Hamas, Israeli representatives leave Cairo; mediators' efforts 'continue': Day 216 of the Gaza war

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, in the wake of US threats over arms deliveries to its historic ally, that if Israel has to "stand alone," it will fight alone, according to a statement from his office, AFP reports.

"If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. I've said it before, if we have to, we'll fight with our fingernails," said Netanyahu, after US President Joe Biden threatened to suspend some arms deliveries to Israel if its army entered Rafah, a town in the south of the Gaza Strip.

The US State Department says the US is continuing to work to try to finalize the text of the cease-fire agreement, Reuters reports.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on an Israeli military vehicle at 8.05 p.m. at the Malkiya site opposite the Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil).

"The vehicle was hit directly, and its occupants were killed or wounded," the party statement said.

The Israeli military has the munitions it requires for operations in Rafah and other planned operations, chief armed forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari says.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi has received a phone call from United Nations chief Antonio Guterres during which they discussed the Gaza truce talks and the "huge humanitarian consequences" of an Israeli military operation in Rafah, the Egyptian presidency says..

Update from southern Lebanon: 

Israel shelled the outskirts of the village of Kfar Hammam (Hasbaya district) in the early evening, according to local residents. Several shells exploded near homes and the local clinic.

In addition, the locality of Wadi Hamoul, close to Naqoura (Sour), was targeted by four shells shortly after 7 p.m.

"The only viable solution that could bring peace to the Palestinians, security to the Israelis, and stability for the Middle East, is the two-state solution," said Sandra de Waele, European Union (EU) ambassador to Lebanon.

In a speech to mark Europe Day, de Waele said that "Lebanon cannot afford to be dragged further" into the ongoing war. She continued: "We must continue to work towards a de-escalation of the conflict and a diplomatic settlement in the South. In this context, I reiterate our call for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 by all parties."

Resolution 1701 put an end to the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, providing for the deployment of the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) forces in southern Lebanon.

Image: Credit: X/@EUAmbLebanon

⚡️ Israel has told the Gaza truce mediators of its reservations about the Hamas proposal for a hostage release agreement and says it considers this round of negotiations in Cairo to be over, Reuters quotes a senior Israeli official as saying.

The Israeli delegation is returning from the Egyptian capital, and Israel "will continue its operation in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip as planned," the official added.

Here is the latest from the Lebanese-Israeli border:

* Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a suicide drone attack against "the military command of Israeli forces" in and around the Kfar Giladi site, opposite the Lebanese village of Markaba (Marjayoun district). The party says that it wounded officers and soldiers in the attack, and it adds that the attack was launched "in retaliation for the assassination of fighters in the Lebanese town of Baflieh," east of Sour.

* Five Israeli shells hit the outskirts of Jabal Blatt near Ramaya (Bint Jbeil), according to local residents.

Donald Trump has accused Joe Biden of siding with Hamas when he threatened to stop sending US weapons to Israel as it wages war against the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, calling the president's stance "disgraceful," AFP reports. ➡️ Click here for more.

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a 5:15 p.m. Burkan missile attack on a group of Israeli soldiers near the Jal al-Alam site, opposite the Lebanese village of Naqoura (Sour).

Representatives of Palestinian Hamas and Israel have left Cairo "after two days of negotiations" aimed at securing a truce in the seven-month war in Gaza, the Al-Qahera News media, close to Egyptian intelligence, reports, according to AFP.

Efforts by Egypt and the other mediating countries, in this case Qatar and the United States, "are continuing to bring the points of view of the two parties closer together," added Al-Qahera News, citing a high-level Egyptian source.

"We don’t know where we are going to go now after the Israeli threats against Rafah, because Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah are full and there is nowhere to put our tent … We don’t know what we’re going to do" — a father displaced from northern Gaza to Rafah tells us that he doesn't know what he is going to do now. ➡️ Read his full testimony here.

The latest developments on the Lebanese-Israeli border:

* Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack carried out at 3.20 p.m. against a group of Israeli soldiers at the Jardah site, opposite the Lebanese town of Dhaira (Sour district), claiming to have caused deaths and injuries among them.

* Debris fell near the locality of Khiam (Marjayoun), as Israeli missiles intercepted a drone launched towards Israel, a security source reported. Khaim's inhabitants initially thought the falling debris was a bombardment on the town's outskirts. A security source also reported that the Israeli air force carried out an attack on a road between Khiam and Wazzani.

* Inhabitants of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) reported an Israeli air force attack on the outskirts of their village, in a wooded area.

* A security source has reported that shots were fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel's western Galilee.

The latest developments on the Lebanese-Israeli border:

* Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack carried out at 3.20 p.m. against a group of Israeli soldiers at the Jardah site, opposite the Lebanese town of Dhaira (Sour district), claiming to have caused deaths and injuries among them.

