KEY POINTS
- France warned citizens against traveling to Middle Eastern countries where tensions are high
- Australia expressed concern over "indications" Iran is preparing for military action against Israel
- China's Wang Yi told US to play "constructive role" in the Middle East in talks with US' Antony Blinken
The war in Gaza is now on its 189th day with little signs the warring sides are closing in on a ceasefire. The U.S. is expecting Iran to retaliate against Israel following the suspected Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate annex building in the Syrian capital that killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, including a top general.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday announced the assassination of Radwan Muhammad Abdullah Radwan, Hamas' head of internal security in the Jabalia area.
- Israeli army drops leaflets in Rafah, urging residents to help with information on hostages
- Iran's retaliatory attack against Israel may occur as soon as Friday: Report
- EU sanctions Hamas' military wings, elite Nukhba Force over Oct. 7 sexual violence
- Netanyahu intentionally torpedoing hostage deal to stay in power: Labor leader
- India advises citizens to not travel to Iran, Israel until further notice
- Joint IDF, Shin Bet, MGB forces eliminate Hamas' commander in Tubas
Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel Houthis claimed to have attacked Israeli and American ships on Thursday, one of them a battleship, as per Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sare'e.
Another Iran-backed terror group and Hamas ally, Hezbollah, said it attacked the "Zibdeen" base of the Israeli army in the disputed Shebaa Farms amid continuing fire exchanges between Israeli troops and the powerful Lebanon-based militant organization.
Despite mounting pressure to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained unmoved, saying Israel will pursue its goal of eliminating Hamas.
U.S. President Joe Biden has said Netanyahu was making a "mistake" in the latter's handling of the war that stems from the violent history of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Back in Gaza, the first food aid trucks have entered the devastated Strip through a new northern crossing opened by Israel amid increasing pressure from the global community to facilitate more aid for hungry civilians in the war-torn enclave.
The live update has ended.
Hamas' Tubas chief eliminated: IDF
Muhammad Omar Daraema, whom the Israeli army said was Hamas' commander in Tubas, a city in the northeastern West Bank, was assassinated Thursday night by joint IDF, Shin Bet and MGB (Israeli border police) forces, the IDF said Friday.
The Hamas divisional commander is said to be a "central Hamas operative in the area" who promoted "significant terrorist acts against Israel in recent months."
India advises citizens not to travel to Iran, Israel
Following warnings from Russia and France on its citizens to refrain from traveling to the Middle East due to tensions in the region, India has also advised the public not to travel to Iran and Israel "until further notice."
Indians currently in Iran and Israel have also been urged to reach out to the respective embassies in the said countries, register themselves, and "restrict their movements to the minimum."
Travel advisory for Iran and Israel:https://t.co/OuHPVQfyVp pic.twitter.com/eDMRM771dC
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 12, 2024
Netanyahu sabotaging hostage deal to keep his post: Labor leader
Israel's Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli on Friday accused the Israeli prime minister of "preventing the deal for the return of our abductees." She said time is running out but "Netanyahu continues to torpedo the deal in order to stay in power," as per a Google translation of her post on X.
Michaeli said the hostages would have returned but the Netanyahu government has repeatedly proven that it is not an administration that seeks Israel's interests but "it is the government of destruction and death."
There are still over 130 hostages in Gaza, and nearly three dozen of them are believed dead.
EU sanctions Hamas military wings over Oct. 7 sexual violence
The European Union on Friday placed Hamas' military and special forces wings on its human rights sanctions list for widespread sexual and gender-based violence during the Palestinian terror group's Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.
Hamas has already been sanctioned by the bloc, but this time, the EU made it specific that the Al-Qassam and Al-Quds Brigades, and the elite Nukhba Force are now prohibited from traveling to the EU and their assets in the bloc have been frozen.
Iran attack against Israel may include over 100 drones: Report
Iran's retaliation against Israel for the bombing that killed IRGC generals last week may include over a hundred drones and dozens of missiles, CBS News reported Friday, citing two U.S. officials.
The officials said the attack may be carried out as early as Friday and could be aimed at military targets, as per the report. While the officials believe Iran may still opt for a small-scale attack to prevent tensions from escalating further, revenge is imminent, they said.
IDF drops leaflets in Rafah, urging Gazans to provide intel on hostages
The Israeli army on Friday distributed leaflets across Rafah, a city with over a million Palestinian civilians, asking for information about 35 hostages, Israel's national broadcaster Kan reported.
