The Middle East crisis

The Middle East crisis  The Gaza war
Leaks from Netanyahu's circle shake Israel - may have sabotaged the hostages

Secret Israeli government documents are reported to have been leaked, undermining efforts to free the hostages. Now a group working for their release demands that the data be investigated, writes AFP.

Yesterday, an Israeli court announced that Eliezer Feldstein, former adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, and three others were arrested for leaking the documents to foreign media.

The opposition has raised the question of whether Netanyahu himself was involved in the leak. Critics have long accused the prime minister of sabotaging the peace talks and prolonging the war to appease the extremist parties in the ruling coalition. The Office of the President has rejected the accusations.

57-year agreement is torn up - Israel cuts ties with UNRWA

Israel has formally notified the UN that it is cutting all ties with UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees. This is reported by AFP.

Last week, UNRWA was banned from operating within the country's borders, which in practice means an end to the UN agency's ability to assist Palestinians in, among other places, Gaza and the occupied West Bank. A united UN Security Council has previously directed sharp criticism at the decision.

UNRWA has been active in Gaza and the West Bank since 1967, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced in the six-day war in which Israel took control of Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel claims that aid can be distributed through other organizations but observers have pointed to the lack of alternatives to UNRWA.

................................

The Middle East crisis Israel-Iran
Diplomats say Iran is planning a strong response

Iran is planning a "powerful and complex" attack on Israel in response to the October 26 airstrikes. This is according to diplomats in the region who have been given access to the plans, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Among other things, stronger and more advanced robots than before can be used. However, the newspaper writes that Iran's air defenses are in awe after Israel's attack and that it remains to be seen what truth there is behind the words, or whether they are empty threats.

According to an Iranian source, the retaliation is to take place after Tuesday's American election, not before as some earlier information claimed.