The Times of Israel is liveblogging Friday’s events as they unfold.
Blinken told Qatar to threaten Hamas with expulsion as hostage talks faltered — report
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a message to Qatar earlier this month that it must pressure Hamas to accept a temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal or risk being asked to leave by its Doha hosts, CNN reports.
The Times of Israel reported last week that Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani proposed expelling Hamas’s leaders from Doha during a meeting with Blinken days after the terror group’s October 7 onslaught. Blinken at the time signaled that it would be better for Qatar to use its contacts with Hamas — through the office it allowed the terror group to establish in Doha in 2012 at Washington’s behest — to mediate for a hostage deal.
As talks stalled earlier this month, two US officials told CNN that the message from Blinken to Qatari leaders urging them to increase the pressure on Hamas with threat of getting booted was delivered on March 5.
According to the report, Doha received the message without much pushback but it was not clear if the threat was relayed.
Blinken is in the region this week and is expected in Israel on Friday to confer with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet.
Mossad chief David Barnea will fly to Qatar on Friday amid the ongoing discussions for a potential truce and hostage release deal.
Gallant to present ‘long list’ of US weapons requests on DC trip next week – report
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will reportedly present a wish list of US weapons in a meeting next week in Washington with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, Axios reports.
According to the report, Gallant will arrive in DC with a “long list” of US weapons Israel would like to receive in the short term.
In addition to Austin, Gallant is also expected to meet with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and other senior administration officials on his first visit to Washington as defense minister since he took office last year.
The delivery of US weapons has come under the spotlight as some in the Democratic party want to see more conditions on such sales.
Israeli and US officials told Axios that in a call this week ahead of the trip, Gallant made clear to Austin that he would be coming with a list of specific requests for weapon systems and would like to see them expedited.
Israel has reportedly complained of a slowdown in US weapons deliveries, amid a growing US-Israel rift over the war. Washington has said there was no deliberate delay in shipments.
A senior Israeli official says Gallant’s requests include short-term needs for the war in Gaza and longer-term asks like the option to purchase more F-35 and F-15 jets, according to Axios.
Gallant told Austin he would be making the trip with retired Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the director-general of the Defense Ministry, who is in charge of weapons purchases.
US military says it destroyed ballistic missiles launched by Houthis
The US military says it had destroyed two anti-ship ballistic missiles and an unmanned surface vessel launched by Houthis from Yemen.
“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to coalition and merchant vessels in the region,” US Central Command writes on social media site X.
Israel ousted from Euro 2024 playoffs 4-1 against Iceland
AP — Israel crashed out of the European Championship qualifying playoffs against Iceland, as Ukraine found two late goals for a stunning win at Bosnia-Herzegovina.
A missed penalty in the 80th minute by Israel’s record scorer Eran Zahavi that would have leveled the score led to a late collapse in a 4-1 rout for Iceland. Israel had led when Zahavi scored a first-half penalty.
Ukraine’s new star forward Artem Dovbyk rose in the 88th to head the decisive goal in a 2-1 win just three minutes after Roman Yaremchuk had canceled Bosnia’s lead taken in the 56th.
Ukraine will now face Iceland — the surprise quarterfinalist at Euro 2016 — on Tuesday with a place at Euro 2024 in Germany at stake.
Ukraine must host international games in neutral countries and has not played on its own territory since the Russian military invasion started in February 2022.
Though Israel was seeded as the home team, it hosted Iceland in neutral Budapest, Hungary, for security reasons during the conflict in Gaza.
Euro 2024 is being played in 10 German cities from June 14 to July 14.