"Look carefully around you; the abductees may be close to you. If you want to protect your families and secure your future, don't hesitate. Provide us with any piece of information regarding the abductees or whoever holds them," a statement on the leaflets says, as per a Google translation.
דיווחים פלסטיניים: צה"ל פיזר כרוזים בשמי רפיח עם תמונות של 35 מהחטופים והכיתוב: "הסתכלו היטב סביבכם, ייתכן שהחטופים נמצאים קרוב אליכם. אם אתם רוצים לשמור על משפחותיכם ולהבטיח את עתידכם, אל תהססו, ציידו אותנו בכל פריט מידע בנוגע לחטופים או למי שמחזיק בהם"@OmerShahar123 pic.twitter.com/plLZoZ18p9
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 12, 2024
New northern crossing facilitates first aid deliveries
The first humanitarian food aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip Thursday through the new northern crossing that Israel opened, the IDF said Friday.
This comes amid increasing calls from the international community for Israel to allow more aid to enter the devastated enclave, particularly in the north where aid organizations said famine was looming.
The first humanitarian aid trucks transporting food entered through the new Northern Crossing from Israel into Gaza yesterday in coordination with @cogatonline , as part of efforts to enhance the humanitarian aid corridors to Gaza in general, and to the north in particular.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 12, 2024
The… pic.twitter.com/YumjhIT47V
China urged US to play 'constructive role' in Middle East
China's Wang urged Washington to play a "constructive role" in tension-packed Middle East during a call he held with the U.S. Secretary of State Friday. Blinken, for his part in the discussion, urged China to use its influence to ask Iran not to attack Israel.
Australia says 'deeply concerned' of 'indications' Iran will attack Israel
Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said the country is "deeply concerned by indications Iran is preparing military action against Israel." She revealed in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) that she has spoken with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and urged Iran to "use its influence in the region to promote stability" instead of contributing to the escalation of tensions.
She also called on Iran to "push Hamas" to agree to an immediate ceasefire and release some 130 hostages still being held in Gaza.
Australia is deeply concerned by indications Iran is preparing military action against Israel.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) April 11, 2024
Tonight I spoke to Iran’s Foreign Minister @Amirabdolahian to urge Iran to use its influence in the region to promote stability, not contribute to escalation.
France advises citizens against traveling to Middle East
France has warned its citizens against traveling to the following countries in the Middle East in the following days due to "the risks of a military escalation" in the region: Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
#TravelAdvice |🔴 In view of the risks of a military escalation in the #MiddleEast, Foreign Minister @steph_sejourne endorsed the following measures in a crisis meeting ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/0F6KjXI8mE
— France Diplomacy 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@francediplo_EN) April 12, 2024
Russia previously warned its citizens against traveling to the region amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.
Hezbollah claims attack on IDF base in Shebaa Farms
Iran-backed Hezbollah on Thursday claimed to have attacked what it called was the "Zibdeen Barracks" of the Israeli army in the Shebaa Farms, a disputed vast farmland in the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The IDF has yet to deny or confirm the claim, but the parties have been exchanging fire since the Israel-Hamas war started after Hezbollah pledged solidarity with Hamas.
Houthis claim attack on American warship
Sare'e said late Thursday that the Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel militia attacked two "Israeli ships and two American ships, one of them a warship." It is unclear what time the "military operations" were carried out against the vessels.
The U.S. military and Israel have yet to confirm the claim, but the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors maritime activity in Middle Eastern waters, said it did not receive any security alerts in the region between Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon.
UKMTO DAILY SUMMARY
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) April 11, 2024
1600UTC 10 Apr 2024 to 1600UTC 11 Apr 2024 https://t.co/QfXfiMSKkU… #MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/qsad095nsG
Hamas' Jabalia internal security chief eliminated
Radwan was killed in an airstrike in a joint operation by the Israeli army and Israel's security agency Shin Bet Thursday night, the IDF announced Friday.
Aside from being the head of Hamas' internal security operations in Jabalia, Radwan also allegedly served as an operative in Hamas' military arm, the notorious Al-Qassam Brigades.
US expects Iran to attack Israel
The U.S. predicts an attack by Iran against Israel, but such an attack is unlikely to be huge enough to get Washington dragged into a new war front, Reuters reported late Thursday, citing a U.S. official.
The prediction comes amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel after the killing of two generals – one of them a top official in the IRGC – in a bombing of the Iranian consulate annex in Damascus last week that Tehran blamed on Israel. Five other IRGC members were killed in the said attack.
While Israel did not deny or confirm that it was behind the attack, Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel is prepared to attack and defend following Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's warning that Israel "will be punished."
