Qatar, Egypt, and the US: Time to conclude a ceasefire agreement

Author: Published: August 9, 2024

Leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and the US call on Israel and Hamas to resume talks on August 15 on the proposed hostage release and ceasefire agreement.

Israel National News

Israel National News

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HamasUSQatarEgyptGaza RegionHostages in Gaza
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Photos of hostages held in Gaza

Photos of hostages held in GazaMiriam Alster/Flash 90

The leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and the US on Thursday issued a joint statement in which they called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent talks on August 15, either in Doha or Cairo, to bridge all remaining gaps in the proposed hostage release and ceasefire agreement and start implementing it without any delay.

“It is the time to conclude a ceasefire agreement and release hostages and prisoners,” the statement added.

The US has been pushing a three-phase proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal which President Joe Biden outlined in late May.

Biden recently indicated that both Israel and Hamas had agreed to the outline and reiterated his determination to implement the proposal, even though Hamas rejected the Biden outline shortly after he presented it.

Recently, a US official said that the negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal are in their “closing stages”.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the negotiations for a hostage release deal, telling a Cabinet meeting, “I am willing to go a very long way for the release of all our hostages while ensuring Israel’s security. Our commitment stands in stark contrast to the leaks and false briefings on the issue of releasing our hostages. These briefings harm the negotiations, and unfortunately – they also mislead the dear families of the hostages. They create a false impression as if Hamas has agreed to the deal, and the Israeli government is the one opposing it.”

“The exact opposite is true – the simple truth is, that until this moment Hamas has not agreed to the most basic conditions of the outline. While we have not added any demands to the outline, Hamas is the one that demanded to introduce dozens of changes to it. It has not withdrawn its demand that Israel cannot return to war, it demands that we withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah Crossing – its lifelines, that will allow it to rearm and strengthen again. It is important to establish the principle – we are not leaving those areas,” he added.

Reports in Syria: Four Syrian military personnel injured in strike blamed on Israel

Author: Published: August 9, 2024

Syrian state media report air strike in Homs, in Syria’s central region, attributed to Israel.

Israel National News

Israel National News

Published: 
Updated: 

 

Syrian state media reported on Thursday evening that four military personnel were injured in an air strike in Homs, in Syria’s central region, which was attributed to Israel.

The reports said the attack came from the direction of northern Lebanon and caused “some material damage.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is affiliated with the Syrian opposition and is based in Britain, reported seven injuries in the strike, including three operatives of the pro-Iranian militias.

The IDF is not commenting on the reports.

Last Friday, Lebanese media reported that Israel struck the Dabaa Airport in Syria, not far from the border with Lebanon.

The Dabaa Airport is a place that is considered a hub for the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah and which has been targeted in the past.

Earlier in the week, a building in Sayyidah Zaynab, a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus, was struck.

According to local media, a loud explosion was heard at a location associated with Shiite militias south of Damascus.

In early July, two explosions were reported in the Syrian port city of Baniyas in the northwest of the country.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense claimed that Israel was responsible for the attack. In a statement, it said one target was attacked in the Baniyas area which caused damage.

 

 

US warns Iran of ‘serious consequences’ if it attacks Israel

Author: Published: August 9, 2024

The US has sent a US aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, to the Gulf of Oman.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

US officials warned Iran of serious consequences if it carries out an attack it has threatened to launch against Israel.

The message was given directly to Iran as well as through intermediaries.

The official said, “The United States has sent clear messaging to Iran that the risk of a major escalation if they do a significant retaliatory attack against Israel is extremely high.”

They added, “There is a serious risk of consequences for Iran’s economy and the stability of its newly elected government if it goes down that path.”

Last week, Iran threatened it would launch a major strike against Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil.

Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for the killing, it is thought to have carried out the assassination.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the U.S. had sent a message “directly to Iran” but didn’t provide further details.

The US officials said the message was not intended as a threat but rather was meant to emphasize the consequences, including the effect on Iran’s economy if it attacked Israel.

Speaking to the Washington Post, several Biden administration insiders claimed that Washington’s “show of force” – including moving warships and aircraft carriers to the region – had caused Iran to rethink its next steps.

While that attack was widely considered to be imminent, White House officials are reporting that American pressure is causing Iran to reexamine its plan for a “major retaliation.

The US has made it clear that is ready to use force against Iran if such an attack is carried out, as it did in mid-April when 300 missiles were fired into Israel, most of which were repelled.

The U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that Stealthy F-22 fighters have been deployed to a base in the Middle East.

In addition, the US has sent ships that can shoot down ballistic missiles, including a US aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is in the Gulf of Oman.

The Navy has also moved a F/A-18 fighter squadron from that carrier to a base in a Middle East nation.

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