Yahya Sinwar

United States lawmakers are considering imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it issues an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to US House Speaker Mike Johnson. He stated that Congress is exploring various options, including sanctions, to penalize the ICC and ensure accountability for its leadership if they proceed with the warrant.

Israel and Hamas, engaged in heavy fighting in the Gaza Strip, both angrily rejected on Monday moves to arrest their leaders for war crimes made before an international court.

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor Karim Khan said he had applied for arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders over the conflict.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Monday applied for arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Karim Khan said he was seeking warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes including "starvation", "wilful killing", and "extermination and/or murder".

Hamas has demanded a "clear written commitment" that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second of a three-phase ceasefire deal, a senior Egyptian official and a Hamas official said yesterday.

"We confirm our readiness to reach a deal regarding a serious exchange of prisoners between the two sides," Hamas said.

Amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire brokered by Qatar have hit a roadblock, with Israeli negotiators withdrawing from talks in Doha. The move comes as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meets with US officials, underlining the complex diplomatic landscape surrounding the conflict.

An Iranian official has accused Israel of orchestrating an attack on gas pipelines in Iran last week, as reported by The Times of Israel citing the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Iran's Oil Minister, Javad Owji, asserted that the aim was to disrupt gas supplies to households but claimed that Iranian authorities swiftly countered the plot, resulting in only minor damage to several pipes.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have announced a significant development in their ongoing conflict with Hamas, alleging direct financial support from Iran to the Palestinian militant group.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Egypt on Tuesday as part of his latest Middle East crisis tour, seeking a new ceasefire and "an enduring end" to the Israel-Hamas war.

In a targeted operation, the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) Givati Infantry Brigade conducted a raid on the central headquarters of Hamas's terror brigade in Khan Yunis, Gaza. The facility, located in the Al-Qadsia outpost, served as a key hub for training terrorists involved in the October 7 attack and also housed the office of Hamas leader Mohammad Sinwar, brother of Yahya Sinwar.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed the withdrawal of the 55th Brigade from Gaza on Thursday after successfully dismantling 70 tunnel shafts in the past two months. The IDF is undergoing a strategic shuffle in the Strip, with the deployment of other forces. This reorganization will leave five combat brigades in Khan Yunis, down from the previous seven.