The Times of Israel is liveblogging Monday’s events as they unfold.
Hamas official reported to indicate group open to Gaza deal
A top Hamas official appears to indicate that the Gazan terror group is open to a deal with Israel as talks aimed at ending the war and freeing hostages restart in Doha.
Husam Badran, a senior member of Hamas’s Qatar-based political bureau, says in a statement carried by the Pro-Hamas Shehab news agency that an agreement is possible.
“Our demands are clear and known, and a deal can be reached, provided that Netanyahu remains committed to what was already agreed upon,” Badran says.
It is unclear if Badran’s comments are in reaction to an Egyptian proposal for a two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange four Israeli hostages for some Palestinian prisoners, followed by 10 days of talks.
Saudi news station Al Arabiya reported earlier that Hamas was willing to accept the Egyptian proposal as long as it is incorporated into its July 2 demands for a hostage deal. It also seeks guarantees that Israel will commit to the Egyptian proposal being part of a comprehensive deal.
Hamas sources also told Saudi channel Asharq News that the group preferred a comprehensive deal rather than a piecemeal one.
Oil prices drop as Israeli strikes in Iran calm markets
Oil prices are tumbling with the opening of trading in Asia as dealers breathe a sigh of relief that Israel’s Saturday strikes on military targets in Iran spared the country’s oil installations.
The price of North Sea Brent for delivery in December fell by 4.02 percent, to $72.99, while West Texas Intermediate plunges by 4.17% to $68.79.
Oil prices rose sharply following Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile attack on Israel, but they had already begun to fall after peaking on October 7 as it became clear Israel would likely restrict its reprisal to avoid sparking a wider conflagration.
Trump tells New York rally Muslims just want peace, touts support
Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump, wrapping up a long address to a Manhattan rally, speaks glowingly of his time campaigning with Muslim imams in Michigan a day earlier.
Trump claims polls in the state show him performing much better among the Muslim community than Democrat Kamala Harris, referring to support he has seen from Arab-Americans thanks to his backing for ceasefires in the Middle East.
“They just want peace, they want to have peace, and it’s great,” he says at Madison Square Garden.
Earlier in the rally, though, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed that “the Palestinians are taught to kill us at 2-years-old.”
Noting support from Jews and other minority communities, Trump claims the GOP “has really become the party of inclusion.”
On foreign policy, he indicates that he will be more stingy with defense aid for allies, pitching his “America First” ideology.
“I’ll tell our friends… that it’s about time we take care of ourselves,” he says to loud cheers.
Recent polls have shown Trump with a slight advantage among Arab-Americans, with many of them seeing the Republican as more likely than Harris to quickly end Israel’s wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“I will stop the chaos in the Middle East and prevent World War III from happening,” Trump tells the crowd.
Earlier, other speakers at the rally pushed back against claims from Democrats that the campaign event was reminiscent of a pro-Nazi rally at the Garden in February 1939.
“Hey guys, they’re now scrambling and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, who draped a sparkly “MAGA” jacket over the lectern as she spoke. “And you know what they’re claiming, guys? It’s very scary. They’re claiming we’re going to go after them and try and put them in jail. Well, ain’t that rich?”
Former wrestling entertainer Hulk Hogan also weighed in, offering in his characteristic raspy growl: “I don’t see no stinkin’ Nazis in here.”
AP contributed to this report.
Social media platform X suspends Hebrew account of Iran supreme leader
Social media platform X has suspended the Hebrew-language account of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a day after it was opened.
A note on his @Khamenei_Heb account says it has been suspended for violating X’s rules.
The suspension comes hours after the account posted a message saying “The Zionist regime made a mistake. It erred in its calculations on Iran. We will cause it to understand what kind of strength, ability, initiative, and will the Iranian nation has.”
Rules on X, formerly known as Twitter, ban content from “Violent and hateful entities,” but the guidelines make an exception for posts from “state or governmental entities.”
There is no immediate comment from X.
Sirens activated in Kiryat Shmona for second time since midnight
Rocket sirens are sounding in Kiryat Shmona near the Lebanon border for the second time in about 30 minutes.
Sirens are also activated in the neighboring town of Margaliot.
At least one loud blast is heard in the area, but there are no immediate reports of impacts in this apparent attack nor in one that triggered sirens at 12:20 a.m.
The earlier attack is claimed by Hezbollah, which says it fired a volley of rockets at the area.
Rocket sirens blare in Kiryat Shmona
Rocket sirens are sounding in Kiryat Shmona and other towns surrounding the Galilee panhandle city near the border with Lebanon.
There are no immediate reports of rocket impacts.