The economic forum was held on 29 April in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the big names in international politics spoke. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was in Riyadh to discuss Saudi normalization with Israel and the future of Gaza after the war.
Blinken in Riyadh: “Hamas has received an “extremely generous” offer and must make a decision quickly. I hope he makes the right decision.” “We have not yet seen an operational plan from Israel in Rafah that guarantees the protection of civilians.” A senior Hamas official told AFP: “There are no fundamental problems with the updated proposal of the agreement.” The only ones to reject the proposal once again are those from the Qassam brigades.
European Foreign Affairs High Representative Josep Borrell told Reuters that several European countries were expected to recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of May.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron reported that: “There is a generous offer of a 40-day ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of the hostages.” “Iran, through its support for Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, is destabilizing the region”
Rumors are circulating that George Soros is paying student radicals to fuel anti-Israel protests. Pro-Palestinian protests in the United States have expanded significantly over the past nine days. Some universities, including Indiana, requested the intervention of police in riot gear to deal with the demonstrators.
Authorities have reportedly placed snipers on the rooftops of some college campuses in the United States.
Reuters reports that senior U.S. State Department officials wrote an internal memo to Secretary of State Blinken stating that they “do not consider Israeli assurances that it will use U.S. weapons in accordance with international law to be reliable or credible.”
Military sources in Sanaa told the Al-Akhbar newspaper that American preparations were being monitored to launch a large-scale air aggression against Yemen, including support for a ground attack launched by factions loyal to the United Arab Emirates, whose indicators began to appear on the ground the fronts of the governorates of Taiz, Lahj and others.
An Egyptian source told Sky News Arabia: “Cairo will react decisively to any violation by Israel of the peace treaty and its security annexes.” According to Egypt, there is an opening by Israel to discuss a total ceasefire. French sources confirm: “The ceasefire talks in Gaza are making progress, but are still characterized by caution.” Israeli Foreign Minister Ysrael Katz said that “Israel will postpone the operation against the city of Rafah in southern Gaza if an agreement is reached on the release of the hostages.”
The International Criminal Court (ICC) may issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant and senior military officials in connection with the fighting in the Gaza Strip as early as this week, US television channel NBC reports News.
Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Court: “Under my leadership, Israel will never allow any attempt by the Criminal Court in The Hague to undermine its fundamental right to self-defense.” “The threat to IDF soldiers and public figures in Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East and the only Jewish state in the world, is scandalous.” “Israel will continue to pursue victory in our just war against the disgusting terrorists who seek our destruction. We will never stop defending ourselves. Even if the decisions of the Hague Tribunal will not influence Israel’s actions, they will set a dangerous precedent that will threaten the soldiers and public figures of every democracy that fights criminal terrorism and dangerous aggression.”
In the last three days, three Israeli ministers were involved in three different road accidents: Israeli National Security Minister Ben Gvir’s daughter was injured; Israeli Education Minister Haim Biton whose car overturned in Jerusalem, the minister’s father is seriously injured; finally, Minister Benny Gantz suffered a broken foot during his tour at “Yad Mordechai” in the Gaza Strip and is continuing treatment and tests in hospital.
Anti-government protests are underway in Tel Aviv; the demonstrators broke through the police barriers.
The IDF is massing dozens of tanks and armored vehicles along the border with the southern Gaza Strip, apparently preparing for an invasion of the border city of Rafah.
Palestinian groups have warned that there will be an escalation of violence in the region if Israel invades Rafah, particularly Egypt.
An interesting precedent has been created in maritime law. A Turkish flotilla carrying supplies for Gaza was reportedly delayed after Guinea-Bissau asked for its flag to be lowered from two ships pending further inspections. This comes after Israel put pressure on the West African country’s government. We are talking about a merchant ship anchored in southern Turkey and another activist ship anchored in Istanbul.
Under maritime law, ships cannot sail in international waters without a country’s flag. This is why the two ships are not allowed to leave port after the Guinea-Bissau flags were removed until a new flag is found for them.
