President Donald Trump defends his administration’s direct negotiations with Hamas, stating, ‘We are helping Israel in those discussions because we’re talking about Israeli hostages.’ However, Israel opposes these negotiations, according to an official familiar with the matter, according to The Times of Israel.
The US Air Force and the Israeli Air Force held a joint exercise on Tuesday “aimed to strengthen and maintain the long-standing cooperation” between the two allies, which likely served as a message to Iran amid speculation about a potential joint strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.
President Donald Trump met with eight individuals on Wednesday who had been held captive by Hamas. Immediately following the meeting, he issued a stern and final warning to the terrorist organization and demanded the immediate release of all remaining hostages, stating that it would be “over for you” if this demand was not met. He also warned of “hell to pay” if the situation was not taken seriously and declared that he was equipping Israel with everything necessary to destroy the terrorist group.
A group of 77 retired U.S. generals and admirals are calling on President Donald Trump to support Israel so they can “finish the job” against Iran and its terrorist networks. They urge action before Iran crosses “the nuclear threshold” and to dismantle its nuclear program before it becomes too late.
Arab leaders unanimously agreed on a five-year $53 billion plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip without displacing Palestinians to counter U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s proposal to “take over” the coastal enclave and turn it into “The Riviera of the Middle East.”
With the ceasefire on the brink of collapse, signs are emerging that the war in Gaza will intensify in an unprecedented manner. Israeli Defense Minister warned that the “gates of hell will open” against Hamas if the remaining hostages are not released. Officials have estimated that, without an agreement between Israel and Hamas, fighting in Gaza could resume within about a week and a half.
At least one person has been killed in a stabbing attack at a bus station in the Israeli coastal city of Haifa before the suspected attacker was shot dead, authorities said Monday.
As the ceasefire teeters on the verge of collapse, the Israeli government is poised to approve the extension of legislation allowing the mobilization of 400,000 reservists. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister has ordered the halt of all aid and supplies to the Gaza Strip, signaling the region’s impending descent into war.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he remains committed to payments to families of prisoners convicted of terror against Israel or to loved ones of those who died while carrying out acts of terrorism.
Israel is urging the U.S. to keep Syria fragmented, including allowing Russia to maintain military bases to counter Turkey’s growing influence, Reuters reported.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that he has signed a declaration to expedite the delivery of roughly $4 billion in military aid to Israel, as concerns rise that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas may soon collapse and intense conflict could resume.
The Israeli government has agreed to a U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire during Ramadan and Passover. However, Hamas rejected Israel’s terms for extending the first phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal, which would involve maintaining the ceasefire and releasing more hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees and terrorists.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Middle East leaders have a “strong desire” to see expansion of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that led to the normalization of ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Israel and Bahrain.
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire began in Cairo Thursday amid mounting concerns the truce will collapse.
Israeli Military Intelligence and the Southern Command ignored more than five warnings, such as new SIM activations in Gaza and unusual Hamas activities. Dismissing these as routine, they overlooked signs of the impending October 7 attack. On this day in 2023, Hamas and other terrorists groups launched an unprecedented invasion from Gaza into southern Israel, coinciding with Simchat Torah and marking the start of the ongoing Gaza war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed a negotiation team to “travel to Cairo for talks Thursday evening.” Israeli officials are hopeful to secure the release of additional hostages by as early as Saturday, although “discussions have not yet commenced” and the timeline is still uncertain.
Israel received the bodies of four hostages, held by Hamas in Gaza for over 16 months, in a low-key, nighttime transfer on Wednesday, avoiding the dramatic displays seen in previous handovers.
Mossad Director David Barnea described the September 17, 2024 operation that targeted Hezbollah with explosives embedded in their beepers as the “turning point” in the war against the terrorist organization.
Israel has confirmed that its warplanes hit targets in southern Syria, including around the capital, Damascus, and there were reports of causalities.
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Monday that Brigade 474 of Division 210 executed multiple brief incursions beyond Israel’s buffer zone into southern Syria, capturing weapons and military gear left by the old Syrian army. The army also released footage from a recent operation showcasing the seized armaments.