Israel

President Biden, accompanied by top officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, CIA Director William Burns, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, engaged in a comprehensive hour-long discussion to assess the situation.

President Biden emphasized the US's readiness to support and assist Israel in thwarting any potential attacks from Iran. The White House has acknowledged the existence of a credible and imminent threat of Iranian strikes, especially following Israel's recent attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria.

Sources within the Israeli Defense Ministry revealed to IANS that the withdrawal was strategically executed in anticipation of a ground invasion into the Rafah region.

Khanna highlighted the significance of standing united with allies and addressing the philosophical contrast between unilateralism, advocated by figures like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Biden's approach of prioritizing alliances to tackle challenges posed by leaders like Putin and Xi Jinping.

The individuals identified as casualties include Raad Thabet, purportedly the head of Hamas's recruitment and procurement department, and Mahmoud Khalil Zakzuk, identified by the IDF as the deputy commander of Hamas's rocket unit in Gaza City. Additionally, the IDF confirmed the deaths of two other senior Hamas figures, Fadi Dweik and Zakaria Najib.

Despite efforts for peace talks in Qatar, Israel's rejection of many demands from Hamas representatives led to an impasse. Consequently, Israel has initiated its alternate plan, scheduling a military maneuver to commence shortly after Ramadan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to the Middle East aimed to broker an immediate ceasefire, but Israeli authorities remain committed to the terms outlined by their war cabinet, as confirmed by sources within the Israeli Defense Ministry.

Sources within the Israeli defense ministry revealed that the Israeli delegation, led by Mossad Chief David Barnea, conveyed to the mediators - including representatives from Qatar and Egypt - their inability to release numerous Palestinian prisoners facing serious charges, including murder.

Hamas has signaled a willingness to shift its stance from demanding a permanent end to the conflict to accepting a temporary cessation for a period of six weeks. Meanwhile, Israel has reportedly come close to agreeing to release 1000 Palestinian detainees, including around 100 individuals facing serious charges such as murder.