The Israeli military’s order for at least one hundred thousand civilians to evacuate the southern Gaza Strip city comes as the fate of a potential cease-fire and hostage release agreement remain unclear (FT)
Over the weekend, a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers (Haaretz)
Israel’s government also ordered the shutdown yesterday of media outlet Al Jazeera for at least forty-five days; the move followed the passage of an April law that authorized the closure of foreign news networks deemed a threat (Axios)
Four Civilians Dead Following Israeli Strike in Lebanon
Lebanese state media reported the strike occurred when residents were inspecting damage to homes and business from previous attacks; according to the Israeli military, the strike targeted Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in the southern town of Mays al Jabal (AP)
Turkey Halts Trade With Israel Over Military Operations in Gaza
Turkey has suspended all trade with Israel until the Israeli government “allows an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” its trade ministry said yesterday; Israel’s foreign ministry said that Turkey was violating trade agreements and vowed to respond (Hürriyet)
Gaza Reconstruction Could Take Up to Eighty Years, UN Report Says
If reconstruction proceeds at the same rate it did following the previous conflicts in 2014 and 2021, the United Nations estimated it could take up to eighty years to repair and rebuild the roughly 370,000 homes in Gaza that have been damaged since Israel launched its military offensive (NYT)
Hamas Says Cease-Fire Talks Progressing, Will Send Delegation to Cairo ‘As Soon as Possible’
Deliberations on a potential cease-fire and hostage release deal in the Gaza Strip are moving forward with a “positive spirit,” Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement yesterday (WaPo)
Israel’s war cabinet met last night to discuss negotiations (Times of Israel)
Floating Pier to Gaza Over Half Complete, Aid Trucks Allowed Through Northern Checkpoint
More than 50 percent of the U.S.-built pier is finished, a Pentagon spokesperson said yesterday, and humanitarian aid delivery is expected to begin in early May (Anadolu)
The pier is part of U.S. efforts to allow greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip; after U.S. urging, Israel opened the Erez Crossing in the enclave’s north for the first time since Hamas’s October 7 attack (Times of Israel)
In Israel, Blinken Says ‘Time is Now’ for Cease-Fire, Hostage Deal
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with top Israeli leaders while in the country today, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog; before a meeting with Herzog, Blinken said that the “time is now” for a cease-fire and hostage release deal in the Gaza Strip and that Hamas is “the only reason” that the deal would not be achieved (WaPo)
He also stressed U.S. support for increasing the amount of humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza; Blinken’s tour comes as Israel continues to consider launching a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah (Reuters)
In Saudi Arabia on Monday, Blinken said that Washington had not yet seen a plan that guarantees civilians in Rafah can be “effectively protected” if such an offensive occurs (CNN)
The conflict in Gaza continues to prompt demonstrations on several U.S. college campuses, with some police moving to detain protesters and shut down demonstrations yesterday amid rising tensions and concerns over safety (NYT)
Israel Reportedly Reduces Number of Proposed Hostage Releases in Cease-Fire Deal
Israeli negotiators scaled back the number of hostages they are seeking in the potential first phase of a truce with Hamas to thirty-three, three unnamed Israeli officials told the New York Times yesterday; a Hamas official said the group was studying the proposal (NYT)
Thousands of people protested in Tel Aviv last night, calling for the Israeli government to prioritize a hostage release deal (Times of Israel)
Meanwhile, delegations from Hamas and Fatah attended talks that focused on reconciliation in Beijing, China’s foreign ministry said; Hamas praised China’s efforts to facilitate dialogue, while Fatah did not immediately comment on the meeting (Reuters)
Blinken Talks Potential Cease-Fire, Hostage Deal With Arab Leaders in Riyadh
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister and other top Arab officials today to encourage a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Israel’s war with Hamas; Blinken is due to travel to Israel and Jordan tomorrow (NYT)
U.S. President Joe Biden discussed the potential deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a call yesterday while also reviewing plans for an increase in humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip (CNN)
Saudi Arabia is hosting a three-day World Economic Forum gathering this week; Blinken spoke publicly at the event, saying that Hamas has an “extraordinarily generous” proposal in front of them for a cease-fire and that they are the only ones standing in the way of a deal (Reuters)
U.S. Forces Begin Construction of Floating Pier for Gaza Aid
