Middle East Conflict: Netanyahu Says Israel Ready Offensively, Defensively As Iran Threat Looms

US intel indicates most hostages in Gaza are dead: Report

U.S. estimates regarding the number of dead hostages still being held in Gaza may be much higher than the 34 the Israeli army announced, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing American official familiar with the intelligence.

The officials noted, though, that information the U.S. has collected on the hostages is still limited and relies in part on Israeli intelligence.

Hamas doesn't have 40 hostages Israel requires for truce deal: Reports

Hamas does not have the 40 hostages to meet the requirements of Israel in the first phase of a ceasefire agreement, The New York Times first reported Wednesday, citing senior Israeli and Hamas officials.

Hamas has informed negotiators regarding the matter, CNN reported later, citing an Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussions. The revelation has raised fears that there could be more hostages dead than was initially known.

IDF, Shin Bet eliminate top Hamas financing operative

Joint forces of the IDF and Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, on Thursday announced the assassination of Nasser Ya'akov Jaber Nasser, described by the Israeli army as top Hamas operative who was "involved in the central financing" of the Palestinian terror group in Rafah.

Israel prepared for offensive and defensive attack: Netanyahu

The Israeli prime minister on Thursday said Israel is "ready in defense and attack." His remarks were made after Iran's Khamenei warned that Israel "will be punished" following the Iranian embassy strike that killed seven Revolutionary Guards members last week.

The Israeli government has not officially commented on the airstrike that Tehran blames on Israel, but Israel has carried out strikes in Syria in the past as part of its efforts to cripple Iran's growing paramilitary influence in the region.

Israel strikes Hezbollah paramilitary building

Israeli warplanes on Thursday attacked a paramilitary building in the Al-Dahira area in southern Lebanon "where a terrorist from the Hezbollah terrorist organization was staying," the IDF said Thursday.

This comes after Hezbollah claimed an attack on an Israeli army tank Wednesday.

Israel says UN agencies only distributed a fraction of nearly 300 aid trucks Wednesday

Israel on Thursday said of 298 humanitarian aid trucks that entered the Gaza Strip, only 61 were distributed by UN agencies inside the enclave.

The Israeli government's latest allegation comes amid continuing disagreement between Israel and the UN regarding figures on aid being distributed for Gaza's civilians.

Israel to open new northern Gaza crossing to facilitate more aid

Israeli will open a new border crossing in northern Gaza to allow for more aid to enter the strip following consistent pressure from its western allies to do more in helping supplies get inside the enclave for Palestinian civilians.

"We are constructing the Northern Crossing, a new land crossing from Israel into northern Gaza to enable more aid to flow directly to civilians in the areas that have been challenging for trucks to access," Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, head of the IDF's Spokesperson's Unit, announced Thursday.

He noted that the new crossing will allow Israel to facilitate more international aid donations, including the trucks from Jordan.

Lufthansa extends Tehran flights suspension amid regional conflict

Lufthansa on Thursday announced that its suspension of flights to Iran will be extended at least through April 13 due to tensions in the Middle East.

Protesters at Nitzana crossing forcefully removed by police

Supporters of hostages still being held in Gaza who demonstrated at the Nitzana crossing, calling for a blockade of humanitarian aid entry into the Strip until the hostages are freed, were forcefully removed by Israeli police Thursday morning, as per footage from Israel's national broadcaster Kan.

The video shows a protester being carried by four officers as he tried to fight back and stay in place where other demonstrators sat along the border holding up posters of the hostages and Israeli flags.

Hezbollah claims attack on IDF tank

Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Wednesday said it attacked a Merkava tank of the IDF in the "Doviev barracks" of the Israeli army.

The IDF has yet to deny or confirm the claim.

US destroys 11 Houthi drones

CENTCOM forces on Wednesday destroyed a total of 11 drones, the U.S. military said Thursday. Three of the drones were launched over the Red Sea from Houthi-held areas of Yemen. Eight were still within Houthi-controlled areas of the country when they were destroyed.

Netanyahu, Israeli DM not informed ahead of strike that killed Haniyeh's sons: Report

The Israeli prime minister and defense minister Yoav Gallant were not informed in advance about the assassination airstrike that killed three of the Hamas leader's sons, local Walla reported, citing senior Israeli officials.

The strike was carried out as a "tactical" operation that targeted the three because of their activity within the Palestinian terror group, not because they were the Hamas chief's sons, an Israeli official said.

The IDF has confirmed the killing of Haniyeh's three sons.

US envoy to Middle East asked region's FMs to urge Iran to de-escalate tensions with Israel: Report

McGurk reached out to the foreign minister of Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabi and the UAE to ask them to deliver a message to Iran urging it to de-escalate tensions with Israel after IRGC members, including two top generals, were killed in an airstrike targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus last week that Tehran blames on Israel, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.

The foreign ministers of the Middle East acted on McGurk's call, as per the source.

This comes following the Iranian supreme leader's warning that Israel "will be punished" after the Syria airstrike. Israel has since responded, saying it will respond in kind of Iran attacks directly from its territory.

Russia advises citizens against traveling to Middle East

The Russian foreign ministry on Thursday advised citizens to refrain from traveling to the Middle East, "especially to Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories," citing the "tense situation" in the region.

Tensions have reached worrisome highs in the Middle East as the world watches whether Iran will pursue its pledge of "punishing" Israel for a suspected Israeli strike in Damascus last week that killed IRGC members, including two generals.

Indonesia will normalize ties with Israel as part of OECD bid: Reports

Indonesia has committed to normalizing diplomatic ties with Israel as part of its goal of entering the OECD, a global forum for developed countries that could pave the way for the Muslim-majority nation to further open up its market to the world, multiple Israeli outlets reported Thursday.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on the matter first, followed by The Times of Israel, wherein an official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the Israeli newspaper's account of discreet talks between Israel and Indonesia that lasted for months.

If Indonesia does normalize relations with Israel, it would mark a significant turnaround in the Southeast Asian nation's stance regarding the country. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation according to data from Pew Research Center.

Indonesia was among the Southeast Asian nations that denounced Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Israel, on the other hand, has reportedly objected to Indonesia's entry into the OECD due to a lack of diplomatic ties with the country.

Both the Israeli and Indonesian governments have yet to deny or confirm the reports.

German airline Lufthansa announced Thursday it was extending the suspension of flights to Tehran amid increasingly worrisome tensions in the Middle East due to an expected Iranian retaliation following a suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria.