Weekend Recap: 🇵🇸 Hamas military chief Haddad eliminated in Gaza City
By Bernie,
The IDF confirmed on Saturday morning that Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas's military wing and its most senior figure in Gaza, was killed in a strike on a residential building in Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood late Friday. His wife and daughter were also killed, Hamas sources stated. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir called the operation "a significant operational success." The military stated that Haddad was one of the last surviving architects of the October 7 massacre and had previously surrounded himself with hostages to prevent strikes against him. A senior Israeli security official stated the strike had been approved a week and a half ago, with Haddad under continuous surveillance, and was carried out Friday "due to an operational opportunity with a high probability of successful elimination." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz stated in a joint statement that Haddad had "refused to implement the agreement led by President Trump to disarm Hamas and demilitarise the Gaza Strip." Hamas confirmed his death on Saturday, with his funeral held in Gaza City.
🇱🇧 Lebanon Ceasefire extended 45 days
The US State Department announced late Friday that the porous ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by 45 days following two days of talks in Washington. Captain Maoz Israel Recanati, 24, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade's 12th Battalion from Itamar, was killed by a Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced Saturday. Recanati is the seventh IDF soldier killed in southern Lebanon since the start of the ceasefire and the 20th since the start of hostilities. The military stated it struck around 100 Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon over the weekend, including overnight strikes on Tyre and surrounding villages following urgent evacuation warnings. Two Hezbollah drones were shot down over an area where Israeli troops are operating, triggering sirens in several Western Galilee communities.
🇮🇷 Iran prepares Hormuz toll mechanism
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi stated on Saturday that Tehran has prepared a mechanism to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including the collection of fees, and that the plan will be announced shortly.
🇵🇰 Pakistani interior minister in Tehran
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a two-day visit aimed at facilitating peace talks between Iran and the United States, Iranian state media reported. Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni received Naqvi and praised the mediation efforts of Field Marshal Asim Munir, who travelled to Tehran in April. Pakistani sources told Al Arabiya that the Americans had requested answers on specific points, and that progress had been made regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
🇺🇸 Trump: US could destroy Iranian infrastructure in two days
US President Donald Trump stated on board Air Force One on Friday, returning from China, that the United States military could destroy Iran's infrastructure "within two days" if it chose to. "I'm going to make a decision over the next few days," Trump stated when asked about his next move on Iran. He stated that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons and that both wanted the Strait of Hormuz open. Pressed by New York Times reporter David Sanger on why the US continues operations against Iran despite not achieving its initial political objectives, Trump stated, "I had a total military victory. But the fake news, guys like you, write incorrectly. I actually think it's sort of treasonous what you write."
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon & Hezbollah
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