* Israel bombed the outskirts of the town of Khiam (Marjayoun), local residents reported. A security source also reported that Israeli aircraft carried out an attack on a road between Khiam and Wazzani.

* Inhabitants of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) reported an Israeli air force attack on the outskirts of their village, in a wooded area.

* A security source has reported that shots were fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel's western Galilee.

The leader of Yemen's Houthi rebels, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, has warned that his group will target the ships of any company involved in supplying or transporting goods to Israel, regardless of their destination, Reuters reports.

He said the move was in retaliation for "the Israeli aggression against Rafah" in the southern Gaza Strip.

Iran has freed seven of the 25 crew on a Portuguese-flagged ship seized in the Gulf on April 13, Portugal's Foreign Ministry says, according to AFP. 

Five Indians, a Filipino and an Estonian from the MSC Aries "have been freed today," the ministry said in a statement. Another Indian crew member had already been released.

Portugal welcomed the action but demanded the "immediate release" of the remaining 17 crew and the MSC Aries, which was seized near the Strait of Hormuz amid mounting tensions between Iran and Israel. ➡️ More details here. 

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for two strikes against Israeli positions:

* The first, at 1:23 p.m, was directed against "new technical infrastructure recently installed on the Ramia site" opposite the Lebanese village of Ramiyeh (Marjayoun). The infrastructure was destroyed, according to the party's press release.

* The second, using artillery shells, was launched at 2:15 p.m. against a "new command base" belonging to the Israeli army in Netou'a, a locality opposite Rmeish and Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).

Relaxing Turkey's ban on exports to Israel is "out of the question," though companies have three months to fulfil existing orders via third countries, a Turkish Trade Ministry source has said, Reuters reports..

In a document, which Reuters claims to have seen, the Trade Ministry outlines the three-month reprieve for companies exporting to Israel. Ankara introduced the trade ban with Israel last week.

Separately, Israel's foreign minister said today that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had retreated from his earlier position and lifted many of the trade restrictions he imposed on Israel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that the policies followed by “certain countries and institutions” since the start of the war in Gaza have “shaken faith” in the European Union.

“The policies followed by certain European countries and institutions during the war in Gaza ‘have shaken faith in European values,’ wrote the head of state in a message sent to the EU on the occasion of Europe Day.

Early this afternoon, Hezbollah announced the death of a third member, Hussein Hamdan, born in 1982, originally from Burj al-Barajneh, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, and a resident of Halloussieh, in southern Lebanon. According to information from L'Orient Today's correspondent, this is the third victim of this morning's Israeli strike in Baflieh.

With the death of Hussein Hamdan, the number of Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes since Oct. 8 has risen to 295. 

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has reported that around 80,000 people have fled Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, since May 6, when Israel ordered Palestinians living in the east of the city to evacuate.

“Since Israeli forces stepped up their operations on May 6, around 80,000 people have fled Rafah, seeking refuge elsewhere. The price these families are paying is unbearable," says UNRWA on X, pointing out that "no place is safe" in the Gaza Strip.

Following the Israeli strike on a car in Baflieh, east of Sour, which killed at least three people, Hezbollah announced the death of two of its members. While the party did not specify when or where these two men were killed, information obtained by L'Orient Today's local correspondent confirmed that they were two of the men killed in Baflieh.

They were Ali Hamzeh, born in 1958, originally from Debaal and resident in Mjadel, South Lebanon, and Ahmad Maatouk, born in 1989 and originally from Sir el-Gharbieh, also in the South.

These two deaths bring to 294 the number of Hezbollah members killed since Oct. 8 in Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Syria.

Sources close to the pro-Iranian axis in the region told Emirati media outlet The National that, despite threats from so-called “resistance” groups that an Israeli assault on Rafah would lead to regional escalation, Tehran would prefer the conflict not to spread.

“Despite recent developments, Tehran's position remains the same as it has been for the past seven months, namely a tactic of pressure and flexibility,” one of the sources told The National. “The Iranian position shows pragmatism,” added another source, who believes that “Tehran has not deviated from its orientation, except with what happened in April and its direct riposte to the attack on its diplomatic complex in Damascus. Apart from that, Iran sticks to prudence and the principle of flexibility.”

A ship carrying aid for the people of Gaza, to be unloaded via a US-built jetty off the enclave, has left Cyprus, according to shipping tracking sites consulted by Reuters. The Sagamore, which flies the US flag, left the port of Larnaca this morning. 

Gaza's Ministry of Health announced on Thursday a new death toll of 34,904 in the enclave since the start of the Israeli offensive. In the space of 24 hours, at least 60 additional deaths have been recorded, according to a statement from the ministry, which also reported 78,514 wounded in seven months of war.

