Israel sees a „last chance” for a hostage deal before the attack on Rafah
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New speculation about hostage deal – “Netanyahu feels forced to act”
WELT TV correspondent Max Hermes says that between 20 and 33 hostages from Hamas kidnappers may be released. Meanwhile, the US military has begun building a temporary dock for aid delivery on the coast of the Gaza Strip, according to the Department of Defense.
In Tel Aviv, negotiators are discussing the possibility of releasing Israeli hostages in Gaza. Various media outlets in the region reported that the chances are good. An Islamic state wants to pressure Hamas.
IAccording to media reports, Israel sees the latest efforts at a ceasefire and hostage agreement in the Gaza war as a „last chance” before the planned attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. A senior Israeli official said talks between Egyptian and Israeli representatives in Tel Aviv on Friday were “very good” and focused.
It seems that the Egyptians are ready to pressure the Islamic movement Hamas to reach an agreement. Progress was made in all areas in the talks, The Times of Israel cited related reports late Friday evening. The state-owned Cairo News Channel had previously reported significant progress.
The Israeli official was quoted as saying that Israel will not allow Hamas, especially its leader in Gaza, Jihya Sinwar, to delay the hostage deal to prevent the planned military attack in Rafah. A few days ago, the army mobilized two additional reserve brigades.
Initially, a limited agreement was reached with Hamas
Sinwar is considered the planner of the massacre that Israel witnessed on October 7 of last year, as a result of which about 1,200 Israelis were killed, and about 250 people were displaced to Gaza. It is believed to be located in tunnels under Rafah.
The Times of Israel quoted the unnamed Israeli government official as saying: “This is the last chance before we go to Rafah.” “Either an agreement in the near future or Rafah.” Israel wants to destroy the last remaining Hamas brigades in the southern Gaza City bordering Egypt. According to Israeli media, Egypt wants to reach an agreement to avoid the attack in Rafah. Egypt fears that Palestinians will cross the border in large numbers.
On the other hand, Hamas said that it had received an official response from Israel to the position of the extremist Palestinian Islamic organization in the ceasefire talks. Deputy Head of the Hamas Political Bureau in the Gaza Strip, Khalil Al-Hayya, said in a statement that the letter will be studied and a response will be provided.
New speculation about hostage deal – “Netanyahu feels forced to act”
WELT TV correspondent Max Hermes says that between 20 and 33 hostages from Hamas kidnappers may be released. Meanwhile, the US military has begun building a temporary dock for aid delivery on the coast of the Gaza Strip, according to the Department of Defense.
Source: WELT TV / Max Hermes
In Rafah, hundreds of thousands sought refuge to escape the fighting in the rest of the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli media, the recent talks between Egyptian and Israeli representatives were initially about a limited agreement with Hamas, under which only some women, the elderly, and the sick hostages would be released.
Hamas rejected an American proposal to release 40 of those kidnapped. According to her, there should not be a large number of hostages who fall into these categories alive. Hamas calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, which the Israeli government rejects.
According to official media reports, a helicopter belonging to the Iranian presidential fleet was involved in an accident. President Ibrahim Raisi was on board the plane.
Update from May 19, 10:46 p.m.: The area suspected to be the site of Ibrahim Raisi’s helicopter crash is said to be 20 square kilometres. The Iranian Red Crescent announced this via Telegram on Sunday evening. Deploying rescue workers searching the area is said to have become more difficult. Some rain in the area turned to snow, further hampering the progress of rescue workers. According to reports, the Iranian army was able to locate the signal issued by the helicopter. However, the situation is still unclear.
Update from May 19, 10:20 p.m.: After Iranian President Raisi’s helicopter crash, the media situation remains ambiguous. “We are 3 hours away from one of the possible sites of the presidential helicopter crash,” the deputy head of the Iranian Red Crescent said on Telegram.
Army claims to have located key helicopter – 'hoping for good news’
Update from May 19. 9:51 PM: It appears that the Iranian army was able to determine the exact location of the helicopter in which the Iranian president is said to be located. This was reported by the American CNN network, citing the Iranian news agency IRNA. Emergency services were able to locate a signal from the helicopter and a passenger’s cell phone. The IRNA news agency quoted the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the East Azerbaijan region as saying, “Military forces are on their way to the site and are awaiting good news.”
