KEY POINTS
- Israel reportedly begins deploying troop carriers around Gaza ahead of Rafah ground raid
- Qatar says it is reconsidering role as a ceasefire talks mediator amid stalled discussions
- Israel will push back its Iranian response after Passover holiday, report says
The Israel-Hamas war is now on its 195th day – the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the assassination of Hamas' internal security intelligence officer in the Palestinian terror group's Beit Hanoun Battalion.
Leaders in the European Union have agreed to sanction Iran further, with the fresh sanctions specifically targeting Tehran's drone and missile program following the Iranian aerial attacks toward Israel over the weekend.
- Lufthansa extends flights suspension to Iran, Lebanon through end of April
- US slaps new sanctions on Iran, targeting drone program, steel industry, several auto companies
- UN Security Council to vote on Algerian draft text requesting for full Palestinian UN membership
- UK announces new Iran sanctions after US targets Tehran's drone program
- Hezbollah claims attack on 'gathering of Israeli soldiers'
- Hamas submits new 3-phase ceasefire proposal to mediators: Report
- US unconvinced Israel can achieve largescale evacuation of Palestinian civilians in Rafah: Report
The bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warned that the Middle East is "on the edge" of a regional war, and he said such a crisis will have a significant impact in Europe and the rest of the world.
An Iranian intelligence vessel associated with the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel Houthis has reportedly departed the Red Sea amid an impending Israeli response to the weekend rampage.
Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Thursday published footage of what it said was the drone strike in the Arab Al-Aramshe village in Galilee that resulted in over a dozen people injured Wednesday.
Back in war-torn Gaza, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), said a "man-made famine" was getting worse as infants in the northern part of the Strip were dying of dehydration and malnutrition.
Escalating tensions in the Middle East stem from the longstanding Israel-Palestine conflict that killed thousands from both sides. Palestinian civilians have suffered the brunt of the war after Hamas militants raided Israel on Oct. 7, murdering more than a thousand people and abducting over 250 hostages, of which some 130 are still in captivity.
The live update has ended.
US doubts Israel can pull-off largescale evacuation of Rafah residents: Report
Key American and Israeli officials are currently discussing Israel's planned ground raid of Rafah, The Times of Israel's U.S. bureau chief revealed in a series of posts on X, citing a U.S. official.
The Biden administration is looking to capitalize on the meetings to convince Israel to refrain from launching a mass invasion of the overcrowded city as Washington doubts Israel can actually pull of a large-scale evacuation of Palestinian civilians before it launches the incursion.
Top US and Israeli officials are holding a follow-up virtual meeting this morning to discuss a potential Israeli military operation in Rafah, a US official tells @TimesofIsrael. (1/6)
— Jacob Magid (@JacobMagid) April 18, 2024
The US is largely unconvinced that it Israel will be able to pull off such a large scale evacuation in a manner that ensures the safety of Palestinians in Rafah. (5/6)
— Jacob Magid (@JacobMagid) April 18, 2024
