• It is the 142nd day of the war: over 29,600 people have been killed in Gaza. In Israel, 1,200 people died in the attack on October 7th
• Israeli planes kill a Hezbollah leader
• Netanyahu confirms plan to evacuate civilians in Rafah ahead of attack on Hamas militants
• The Israel Defense Forces announce that its air force has assassinated Eastern Command chief Hassan Hossein Salami
• UN warns as Tel Aviv prepares for offensive on last Hamas stronghold: 'Providing aid would be a fatal blow'
• New round of talks in Qatar.
7:57 a.m. – Wafa: “Three Palestinians killed in clashes in West Bank”
Three Palestinians were killed in clashes with the Israeli army in the al Faraa refugee camp in Tubas, near Nablus in the West Bank. This was reported by the Wafa agency, which identified the three as Ahmed Daraghmeh (26 years old), Osama Jabr Al-Zalt (31 years old) and Muhammad Samih Bayadsa (32 years old). According to Palestinian and Israeli media, Daraghmeh was the commander of the local “Tubas Battalion,” the military wing of Islamic Jihad.
7:32 a.m. – USA: Raid on the Houthis, 4 drones destroyed and 2 missiles shot down
New American attack on the Houthis. According to Centcom, three air and one naval drones were destroyed and three anti-ship cruise missiles that were ready for attacks in the Red Sea were shot down. American forces, according to a post on
7:27 a.m. – The Houthis have disabled the Europe-Asia submarine cables
Four underwater communications cables between Saudi Arabia and Djibouti were cut by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen, according to a report by Israeli news site Globes. The damage causes significant disruption to global internet communications between Europe and Asia, particularly in the Gulf States and India. The damaged cables belong to the AAE-1, Seacom, EIG and TGN systems. The AAE-1 cable connects East Asia to Europe via Egypt and connects China to the West. The Europe India Gateway (EIG) system connects Europe with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and India.
7:18 a.m. – Hamas evaluates the draft agreement on Gaza received from Paris
The Palestinian extremist movement Hamas received a draft proposal for an agreement with Israel from yesterday's Paris conference, which it is now examining. This was reported today by a source familiar with the dossier, citing the Portal agency. According to the report, the proposal would include a 40-day pause in all military operations and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages at a ratio of 10 to one. The proposed ceasefire would also allow hospitals and bakeries in Gaza to repair damage sustained during the conflict and transport 500 trucks of humanitarian aid per day to the Palestinian enclave.
6:40 a.m. – Biden: “Israel will suspend operations in Gaza during Ramadan”
“Israel will suspend its operations in Gaza during Ramadan,” said US President Joe Biden, noting that the stop was part of the conditions of a ceasefire agreement currently being negotiated. “Ramadan is approaching and the Israelis have agreed not to engage in activities during Ramadan to give us time to free all the hostages,” Biden said in an interview on US broadcaster NBC.
6:24 a.m. – Middle East: Media, Israel will allow the return of displaced Palestinians to the northern Gaza Strip
Al Jazeera has published new details on the agreements reached by Mossad and Shin Bet leaders in Paris in their meetings with the Prime Minister of Qatar and the head of Egyptian intelligence. As Haaretz reports, the meeting was called to discuss another ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. According to the report, which cites sources involved in the talks, Israel has agreed to a gradual return of Palestinians from the northern Gaza Strip – with the exception of young people who are “of recruitment age.” The report adds that Israel agreed to release 400 Palestinian prisoners serving sentences for terrorism-related crimes in exchange for 40 women and elderly hostages. In addition, Israel has reportedly agreed to suspend its flights over the Gaza Strip, including intelligence-gathering flights, for eight hours a day.
3:01 a.m. – Lebanon, rocket duel between Israel and Hezbollah
Israel is in a rocket duel with Hezbollah on the border with Lebanon: the Jewish state's attacks extend deep into the Land of the Cedars after the Islamic group fired rockets into the Galilee. An Israeli delegation returned to Doha under the hypothesis of an agreement, which, however, still appears to be a long way off. In Qatar, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met with Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to discuss a possible ceasefire.
1:02 a.m. – Biden, I hope there is a ceasefire by Monday
US President Joe Biden said he hoped a ceasefire agreement could be reached in Gaza by Monday to secure at least the release of some of the more than a hundred hostages held by Hamas. Speaking to reporters following his trip to New York, where he took part in a television program on NBC, Biden said: “I hope by the end of the weekend.” It was in response to a question about whether he would be there I expect a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel to begin soon. “My national security adviser – he added – tells me that we are close. We are close. But it is not finished yet. I hope we have a ceasefire by Monday.”
The comment came in a natural, spontaneous manner as Biden took an ice break after taping his speech on Seth Meyers' show “Late Show,” which aired on NBC and was created to celebrate the show's 10th anniversary. The president was surprisingly present, although news of his presence had been circulating on social media in recent hours: upon his arrival, dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were in sit-ins on the street, defying the pro-Palestine demonstrators offered -Israeli policy of Washington and accused Biden of being guilty, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of the genocide against the Palestinians.
But when Biden entered the studio, he was greeted with a standing ovation by the audience and he appeared refreshed and entertained. The truce would also take pressure off the White House, which has come under fire from Democratic voters themselves, including many young people, the very group of Americans Biden is hoping to win the November election again. A hand can come to him from the Middle East. Over the weekend, Israel's War Cabinet approved an agreement for a six-week ceasefire and the release of around forty hostages.
A delegation from the Netanyahu government was expected in Qatar to meet with representatives of that country as well as the United States and Egypt. The deal could include the exchange of Palestinian prisoners accused of terrorism. If confirmed, it could lead to Hamas releasing Israeli soldiers captured in the October 7 raid and accepting a deal that would at least temporarily end the fighting in the Gaza Strip.