Hamas Says It Will Release Hostages As Scheduled This Weekend, NPR
Today, Hamas said that it plans to release the next group of Israeli hostages this Saturday, as was scheduled in the ceasefire deal. In a statement, Hamas also thanked the efforts of the mediators, Qatar and Egypt. Israeli officials did not immediately comment on Hamas’ announcement.
UAE President Tells US a Two-State Solution Is Key for Peace in Region, State News Agency Says, Reuters
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday that peace efforts in the region should be on the basis of a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state news agency WAM reported. It said the UAE, one of the few Arab countries that normalized relations with Israel, categorically rejected any attempt to displace the Palestinians and deny them “inalienable rights”.
US Said To Accept IDF Request To Remain in 5 South Lebanon Posts After Feb. 18 Deadline, The Times of Israel
The US has reportedly authorized a long-term Israeli troop presence in southern Lebanon as Israel seeks an extension to the February 18 withdrawal deadline. Under a U.S.-brokered truce, Israeli troops were initially given 60 days to withdraw, but Israel has now requested to remain in five positions until at least February 28.
Many Palestinian Doctors Are Either Dead, Jailed or Displaced, US Doctors Tell UN, ABC News
The Gaza healthcare system has collapsed, with many Palestinian doctors killed, imprisoned, or displaced, according to US physicians addressing the United Nations. The World Health Organization reports that over 1,050 healthcare workers have been killed, and numerous medical facilities have been attacked, exacerbating the crisis.
Israel Likely To Strike Iran in Coming Months, Warns U.S. Intelligence, The Washington Post
US intelligence warns that Israel is likely to launch a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in early 2025, potentially setting back Tehran’s program but escalating regional tensions. The assessment, based on Israel’s recent attacks and planning, suggests strikes on Fordow and Natanz, raising concerns about a broader Middle East conflict.
Rubio To Visit Germany, Israel, Saudi and UAE, State Dept Says, Reuters
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Europe and the Middle East from February 13 to 18, the State Department said on Wednesday. Rubio will make stops in Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it added.
‘A Hellish Price to Pay’: Would Netanyahu Go Head to Head With Trump on Striking Iran?, Haaretz
Dahlia Scheindlin writes, “It’s also possible that Trump’s diplomatic revival with Iran will take time. On the question of Israel’s response to Trump moving to a new deal, David Des Roches, a professor of the Near East at the South Asia Center for Strategic Studies under the U.S. Department of Defense, said: ‘They’re not gonna like it.’ But he doesn’t believe a deal will happen tomorrow.”
Why Does Trump’s Gaza Plan Sound So Familiar? Because the Nazis Tried It First, The Forward
Eric Kurlander writes, “Trump’s utopian designs to turn war-torn Gaza into a ‘riviera’ while deporting Palestinians elsewhere may not invariably constitute a veiled effort to commit genocide. But the potential for mass violence and ethnic cleansing is endemic to any such efforts. Parallel ‘resettlement’ plans pursued by colonial powers between 1850 and 1950 resulted in the mass murder of indigenous peoples across Nazi-occupied Europe, the U.S. frontier, Africa, and Asia.”
Why Trump’s Plan to Displace Gazans Is Not in Israel’s Interests, Haaretz
The Haaretz editorial board writes, “Moreover, the dissolution of the agreements with Egypt and Jordan may well lead to the dissolution of the Abraham Accords, which Netanyahu signed, and preclude the crowning glory of peace agreements, namely normalization with Saudi Arabia. The proper place for the Trump transfer plan is the dustbin of history. The peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan are the foundation of the political structure on which the Abraham Accords stand.”