Construction began on the project that aims to enable the delivery of as many as two million meals a day to the Gaza Strip, Department of Defense officials said; the pier is designed to bypass Israeli land blockades for aid convoys entering Gaza (NYT)
Officials expect the project to be completed early next month, as the United Nations has warned that famine is likely to set in Gaza by the end of May (Pentagon;UN)
Germany to Resume Funding UN Aid Agency for Palestinians After Probe
Germany’s announcement came after an independent review earlier this week found that Israel did not provide evidence of a claim it made that led many countries to stop donating to the agency, known as UNRWA; countries including Australia, Canada, and Sweden have resumed funding for the agency, while the U.S. State Department said this week it was reviewing the probe (NYT)
UN Human Rights Office Calls For Independent Probe Into Mass Graves
Two mass graves were discovered after Israeli forces departed hospitals in Gaza; a Palestinian emergency services spokesperson said some bodies found outside of Nasser Hospital were handcuffed and accused Israel of killing them, while the Israeli military said its forces had exhumed and examined bodies buried by Palestinian forces in the area (NYT)
Israeli Head of Military Intelligence Resigns Over Role in Failure to Respond to October 7 Attack
Major General Aharon Haliva said in his resignation letter that the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Intelligence Directorate under his command “did not fulfill its task” ahead of Hamas’s attack on Israel and that he supports a thorough investigation into the events leading up to it; Haliva is the first senior Israeli military officer to resign over the attack (Times of Israel)
Meanwhile, an independent review commissioned by the United Nations found that Israel provided no evidence to support its claim that many members of the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees are members of militant groups; the review did not address Israel’s claim that some agency employees were involved in Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel (NYT)
Senate to Consider Aid for Israel After House Approval
The U.S. Senate is due to consider separate packages of support for Israel, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific after they passed the House of Representatives this weekend with bipartisan support; together, the four bills total some $95 billion in aid (NYT)
The bill devoted to Middle East funding includes around $17 billion in defense aid to Israel and $9 billion in humanitarian relief for the Gaza Strip and other war-torn regions (PBS)
Tehran Plays Down Damage Over Israeli Strikes Reported in Iran
Iran’s air defenses were activated to respond to incoming strikes in the central city of Isfahan and northwest city of Tabriz this morning, local authorities and media said; the strikes appeared to be a limited Israeli retaliation for Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend (FT)
Iranian state media played down the damage from the attacks, which came after world leaders urged both countries to de-escalate tensions; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington “has not been involved in any offensive operations” and called on “all concerned to exercise restraint” (FT)
In the wake of Iran’s weekend barrage on Israel, Western officials worked to punish Iran while avoiding further military escalation; the United States, United Kingdom (UK), and European Union imposed new sanctions on Iran yesterday for its recent attack (NYT)
U.S. President Joe Biden personally appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this weekend to contain Israel’s response to Iran’s actions, saying that the United States would not support an Israeli counterattack, according to an unnamed senior White House official (Axios)
U.S. Vetoes UN Security Council Resolution on Palestinian Statehood
A resolution calling for Palestinian recognition as a full UN member state failed at the Security Council with twelve in favor, two abstentions, and one veto; Switzerland and the UK abstained from the vote, while the United States vetoed it (NYT)
Qatar Reevaluates Role as Mediator Between Israel and Hamas
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that some politicians with “narrow interests” were undermining its mediation attempts; Doha helped broker a pause in fighting in November, though a potential deal for a new cease-fire has failed for weeks to see a breakthrough (FT)
UN Commission Accuses Israel of Obstructing October 7 Probe
The UN-mandated Commission of Inquiry that probes violations of international human rights law on Tuesday accused Israel of obstructing its efforts to collect evidence from the victims of the attack by Hamas in southern Israel on Oct. 7 (Reuters)
“So far as the government of Israel is concerned, we have faced not merely a lack of cooperation but active obstruction of our efforts to receive evidence from Israeli witnesses and victims to the events that occurred in southern Israel,” said Chris Sidoti, one of the three members of the inquiry (France 24)
Separately, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told reporters yesterday that Hamas is acting as the barrier to a potential cease-fire and hostage release deal, while Israel has “moved in a significant way” (Reuters)
