US officials have discussed the second phase of President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a trip to Israel on Saturday. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was visiting Israel as part of a US delegation that also included Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor Aryeh Lightstone, and White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum. The Trump administration has been pushing for the start of the second phase of the 20-point peace plan, which would involve the reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
In response to the activation of a Hamas explosive device that wounded our forces today prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz instructed the elimination of the terrorist Raed Saed, head of Hamas' force buildup, the premier and the defence minister said in a joint statement. The Israeli military described Saed as one of the architects of the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
As the chapter closes on Yasser Abu Shabab, 32, the Popular Forces militia leader who appeared in Rafah during the war and was widely viewed as a collaborator with Israel, Ghassan al-Duhaini has been named his successor. Soon after Abu Shabab was killed last Thursday, reportedly during a family dispute mediation, al-Duhaini, who was said to be injured in the same altercation, appeared in a video online dressed in military fatigues and walking among masked fighters under his command.
The start of Qatar's relationship with Hamas goes back more than 10 years, he said, adding that opening the group's office in the country came at the request of the US, aiming to enhance communications with the armed group. When they [Hamas] moved their office back in 2012 here [Qatar], it was used only for communication and to facilitate ceasefires and aid to Gaza, Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the foreign minister, said. Qatar has also hosted the Taliban's political office since 2013, during the group's war with the US and the former Afghan government. The office was also established at Washington's request to create a venue for potential peace negotiations.
Despite mounting public pressure, the government is yet to open a national inquiry into the attack, which led to the devastating Gaza war. The Israeli military has dismissed several senior officers and censured others over the failure to prevent the Hamas-led attack in October 2023. The list of generals formally fired on Monday included those in charge of military intelligence, operations, and the southern command, which is responsible for Gaza.
"We are not a protectorate of the United States. Israel is the one that will decide on its security," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office as he headed into the meeting.
Right now, you just talked about Israelis killing some Palestinians, but Hamas is killing Palestinians within Gaza. And they have not returned the bodies that they promised to return, including two Americans, Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, whose families we have interviewed over these months, observed MacCallum before asking, So what is your response to what Hamas is doing now?