Live Updates
The war in Gaza is now on its 189th day with little signs the warring sides are closing in on a ceasefire. The U.S. is expecting Iran to retaliate against Israel following the suspected Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate annex building in the Syrian capital that killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, including a top general.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday announced the assassination of Radwan Muhammad Abdullah Radwan, Hamas’ head of internal security in the Jabalia area.
Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel Houthis claimed to have attacked Israeli and American ships on Thursday, one of them a battleship, as per Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sare’e.
Another Iran-backed terror group and Hamas ally, Hezbollah, said it attacked the “Zibdeen” base of the Israeli army in the disputed Shebaa Farms amid continuing fire exchanges between Israeli troops and the powerful Lebanon-based militant organization.
Despite mounting pressure to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained unmoved, saying Israel will pursue its goal of eliminating Hamas.
U.S. President Joe Biden has said Netanyahu was making a “mistake” in the latter’s handling of the war that stems from the violent history of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Back in Gaza, the first food aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip through a new northern crossing opened by Israel amid increasing pressure from the global community to facilitate more aid for hungry civilians in the war-torn enclave.