Middle East Conflict: Netanyahu Rejects Hamas' Truce Demands; US Strikes Houthi Missiles Anew

US strikes in Iraq pushing government to put plug on US-led coalition

U.S. strikes targeting Iranian-backed armed militias in Iraq are pushing the Iraqi government to end the U.S.-led coalition in the country, Reuters reported Thursday, citing the Iraqi prime minister's military spokesman Yahya Rasool.

The coalition in Iraq "has become a factor for instability and threatens to entangle Iraq in the cycle of the conflict," Rasool said in a statement.

His comments came after a Kataib Hezbollah commander in Syria was killed in a U.S. strike Wednesday in Baghdad. Two other members of the Iranian-backed militant group were also killed in the drone strike.

Iranian FM to visit Lebanon Friday

Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is due to visit Lebanon's capital Beirut on Friday to discuss developments in the region, the Iranian government's semi-official Mehr News Agency reported Thursday.

He is expected to hold "important meetings" with senior Lebanese officials. His visit comes amid tensions in the Israel-Lebanon border due to attacks by Iranian-backed Hezbollah toward Israel.

Blinken calls for undisrupted aid entry into Gaza amid protests

Blinken on Thursday called for the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza to flow continuously. "The families in Gaza whose survival depends on deliveries of aid from Israel are just like our families ... we must not lose sight of that," the U.S. Secretary of State said.

His comments come following consecutive protests across Israel, particularly at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, where demonstrators have been demanding a halt to aid entry into the enclave unless the remaining hostages in Gaza are freed.

German Navy frigate sets sail for Red Sea

Germany's Navy frigate Hessen set off toward the Red Sea Thursday, carrying around 240 service people from the North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven.

The Hessen's sendoff comes ahead of the European Union's own maritime taskforce establishment in the Red Sea. The goal is to have the frigate in place once the European mission is approved by the 27-member bloc.

IDF intel officer steps down over Oct. 7 failure: Local media

A major in the IDF intelligence unit's Palestinian analysis branch has resigned, marking the first resignation of an intel officer over Israel's failure to anticipate Hamas' Oct. 7 carnage in the country, Israel's national broadcaster Kan first reported and was confirmed Thursday by The Jerusalem Post.

Several top defense and intelligence officials have taken responsibility for the tragedy, but they have also argued that investigating the failures that led to that fateful day needed to be postponed until fighting has toned down in Gaza.

Maersk warns of 'high uncertainty' in Red Sea disruption

Shipping giant Maersk warned Thursday that there is "high uncertainty" surrounding the Houthi-initiated disruption of shipping activity in the Red Sea. Maersk executives further noted that "2023 ended with multiple distressing attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden."

They said the company was "horrified by the escalation of this unfortunate conflict."

Read the full story here.

Israel willing to spare Hamas' Gaza leader in exchange of all hostages: Report

Israel would be willing to allow Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' top leader in Gaza, to go into exile in exchange for the release of all hostages being held in the enclave, NBC News reported Thursday, citing six Israeli officials and senior advisers.

The idea was already "on the table" since November, one senior adviser to the Israeli government said. "We don't mind if [Sinwar] will leave ... we will allow it to happen as long as all of the hostages are released," a senior adviser to Netanyahu told the outlet.

Advisers to Israel's war cabinet said it was "unlikely" Sinwar would agree to the idea.

US conducts new round of strikes on Houthi assets

U.S. forces on Wednesday night conducted a series of "self-defense strikes" on Houthi missiles that were "prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea," CENTCOM said Thursday.

The missiles were determined to present an "imminent threat" not just to U.S. Navy battleships but also to merchant ships in the region, the U.S. military noted.

IDF retaliates after 3 soldiers wounded in Hezbollah missile attack

Israeli fighter jets on Thursday morning struck Hezbollah paramilitary infrastructure in Khiam, southern Lebanon following missile launches toward Kiryat Shmona that wounded three soldiers earlier in the day, the IDF said. One soldier was "seriously injured" in the Hezbollah attack, the IDF said.

Jordanian King to meet Biden in push for Gaza ceasefire

Jordan's King Abdullah II is set to meet Biden in a western trip in the U.S., Canada, France and Germany, as part of the country's efforts to "mobilize international support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza," the Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement Thursday. He departed Jordan Thursday.

In his meeting with the American president, King Abdullah II is expected to emphasize the "importance of creating a political horizon that leads to a comprehensive settlement that ends the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."

Netanyahu 'absolutely needs to go': Clinton

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an interview with MSNBC's "Alex Wagner Tonight" Wednesday, said Netanyahu "should go."

"He is not a trustworthy leader. It was on his watch that the [Oct. 7] attack happened. He needs to go, and if he's an obstacle to a ceasefire, if he's an obstacle to exploring what's to be done the day after, he absolutely needs to go."