Iraniantreasury It’s likely to happen urgent meeting together
Update from May 19, 9:32 p.m.: The Iranian Cabinet met with President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in an emergency meeting in light of the helicopter crash. The official IRNA news agency reported that First Vice President Mohammad Mujbar chaired the meeting late in the evening. Therefore, further procedures for the rescue operation were initiated. In the event of Raisi’s death, Mujbar becomes prime minister according to protocol.
65 rescue teams are now participating in the search for the helicopter crew, including the Iranian Armed Forces.
Raisi’s fate is unclear after the helicopter accident – Türkiye sends help
Update from May 19, 8:45 p.m.: The Turkish Civil Protection Agency (AFAD) announced that Iran has requested assistance from Turkey in searching for President Ibrahim Raisi. At Iran’s request, a helicopter with night vision capabilities was sent, as the authority announced on the X website (formerly Twitter). In addition, six vehicles and a search team of 32 climbers were sent.
Update from May 19, 8:30 p.m.: Several Iranian sources reported that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter had been found. The Iranian Red Crescent has now denied these reports. She added, according to Iranian media, that “searches have not succeeded so far.”
Possible helicopter crash in Iran: Iraq offers help in search for Raisi
Update from May 19, 8:00 p.m.: A senior official in the Iranian presidential office said, according to the news agency KnightAfter the helicopter accident of President Ibrahim Raisi, two of the helicopter passengers were contacted several times. “This shows that the accident was not very serious,” the representative told the agency.
Update from May 19, 7:25 p.m.: After the disappearance of a helicopter apparently carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, neighboring Iraq offered to help in the search. Government spokesman Bassem Al-Awadi said on Sunday that Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani had instructed the Ministry of Interior, the Iraqi Red Crescent and “other relevant authorities” to provide all available resources to Iran to search for the presidential helicopter.
More than 40 Rescue teams Requests helicopter from Main
Update from May 19, 7:05 p.m.: According to an Iranian government spokesman, there are currently no new developments to report in the search and rescue operations of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter. The news agency quoted him as saying: “We find ourselves in difficult and complex circumstances.” Tasneem. The spokesman continued: “We now need prayers, patience and trust in rescue workers.”
Update from May 19, 6:55 p.m.: More than 40 teams are participating in the search and rescue operation for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian media reported, citing authorities. Meanwhile, in addition to fog, heavy rain was also reported in the accident area. This makes rescue work more difficult.
Update from May 19, 6:10 p.m.: According to Israeli Radio Kisheth 12 Diplomatic sources in Western countries believe that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi did not survive the helicopter accident. An Iranian official told the news agency Reutersthat although they are „optimistic”, the news from the crash site is „extremely worrying”. The source said that the lives of the president and the foreign minister “are in danger.” It appears that Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian was also on the plane.
Update from May 19, 4:30 p.m.: Iranian moreThe news agency had reported that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was in good condition and was heading to Tubrus in a motorcade. However, the agency later deleted this message. Iranian sources mostly reported that the search for the head of state’s helicopter was continuing. Images from the area show very dense fog. This makes rescue operations more difficult, according to Iranian media. Sources close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard asked the Iranian people to pray for the president’s health.
The first report: TEHRAN – The fate of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has become unclear after an “accident” involving a helicopter in the Iranian presidential fleet on Sunday. Iranian state television stated, „Unconfirmed reports indicate that a helicopter carrying President Raisi was involved in an accident in East Azerbaijan Province.” Rescue workers are on a mission to find the helicopter, but weather conditions are bad due to heavy fog in the mountainous area.
The official Iranian news agency Erna I later reported that Raisi and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian were among the passengers in the helicopter. Raisi visited East Azerbaijan Province in northwestern Iran on Sunday (May 19). There, together with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, he opened a dam on the border between the two countries.
Raisi, 63 years old, has been president of the Islamic Republic of Iran since the summer of 2021. (LRG/AFP)
Despite heavy losses in the Ukraine war: Russia is sticking to its attack on Kharkiv. But NATO does not believe in the possibility of achieving a breakthrough on the front.
Kharkiv – With tanks, drones and tens of thousands of soldiers: The Russian army has been bombing the Kharkiv region for weeks in its aggressive war on Ukraine. Attackers also specifically exploit some weaknesses in defenses. However, Western military observers do not currently expect Putin’s forces to march through Ukraine’s second-largest city. NATO confirmed this.