The US military said the Houthis in Yemen launched a ballistic missile at ships in the Gulf of Aden on the evening of the 25th without causing damage or casualties. Coalition forces reportedly destroyed the missiles and UAVs launched by the Houthis. The United States Central Command speaks of a clash with 5 drones in the Red Sea. Since April 27, the Houthis have posted videos of the destruction of the American MQ-9 Reaper UAV. According to the Houthis, it would be the second Mq-9 destroyed over the skies of Sanaa.
The British Maritime Trade Center reports a new Houthi attack in the southern Red Sea on April 29. British maritime security company Embry said the stricken Maltese-flagged container ship was attacked by three missiles fired by the Houthis while en route from Djibouti to the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, 54 nautical miles northwest of Mokha, without the vessel or crew being injured. 3 missiles would have been launched. The attack is believed to have been carried out because the records of the company that ran it showed business dealings with Israel.
According to the Yemenis, “American preparations to launch a massive air aggression against Yemen were monitored, indicators of which began to appear on the ground on the fronts of the governorates of Taiz, Lahj and others.”
The Yemeni armed forces on February 26 issued an official statement referring to the first attack on a commercial ship and the shooting down of the American Reaper which read: “The naval forces of the Yemeni armed forces have targeted a British oil vessel (Andromeda Star) in the Red Sea with a series of naval missiles the ship was hit directly. Yesterday, the air defense forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces also shot down an American MQ9 unmanned aerial vehicle in the airspace of the Saada governorate, while carrying out hostile missions.”
“The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that they will continue to carry out further military operations in support of the Palestinian people until the end of the siege and the end of the aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.” A new statement is expected for the ship attacked on April 29th. After the Houthi attacks, Egypt officially announced that revenue from the Suez Canal had decreased by around 50%.
Front between Israel and Hamas updated at 5:00 pm on April 29.
Over 30 missiles launched from southern Lebanon towards Israeli settlements in the north of the country. The air raid alert sounded five times. Hezbollah reports: “The site of Ruwaisat al-Alam, in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shuba, was hit. Maayan Baruch, Kfar Yuval, Metulla, Kfar Giladi, Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai”. Kiryat Shmona remains the most affected target. According to Israeli sources, at the end of the morning, 45 “Katyusha” missiles were fired in the direction of “Kiryat Shmona” and its surroundings. Some channels wrote about 100 missiles.
In response, Israeli raids hit southern Lebanon. Especially the city of Khiam.
The Al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility from southern Lebanon for an attack on the headquarters of the 769th Eastern Brigade, “Camp Jibour”, with a concentrated missile barrage.
On the night of April 29, an Israeli attack was also recorded in Syria at the Islamic resistance sites near Iran.
Northern Gaza under fire, air raids on various areas. There was also a clash between soldiers and militiamen. An Israeli raid targeted the eastern outskirts of the city of Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. Zionist bombings hit the Tal Al-Zaatar area in the northern Gaza Strip.
Nuseirat Camp, Gaza Strip center, bombed again; in the same area but at Al-Bureij camp, the launch of several artillery shells by Israel. The number of Israeli soldiers killed in the ambush in central Gaza on April 28 rises to four.
Israeli planes bombed a home of the Al-Mashal family in Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City. Israeli raids recorded on agricultural land west of Nuseirat camp, in the center of the Gaza Strip.
Online the al Qassam brigades posted the photo of the group of Israeli soldiers killed in the Netzarim ambush. Also on April 29, short-range missiles and mortar shells were launched towards Netzarim, in the central-northern Gaza Strip. The objective is to stop the construction of the corridor leading to the sea.
Bombings in Rafah during the night led to the deaths of 25 people. The western area of the city was also bombed.
The resistance targets Israeli forces near the town of Jaba, south of Jenin. The Israeli army closes the entrances to the city of Al-Mughayir, north of Ramallah. Raids and arrests in the West Bank.
A serious incident occurred the day before yesterday south of Mount Hebron, where Jewish settlers opened fire when they entered private Palestinian lands, near the village of Susya.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
