Middle East crisis

Israel-Syria Relations
Israeli attack on weapons depot in Syria

Israel has carried out an airstrike in western Syria. This is stated by both the Israeli military and Syrian state media, reports TT.

It is the first attack of its kind in Syria in almost a month, and takes place since Damascus announced indirect talks with Israel earlier in May.

According to Israel, the attack was aimed at a weapons depot. One civilian is said to have been killed.

Gaza War
Last open hospital in northern Gaza forced to close

The last functioning hospital in northern Gaza has closed. The World Health Organization announces this after the Israeli military IDF ordered the evacuation of the building, reports Sky News.

Last week, the IDF issued an evacuation order for large parts of northern Gaza. Al-Awda Hospital was not included, but has been surrounded and shelled in recent days, Rami al-Ashrafi tells AP.

In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Israel's military operations and evacuations are "straining the health system beyond breaking point."

Hamas' response: We can release hostages - but have new demands

Hamas agrees to release ten live Israeli hostages and return 18 bodies, in exchange for an unknown number of Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel and a 60-day ceasefire coming into effect. The Guardian reports.

This is in line with the US proposal that Israel has previously accepted. The US proposal would have taken place in two phases, but Hamas instead wants it to take place in three phases. In addition, the terrorist group wants Gaza residents to be allowed to cross the Rafah border crossing.

This is said to have been conveyed to US envoy Steve Witkoff via mediators.

An Israeli source tells Haaretz that Israel will most likely say no to the new conditions.

– They have drawn up their own proposal, the source says.

Hamas response: We can release hostages – but have new demands

Hamas agrees to release ten live Israeli hostages and return 18 bodies, in exchange for an unknown number of Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel and for a 60-day ceasefire to come into effect. The Guardian reports.

This is in line with the US proposal that Israel has previously accepted. The US proposal would have taken place in two stages, but Hamas instead wants it to take place in three stages. In addition, the terrorist group wants Gaza residents to be allowed to cross the Rafah border crossing.

This is said to have been conveyed to US envoy Steve Witkoff via mediators.

An Israeli source tells Haaretz that Israel will most likely say no to the new conditions.

– They have drawn up their own proposal, says the source.

Witkoff rages against Hamas' new demands: "Unacceptable"

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff criticizes Hamas after the group said it was ready to release hostages to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza but at the same time made new demands. According to Haaretz, he calls Hamas' response to the previous American proposal "completely unacceptable".

Witkoff says that Hamas' demands are taking the process backwards rather than forwards.

– Hamas should accept the proposal we have put forward as a basis for negotiations. 

West Bank
Israel blocks foreign ministerial meeting in West Bank

The foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan were planning to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday.

Now Israel is stopping the planned meeting in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Reuters reports. According to an Israeli official, the meeting was intended to discuss the establishment of a Palestinian state and calls it “provocative.”

– Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of Israel, says the official.

The canceled meeting is taking place ahead of an international conference in New York on June 17, which France and Saudi Arabia have called for, where the issue of a Palestinian state will be raised.