The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they happen.
IDF: 1/3 of army polling booths opened early for troops in Gaza, W. Bank and along Lebanon border
After holding early voting for Israeli troops deployed to Gaza and other fronts, the Israel Defense Forces will open up polling stations for all other soldiers as the rest of the country votes in today’s municipal elections.
A statement from the IDF says it will operate 570 polling sites throughout the day, a third of which opened early for troops serving in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and along the Lebanese border.
There will also be mobile polling stations for far-flung bases, Iron Dome batteries and civilian defense teams.
While polls in civilian areas will open at 7 a.m., voting in the military will not start until 8 a.m. The IDF says no votes can be cast after 9 p.m., “in accordance with operational needs.”
Palestinians report 3 killed in West Bank clashes with Israeli troops
Three Palestinians were killed during overnight clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority’s officiala Wafa news agency reports.
Two of the men were killed in Tubas and the third was killed in the nearby al-Faraa refugee camp, according to Wafa, which says the clashes erupted after Israeli forces arrived to carry out operations.
There is no immediate statement from the military on the clashes.
US military says it destroyed Houthi drone boats, anti-ship cruise missiles
WASHINGTON — The US military says it has destroyed three unmanned surface vessels and two anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
The US military’s Central Command also says on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it destroyed a aerial drone that was over the Red Sea. All the weapons “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the US Navy ships in the region,” it says.
Saudi Arabia denies commerce minister held formal meeting with Israeli counterpart Barkat
ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia denies that a meeting took place between its commerce minister and his Israeli counterpart, after a viral video showed their interaction on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization conference in Abu Dhabi.
The kingdom’s state news agency SPA reports, citing an official Saudi source, that Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi was standing alongside his Nigerian counterpart when “an unknown individual approached the minister to offer greetings.”
He “later identified himself as the minister of economy in the Israeli occupation government,” SPA says, quoting the official Saudi source.
Economy Minister Nir Barkat mentioned the interaction earlier Monday, voicing confidence that the countries can “make history together,” his office said.
Trade ministers from around the world gathered on Monday for the four-day WTO meeting which aims to set new global commerce rules.
The interaction between Qasabi and Barkat was a rarity given the lack of formal relations between their countries, though the United States has sought to bring them closer.
The source also stresses the kingdom’s “steadfast stance on the Palestinian cause and its support for the resilience of the Palestinian people against Israeli aggression,” according to SPA.
Israel agreed at Paris hostage talks to freeing 400 Palestinian prisoners — report
As part of a framework for a hostage deal hashed out during recent talks in Paris, Israel agreed to release some 400 Palestinian prisoners — among them terrorists convicted of “heavy” crimes, according to Qatari state-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera.
Citing unidentified sources, the report says Israel also agreed to the gradual return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, barring those of “military service age,” and the entry of further aid and temporary shelters into Gaza, including heavy machinery and equipment.
Additionally, the report says Israel proposed moving its forces out of crowded parts of Gaza and stopping reconnaissance flights for 8 hours a day as part of a six-week truce accompanying the release of Israeli hostages.
Biden says hoping for ceasefire in Gaza by next Monday: ‘We’re close. We’re not done yet’
NEW YORK — US President Joe Biden says he hopes to have a “ceasefire” in the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas by next week, apparently referring to a truce deal, currently being negotiated, under which hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since October 7 would be released.
“Well I hope by the beginning of the weekend. The end of the weekend. My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet.
“And my hope is that by next Monday [March 4] we’ll have a ceasefire,” he says during a political visit to New York.
Biden gets ice cream with Seth Meyers .
Ceasefire: “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close, we’re close, it’s not done yet. And my hope is that by next Monday."
Border: "I've been planning to go Thursday. What I didn't know is my good friend apparently is going" pic.twitter.com/Lwde3FB6yk— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) February 26, 2024
Greece agrees to lead EU maritime security operation in Red Sea
ATHENS, Greece — Greece has formally agreed to participate in and lead a European Union maritime security operation in the Red Sea to protect commercial shipping from attacks by Houthi militants in Yemen.
A security committee headed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday ordered the participation of a Greek frigate in the Aspides operation – named from the Greek word for “shield” – that was launched last week.
The mission will be run from a military base in Larissa, in central Greece, under the command of Greek navy Cdre. Vasilios Griparis.
Greece, a major commercial shipping power, has been directly affected by the Houthi attacks. The port of Piraeus, near Athens, reported a 12.7% drop in activity at its container terminal in January, on an annual basis.
“We all understand that participation in this operation involves risks, significant risks,” Defense Minister Nikos Dendias says while on a visit to the navy frigate Hydra at a naval base near Athens.
The frigate departed on the mission late Monday.
“Greece, as a maritime power with a leading role in global shipping, attaches great importance to the need to safeguard the freedom of navigation, as well as the life of Greek seafarers,” Dendias says.
Germany, Italy and France will also provide warships for the mission, joining the Hydra, while Italy will assume tactical command, according to Greek officials.
Officials in Athens have described the Aspides mission as defensive, adding that Greece would not take part in US-led attacks against Houthi military targets in Yemen.