US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Israeli capital, Tel Aviv. At the start of the meeting, Austin delivered a speech expressing support for Netanyahu.
Reminding them that he initiated the campaigns against ISIS, Austin said, ‘I know a lot about ISIS, and this is much worse than what I saw with ISIS.'”
Egyptian media reports that ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, are set to resume next week. Israel is awaiting Hamas’s response to the ceasefire offer.
Israeli and US delegations, who were in Doha for negotiations, have returned home for consultations. The current agreement being discussed includes the exchange of hostages and prisoners, with plans for further talks on a permanent ceasefire and the release of additional hostages.
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