Israel-Hamas War Day 251: What's happening in Gaza, Middle East?

The IDF denied on Thursday morning reports alleging it had conducted strikes in the Al-Mawasi humanitarian area in the southern Gaza Strip. 

"Contrary to the reports from the last few hours, the IDF did not strike in the Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi," the military said in a statement. 

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli media reported, citing Palestinian sources, that the IDF had allegedly struck via land, sea, and air in the "humanitarian area" of Al-Mawasi. 

The newest ceasefire deal may be on the verge of collapse after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assessed the situation regarding developments in Israel's north and Hamas's negative answer regarding the release of the hostages, according to a Wednesday report by KAN.

This is a developing story.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi met last week in Bahrain with counterparts from several Arab militaries to discuss regional security cooperation, according to reports from Walla and Axios on Wednesday.

In Bahrain’s capital, Manama, he met with generals from the UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, two sources with direct knowledge of the meeting informed Axios.

The meeting was held under the auspices of US Central Command commander General Erik Kurilla. Due to regional and political sensitivities surrounding the war in Gaza, it was kept low-profile and not publicly disclosed.

The US military on Wednesday urged a de-escalation in rising tensions between Israel and Lebanon, and said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin raised the matter in a call with his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday.

"We don't want to see a wider regional conflict and we do want to see a de-escalation of tensions in the region," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told a news briefing.

Hezbollah fired the most rockets it has launched at Israel in a single day since cross-border hostilities broke out eight months ago, as part of its retaliation on Wednesday for an Israeli strike which killed a senior Hezbollah field commander.

Families members of hostages are calling for the government to make a deal to release their loved ones who are being held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza on Wednesday evening at protests held at the Begin Gate in Tel Aviv, as well as in Ra'anana. 

Organizers of the protest say that there are hundreds in attendance. 

He asked to leave the bathroom, and if he didn’t knock, they locked him in the bathroom for an hour and made him relieve himself in a pot without even toilet paper.

He showered once a week, so he asked for his hair to be cut. This is just a glimpse into the harsh conditions Andrey Kozlov endured during his captivity by Hamas - until being released by the IDF on Saturday.

In an interview with N12 News, Jennifer, Kozlov’s partner, spoke out for the first time about the abuse he faced.

"They moved houses four times, Andrey, Almog, and Shlomi. In October and November, there was a severe food shortage, so they didn’t eat. They endured very severe psychological abuse, more than physical," she shared.

Yemen's Houthis targeted a Greek-owned cargo 'Tutor ship' in the Red sea, the Iran-aligned group's military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised speech on Wednesday.

The ship was hit and it is facing the danger of sinking, Saree added.

They also carried out a joint military operation with Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeting sites in Israel's Ashdod and Haifa.

Hamas said on Wednesday it has shown "full positivity" in efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement with Israel in the Gaza Strip conflict.

In a statement, the Palestinian group said it urged the US, Israel's biggest ally, to pressure Israel to accept a deal leading to a permanent ceasefire in the enclave.

Hamas said that while US officials have said Israel has accepted a ceasefire proposal outlined by President Joe Biden on May 31, "we have not heard any Israeli official confirm this acceptance."

Following extensive repairs in Ashdod, the US temporary aid pier in Gaza went back into action on Saturday, only to be closed again a day later due to rough waters, reported the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. This epitomizes the pier’s rocky journey so far, breaking apart and partially sinking only ten days into its operation in late May. 

Citing two Pentagon officials, the Washington Post estimated the cost of the repairs at $22 million.

As of Tuesday, the pier was once more open for aid, but the WSJ reports that multiple issues are impeding the success of "ambitious” plan to provide Gaza with aid via sea.