Here are Thursday’s latest updates on Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and the Middle East:
â– Israel’s defense establishment has raised its level of alert in recent days amid concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump may have decided to strike Iran, possibly within days, security officials said.
â– Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had accepted his invitation to join the Board of Peace. However, Putin stated that he would consider the proposal only after Russia’s Foreign Ministry reviews the terms and holds consultations with its partners, adding that the country is willing to transfer $1 billion from previously frozen Russian assets to the board.
â– A general strike is planned for Thursday in most Arab communities against high crime rates and government inaction, the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens announced.
â– United States Central Command plans to facilitate the transfer of up to 7,000 ISIS detainees from northern Syria to Iraq, according to a statement from CENTCOM.
â– The IDF announced that it had struck four crossings on the Syria-Lebanon border used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons, killing an operative from the Lebanese militant group.
â– Sen. Lindsey Graham criticized U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for expressing optimism about Iran’s potential willingness to enter negotiations, saying, “You cannot do a deal with evil. You have to confront it. In this case, that means standing behind the people of Iran.”
â– The United States is pressing Israel to allow members of the Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with governing the Gaza Strip to enter the territory via the Rafah crossing, according to sources cited by the Saudi-owned broadcaster Asharq News.
â– A joint statement from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt welcomed the invitation to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.