US President Donald Trump issues what he calls “a last warning” to Hamas to release all Israeli captives held in Gaza, and tells its leaders to leave the Strip.

    The threat comes as the White House confirms direct talks with Hamas for the first time since 1997 to secure the release of US-Israeli captives and end the war in Gaza.

    Palestinians in Gaza are going hungry as Israel’s blockade causes high prices and food shortages, with the World Food Programme (WFP) warning its stocks could run out in less than two weeks.

    Gaza’s Health Ministry has confirmed 48,440 Palestinian deaths in Israel’s war on Gaza while 111,845 people have been wounded. The Government Media Office updated its death toll to at least 61,709, saying thousands of Palestinians missing under the rubble are presumed dead. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and more than 200 were taken captive.

    US announces new sanctions on Yemen’s Houthis

    The Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on seven senior members of the Houthis, a day after re-designating the Yemen-based group as a “foreign terrorist” organisation.

    The new sanctions target members who the department says “smuggled military-grade items and weapon systems into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen”.

    Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, said that “by seeking weapons from a growing array of international suppliers, Houthi leaders have shown their intent to continue their reckless and destabilising actions in the Red Sea region”.

    The Houthis had launched drone and missile attacks on Israel and commercial ships in the Red Sea during the Israeli war on Gaza. But the group paused their attacks in January following the ceasefire in Gaza.

    US Jewish groups criticise Smotrich’s visit to Washington

    We’ve been covering the far-right finance minister’s meeting with his US counterpart, Bessent, in Washington, DC.

    It was the first ministerial level meeting between the US Treasury Department and the Israeli government in four years. That’s because the previous administration of Joe Biden had effectively shunned Smotrich over his hardline views, even publicly rebuking his calls for the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

    J Street, a lobby group that describes itself as pro-Israel and pro-peace, said the Trump administration’s embrace of Smotrich “shows how much his racist ideology has been normalised”.

    In a post on X, it added: “We must not forget: This is a man who has dedicated his life to inciting violence against Palestinians and erasing any chance of peace.”

    Meanwhile, Hadar Susskind, the president of New Jewish Narrative, also said hosting Smotrich in Washington could “imperil the Gaza ceasefire”.

    Writing in Jewish Forward, Susskind raised concerns that Smotrich’s US visit has been portrayed as a “comeback for a divisive leader who promotes racism, extremism and violence” in Israeli media.

    Mayor of Deir el-Balah sounds alarm over dwindling fuel supplies

    It’s now been five days since Israel cut food, fuel and medicine to the Gaza Strip.

    Nizar Ayyash, the mayor of Deir el-Balah, says the lack of fuel will make it nearly impossible to treat sewage or pump clean water.

    “Closing the crossing will impact all aspects of life in Gaza, not just the Deir el-Balah municipality,” he said. “We are sounding the alarm because we fear the fuel that the municipalities need to treat sewage, pump water from wells, and also lift and remove waste will be cut off. This is a very difficult situation.”

    US, Israel agree to strengthen financial and trade ties

    US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have issued a joint statement following their meeting in Washington, DC.

    The two men discussed “deepening economic cooperation, fostering innovation, and strengthening financial and trade ties” between the US and Israel, according to the statement.

    “This is a critical time to shape a new strategic economic future for both countries, reinforcing American global leadership and Israel’s role as a key economic partner,” the statement said, adding that the two countries will continue “collaboration and deeper coordination across economic, technological, and financial policy areas”.

    The statement did not refer to Israel’s threats to cut off Palestinian banks from their Israeli correspondent banks – an issue the Biden administration had repeatedly publicly raised concerns about.