The fate of the hostages in Gaza hangs in the balance. According to the media, Hamas leader Sinwar is calling for an end to the war, which Israel rejects. Is he playing for time? The news at a glance.
According to a media report, Israel has given the Islamist Hamas one week to agree to a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza war. Otherwise, the announced military offensive on the city of Rafah will proceed, the Wall Street Journal reported late on Friday evening, citing Egyptian officials familiar with the matter. Indirect negotiations over the release of hostages and a ceasefire will continue this weekend in Cairo, it said. Hamas confirmed on Friday evening that its delegation would arrive on Saturday. Hamas circles said there were still points to be discussed and clarified, but the answer would be “positive.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Egypt worked with Israel on a revised ceasefire proposal that it presented to Hamas last weekend. Hamas’ exiled political leadership was expected to consult and respond to its military wing in the Gaza Strip, led by Jihia al-Sinwar. But Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding in tunnels under the coastal area and making the final decisions, did not respond, they said. Egyptian officials then brought the message from Israel to Hamas on Thursday. Israel had announced a rapid start to the offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza if an agreement was not reached.
Israel: Hamas massacre victim found dead
A victim of the Hamas massacre was found dead in Israeli territory months after the attack. This was announced by the Israeli armed forces. The man was murdered in the terrorist attack carried out by the Islamist Hamas from the Gaza Strip on October 7th of the previous year, the statement said. Since his body has only just been found, it was previously assumed that the terrorists had kidnapped him as a hostage in the Gaza Strip.
The army has informed the victim’s relatives. The remains were identified through detailed forensic examinations. The hostage forum said on Friday that the man was working as a security guard for the Nova music festival, which was held near the Gaza border. In this role, he saved numerous festival guests from the terrorists of Hamas and other extremist Palestinian groups before he was murdered himself.
Houthi militia plans attacks in the Mediterranean
The Houthi militia in Yemen announced an increase in their attacks on merchant ships in the Mediterranean. A spokesman for the group told supporters in the Yemeni capital Sanaa that from now on ships traveling in the Mediterranean to Israeli ports should also be attacked. According to experts, the Houthis have missiles with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers and could therefore theoretically carry out their threat.
The Houthi militia, allied with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, has for months attacked merchant ships passing its coast in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean. Yemen is located on one of the world’s most important trade routes, connecting Europe with Asia. The Houthis are also said to have taken part in the Iranian attack on Israel with rockets and drones in mid-April. However, the attack was largely repelled by Israel and its allies.
The Houthis say they want to force an end to the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. In the event of an offensive on the city of Rafah in the south of the coastal strip, the Houthi spokesman announced that the attacks would be expanded to all ships whose operators had business contacts with Israel. So far, ships that were traveling to or from Israel or that belong to Israeli, British or US companies have been targeted.
Israel files complaint over Turkish trade boycott
The Israeli government has filed a complaint with the OECD against Ankara after Turkey temporarily suspended trade with Israel because of the war in Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is an “anti-Semitic dictator” who is violating international maritime law with the trade boycott and disrupting global supply chains, wrote Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat on the X platform, formerly Twitter. “We expect the OECD to take action against Turkey because of Erdogan’s delusional decision, which is damaging the entire European economy,” he added.
