Late morning today the frigate Virginio Fasan of the Italian Navy, engaged in the close protection of a European commercial merchant ship as part of Operation Aspide, shot down a drone in the Red Sea, near the Bab El Mandeb Strait. The drone, with similar characteristics to those already used in previous Houthi attacks, was about 5 kilometers from the Italian ship, in the direction of the escorted merchant ship, Defense said.
“The United States does not support the ICC investigation against Israel”. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said this. “We don’t believe he has jurisdiction,” she added.
“In the last few hours many signs indicate that the indirect negotiation between Israel and Hamas could be at a turning point“: this was stated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani who is from today in Saudi Arabia where he is taking part in a series of meetings on the war in Gaza and in general on the crisis in the Middle East. “The Islamic movement has received a proposal for mediation which, if accepted, it would allow us to lower the tone of the military conflict with the simultaneous release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners”, added the head of the Farnesina.
Five Israeli army units committed ‘gross human rights violations’, before October 7 in the West Bank. US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said this in a press briefing.
“Hamas faces an extraordinarily generous proposal from Israel. And right now, the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas. They have to decide and they have to decide quickly. I hope they will make the right decision, we can have a fundamental change in the dynamic.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this, speaking at the World Economic Forum meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Cameron, ’40-day ceasefire and Palestinian release proposed’
In the “very generous” proposal made to Hamas, “40 days of ceasefire, the possible release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, in exchange for the release of the hostages” were offered. The British Foreign Minister, David Cameron, said this in Riyadh.
Al Jazeera, at least 27 Palestinians killed in raids in Rafah and Gaza City
At least 27 Palestinians were killed, including many children and women, in overnight Israeli attacks in Rafah and Gaza City. Al Jazeera reports it.
Riyadh, very close agreement with the USA also on the Gaza government
The new bilateral agreements between Saudi Arabia and the United States are “very, very close” also on the future government in Gaza after the end of the conflict between Israel and Hamas: Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said this after the meeting with US secretary of state Antony Blinken, as reported by Sky News. “Most of the work has already been done,” the Saudi minister said, speaking on a panel at a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, adding that “we have the broad outlines of what we think should happen on the Palestinian front.”
Egypt confident in new truce proposal between Israel and Hamas
The Egyptian Foreign Minister said he was “confident” about a new truce proposal in Gaza, while a Hamas delegation is expected in Cairo for talks. “We are confident,” Sameh Shoukry said in Riyadh at the World Economic Forum, adding that “the proposal took into account the positions of both sides.”
Egypt invited an Israeli delegation to go to Cairo today as part of the ongoing negotiations to guarantee an agreement for the return of the hostages held by Hamas, in which the terrorist group itself should also participate: the Times of Israel reports, which quotes the London-based Qatari newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadid. The invitation, writes Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, “aims to speed up the process and provide the necessary clarifications on the observations that will be presented by the Hamas delegation that will travel to Cairo”. The Israeli delegation, a source told the newspaper, “will be authorized to provide responses to requests raised by Hamas, but will not be authorized to make decisions or present official positions.” Egypt, which along with Qatar and the United States has been unsuccessfully trying to broker a new truce deal in Gaza since fighting stopped for a week in November, sent a high-level delegation to Israel on Friday .
Borrell, several EU states will recognize Palestine in May
Several European member states will recognize the Palestinian state by May: the head of EU foreign policy, Josep Borrell, said this on the sidelines of a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, as reported by the Guardian. Ireland and Spain earlier this month reiterated their intention to forge an alliance of countries that will soon recognize Palestine as a nation state. 140 of the 193 UN member states have already recognized the State of Palestine.
Tajani in Riyadh, summit with Blinken on Gaza
This afternoon, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for a series of meetings on the war in Gaza and the crisis in the Middle East in general. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also be in Riyadh and will then continue with a new trip to the region to avoid the possibility of a new military escalation in the clash between Israel and Hamas. Tajani will share the results of the G7 meeting in Capri with Arab and European ministers, and will have various moments of discussion with his European colleagues, among others with the ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“I am leaving for Riyadh, for a series of meetings, starting with the one with Blinken, to try to find a solution that will avoid a worsening of the situation in the Gaza Strip.” This was said by the Foreign Minister and leader of Forza Italia, Antonio Tajani, at the signing of the Manifesto of adherence to the values of the European People’s Party by moderate civic forces, at the De Gasperi Foundation.
Hamas, the proposed agreement is still being studied
Hamas politburo official Izzat al-Risheq denied anonymous sources from the terrorist organization who told AFP late last night that they had not encountered any major problems with the latest proposal for the truce. In a statement, quoted by Haaretz, al-Risheq clarified that “the proposal is still being studied”.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA
