KEY POINTS
- Israel reportedly begins deploying troop carriers around Gaza ahead of Rafah ground raid
- Qatar says it is reconsidering role as a ceasefire talks mediator amid stalled discussions
- Israel will push back its Iranian response after Passover holiday, report says
The Israel-Hamas war is now on its 195th day – the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the assassination of Hamas' internal security intelligence officer in the Palestinian terror group's Beit Hanoun Battalion.
Leaders in the European Union have agreed to sanction Iran further, with the fresh sanctions specifically targeting Tehran's drone and missile program following the Iranian aerial attacks toward Israel over the weekend.
- Lufthansa extends flights suspension to Iran, Lebanon through end of April
- US slaps new sanctions on Iran, targeting drone program, steel industry, several auto companies
- UN Security Council to vote on Algerian draft text requesting for full Palestinian UN membership
- UK announces new Iran sanctions after US targets Tehran's drone program
- Hezbollah claims attack on 'gathering of Israeli soldiers'
- Hamas submits new 3-phase ceasefire proposal to mediators: Report
- US unconvinced Israel can achieve largescale evacuation of Palestinian civilians in Rafah: Report
The bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warned that the Middle East is "on the edge" of a regional war, and he said such a crisis will have a significant impact in Europe and the rest of the world.
An Iranian intelligence vessel associated with the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel Houthis has reportedly departed the Red Sea amid an impending Israeli response to the weekend rampage.
Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Thursday published footage of what it said was the drone strike in the Arab Al-Aramshe village in Galilee that resulted in over a dozen people injured Wednesday.
Back in war-torn Gaza, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), said a "man-made famine" was getting worse as infants in the northern part of the Strip were dying of dehydration and malnutrition.
Escalating tensions in the Middle East stem from the longstanding Israel-Palestine conflict that killed thousands from both sides. Palestinian civilians have suffered the brunt of the war after Hamas militants raided Israel on Oct. 7, murdering more than a thousand people and abducting over 250 hostages, of which some 130 are still in captivity.
The live update has ended.
US doubts Israel can pull-off largescale evacuation of Rafah residents: Report
Key American and Israeli officials are currently discussing Israel's planned ground raid of Rafah, The Times of Israel's U.S. bureau chief revealed in a series of posts on X, citing a U.S. official.
The Biden administration is looking to capitalize on the meetings to convince Israel to refrain from launching a mass invasion of the overcrowded city as Washington doubts Israel can actually pull of a large-scale evacuation of Palestinian civilians before it launches the incursion.
Top US and Israeli officials are holding a follow-up virtual meeting this morning to discuss a potential Israeli military operation in Rafah, a US official tells @TimesofIsrael. (1/6)
— Jacob Magid (@JacobMagid) April 18, 2024
The US is largely unconvinced that it Israel will be able to pull off such a large scale evacuation in a manner that ensures the safety of Palestinians in Rafah. (5/6)
— Jacob Magid (@JacobMagid) April 18, 2024
Hamas delivers a new ceasefire deal proposal: Report
Hamas has delivered a new proposal for a ceasefire plan to mediators that will be carried out in three phases, Israel's national broadcaster Kan reported Thursday.
Under the Hamas-proposed deal, the Israeli army will temporarily suspend all military activities in the Gaza Strip and northern Gaza residents will be allowed to return. A permanent ceasefire should be achieved by the second phase and the IDF should completely withdraw from the enclave.
By the third stage, the blockade imposed by Israel in 2007 should be lifted and a five-year Gaza rehabilitation plan should be established, as per the outlet. The report did not mention anything about a hostage-prisoner exchange process.
Hezbollah says it attacked Israeli soldiers: Arab report
Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Thursday claimed it attacked "a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Hanita area," Sky News in Arabic reported.
The IDF has yet to deny or confirm the report.
UK sanctions Iran anew
The United Kingdom has also announced new sanctions on Iran, following in the footsteps of its ally, the U.S. "13 entries have been added to the consolidated list and are now subject to an asset freeze," Britain announced Thursday.
Among the sanctioned individuals is Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, whom the UK said "is or has been involved in hostile activity by the Government of Iran, namely threatening, planning or conducting activity which is intended to undermine the prosperity or security of Israel."
UN Security Council to vote on Palestinian full membership
The UN Security Council will vote Friday on an Algerian draft resolution to allow Palestine full membership into the United Nations, diplomats revealed. Israel and the U.S. are expected to block the said move as it would technically recognize Palestinian statehood.
Washington has said the recognition and establishment of a Palestinian state should be negotiated directly between the involved parties, not at the UN.