Clinton's criticism came amid mounting pressure on Netanyahu to agree to a halt in the fighting in Gaza. He has repeatedly reiterated that Israel will fight until it eliminates Hamas.

Missile from Lebanon injures 3 IDF soldiers

A missile fired from southern Lebanon toward Kiryat Shmona, a city in northern Israel, injured three Israeli soldiers Thursday, the IDF said. They have since been evacuated for treatment.

The news comes amid continuing missile launches by Iranian-backed Hezbollah toward northern Israel communities.

Hamas delegation set to arrive in Cairo for truce talks

A delegation of Hamas officials is expected to arrive in Cairo Thursday for talks on a new ceasefire-hostage deal, AFP reported, citing an Egyptian official. Osama Hamdan, a senior Lebanon-based Hamas official, confirmed the delegation's Egypt trip at a media briefing in Beirut.

This comes after Netanyahu rejected Hamas' counterproposal for an extensive truce plan that includes the terror group's demand of withdrawing Israeli ground troops from the Gaza Strip.

Human rights group urges continued UNRWA funding

International nonprofit Human Rights Group on Wednesday urged countries that halted funding for the embattled United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to continue supporting the humanitarian relief agency.

Akshaya Kumar, crisis advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, acknowledged that allegations of UNRWA staff involvement in Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel are "serious" and it appears that the UN is "addressing them seriously."

However, Kumar pointed out that withholding funds for UNRWA "shows callous indifference to what the world's leading experts have warned is the looming risk of famine," as per a statement.

Following Israel's exposé that accused 12 UNRWA staffers of direct participation in the Oct. 7 carnage, multiple countries have announced the suspension of their support for the agency. The long list includes the U.S., UNRWA's top donor.

Kilometer-long tunnel network uncovered in Khan Yunis: IDF

Israeli troops located a tunnel network that measures "over a kilometer long" and was constructed "under the heart of a civilian area of Khan Yunis," the IDF said Wednesday.

The tunnel was allegedly "used by senior operatives" to hold Israeli hostages and served as a shelter for high-ranking members of Hamas, the Israeli army said.

Knesset member Eisenkot criticizes Netanyahu anew

Knesset member and former IDF chief Eisenkot on Wednesday criticized the Israeli prime minister for the supposed delay in making decisions "on the critical issues" related to the war in Gaza, Israel's national broadcaster Kan reported early Thursday.

"The prime minister is taking time. I am concerned about Hamas taking over the humanitarian aid. He does not hold discussions and does not make decisions on the critical issues," Eisenkot was quoted as saying.

Eisenkot, whose son was among hundreds of Israeli soldiers who have died in the Israel-Hamas war, also reportedly agreed with war cabinet minister Benny Gantz that Hamas' counterproposal had "unreasonable demands and should not be agreed to."

The former chief of staff of the Israeli army previously said there is a "lack of trust from the Israeli public" on Netanyahu's government.

Blinken meets Palestinian president

The U.S. Secretary of State met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in the West Bank Wednesday. He reiterated that the U.S. was supportive of "reforming the PA and establishing an independent Palestinian state."

The Israeli government previously said it may accept a "reformed" PA to govern the Gaza Strip after the war ends.

Kataib Hezbollah members, including Syria commander killed in US drone strike

A "unilateral strike in Iraq" that was conducted in response to attacks against U.S. service members killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander who was "responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region," CENTCOM said Wednesday.

There were no indications of civilian casualties and collateral damage at the time of the U.S. army's announcement of its strike.

A member of Kataib Hezbollah, considered as one of the most powerful Iranian-backed militant factions in Iraq, confirmed that Abu Baqr al-Saadi, a commander responsible for the group's "military file" in Syria, had been killed.

An interior ministry official also said a total of three Kataib Hezbollah members were killed in the drone strike in the east Baghdad neighborhood of Machtal.

Read the full story here.

'Delusional': Netanyahu rejects Hamas' counterproposal, orders troops to prepare for Rafah entry

The Israeli prime minister on Wednesday rejected Hamas' proposal, calling the Palestinian terror group's demands "delusional."

He vowed "total victory" against Hamas, arguing that "only continued military pressure will bring home the remaining hostages" since it was the same strategy the Israeli army used that "led to the release of 110 hostages" during the last week of November.

He also revealed that he has ordered Israeli ground troops to prepare to enter Rafah, an overcrowded city in southern Gaza near the Egyptian border -- thousands of Palestinians from the northern and central parts of the enclave sought shelter in the city when the war started.

His statements came after Hamas submitted a counterproposal to a truce plan that Qatari and Egyptian mediators forwarded last week. In its proposal, Hamas demanded the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the release of 1,500 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails – in a comprehensive process that the militant group wants to be implemented over 135 days.