A US official told Israel Hayom that Hamas violated the deal, but an overly harsh Israeli response could damage the ceasefire. The Americans also oppose a substantial change to the yellow line separating territory under IDF control from the rest of the Gaza Strip, and they oppose a ground incursion by the IDF.
Israel examining punishment measures after terror group returned additional remains of Ofir Tzarfati, who was not among 13 deceased hostages remaining in Gaza. Events have triggered renewed pressure from Right to escalate military action.
Authorities relocate 154 dangerous extremists hours after report reveals British airline crews unknowingly shared Cairo Marriott facility with convicted terrorists.
According to intelligence information, the terrorist organization has access to at least five more deceased hostages. Other assessments suggest Hamas has access to ten in total. Israel is considering several punitive measures: shifting the yellow line westward, reducing aid convoy entry, and keeping the Rafah Crossing closed.
A senior Israeli official has revealed that Saudi Arabia, which had backed Israeli positions and stressed the dismantling of Hamas as a core condition, has scaled back its involvement in talks over Gaza's future. At the same time, Israel now finds itself facing a coalition of Turkey, Qatar and Egypt, all of which are working in various ways to keep Hamas politically relevant.
Qatar wants guarantees that Israel will uphold its side of the peace deal before investing in reconstruction, Bloomberg learned. The UAE demands Hamas' full disarmament and exclusion from future governance in Gaza, plus a PA overhaul.
The US president warned that Hamas must return the deceased hostages within 48 hours, including those of two American citizens.
Under pressure from the United States, Israel’s political leadership has allowed a foreign force to enter Gaza and assist in the recovery of hostages.
Since US President Donald Trump’s visit to Israel, a series of senior American officials have arrived in the country to bolster the ceasefire deal. The US monitoring operation, established with the support of the IDF, began amid renewed violence in Gaza and ongoing tensions surrounding the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian terrorists.
Following Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s remark that if Saudi Arabia conditions normalization with Israel on the establishment of a Palestinian state, then they can "keep riding camels in the desert,” a senior Saudi source responded: “The ignorant minister’s words reflect the character of the current Israeli government.”