Kharkiv offensive in the Ukrainian war: NATO doubts the Russian army’s ability to penetrate it
The Commander-in-Chief of NATO forces in Europe, Christopher Cavoli, said, according to what the news agency reported, “The Russians do not have the military power necessary to achieve a strategic breakthrough.” dpa. Russia with Kharkiv attack He added that they are capable of achieving local successes – and “that is what they did.” But heavy losses were also suffered at the front in the Ukrainian war. But more cannot be expected. Because the Russian army lacks the “skills and ability” to do so, according to the military expert.
Despite losses in the Ukraine war: Russian forces have made some gains in the territories near Kharkiv
In the ongoing aggressive war against Ukraine for more than two years, Russia has recently increasingly targeted the area around the city of Kharkiv. Last March, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces massed more than 30,000 troops in the east of the country and launched an offensive. Several villages were captured and the defenders had to evacuate other communities. Although he suffered Russia is still suffering heavy losses. However, ground gains have increased in recent days as the attackers faced poorly fortified defenses – a circumstance that Putin’s forces appear to have deliberately sought to exploit.
In fact, the Ukrainian defense lines on this part of the front against a possible Kharkiv attack were rather weak. This was brought by the British guardian. The newspaper quoted Ukrainian commander Denis Yaroslavsky as saying that in Vovchansk, less than 65 kilometers northwest of Kharkiv, “there was simply no first line of defense and no mines.” In addition, the Ukrainian units in this area were not combat ready.
Air alert in Kharkiv: Zelensky describes the situation on the front as “difficult”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted after a meeting of the War Cabinet that the situation in the Kharkiv region is “very difficult.” He had previously traveled near the New Front on Thursday (16 May) and consulted with his military officers there. Shortly after that, the weather alert for the eastern regions of Ukraine began. The Russian army bombed the city of Kharkiv with drones for more than 16 hours. This was one of the longest air raid warnings since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression. However, the situation is “under control,” Zelensky promised.
The defenders now hope to obtain supplies of weapons. After more than two years of fighting, ammunition supplies have been exhausted in recent months. But the US Congress recently approved the delivery of new arms shipments to Ukraine. Large quantities of ammunition, short-range air defense systems and new armored vehicles are now scheduled to be brought to the front. (jkf)
Netanyahu must present a plan, otherwise Minister Gantz will threaten to withdraw from the government
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Massive protests against Netanyahu in Israel again
Massive demonstrations took place again against Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel. The demonstrators accuse the government of abandoning Hamas hostages. Meanwhile, Benny Gantz, a minister in the Israeli war cabinet, threatened to resign from the government.
Benny Gantz called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to present a plan for the post-war order in the Gaza Strip by June 8. If Gantz carries out his threat, it could have far-reaching consequences for the Israeli government.
BEni Gantz, a minister in the Israeli war cabinet, threatened to resign from the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The politician said Saturday evening in Tel Aviv that if the prime minister does not present a plan for the post-war regime in the Gaza Strip by June 8, he and other members of the National Union Party will leave the government.
Among other things, Gantz called for the establishment of an alternative American-European-Arab-Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip, which under no circumstances could be Hamas or Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In addition, hostages from Gaza must be returned and relations with Saudi Arabia must be normalized. Gantz also called for adopting the concept of military service for all Israelis. “Prime Minister Netanyahu, I look you in the eye this evening and say – the choice is in your hands.”
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The 64-year-old politician joined Netanyahu’s government as a minister without portfolio and a member of the war cabinet after the unprecedented attack by Hamas and other terrorist groups on October 7. In doing so, the participants wanted to send a signal of unity. The centrist party, the National Union, led by Gantz, stands in opposition. Opinion polls indicate that she is currently ahead by a large margin over the Likud Party led by Netanyahu.
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Netanyahu’s office said that Gantz’s demands would mean a defeat for Israel, the handover of the majority of hostages, Hamas remaining in power, and the establishment of a Palestinian state, according to media reports. Netanyahu believes that forming an emergency government is important to achieve all the goals of the war, including the return of all hostages.
Brexit could lead to a government crisis
Israel is under international criticism due to the large number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Many in the country complain that the war has not achieved a decisive victory, even after more than seven months. The fact that more than 100 hostages are still in the hands of Hamas also raises criticism of the government.
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Netanyahu has been in power since the end of 2022 alongside the far-right and extremist religious parties. He has so far refused to present a plan for the management and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after the end of the war so as not to offend his partners in the far-right coalition.
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They are pursuing unrealistic goals such as building Jewish settlements in Gaza, but Netanyahu’s political survival depends on them. If Gantz carries out his threat and leaves the government, this could spark a government crisis.