US sanctions Iran's drone program, amid others
The U.S. Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions on Iran, targeting its drone program, steel industry, and several automobile companies "in response to unprecedented attack on Israel."
"We will continue to deploy our sanctions authority to counter Iran with further actions in the days and weeks ahead," said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. "We're using Treasury's economic tools to degrade and disrupt key aspects of Iran's malign activity, including its UAV program and the revenue the regime generates to support its terrorism," she said.
Lufthansa extends Iran, Lebanon flights suspension
German airline Lufthansa has extended its suspension of flights to and from Tehran and Beirut through the end of April. The suspension was supposed to end this week, but Lufthansa said it continues to avoid the Iranian airspace.
Israel unlikely to retaliate against Iran before Passover ends: Report
Israel will unlikely conduct a retaliatory strike on Iran until after the Passover, which begins Monday and will end after nightfall on April 30, ABC News reported Thursday, citing a senior official.
Qatar is reassessing its role as a truce talks mediator: PM
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Thursday said the country is re-evaluating its role as a key mediator in talks for a ceasefire in Gaza due to the supposed abuse and politicizing of the mediation efforts, multiple outlets reported.
This comes as discussions for a truce agreement have stalled amid rising tensions across the region.
Israel reportedly deploys more artillery, troop carriers around Gaza
Israel has reportedly deployed more artillery and armored personnel carriers around the vicinity of the Gaza Strip, indicating that the IDF is preparing for its impending ground incursion of Rafah.
The southern Gaza city is at center of disagreement between Israel and its top western ally, the U.S., as the Biden administration has repeatedly asked the Netanyahu government to refrain from entering the overcrowded city.
At least 1.4 million displaced Palestinian civilians have found shelter in Rafah since the Israel-Hamas war started.
Lazzarini says 'man-made famine' in Gaza deepening
The UNRWA chief on Thursday told the UN Security Council that in the Gaza Strip, "a man-made famine is tightening its grip," with infants and young children dying of malnutrition and dehydration."
He said the agency was "denied permission" to deliver food and clean water to Gazans and its requests to deliver aid to the ailing north "are repeatedly denied."
"The government of Israel seeks to end UNRWA's activities," he added.
Hezbollah publishes footage of Al-Aramshe attack
The Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group on Thursday published footage of what it said was the Wednesday drone strike in the Arab Al-Aramshe village in Galilee that injured a total of 18 people, one of which was in critical condition.
The said attack targeted a community center where some Israeli soldiers were staying.
Iran's intelligence vessel linked to Houthis leaves Red Sea: Report
Iran's Behshad, which Tehran calls an "intelligence and logistics" ship, has left its position near the coast of Yemen amid rising tensions in the region, Bloomberg reported Friday.
The said vessel is linked to Red Sea attacks by Yemeni rebel Houthis, who have been attacking commercial shipping lanes and Israeli and American vessels across Middle Eastern waters since November.
The report comes as Israel is expected to retaliate against Iran after Tehran launched a massive aerial attack toward Israel Saturday, marking the first time the country directly attacked Israeli territory.
Middle East on edge of regional war: Borrell
The EU's foreign policy chief on Thursday said the situation in the Middle East has reached very concerning highs. "I don't want to exaggerate but we are on the edge of a war, a regional war in the Middle East, which will be sending shock waves to the rest of the world, and in particular Europe, so stop it," he said.
European leaders to sanction Iran's drone, missile program
The European Union's bloc members have agreed to expand sanctions on Iran following Tehran's aerial attacks toward Israel on Saturday.
"The European Union will take further restrictive measures against Iran, notably in relation to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missiles," the bloc said in an official communique after Thursday's European Summit.
Israel eliminates Hamas' Beit Hanoun intel officer
The Israeli army on Thursday announced the killing of Yosef Rafik Ahmed Shabat in an airstrike this week, whom it said was "responsible for investigating the internal security apparatus of the terrorist organization Hamas in the Beit Hanoun area."
Shabat allegedly served as a top security officer in Hamas' Beit Hanoun intelligence unit. "This elimination constitutes a significant damage to the investigation department of the organization," the IDF said.
שבאת שימש כקצין ביטחון במערך המודיעין הצבאי של חמאס בגדוד בית חאנון. חיסול זה מהווה פגיעה משמעותית במחלקת החקירות של הארגון.
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 18, 2024
כוחות צה"ל, שב"כ בסיוע חטיבת האש 215, תקפו באמצעות כלי טיס רכב ובו עשרה מחבלים. התקיפה בוצעה לאחר איסוף מידע מודעיני מדוייק שאפשר את התקיפה>> pic.twitter.com/ZgrKNTNFWd
