The Times of Israel is liveblogging Saturday’s events as they happen.
Eisenkot says IDF chief Halevi should resign: ‘Won’t be forgiven’ for October 7
Opposition National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot says IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi should resign, along with “those who had a role on October 7, from division commanders and their counterparts to the prime minister.”
Speaking with Channel 13 news, Eisenkot says he “differentiates between those who were elected and those appointed.” While praising Halevi, Eisenkot — himself a former chief of staff — says the currently military chief “will not be forgiven” for the “giant failure” of October 7.
Report: Hamas agreed unresolved issues can be pushed off until later phase of ceasefire
A Hamas source tells the Qatari newspaper al-Araby al-Jadeed that the terror group has agreed to put off several unresolved points of contention with Israel until a later phase of the proposed ceasefire-for-hostage deal, if they next stages are implemented without delay and as required.
The source says Hamas’s latest message to Israel in the negotiations was backed by Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators, and that Cairo showed flexibility about agreeing to have the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Philadelphi Route along the Gaza-Egypt border take place at a later stage.
Additionally, the source says that since talks began, they are now “at the closest point [yet] to completing the agreement,” adding that Hamas and mediators are expecting a response from Israel to the Palestinian terrorist organization’s proposal in the coming hours. Israel has maintained it won’t agree to any ceasefire that prevents it from resuming fighting, as the three-phase deal would ultimately require.
Sydney synagogue defaced with antisemitic graffiti, day another synagogue vandalized
SYDNEY — A synagogue in Sydney was daubed in antisemitic graffiti, police say on Saturday, a day after the antisemitic vandalism of a separate synagogue in the New South Wales state capital.
Australia has seen a series of antisemitic incidents in the last year, including graffiti on buildings and cars in Sydney, as well as an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne that police have ruled as terrorism.
In the latest incident, police say they were notified of graffiti on the synagogue, in the inner suburb of Newtown, early Saturday.
A house in Sydney’s east, a hub of the city’s Jewish community, was also daubed with antisemitic graffiti, police say, adding they are also probing offensive comments on a street poster in the suburb of Marrickville.