Israel Deploys AI Agents Across Multiple Fronts

Technologists with the Israeli military’s Matzpen operational data and applications unit work at their stations, at an Israeli Army base in Ramat Gan, Israel. (Reuters)
Technologists with the Israeli military’s Matzpen operational data and applications unit work at their stations, at an Israeli Army base in Ramat Gan, Israel. (Reuters)
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Israel Deploys AI Agents Across Multiple Fronts

Technologists with the Israeli military’s Matzpen operational data and applications unit work at their stations, at an Israeli Army base in Ramat Gan, Israel. (Reuters)
Technologists with the Israeli military’s Matzpen operational data and applications unit work at their stations, at an Israeli Army base in Ramat Gan, Israel. (Reuters)

The Israeli Army has begun deploying “AI agents” to detect missile launchers, generate real-time aerial intelligence and sharpen strike speed and precision across multiple fronts, officials told Haaretz and the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Tuesday.

“The pace, scope and precision of strikes — as well as their overall quality and volume — would not have been possible without human-machine integration and automated tools capable of synchronizing hundreds of actions simultaneously,” an Israeli official told Yedioth Ahronoth.

Such missions, he noted, would have been impossible for the Israeli army just a few years ago, or even months ago.

The senior military official said the army sees the technology as part of its future, with some such agents already in use in undisclosed systems.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel’s use of artificial intelligence in Operation Roaring Lion is unprecedented.

Integrated into command-and-control systems from the General Staff down, AI is helping the Air Force plan and coordinate strikes in Iran and Lebanon and assist with navigation
The newspaper said in recent weeks, AI has also helped generate real-time situational assessments across multiple theaters — a need underscored by lessons from the failures that led to the October 7 attacks.

One system, known as “Tashan,” is used by the Air Force to identify missile launchers in Iran, Lebanon and Yemen immediately after launches, allowing forces to quickly locate and destroy the source.

Meanwhile, another source told Haaretz on Tuesday that the Israeli military has for the first time confirmed an artificial intelligence infrastructure developed during the war in Gaza is now fully operational in current fighting in Iran and Lebanon.

The system, known internally as the Israeli army’s “Operational Data and AI Factory,” integrates sensor, video, text and audio data into a single real-time operational picture across the military.

A military official told Haaretz that the system is now in use throughout the army. It can process vast amounts of data, including inputs from sensors, as well as video, text and audio.

According to the official, the shift to this AI-based infrastructure creates a comprehensive operational picture of the military's forces, missions and threats – one that is accessible to all branches.

The system is designed to assist with attack planning, targeting and strikes. It also records and transcribes all wireless communications, and compiles real-time data on missile and drone launches and interceptions. This significantly improves both operational and defensive decision-making in a way that was previously unimaginable.

Haaretz has learned that the system is also involved in processing strike plans and targets – confirming for the first time that the infrastructure plays a role in offensive operations, not just defense.

In Lebanon, military sources say, similar capabilities are being used to analyze video feeds from cameras deployed across the sector, identifying people and objects and generating real-time alerts.

Another system, “Lohem” (Fighter), assists commanders – particularly in the Air Force – in planning and synchronizing strikes.

The Israeli army says several AI-based defensive systems are also operational. These include “Rom,” which detects drones and UAVs; “Spatial Control,” which alerts ground forces to rocket and anti-tank fire; and “Tashan,” which identifies launches and impact points and locates the source of fire.

AI has also been integrated into Israel's national alert system, enabling predictions of where interception debris may fall.

The newspaper said a central component of the system is “MapIt,” a platform that displays real-time, three-dimensional operational data to commanders. It has learned that over the past year, the military has developed an additional layer on top of “MapIt,” consolidating all data streams into a single operational map.



Algeria to Deploy Army Units to Niger to Protect Energy and Economic Interests

 People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
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Algeria to Deploy Army Units to Niger to Protect Energy and Economic Interests

 People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

Algeria will send army units to Niger to protect energy and economic interests, according to a statement from the presidency on Monday, marking Algeria's first foreign troop deployment since it sent forces to support Egypt in the 1973 war.

Algeria's parliament approved a resolution on Sunday authorizing ‌the deployment ‌of National Army units ‌to ⁠Madama in northern Niger, near ⁠the Libyan border.

The presidential statement did not say when the troops will be sent or how many there would be.

Military officers have ruled Niger, a nation rich ⁠in uranium, oil and gold resources, ‌since the ‌July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, ‌which Algeria opposed.

Relations worsened last ‌year, when Niger recalled its ambassador from Algiers after Algeria shot down a Malian drone near their border.

Algeria's interests in Niger ‌are mainly in energy. Its state-run Sonatrach is working with ⁠Niger ⁠and Nigeria on the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which is intended to create a new export corridor for African gas to international markets, particularly Europe.

Niger is battling insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. The fighting has killed thousands and displaced millions across West Africa's central Sahel region over the past decade.


