KEY POINTS
- LAPD intervenes amid chaotic clashes at UCLA campus
- Sister of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh released on house arrest after indictment
- Blinken told Netanyahu there are other ways to defeat Hamas in Rafah besides invasion
It's Day 208 of the Israel-Hamas war and with tensions across the Middle East remaining high, the world has refocused its attention on the Gaza Strip as talks for a ceasefire deal intensify.
Israeli State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman has just announced his office will begin an investigation into the Israeli army's failures during Hamas' shock attack in Israel on Oct. 7, and urged for cooperation from the prime minister and military chief's offices.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said the only reason a ceasefire-hostage deal not achieved is due to Hamas still insisting on its demands.
- Hezbollah claims attacks on several 'buildings' where IDF soldiers were stationed
- Jordan blasts Israeli government after aid convoys attacked by Israeli settlers
- US reportedly mulls possible refuge options for some Palestinians
- Hamas asks mediators to clarify truce provision on return of northern Gaza residents
- Rocket sirens sound in northern Israel
- Netanyahu slams ICC for considering warrants on Israeli leaders
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Blinken during their talks that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will launch a ground raid of Rafah if Hamas doesn't withdraw its demand of a complete Israeli army pullout from Gaza as part of the truce agreement.
Forces of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) continue to destroy assets belonging to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel militia in Yemen amid ensuing threats to commercial ships and coalition forces across the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden.
Back in war-torn Gaza, two Palestinian factions torn by different views may be on a path to reconciliation. China said Hamas and Fatah have expressed willingness to reconcile through dialogue following talks facilitated by the Chinese government in Beijing.
The struggle to reach a ceasefire in Gaza stems from decades of fighting in the longstanding Israel-Palestine conflict that has left thousands dead on both sides of the border, a staggering number among Palestinians.
The live update has ended.
Netanyahu blasts ICC for contemplating warrants on Israeli leaders, military officials
The Israeli prime minister on Wednesday slammed the International Criminal Court (ICC) for "contemplating issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli government and military officials as war criminals."
He said he expects the "free world" to stand against the "outrageous assault" the ICC is pinning on Israel's right to defend itself. He also said the ICC was, in the first place, established to prevent horrors that involved genocide such as the Holocaust.
Israel expects the leaders of the free world to stand firmly against the ICC outrageous assault on Israel’s inherent right of self-defense. We expect them to use all the means at their disposal to stop this dangerous move. pic.twitter.com/mZB85XbnSd
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 1, 2024
