The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they happen.
Foreign Ministry deletes X post expressing sorrow over pope’s death
The Foreign Ministry erases a post on its official X account expressing sorrow over the death of Pope Francis.
“Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing,” read the post. It was taken down hours later, and diplomatic missions around the world were ordered to take down any similar posts and not to sign condolence books in Vatican embassies, the Ynet news site reports.
Israelis diplomats are furious at the decision and the damage it caused.
“We received no explanation, only an unequivocal order to delete,” a diplomat tells Ynet. “When we asked, we were told that the issue was ‘under review.’ This does not satisfy us, and certainly not the public to whom we represent Israel.”
“Not only did we not say words of condolence, but we chose to erase them – and that looks bad,” says another. “Very bad.”
A senior Foreign Ministry official tells the news site that the post went up “accidentally.”
President Isaac Herzog posted condolences on X, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been silent.
Francis became increasingly critical of Israel’s war in Gaza as time went on, often enraging Israeli officials and Jewish leaders.
Rubio meets with Qatari PM for talks on Gaza, Lebanon and Syria
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Tuesday in Washington with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
The pair discussed “the important strategic partnership between the United States and Qatar, including close security and economic cooperation and shared efforts to address regional challenges in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria,” the US readout says.
Al Thani — who has been Qatar’s main mediator in ongoing hostage talks between Israel and Hamas — was also slated to meet with US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff. Egypt has played more of a lead role in mediating in recent weeks, but Qatar remains a key player trusted by the US.
‘I will die and they will put me in a pit’: Family of hostage Rom Braslavski air clip from Islamic Jihad propaganda video
The family of hostage Rom Braslavski has published additional footage of the 21-year-old captive, taken from a video released by his Palestinian Islamic Jihad captors last week.
Unlike the first clip cleared for publication by his family, Braslavski’s face is not blurred in the latest segment.
“Hello to everyone watching this video, my name is Rom Braslavski, 21 years old, from Jerusalem,” he begins in the video. “I am a prisoner of the Islamic Jihad, and have been held in the Gaza Strip for over a year and a half.”
The content of the video is likely dictated by his captors.
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המבזק החברתי: https://t.co/3ChEFVCyJl
המבזק החברתי בטלגר×�:https://t.co/z26wp6Skq9 pic.twitter.com/ff1E51UyPN— המבזק החברתי (@MivzakHervrati) April 22, 2025
“It has been a year and a half of suffering, every day is hell. It has been a year and a half of lacking food, lacking drink,” Braslavski continues. “There is no food. And there is no drink. The illnesses are severe, I’m sick half of the time.”
At this point, he lifts his shirt to reveal red sores across his torso that he says are constantly itchy.
“I suffer all day, I don’t know what to do with my life,” he says. “My mental state is very bad. My physical state is very bad. I have no life. I have no water. I have no food. I’m sick. There is no medicine. There is, of course, no hospital for me. Nobody will take me to the hospital.”
“The next time I am sick — nobody will take me to the hospital. What will happen is very simple: I will die and they will put me in a pit,” Braslavski says.
Braslavski’s family says they decided to release the unblurred footage published by his captors “so that his cry can be heard.”
“He’s not just screaming — he’s begging us to save him,” they say.
The video clip published by Islamic Jihad was the first recorded sign of life for Braslavski, who was abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.