The assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has triggered calls for retaliation from Iran and Hamas, who have blamed Israel for the attack. The brazen attack on Haniyeh in Tehran dealt a severe blow to Hamas and halted any immediate chances of a ceasefire in Gaza.
The development came as Israeli negotiators are set to resume peace talks in Qatar next week on a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. More than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in retaliation for the Hamas-led October 7 attack that killed 1,200.
Putin said Russia would be ready for such talks "tomorrow" if Ukrainian troops withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions occupied by Russia. He also demanded that Ukraine gave up its plans to join the US-led NATO alliance.
The case by South Africa comes amid international alarm over Israel's military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians have taken refuge. Earlier this year, the ICJ ordered Israel to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel’s closest allies, including the United States, have repeatedly said that Israel shouldn’t attack Rafah. The looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering there.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday begins his seventh diplomatic mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began more than six months ago. He landed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday and was greeted by officials.
Biden described Netanyahu’s approach to the war in Gaza as "a mistake" in one of his sharpest critiques of how the Israeli government is prosecuting the conflict against Hamas.
Netanyahu abruptly scrapped a visit to Washington this week by a senior delegation to discuss Israel’s threatened offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah after the US abstained in a Security Council vote that demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The US' resolution "unequivocally supports international diplomatic efforts to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire as part of a hostage release deal. The US has previously voted three resolutions at the UN draft resolutions, two of which have called for an immediate ceasefire.
Pope Francis has said that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the "white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago and that has killed tens of thousands.
After four days of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt to secure a 40-day ceasefire ahead of the Muslim fasting month there is still no sign of progress on key sticking points, with both sides blaming the other.
The initial draft of the US resolution supported a "temporary ceasefire" in the nearly five-month-long Israel-Hamas war. US Vice President Kamala Harris bluntly called out Israel for not doing enough to ease the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and demanded Hamas to agree to a six-week ceasefire.
From the Israeli side, there was no official confirmation even that its delegation was attending. One source briefed on the talks had said Israel could stay away from Cairo unless Hamas first presented a full list of hostages who are still alive.
An Israeli military spokesperson said it had no reports about shelling that allegedly killed 70 Palestinians. A quarter of Gaza's population, approximately 576,000 people, is facing starvation and the entire population desperately needs supplies as the death count crossed 30,000.
Israeli officials said Biden's comments came as a surprise and were not made in coordination with the country's leadership. A Hamas official played down any sense of progress, saying the group wouldn't soften its demands.
Biden's response came as the US President seeks to tamp down voter worries and Republican criticisms about his age and stamina by ramping up his appearances.
Hezbollah has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border after a war broke out between its Palestinian ally and Israel on October 7. The US says that Israel would be willing to halt its war on Hamas in Gaza during Ramadan if a hostage deal is reached.
Negotiators face an unofficial deadline of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan around March 10, a period that often sees heightened Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
The US has expressed concerns that a major ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement. Washington has been calling on Israel for some time to reduce civilian casualties and provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
According to three Russian sources, Putin sent signals to the US in 2023 through intermediaries for a possible cessation of the Ukraine conflict. However, these negotiations failed after the US refused to indulge in discussions without Ukraine and Moscow refused to cede occupied territory.
Top News
Latest News
