the raid on Jenin

• More intense shelling was later recorded around the proximity of the Indonesian Hospital 🏥 in the northern Gaza Strip

• Israeli media confirms an explosive device detonated in an occupation bulldozer being used in the raid on Jenin

• Hezbollah fires ATGMs from southern Lebanon towards the Israeli "Misgav Am" military site northwest of Kiryat Shmona

• Al-Quds Brigades: an occupation bulldozer was destroyed using a domestically produced "al-Tamer" explosive device

• Israeli Occupation Forces injured a young Palestinian man during clashes at his besieged home in Abu Dis, east of al-Quds

• Israeli Occupation Forces continued collective punishment against Palestinians by bombing a water well and two water reservoirs in the Tal al-Zaatar area, affecting up to 70'000 people with water shortages

• 50 were killed and another 100 missing under the rubble after the Israeli air strike that targeted the al-Maghazi Refugee Camp in central Gaza

• Islamic Resistance of Lebanon downed an Israeli Military drone flying over southern Lebanon

• Israeli Occupation Forces have committed 24 massacres in 24 hours, killing a confirmed 243 with many more trapped under the rubble

• Al-Qassam Brigades announced the destruction of another Israeli Merkava tank penetrating Gaza in the area southwest of Tal al-Hawa using the Yassin 105mm rocket

• According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, 9'770 Palestinians have been killed since October 7th, including 4'800 children and 2'550 women

• Palestinian Authority Traitor President Mahmoud Abbas in a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinkin says the Palestinian Authority is ready to “fully assume our responsibilities within the framework of a comprehensive political solution that includes all of the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip."

#source1

#source2

@WorkerSolidarityNews

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kisuminight · 10 months ago

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I've been calling this the Blade System AU and mentioning that Blades have Soul Weapons, but I haven't actually talked about who has what weapon, have I?

For the purposes of this AU, and my sanity, we are going to say that Soul Weapons fall into the basic category of weapons or tools from Minecraft. As much fun as I would have with rapiers and halberds and warhammers, Minecraft doesn't really... support that? Basically, all swords are swords.

The types of weapons and tools that can be Soul Weapons are: Axe, Pickaxe, Shovel, Hoe, Sword, Mace, Fishing rod, Shears, Trident, Bow, Crossbow

Obviously, Blades that are dps tend towards actual weapons, Blades that are healers tend towards the tools, and Blades that are tanks go either/or, depending on whether they are a takes-strong-hits type of defense or debuff-into-oblivion type of defense. There are some exceptions, you can have a healer Blade that is a sword or axe, but they're rare. "Sword" Soul Weapons are the most common type.

I know that I said that the Resonance-based enchantment was Sharpness, but not all tools/weapons can have that type of enchantment. I will specify if the enchantment varies base on Soul Weapon type.

So, for our Blades. We'll put this under cut because it's getting long:

Dream (Light, healer) – he gets a fishing rod. Dream has been very inventive with uses of fishing rods before, especially in manhunts (which aren't quite cannon to this version of c!Dream, but eh). Since Soul Weapons are unbreakable, so Dream can also use it like a flexible rod or staff. The fishing line also becomes razor wire if he wills it to be, which makes it quite useful as a garrote (the razor mode has the Sharpness aspect). This has the added bonus of being able to tangle someone in the line for fun (a spar, just messing around) or tangle someone up as a threat (if you move you'll get sliced to ribbons). I feel that a fishing rod tool fits best because it can be used for survival but it can also be used to find treasures. And Dream tends to have good luck when he isn't planning to actively put himself in horrible situations, so he's got Luck of the Sea :)

Punz (Dark, dps) – a sword, plain and simple. c!Punz likes walking the line between being very much a threat and also being kind of background. Like, everyone knows who he is/what he does so they don't really look beneath the surface. In addition to the Sharpness, he gets Looting.

