The United Kingdom is talking with France and Saudi Arabia about recognising Palestine as a state later this year, the Foreign affairs minister of its left-wing government has revealed. British Foreign Minister David Lammy told a House of Lords committee this week that the government is in discussions with France and Saudi Arabia to recognise Palestine as a state. The declaration would be part of a push to keep the notion of a two-state solution alive and would likely be made at a New York conference in June to be hosted by France and the Saudis, he said. The military presented the plan for the extended offensive in Gaza on Friday, and then the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved it. The plan will require a significant mobilization. Warnings have previously come from Israeli sources that the military may carry out a large-scale offensive aimed at destroying Hamas if no agreement on hostages is reached. The military has announced that the most important thing is to get the hostages back. Hamas took away 251 people from Israel in connection with the terrorist attack on 7 October 2023, which became the starting shot for the Gaza War. 58 people in the hostages are still in Gaza, of whom 34 are believed to no longer be alive. [About 10 minutes] Israel called up its military reserves Sunday to prepare for a massive new operation, “Gideon’s Chariots,” in which it plans to reconquer Gaza and eliminate Hamas, neighborhood by neighborhood, over several months. The Israeli government says that it will carry out the operation if Hamas does not agree to a hostage deal by the end of the forthcoming visit of President Donald Trump to the region, which will be from May 13 to 16. Israel plans to use military pressure to rescue the remaining hostages in a new way: not by pressuring Hamas leadership, which has been unwilling to compromise, but to isolate Hamas cells that are holding captives. Israel plans to keep the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza indefinitely. U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested taking control of Gaza... Israel destroyed the main airport in Sana’a, Yemen, the country’s capital, to prevent the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from using it to rearm their missiles and resupply their forces, in the latest counterattack. Tuesday’s airstrikes were the second in as many days, after the Israeli Air Force (IAF) attacked the Hodeidah port Monday, following a Houthi missile attack on Sunday that hit Israel’s main airport, Ben Gurion. The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement: A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck and dismantled Houthi terrorist infrastructure at the main airport in Sana’a, fully disabling the airport. The strike was carried out in response to the attack launched by the Houthi terrorist regime against Ben Gurion Airport. Flight runways, aircraft, and infrastructure at the airport were struck. Similar to the Hudaydah Port that was struck yesterday, the airport served as a central hub for the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons and operatives. It has been routinely used by the Houthi regime for terrorist purposes. This underscores the Houthi terrorist regime’s brutal exploitation of civilian infrastructure for terrorist activity. Furthermore, several central power plants were struck in the Sana’a area. The terrorist regime exploits energy infrastructure—an additional example of the Houthi regime’s use of Yemeni civilian infrastructure for terrorist purposes. In addition, the IDF struck the “Al Imran” Concrete Plant, located north of Sana’a, which serves as a significant resource for the Houthi terrorist regime and is used for the construction of underground tunnels and other terrorist infrastructure. This strike further degrades the Houthi regime’s economic and military buildup capabilities. The strikes were carried out with prevision, and steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure. The U.S. also participated in airstrikes on Houthi targets in Sana’a on Monday, operating from the Red Sea. Polling shows 49% of Gazans wish to emigrate and are willing to seek Israel’s assistance, and 48% approve of the anti-Hamas protests. Israel has prepared to facilitate mass migrations from the Gaza Strip, but the main challenge is finding countries willing to absorb the Gazan refugees. In April, anti-Hamas protests erupted in Gaza despite threats of arrests and death. The current population of Gaza is approximately two million. The Ashdod Port is equipped to transport Gazans to other locations by sea, while Ramon Airport is ready to assist with air transportation. The aerial route through Ramon Airport has already been used to transport 1,500 injured Gaza residents to other countries. Another route for civilians to leave Gaza is through the Rafah crossing. It is estimated that 35,000 Gazans have already crossed through Rafah into Egypt since the start of the war. From there, many civilians seek residence in other countries. https://worldisraelnews.com/almost-half-of-gazans-want-to-emigrate-support-anti-hamas-protests/ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to scrap the Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) at the State Department, the Washington Free Beacon reported. OPA was created during the Biden Administration to elevate America's relationship with the Palestinian Authority. According to the report, Rubio has instructed US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to reintegrate OPA's diplomatic functions into the American embassy in Jerusalem. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are seemingly at odds amid a U.S. truce with Houthis in Yemen and the President seeking to peacefully negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran without plunging the United States into another endless war. Trump is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates on Monday, as Steve Witkoff is expected to hold nuclear talks with Iran on Sunday. Trump reportedly does not plan to visit Israel despite efforts by Israeli officials to host Trump for a visit. More from Times of Israel: According to the Hebrew-language daily, in closed-door conversations Trump said he was going to make progress on his objectives in the Middle East without waiting for Israel. After the Houthi ceasefire announcement, Netanyahu and senior ministers have been emphasizing in recent statements that Israel “can defend itself by itself.” https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/report-israeli-officials-shocked-trumps-houthi-truce-trump/ Edan Alexander, 21, the last living U.S. citizen held by Palestinian Hamas terrorists in Gaza, returned to Israel on Monday, amid tears, laughter, and embraces from his family, who flew from America to greet him. The hostage, who holds the rank of Staff Sergeant in the IDF’s elite Golani brigade, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, by Hamas during its brutal terror attack against Israel, which killed 1200 people. During that time, he was reportedly tortured and kept handcuffed inside a cage, near other hostages. The Red Cross, which has an international legal obligation to visit prisoners of war, never visited him. However, the Red Cross managed the handover from Hamas on Monday, as it has with other hostages. Alexander was welcomed by fellow IDF soldiers and escorted back into Israel, where he was met by family and friends, as well as Israeli hostage negotiator Gal Hirsch and U.S. hostage negotiator Adam Boehler. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was also present. On a helicopter to a hospital, he held a whiteboard, on which he had written: “Thank you President Trump!” He also wrote, in Hebrew, “Am Yisrael Chai” (The Nation of Israel Lives), and the name of his IDF unit. Israel’s Army Radio discussed the possibility that Alexander might fly to Qatar to meet visiting U.S. President Donald Trump this week, if his health allowed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited President Donald Trump’s diplomacy, and relentless IDF military pressure, for Alexander’s release, which came without explicit conditions.
Britain May Recognise Palestine as a State This Year:
Israel Mobilizes Reservists for Extended Gaza Offensive:
Breaking News with Amir Tsarfati:
Israel Prepares Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ to Take Over Gaza, Clear Hamas:
Israel Destroys Yemen’s Main Airport; Cuts Houthi Weapons Supply Route:
Half of Gazans want to emigrate, will seek Israel’s help:
Report: Rubio to scrap State Department Office of Palestinian Affairs:
REPORT: Israeli Officials “Shocked” over Trump’s Houthi Truce – Trump Reportedly Upset with Netanyahu for Trying to Get U.S. involved in Military Conflict with Iran Ahead of Nuclear Talks and Visit to Middle East:
‘Thank You President Trump’: Last Living American Hostage Held by Hamas in Gaza Freed, Returns to Israel:
