Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site on Thursday, a move that threatened negotiations to end the 9-month-old war in Gaza.
Hours later, Netanyahu made a surprise visit to troops in the southern Gaza Strip, saying it was essential that Israel keep control of a strip of territory along Gaza’s border with Egypt. His Gaza tour comes just days before he is set to give a speech to the U.S. Congress.
Israeli negotiators were in Cairo on Wednesday to press ahead with talks on a cease-fire and hostage release deal, as Israel and Hamas consider the latest proposal. In recent weeks, Israel has stepped up strikes in central Gaza, where many Palestinians have fled to escape fighting in other parts of the beleaguered territory….
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- Israel has once again bombed a UN-run school, this time in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood. The attack killed two displaced people sheltering there. It is the ninth school Israel has bombed in the last 10 days.
- Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced that tests conducted on sewage samples in coordination with UNICEF have revealed the presence of the virus that causes polio, sparking fears of an outbreak.
- Israeli air strikes on Lebanon killed two Hezbollah commanders and a senior commander of the Hamas-allied group al-Jamaa al-Islamiya.
- Israel’s parliament passed a resolution that overwhelmingly rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state, prompting condemnation from the international community, including the chief of the UN.
- Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the grounds of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, in what was seen as a provocative act towards Muslims…..
Jul 18, 2024 – ISW Press
Members of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s inner circle told Western Media that Khamenei sought to promote the candidacy of Masoud Pezeshkian due to Pezeshkian’s ability to “foster unity.” The Western media report is inconsistent with the regime’s previous stances vis-a-vis Pezeshkian throughout the election campaign period. Khamenei’s statements and IRGC meetings suggest that Pezeshkian’s rise to the presidency was unplanned.