France's Macron to Visit Marseille after Protest Violence

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
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France's Macron to Visit Marseille after Protest Violence

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP

The French government sought to draw a line Monday under weeks of protests that have been marred by violence, with President Emmanuel Macron headed to Marseille and the prime minister to meet with students demanding better school conditions.

France has been rocked by widespread anger over the rising cost of living, with nationwide demonstrations on October 17 degenerating into some of the country's worst rioting in years.

The demonstrations have come at a critical moment for France, six months ahead of a presidential election to replace centrist Macron.

The frontrunner -- far-right leader Marine le Pen -- held an election rally in Orleans Sunday, a day after yet more demonstrations also saw some violent clashes on the sidelines.

She vowed to "restore the rule of law" if elected next year. Polls show the protests and ensuing disorder have boosted her support, as the government and Macron faced sharp criticism over the unrest.

Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes, large-scale looting and vandalism of public property that erupted on October 17, and had stepped up security for Saturday's protests.

While Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's rallies was more "positive" than a week ago, street violence still erupted in the French capital and a number of other cities including Marseille.

The Elysee said Macron would visit the city hall in Marseille, France's second-largest city, on Monday, after it was damaged in the protest violence on October 17.

He was also due to meet shopkeepers who had fallen victim to looting and vandalism, the Elysee said.

"He will also pay tribute to and thank the internal security forces that helped restore republican order," the presidency said.

After this weekend's protests, many shopfronts in the city center were still boarded up early Monday, just hours before Macron's arrival.

Macron's visit was intended to demonstrate that "the state is present, standing firm and fulfilling its mission to protect," an aide said.

- 'High level of violence' -

A total of 1,435 people were arrested on the sidelines of the most recent weekend protests, Nunez said on Monday.

"The day was brought under control and there were no serious incidents," he told broadcaster BFMTV.

"Nevertheless, we saw a very high level of violence directed at the internal security forces," Nunez added.

He said that 267 police officers and gendarmes were injured, along with 150 protesters, including three who were seriously hurt in Toulouse, Reims and Clermont-Ferrand.

The unrest followed weeks of demonstrations by students campaigning for better learning conditions.

Several teenage protesters have been seriously injured and thousands arrested.

The police response to their demonstrations, which included blockades of schools, has been criticized as heavy-handed and sparked a broader movement against the cost of living and police violence.

In Paris on Monday, Lecornu was to meet student leaders, with National Education Minister Edouard Geffray and Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste joining him for the talks. Following that meeting, Geffray and Baptiste will hold a news conference.

Macron already met representatives of secondary school pupils last Friday, but they emerged from the talks urging students to keep protesting until the government put forward concrete proposals to address their demands.

On top of the protests, the country was last week shaken by a shooting that killed one person and wounded five, including a 12-year-old girl, outside Paris.

Macron has branded the shooting a "racist terrorist attack", as most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds.


Bangladesh Measles Crisis 'Warning Sign' of Other Outbreaks

A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
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Bangladesh Measles Crisis 'Warning Sign' of Other Outbreaks

A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP

Experts have warned Bangladesh that deadly outbreaks of diphtheria, whooping cough and polio could follow an ongoing measles epidemic that has already killed over 1,200 children, according to a report seen by AFP on Monday.

"The measles outbreak is a litmus test and a warning sign of a deteriorating immunization system," said the report by an independent committee of national and international experts, which carried out its research earlier in October.

Bangladesh has struggled since March to contain the outbreak, which has killed more than 1,200 children and infected 220,000 people, making it the country's deadliest in decades, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

"If no urgent mitigation measures are taken, it is only a matter of time before there are large outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough), diphtheria and even vaccine-derived poliovirus," added the report, which has been submitted to the government.

The health ministry pledged action on Monday.

"We are going to recruit vaccinators as quickly as possible as the first step towards implementing the recommendations," spokesman Zahid Raihan told AFP.

The government, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Gavi vaccine alliance and other partners, deployed a 70-member team earlier this month to assess the country's immunization program.

The review found that just 82 percent of children were fully immunized, well below the national target of 95 percent. Around 40 percent of vaccinator posts remain vacant.

Bangladesh was long considered an immunization success story. Since its program began in 1979, the country has eliminated polio and neonatal tetanus and controlled rubella and hepatitis B.

A measles vaccination campaign planned for 2024 was delayed by the revolution that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, while strikes and political instability further disrupted a campaign in 2025.

Authorities have since launched a mass vaccination drive, but cases continue to climb.

Measles spreads easily through coughs and sneezes and has no specific treatment. Complications include brain swelling and severe breathing problems, with young children particularly vulnerable.

Whooping cough can cause severe illness and death in infants. Diphtheria can obstruct breathing and damage the heart and nerves, while vaccine-derived poliovirus can cause paralysis in under-immunized populations.