An important member of the Lebanese Islamist group Jama' Islam, close to the Palestinian Hamas, was killed today in an Israeli attack in Lebanon - said Lebanese sources and the Israeli army.
The Israeli army says that in the Bekaa area, deep in Lebanon, it killed Mossav Kalafa, who was "a high-ranking terrorist of the terrorist organization Jama'ah Islamiyah that was preparing a large number of terrorist attacks against Israel" and "collaborated with the branch of the terrorist organization Hamas in Lebanon, coordinated and led terrorist attacks on Israel".
Recently, the intensity of the exchange of fire between the pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel has increased.
The Israeli army announced today that an Israeli civilian was killed last night near the Lebanese border by a rocket fired from southern Lebanon, where the army claims to have destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure.
In the exchange of attacks between Hezbollah and Israel since October 7, at least 381 people died on the Lebanese side, mostly Hezbollah fighters, and on the other side of the border, in the north of Israel, 11 soldiers and nine civilians died.
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Iran should question the effectiveness of its weapons systems after the "failed attack" on Israel, reports Reuters.
"They should question the effectiveness of their weapons systems and planning," Austin said.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he sees new momentum in negotiations to end the war in Gaza and return the remaining Israeli hostages.
"I believe there's a renewed effort going on involving Qatar and Egypt as well as Israel to try to find a way forward. Do I think there's new momentum to the hostage release talks — I believe there is," Sullivan said, as reported by Reuters.
Israeli officials have told their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo that Israel is ready to give hostage talks a "last chance" to reach an agreement with Hamas before launching an invasion of Rafah, reports Akios.
"Israel has told Egypt that it is serious about preparations for the operation in Rafah and will not allow Hamas to 'drag its feet,'" an Israeli official said, according to Reuters.
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that any verdicts handed down by the International Criminal Court would not affect Israel's actions, but would "set a dangerous precedent."
"Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the International Criminal Court in The Hague to undermine its fundamental right to defend itself," Netanyahu said in a statement posted on Telegram, according to Reuters.
"While the decisions made by the court in The Hague will not affect Israel's actions, they will set a dangerous precedent that threatens soldiers and public figures."
Hamas is criticizing a proposal by the United States and 17 other countries that have called on it to release all its hostages as a way to end the Gaza crisis, saying it has failed to meet Palestinian demands, according to a statement, Reuters reports.
Hamas is open to ideas about a ceasefire and adheres to the main demands put forward by the group, the statement added.
An Israeli attack on southern Gaza's Rafah area would spell disaster for civilians, not only in Gaza but across the Middle East, the head of an aid group warned, saying the region was facing a "countdown to more conflict", reports Reuters.
Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), told Reuters that the 1,3 million civilians seeking refuge in Rafah - including his aid group's staff - were living in "indescribable fear" of an Israeli offensive.
Israel stepped up airstrikes on Rafah this Sunday after it said it would evacuate civilians ahead of an all-out assault, despite warnings from allies that it could cause mass casualties.
Egeland urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to proceed with the operation. "Netanyahu, stop this. It's a disaster not only for the Palestinians, it would be a disaster for Israel. You will forever have a stain on Israel's conscience and history," he said.
The NRC chief spoke to Reuters in Lebanon, where he visited southern villages he said were caught in a "terrible crossfire" between the Israeli army and the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah. The exchange of fire is taking place in parallel with the war in Gaza, and has intensified in recent days.
"I'm just afraid we haven't learned since 2006," Egeland said, referring to the month-long war between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, the last bloody clash between the two enemies, during which he headed the United Nations aid operation. nation.
"We don't need another war in the Middle East. I feel right now (as if this is) a countdown to an even bigger conflict," he said.
"Gaza has had more bombing than even Aleppo, even Raqqa, even Mosul," Egeland said, referring to cities in Syria and Iraq that have been devastated by heavy bombing campaigns over the past decade. "We haven't seen anything like this in modern times, which shows that this is indiscriminate."
