Yoav Gallant

Israel was on alert Thursday after its arch-foe Iran threatened reprisals over a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals, and as the war against Hamas ground on in Gaza.

Israel and Hamas both dampened hopes on Monday of a speedy breakthrough in Cairo talks towards a Gaza truce and hostage release deal after Egyptian state-linked media had reported "significant progress".

Efforts to broker a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip have shown signs of progress, with Egypt reporting advancements in negotiations between the two sides. However, the Israeli army has issued a cautionary statement, emphasizing that the withdrawal from the city of Khan Younis does not mark the end of military operations in the region.

Israeli leaders were preparing Monday for military operations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah, where most of the Palestinian territory's population has fled after six months of fighting.

Talks in Cairo aimed at brokering a truce have made "significant progress", with more negotiations expected in the coming days, Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera reported Monday.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are set to speak on Thursday in their first phone call since an Israeli strike on a humanitarian convoy killed seven aid workers in Gaza.

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.

A first boat loaded with 200 tonnes of food aid was making slow progress towards the Gaza Strip on Thursday as efforts grew to bring more humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian territory besieged by Israel.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah said Tuesday it launched over 100 rockets at Israeli military positions in retaliation for a strike on the country's east that killed one person the day before.

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.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the operational situation at the IDF's Southern Command HQ on Sunday. During the briefing, he remarked that Gazans are losing confidence in their leaders. The commanders provided updates on operational activities in Gaza, particularly focusing on operations near Nasser Hospital.