TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, stated that Hamas is ready to lay down its arms and transform into a political party if a fully sovereign Palestinian state is established along the pre-1967 borders. In an interview, Al-Hayya expressed that the militant group, which still officially aims […]

TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that Israel’s army is set to invade Rafah in Gaza in coordination with the United States. The operation reportedly will involve evacuating over a million Palestinians to designated areas in southern and central Gaza, with international relief agencies preparing thousands of tents

TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are gearing up to evacuate civilians from Gaza’s Rafah before launching an offensive against Hamas, per The Wall Street Journal. Coordination with the US and Egypt will facilitate evacuations to Khan Younis, providing shelters and aid. The operation aims to target Hamas operatives

TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Major General Aharon Haliva, head of IDF Military Intelligence, has resigned due to intelligence oversights related to the Hamas attack on October 7. In his resignation, Haliva called for a state inquiry to thoroughly investigate the failures that led to the attack. Haliva will remain in his

TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Israeli officials confirmed to Axios that despite considering a retaliatory strike against Iran for recent attacks, they have decided to postpone action until after the Passover holiday, following advice from the Biden administration to exercise caution. The exact scale and timing of the potential Israeli strike remain

TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized to Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz that the US prioritizes Israel’s defense but aims to prevent conflict escalation. Blinken also stressed to American Jewish leaders that a major Israel-Iran conflict isn’t in US interests. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin took

TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Following Iran’s unprecedented military strike on Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles, Israel’s military chief said Israel plans to respond. The attack, the first direct Iranian assault on Israel, came after an Israeli air strike in Damascus that killed senior Iranian military officers. Global figures such

TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ IRAN The White House stated it had no involvement in the recent airstrike on Iran’s embassy in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of Iranian military personnel. National Security Spokesman John Kirby refuted Iran’s accusations of U.S. complicity, emphasizing the U.S. commitment to protecting its forces in the region and stating

TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ IRAN Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, pledged retaliation after seven IRGC officers, including two top generals, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus. Among the casualties was General Mohammad-Reza Zahedi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force in Syria. Khamenei condemned the attack and promised

Iran-Iraq Economic Alliance Grows Despite US Sanctions TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are moving forward with isolation and evacuation preparations in Rafah, Gaza’s last Hamas stronghold, despite international opposition to a ground operation. With the aim of targeting the remaining Hamas battalions, Israel plans to relocate over

Hamas Visits Tehran; Ceasefire Talks Collapse TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES The US State Department dismissed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion that a UN resolution for a Gaza ceasefire hampered Israeli hostage release efforts by Hamas. Spokesperson Matthew Miller labeled Netanyahu’s remarks as “unfair,” and said Hamas’s rejection of a proposed agreement

Biden Abstains as UN Passes Ceasefire Resolution not Linked to Hostage Release TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES The U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for a Ramadan ceasefire and the release of all hostages in the Gaza conflict, with the U.S. abstaining from the vote. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel Agrees to Prisoner Exchange—Will Hamas Agree? TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Benny Gantz, Israeli Minister-without-Portfolio, has declared that his National Unity Party will exit the government if a controversial haredi conscription law proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu passes. Labeling the law’s passage a “red line,” Gantz emphasized its unacceptability even

Israel Reveals Plan to Evacuate Civilans Ahead of Rafah Operation TOP HEADLINES: ======================= ★ ISRAEL & PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has approved an IDF plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians from “battle zones” in Rafah, thereby clearing the