The car targeted by an Israeli drone in Baflieh, east of Sour. (Photo provided by a witness to the scene to L'Orient Today's correspondent Muuntasser Abdallah)

In a statement, the Lebanese Civil Defense announced that four people had been killed in the targeted strike on a car in Baflieh. No information was yet available on their identities. “Civil Defense extinguished, at 9:25 a.m., a fire in a Rapid car targeted by an Israeli air strike on the main road in Baflieh,” the organization wrote on social networks. It said it had extracted the bodies from the vehicle and taken them to a local hospital. 

However, security sources told L'Orient Today's correspondent that the strike killed three people and that the fourth passenger in the car is hospitalized and is currently in surgery.

The situation along the Lebanese-Israeli border last night:

- Late in the evening, Hezbollah announced that at 7:50 p.m. it had launched an artillery strike against Israeli soldiers “on the move near the Ramia site” (opposite Ramieh, in the Bint Jbeil district).

- Shortly after 10 p.m., Israeli machine-gun fire targeted Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), coming from Metulla.

- During the day and evening of Wednesday, Hezbollah launched twelve strikes against Israeli positions, while Israel struck Lebanon 19 times, killing five people: Two from Hezbollah and three from the Lebanese branch of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. 

A security source told L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South that the vehicle escaped a first strike before other missiles targeted it. The car caught fire and rescue workers from al-Rissala Scouts organization (affiliated to the Amal Movement) went to the scene to extinguish the fire and extract the victims from the vehicle.

According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, this is the first time a strike has hit Baflieh. 

In southern Lebanon, the day began with a targeted Israeli drone strike on a car in Baflieh, northeast of Sour, carrying three people, according to residents and a security source. It was not immediately possible to confirm whether the three passengers were killed in the strike. 

In Cairo, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, via mediating countries (Qatar, Egypt and the United States), resumed on Wednesday in an attempt to reach a compromise on a truce and avoid an assault on Rafah. The Al-Qahera News media, close to Egyptian intelligence, reported a “convergence” of views on certain points.

In Jerusalem, Benjamin Netanyahu met CIA Director William Burns on Wednesday to discuss a possible “pause” in military operations in the southern Gaza Strip in exchange for hostage releases, according to an Israeli official.

On Monday, a few hours before the deployment of Israeli troops at Rafah, Hamas had given the green light to a proposal put forward by the mediators. Israel responded that the proposal was “far from its demands” and repeated its opposition to a definitive ceasefire until Hamas was defeated.

The closure of border crossings and military operations at Rafah has raised fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.

Hospitals in southern Gaza had only “three days of fuel” left on Wednesday, “which means they could soon cease to function,” warned the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

A British emergency doctor, James Smith, on mission in southern Gaza, described a “catastrophic” health situation and the smell of sewage “omnipresent” in hospitals, many of which have been ravaged by fighting and strikes.

A senior US official confirmed on condition of anonymity that last week a transfer to Israel of “1,800 2,000 lb (907 kg) bombs and 1,700 500 lb (226 kg) bombs” used during the war was suspended.

Earlier this week, the Israeli army deployed tanks in Rafah and took control of the border crossing with Egypt, cutting off the main gateway for humanitarian aid convoys to the besieged Palestinian territory.

The other crossing point near Rafah, Kerem Shalom on the Israeli side, closed on Sunday after shootings claimed by Hamas, was targeted on Wednesday by rocket fire shortly after it reopened, according to the army.

Reacting to Joe Biden's remarks, Israel's ambassador to the UN told Israeli public radio on Thursday that the US threat was “hard to hear and very disappointing.”

“This is a very hard-to-hear and disappointing statement from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war,” Gilad Erdan told Israel Public Radio. “It's quite clear that any pressure on Israel, any restriction imposed on it, even from close allies concerned with our interests, is interpreted by our enemies” and “gives them hope,” he added.

The United States threatened for the first time to halt arms transfers to Israel in the event of a major offensive at Rafah.

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza because of” American bombs," acknowledged President Joe Biden, in an interview with CNN, during which he for the first time laid down conditions for military aid to Israel, a close US ally.

“If they go into Rafah, I'm not going to give them the weapons that have always been used ... against cities,” said Biden as the Israeli army said it was preparing a “limited” offensive in Rafah, prompting UN fears of a “bloodbath.”

The situation in Gaza this morning:

The Israeli army is still shelling the besieged Palestinian enclave. Shortly after midnight, an AFP team reported heavy artillery fire in Rafah, on the southern tip of the Gaza Strip. Israel announced strikes against “Hamas positions” in the center of the Palestinian territory ravaged by seven months of war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still threatening to launch a ground offensive on Rafah, where Israel believes the last battalions of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas are hiding, but where 1.4 million Palestinians, most of them displaced by the war, are also crowded.

Be sure to read the Morning Brief so you are caught up on what has been happening. 

Morning Brief

Five killed in southern Lebanon, public insurer costs, bombardment of Rafah continues: Everything you need to know to start your Thursday

Good morning!

Thank you for joining us for our live coverage of the ongoing war in Gaza and its regional and global impacts.