He said a modest improvement in aid delivery has allowed some bakeries to reopen in Gaza, but that hunger remains a threat as border crossings remain closed. An attack on Rafah would paralyze aid operations "immediately", he said.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said protests at American universities over US ally Israel's war in Gaza were a hallmark of American democracy, but criticized what he called "silence" on the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Police have clashed with students critical of the war and the Biden administration's support for Israel's war in Gaza, with nearly 550 arrests during protests in the past week at major US universities, according to Reuters.
Asked at a news conference in China if he accepted the protesters' message, Blinken said he understood the conflict had sparked "strong, passionate feelings" and that the administration was doing everything in its power to stop the war, Reuters reported.
"In our country, the hallmark of our democracy is that our citizens express their views, their concerns, their anger, at any time, and I think that reflects the strength of the country, the strength of democracy," Blinken said.
But he suggested critics should focus their ire on Hamas militants.
"It's also noticeable that Hamas is kept quiet, as if it's not even part of the story," Blinken said.
"But as I've also said many times, the way Israel works to make sure that October 7 never happens again is very important. And we work every day to try to minimize the damage that was done to innocent people and to make sure that they have the help and support they need".
Blinken, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials in Beijing today, said he discussed how China can play a constructive role in global crises, including in the Middle East, where he said Beijing can discourage Iran and its proxies to contribute to the escalation of the conflict.
Blinken said he had spoken with the foreign minister, Wang Yi, several times this month as tensions between Israel and Tehran rose. China is the main buyer of oil exported by sanctions-hit Iran.
"I think the relationship that China has can be positive in trying to defuse tensions, prevent escalation, avoid escalation, and we've agreed to stay in regular contact on this issue, and that's certainly my intention," Blinken said. .
An Egyptian delegation met with Israeli officials seeking a way to restart talks on ending the war in Gaza and returning the remaining Israeli hostages, an official briefed on the meetings said, according to Reuters.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel had no new proposals, although it was willing to consider a limited truce in which 33 hostages would be released, instead of the 40 previously discussed.
"There are currently no hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, and there is no new Israeli offer in this regard," the official said. "What there is is an attempt by Egypt to restart negotiations with an Egyptian proposal that would involve the release of 33 hostages - women, old and infirm.
According to Israeli media reports, Israeli intelligence officials believe that thirty-three women, elderly and sick, are still alive in Gaza, out of a total of 133 hostages still being held by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.
There was no decision on how long any truce would last, but if such an exchange were agreed, the pause in fighting would be "definitely less than six weeks," the official said.
The visit of the Egyptian delegation followed Israeli media reports of a visit to Cairo yesterday by the head of the Israeli army, Lt. Gen. Hertz Halevi, and Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Beta, Israel's domestic intelligence service, Reuters writes.
Egypt, worried about a potential influx of Palestinian refugees from neighboring Gaza if the war drags on long with the promised Israeli offensive on the southern city of Rafah, is taking an increasingly active role in the talks.
"The Egyptians are really into this. Egypt wants to see progress, not least because it is concerned about the future 'Rafa operation,'" the official said.
Qatar, the previous main mediator, has been increasingly excluded, according to the official, after failing to respond to Israeli demands to expel Hamas leaders from its territory or rein in their finances.
"Qatar is still involved, but in a smaller capacity," the official said. "It is clear to everyone that they have failed to achieve results, even when it comes to expelling Hamas or even closing their bank accounts."
The Egyptian delegation's visit came a day after the United States and 17 other countries called on Hamas to release all its hostages as a way to end the Gaza crisis. Hamas has vowed not to give in to international pressure.
The Health Ministry of Hamas announced today that since the beginning of the war between Israel and the Palestinian movement in Gaza on October 7, 34.356 people have died.
In the last 24 hours, another 51 people died, the statement added.
According to the Ministry, during more than 200 days of war, 77.368 people were wounded.
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The conflict between Israel and Hamas has entered its 203th day.
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