Technoblade (Earth, dps) – I waffled a bit over this one, but I want to say axe? Techno doesn't use his Soul Weapon much, so he went and made a real version of his Soul Weapon, which is the Axe of Peace (also this gives layers to why Techno wants it back and doesn't like other people having it). Unlike the Axe of Peace, Techno gets the Sharpness from Resonance and doesn't need Unbreaking or Mending on a Soul Weapon. He does still have Efficiency V. I did think about choosing pickaxe in honor of Techno maybe pulling out his Soul Weapon after the failed execution, but I think he'd be even more paranoid about letting anybody from L'Manberg's Butcher Army seeing it. Also a Blade with good Resonance basically has a strength potion effect 100% of the time anyway... Techno is way too OP in this AU, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Philza (Ice, dps) – If Minecraft had a scythe, it would be a scythe (for Death theming). But we're going with a bow. A melee weapon means you have to be up in someone's face to kill them. A bow? Much more impersonal (death doesn't discriminate). He would have Power as the Resonance enchantment. Since he can make his own arrows with ice magic, has functional Infinity. Since he is an Aegis, with multiple elements available, he can do Flame, too. In fact, if he's not careful, Flame + Ice Arrow can make temperature shock explosions (similar to a rocket) when he hits something and the magic mixes. Phil on a warpath is very much the joke of "I didn't ask how large the room was, I said I cast fireball!"

Skeppy (Air, dps) – he gets a mace! Lots of plunging attacks when you're an air Blade that can fly. Also, while I don't really think of Skeppy as absolutely tiny in this AU, he's still pretty small, especially in comparison to Bad? Like 5' 0". So theres a juxtaposition whenever he pulls his weapon and it's huge and heavy and he's just swinging it around like a regular Player would a sword. Since it's a Mace, he gets Density as his Resonance instead of Sharpness. As an air Blade, he also gets automatic Wind Burst III.

Slime (Lightning, tank) – also a sword. He gets Sweeping Edge, in honor of the QSMP egg lore. I'm sorry that there's not more details, but neither he nor Las Nevadas arc!Quackity seem to have specific, notable weapons. Even the stuff in Pandora's Vault was Q borrowing the Warden's set.

Callahan (Water, tank) – a trident, to take advantage of his nature as a water Blade. He has Impaling for Resonance (please note that when you are fighting a water blade, you/the opponent is always going to be wet). Also, Riptide. No Loyalty though, because that's a bit pointless when the Blade can just dismiss the Soul Weapon and re-summon it in their hand.

#dsmp #dsmp au #c!dream #c!techno #c!philza #c!punz #c!Callahan #c!skeppy #c!slimecicle #DSMP Blade System AU

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eretzyisrael · 10 months ago

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Iran fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday. Israel’s Arrow defense system and Israel Air Force jets downed them one by one, with an assist from American and Jordanian forces in the region. The British Royal Air Force also mobilized for the attacks. Iran was left trying to hype its attacks by spreading a video of a years-old farm fire in Texas and claiming it was proof the Islamic Republic had hit Israel Saturday night. If that is where this attack ends, and that’s still an “if,” Iran appears to have miscalculated. But a fuller judgment on that will have to wait.

#Israel #Iran #Jordan #Allies

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head-post · 5 months ago

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Houthi missile reaches central Israel for 1st time, Netanyahu vows to “exact a heavy price”

Yemen’s Houthi militia claimed responsibility for a rare rocket attack on Israel on Sunday, successfully targeting the centre of the country for the second time in two months with an Iranian-backed group.

The attack was the latest illustration of the developing conflict between Israel and Iranian proxies, who have been targeting Israeli territory in solidarity with Palestinians being bombed in Gaza.

It also demonstrated the military capabilities of the Houthis, based hundreds of miles from Israel on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Israeli military initially said the Houthis fired a surface-to-surface missile that landed in “open area” and that no casualties were reported. In a subsequent statement, the military said initial investigations indicated that the missile “separated in mid-air” and that it was reviewing its attempts to intercept the strike.

Netanyahu’s warnings

During the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a “heavy price to pay” after a Houthi rocket penetrated Israeli airspace early Sunday morning. He said:

“We are in a multi-front campaign against Iran’s axis of evil, which is striving for our destruction. This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen at our territory. They should know that we exact a high price for any attempt to attack us.”

Sunday’s missile attack is the furthest a Houthi rocket has struck Israeli territory, and the IDF said it was investigating the incident, admitting that the interceptors launched did not work as well as expected. The IDF said in a statement:

“The initial investigation revealed that the missile most likely broke apart in mid-air.”

Several intercept attempts were made by the Arrow and Iron Dome air defence systems during the incident and the results are being examined. Sirens were switched on as per protocol. The entire incident is under review.

However, the IDF also denied that the Houthi missile was hypersonic.

Jerusalem Post senior Middle East correspondent Seth Frantzman said Sunday’s attack proves “that Iran and its proxies are undeterred.” Frantzman noted that despite the military action in Gaza, “Israel has been largely on the defensive since October 7.”

In his address to the cabinet, Prime Minister Netanyahu promised:

“The current situation will not continue.”