Thanks very much for reading Need to Know this Sunday, October 6. Here are some of today’s biggest developments:

• Pro-Palestinian protesters work around Hezbollah flag ban: Hyde Park in Sydney is overflowing with pro-Palestine rally attendees as the march gets under way in the CBD where some protesters are waving flags similar in colour to those of the terrorist group Hezbollah.

• Australia ‘in lockstep with US’ on Israel, says Marles: Defence Minister Richard Marles said Israel had a right to defend itself against Iran, including by responding to the country’s earlier ballistic missile attack, but must do so appropriately.

• Israel plans ‘significant’ attack as October 7 anniversary nears: Israel is preparing a “serious and significant” response to Iran’s missile strikes around the anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

• Israel steps up attacks in Lebanon as fighting spreads: As Israel escalated its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Saturday (Sunday AEDT), much of the Middle East was on edge, with many expecting an Israeli retaliatory strike on Iran as payback for its recent missile barrage on Israel.