Hamas reportedly ready to hand Gaza to PA, hostage negotiation team to head to Cairo
War cabinet to meet Monday at 6 p.m. • Rubio makes first visit to Israel • IDF to reveal Oct. 7 probes
Hamas ready to hand Gaza to PA, sources say - report
Hamas expressed that they are ready to hand the Gaza Strip over to the Palestinian Authority, sources told Sky News Arabic, a Sunday night report showed.
The sources reportedly explained that Hamas said that any of their government employees would be "re-absorbed into the new administration. Or that they retire, with a guarantee that their salaries be paid."
Go to the full article >>US Middle East Envoy informs Egypt phase two of negotiations has begun - report
US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff informed Egypt that negotiations for phase two of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas have begun, according to sources close to the Arabic channel Al Ghad, the channel reported on Sunday night.
The sources also reportedly mentioned that Witkoff clarified that the second phase would include 19 living soldiers who were kidnapped, as well as Hamas returning the kidnapped bodies.
The negotiations will also define the positions of both sides to reach an agreement to end the war.
Go to the full article >>War cabinet to meet at Kirya Monday evening
Israel's war cabinet will be held on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post.
Go to the full article >>IDF to present Oct. 7 probes starting Feb. 25
According to the IDF, controversially, Halevi will not lay specific blame publicly on individual officers in the written reports.
The IDF will present the lion’s share of its probes into the October 7 disaster between February 25 and March 4, with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi being replaced by incoming chief Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir on March 5.
Halevi and the military have also called for a state commission of inquiry to address broader issues about Israel’s security failures, including decisions by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the premier has indefinitely postponed such a probe, concerned about its impact on his political standing.
According to the IDF, controversially, Halevi will not lay specific blame publicly on individual officers in the written reports.
Go to the full article >>'There will be no nuclear Iran,' Rubio says next to Netanyahu
Rubio said that he agreed with Netanyahu that Iran was the "single greatest source of instability" in the Middle East.
Israel and the United States are working in full cooperation on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that also covered Iran and the Lebanon ceasefire.
Thanking Rubio for "unequivocal backing" for Israel's policy in Gaza, Netanyahu said Israel and the United States, under US President Donald Trump, shared a common strategy in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire is in effect between Israel and Hamas terrorists after 15 months of war.
"I want to assure everyone who's now listening to us that President Trump and I are working in full cooperation and coordination between us," he said.
Go to the full article >>Israeli government finalizes appointment of Eyal Zamir as new IDF chief
Zamir is somewhat unusual for an IDF chief given that his military background is in tank command, but his top posts in the later years of his resume made him a favorite from the start of the race.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday announced that the government has given final approval for Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir to replace IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi.
This comes after the vetting committee led by former chief justice Asher Grunis approved him last week.
Although usually, the vetting committee process is a mere technicality to ensure that there are no unforeseen legal problems with top government appointees, occasionally, the process has uncovered an issue and derailed a candidacy.
Zamir was announced as Halevi’s replacement earlier in February.
Go to the full article >>Iran navigates regional changes amid rising tensions in Lebanon and Syria - analysis
“Given the special status of Syria in the Middle East, Iran believes that the Syrian future should be shaped by its nation," a senior Iranian official said.
Iran is weighing its response to changing events in Lebanon and Syria. In Lebanon, pro-Hezbollah rioters have sought to block a road to an airport after flights from the Islamic Republic were halted, as the terror group wants to resupply itself with the money and backing of Tehran.
In Syria, Iran has lost its influence and is looking to claw some of it back.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Rajji, in a telephone conversation, where they “discussed bilateral ties and regional developments, including ways to resolve the issue of passenger flights between the two countries,” Iran’s IRNA state media said over the weekend.
Go to the full article >>Yair Lapid: President Trump, Rubio are committed to bringing the hostages home
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his trip to Israel on Sunday.
He said following the meeting, "We must bring everyone home. The administration is committed to this. The President is committed to this, and Secretary of State Rubio is committed to this."
Marco Rubio met with President Isaac Herzog and Gideon Sa'ar
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and President Isaac Herzog on Sunday.
'There will be no nuclear Iran,' Rubio says next to Netanyahu
Thanking Rubio for "unequivocal backing" for Israel's policy in Gaza, Netanyahu said Israel and the United States, under President Donald Trump, shared a common strategy in Gaza.
Israel and the United States are working in full cooperation on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that also covered Iran and the Lebanon ceasefire.
Thanking Rubio for "unequivocal backing" for Israel's policy in Gaza, Netanyahu said Israel and the United States, under President Donald Trump, shared a common strategy in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire is in effect between Israel and Hamas terrorists after 15 months of war.
"I want to assure everyone who's now listening to us that President Trump and I are working in full cooperation and coordination between us," he said.
Go to the full article >>Israel at war: What you need to know
- Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza.
- Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 at the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities.
- 73 hostages remain in Gaza.
- 49 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says.
- The IDF launched a ground invasion of Lebanon on September 30.
- The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire came into effect on November 27 at 4:00 a.m.
- Netanyahu confirmed the first phase of the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire on January 17, 2025
- 735 terrorists will be released as part of the hostage deal