There were many rumors over the weekend that “Trump is preparing to announce US recognition of a Palestinian state at the upcoming Gulf-US summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” The Jerusalem Post also reported. What is certain is that US interest in the Middle East, from a military point of view, is ending: all 6 US B-2 bombers have taken off from Diego Garcia Air Base. Three have already arrived at Whiteman Air Base, Missouri. The last three are on their way back, as confirmed by radio communications from Brisbane, as they approach Darwin Air Base, Australia.
Not only Donald Trump, President of the United States, said on NBC on Sunday: “The expansion of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip is a waste of time because it will make it more difficult to rebuild the enclave.” According to NBC, Trump opposes Netanyahu’s planned full-scale military occupation of Gaza, which is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff echoed this sentiment in a live interview on Channel 12, saying, “We want the prisoners returned, but Israel doesn’t want to end the war,” he said. “Witkoff, through mediators, has presented Hamas with a proposal for a partial deal that would begin with the release of 10 Israeli hostages, in exchange for a cessation of fighting for up to 70 days, during which time a final deal would be negotiated.” On May 12, US envoy Steve Witkoff held meetings with top Israeli officials, including the Prime Minister.
At 9 p.m. ET on May 11, Hamas announced the release of Israeli-American hostage Idan Alexander. According to Yaron Avraham, an Israeli journalist for Channel 12: “Israel was not involved in any way in the talks for the release of Idan Alexander.” Yaron Avraham complained that: “Unlike the agreements with the Houthis and the Iranians, here there are Israeli citizens whose lives immediately depend on this agreement,” Yaron Avraham commented. Also according to Channel 12: “With this direct and unprecedented agreement between Hamas and the US administration, Trump has not only slapped Netanyahu in the face, but has also granted Hamas an unprecedented legitimacy and victory since the beginning of the war.” Israel, meanwhile, has said that it will not release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of Idan Alexander.
The Israeli ambassador to the UN stated on Fox News that if no agreement is reached on the hostage-taking after President Trump’s visit to the Middle East, more than “50,000 of our best military personnel will completely take over Gaza.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has arranged a four-way meeting between himself, President Trump, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, to be held in Riyadh during Trump’s visit. The purpose of the meeting is to plan for the recognition of a Palestinian state, Israel’s Channel 301 reported. According to Channel 11: “Saudi Arabia is trying to use Trump to recognize a Palestinian state, end the war in Gaza and normalize relations with Israel.”
According to Israel Today: “Netanyahu accuses the media of trying to artificially create a wedge between his government and the Trump administration.” “There are no gaps between us and the Americans. Dermer is there every day, and all the talk about gaps between us and the Americans regarding Iran or the Houthis is a campaign that comes from a certain channel [referring to the left-wing Israeli Channel 12]. Guess which one? It’s all in the media,” – Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, on Channel 14’s Yinon News program. And Netanyahu said: “I don’t see a situation where we won’t have complete control over security in Gaza and the West Bank, from the Jordan River to the sea, including Rafah.” “I think we will have to get rid of American security aid,” Netanyahu told his Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today, as reported by Yuval Segev of Channel 13.
Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said: “Success in the war has created a narrow window of opportunity for us, which forces us to act against Iran’s nuclear potential. If we do not act as soon as possible, this could be an irreversible disaster for the future of the State of Israel. Despite its impressive successes in the war, Israel still faces an existential threat: military nuclear capability in the hands of an irresponsible and dangerous regime as Iran, and today Iran has no doorman. Israel warns that any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would lead to “unilateral actions” in response. Meanwhile, the government is increasingly divided.
Ben Gvir: “We must work to encourage voluntary migration from the Gaza Strip.”
Hamas confirms to al-Jazeera that direct talks are underway with the United States! “Direct negotiations with the US administration have been underway for days and are considering allowing aid to enter Gaza and stopping the war.”
And now a look at the military scenarios updated at 14:30 on May 12. As of May 10, Yedioth Ahronoth, citing sources: “Israel is considering hitting Iranian targets in response to Houthi missiles.” Ansarullah launches heavy bombardment of the city of Taizz, Yemen, controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni Presidential Council. Jalal al-Ruwaishan, former Interior Minister of the Saudi-backed Yemeni Presidential Council, says that “American aircraft carriers were unable to counter the operations of the militia [Ansarullah].” Al-Ruwaishan also confirmed that American aircraft carriers and ships were hit. Al-Ruwaishan believes that Ansarullah can “turn its guns inland” against Taizz, Marib and Aden, now that the group no longer has to worry about the United States. Taizz and Marib are under the control of the Saudi-backed Yemeni Presidential Council. Aden is under the control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council.
On May 11, Israel issues evacuation notices for the ports of Ras Isa, al-Hodeidah and Salif. All three are in the Hodeidah region of western Yemen controlled by Ansarullah. The first wave of attacks was a warning. The ports were intercepted by Israel but not yet hit. On May 11, IDF Arab spokesman Avichai Edrei issued a warning to anyone in the Houthi-controlled seaports of Ras Issa, Hodeidah and Salif.
On May 10, Israeli aircraft flew over Damascus and southern Syria, breaking the sound barrier. On May 11, the IDF said it continues to monitor developments in Syria. The 210th Division troops are deployed, ready to respond to different scenarios based on ongoing situational assessments and are ready to prevent the entry of hostile entities into the Druze villages area, while providing assistance to the Syrian Druze population in the region. On May 12 in Syria: “Israeli military aircraft fly over Homs T4 airport”.
The Lebanese army arrested 35 people who fired shots during municipal elections in several areas of North Lebanon and Akkar governorates
On May 10, nine reservists from the Jerusalem Brigade were slightly injured overnight in the Sajaiya area of the northern Gaza Strip after stepping on an explosive device during a clearing operation in the area. Among the minor injuries were two senior officers: the deputy commander of the 252nd Division (an officer with the rank of colonel) and the commander of Battalion 6310 (a reserve officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel). The fighters were evacuated for medical treatment at a hospital and their families were notified. An Israeli Air Force F-16I fighter jet dropped munitions in an open area near Ramat David Air Base in northern Israel this morning due to a technical malfunction that prevented the plane from landing safely, the army said. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the bomb was dropped in a “controlled manner.” There were no casualties. The army says the incident is being further investigated.
On May 12, a Palestinian was killed by fire from an Israeli drone that targeted the Shuja’iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City. The IDF is preparing to welcome Idan Alexander, who is expected to be released soon from the Khan Yunis area. The release of Aidan Alexander will immediately lead to talks on a broader agreement to end the war in Gaza.
IDF bulldozers continue to demolish homes in the Nour Shams camp in Tulkarem, the scene of widespread aggression for over 100 days. The IDF continues to storm the village of Al-Hadab, south of Hebron, and converts a house into a military barracks. IDF: Nahal Brigade ends counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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