IDF intercepts Houthi missile, Hamas ready to begin new hostage deal talks

Hamas expressed its readiness to immediately start a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on points of contention in the Gaza ceasefire deal proposed by US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, the group said on Sunday in a statement.

"Hamas welcomes the ongoing Qatari and Egyptian efforts to end the war waged by the Zionist occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip. The movement affirms its readiness to immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the points of contention, ensuring relief for our people and ending the humanitarian tragedy, leading to a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of the occupation forces," the statement read.

This is a developing story.

The Israel Defense Forces released drone footage on Sunday that shows armed and masked individuals in southern Khan Yunis attacking Gaza civilians who were attempting to collect humanitarian aid.

According to the IDF, the video, captured earlier in the day, shows men throwing rocks and firing weapons at fellow Palestinians trying to retrieve looted aid packages.

“Hamas is a brutal and murderous terrorist organization that is starving the residents of Gaza,” the IDF said in an official statement.

“Hamas is doing everything in its power to prevent the successful distribution of food in Gaza.”

Opinion by war expert John Spencer.

Imagine what would have happened if Japan hadn’t agreed to surrender in 1945. Or if Germany had remained undefeated after World War II. Even after their regimes had dragged their countries into catastrophic wars—wars they started—what if the world had simply stopped fighting and walked away?

That is exactly the scenario we are confronting with Hamas today.

After October 7,the single deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Hamas is not suing for peace. It is not seeking a ceasefire in good faith. It is actively planning the next October 7. In fact, its leaders have said as much, publicly and proudly.

The goal for Hamas has never been a two-state solution or co-existence. Its charter, still unchanged, calls for the annihilation of Israel. This war, which began with Hamas’s genocidal rampage into Israeli communities, was never about land or borders. It was about survival—Hamas’s survival as a terrorist regime and political force. The moment Hamas executed on October 7, it accepted a war it could not militarily win. Yet now, it is fighting not to win militarily but to survive politically. For Hamas, mere survival is victory.

“I have instructed the IDF to continue forward in Gaza against all targets, regardless of any negotiations, and to use every means necessary to protect IDF soldiers and to eliminate and crush the Hamas murderers,” Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Sunday in an X/Twitter social media post.

On the eve of Shavuot, the IDF is intensifying its operations in Gaza, striking with full force to dismantle strongholds and clear the path for advancing ground forces, the Jerusalem Post has learned. 

“Those who slaughtered and fought us will pay the full price. Either Hamas releases the hostages, or it will be destroyed,” Katz concluded. 

Following the statements, Fatah spokesperson Munther al-Hayek has called for Hamas to step down from governing Gaza: "We told Hamas that it must withdraw from the political scene in Gaza," he said in a Sunday interview with Saudi-owned site Al Hadath.

The IDF identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory. IAF aerial defense systems intercepted the threat, the army confirmed on Sunday. 

Sirens sounded in the Jerusalem area and across central Israel. 

This is a developing story. 

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met with families of hostages whose loved ones were killed or murdered in captivity, the IDF announced on Sunday.

During the meeting, Zamir expressed deep appreciation for their honest conversation and emphasized the IDF's commitment to bringing all hostages home.

"We are currently operating in areas from which the terrorists emerged. We will act to defeat Hamas and ensure this never happens again. Returning the hostages remains a top priority — a noble and vital mission. All military operations in Gaza are fully coordinated with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. We will continue working to return the hostages and dismantle Hamas rule," Zamir stated. 

The IDF on Friday killed the terrorist Khalil Abd al-Nasser Muhammad Khatib, who commanded Hamas's Al Mawasi battalion, and was responsible for the deaths of 21 soldiers in January 2024, the military said on Sunday. 

He was killed by military aircraft during a joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet. 

Khatib commanded terrorists to launch anti-tank missiles at buildings housing IDF soldiers and at a tank crew providing cover for soldiers in the al-Mawasi area on January 22, 2024.

An indictment was filed against two Israeli citizens who transferred hundreds of tons of banned dual-use materials to the West Bank, the State Attorney's Office said on Sunday. 

These materials are used by terrorists to manufacture explosives, and, according to the indictment, the defendants conspired with West Bank residents.

This is a developing story. 

An alleged Israeli strike on an aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation killed at least 26 in Rafah, Palestinian and Hamas-affiliated media said on Sunday.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported strike.