Hamas rejected a proposal last week; Washington is still seeking a deal that would allow for an at least six-week cease-fire and more aid access into the Gaza Strip, he added (Times of Israel)
Israel’s War Cabinet Weighs Response to Iranian Attack as United States Urges Restraint
Israel’s war cabinet reconvened today for a second day of meetings in response to Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend; with support from countries including the United States, France, Jordan, and the United Kingdom, Israel shot down many of the more than three hundred drones and missiles fired by Iran (FT)
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby called the Iranian offensive “utterly unsuccessful” (CBS)
World leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, urged Israel to calibrate its response carefully, and U.S. officials have said Washington will not participate in any retaliatory strikes (WaPo)
Iran’s weekend barrage also prompted an emergency UN Security Council meeting and a Group of Seven (G7) condemnation of Iran’s attack “in the strongest terms;” on Sunday, Israel’s war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said Israel would respond “in a way and at the time that suits us” (Reuters)
In the United States, House Speaker Mike Johnson said after the attack that he would move forward with a vote on military aid to Israel (CNN)
IDF Calls Up Reservists for More Gaza Operations
Approximately two brigades of reservists will be called up for operation activities in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Sunday (Reuters) The announcement was made a week after the IDF pulled its troops from the southern city of Khan Yunis amid expectations that they could be later used for a ground invasion of the southern city of Rafah, something that Israel’s allies have strongly opposed (Telegraph)
Iran Launches Drone, Missile Attacks Against Israel
On Saturday night, Iran launched a series of drone and missile attacks on Israel; the attacks follow Tehran’s promise to retaliate in the wake of an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consular building in Syria which killed several senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers on April 1 (Reuters)
Over 300 unmanned aerial vehicles, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles were fired at Israel, the majority of which were intercepted by Israel and the United States over Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and parts of Israel (AP)
The majority of the drones and missiles were launched from Iran, though some were launched from within Iraq and Yemen (NYT)
The Iranian strikes were preceded by rocket attacks in northern Israel carried out on Friday by Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon (Al Jazeera)
Following Saturday night’s attacks, the United States pledged “ironclad” support for Israel’s security against threats from Iran and Iranian-backed proxy groups; President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the early hours of Sunday morning (France 24)
Early assessments indicate limited damage to an Israeli military base; minor injuries have been reported in Israel (NBC)
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday, as will the G7 (BBC)
Senior Israeli Commanders, Political Leaders Not Consulted Before Strike on Hamas Leader’s Family
The strike killed three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza; the strike could potentially complicate ongoing talks to reach a cease-fire and hostage deal (Reuters)
Israeli Strike Kills Hamas Leader’s Three Sons, Grandchildren in Gaza
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who is in exile in Qatar, confirmed Israeli drones targeted the vehicle that his family members were in near the Shati refugee camp (AP)
Aid Trucks Entering Gaza Have Increased, Israel Says
A total of 468 aid trucks entered Gaza, the highest since Israel’s war with Hamas began and up from 419 on Monday, Israel said; the United Nations gave a lower estimate and said that many of the trucks were only half full, still falling far short of the amount of aid that the enclave needs (Reuters)
The increase comes as Israel is under heightened international pressure to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip (AP)
Netanyahu Says Date Has Been Set for Rafah Offensive as Hostage Talks Continue
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a military offensive in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah had been scheduled but did not divulge the date; his announcement comes as negotiations over a potential cease-fire and hostage deal continue in Egypt (FT)
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, in Washington, said a hostage deal was difficult but “doable and therefore needs to be made” (AFP)
A Hamas official told Reuters that no progress was made at the new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo attended by delegations from Israel, Qatar, and the United States (Reuters)
Earlier on Monday, Egypt’s state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV channel quoted a senior Egyptian source as saying progress had been made in the talks after a deal was reached among participating delegations on certain issues (The Guardian).