Israel-Hamas war: Israel agrees to pauses in Gaza, says US

Shots fired at two Jewish schools in Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned antisemitism on Thursday after shots were fired at two Jewish schools in Montreal.

There were no injuries, according to police.

Trudeau said "violence, hate, antisemitism, Islamophobia and scenes such as the ones we saw in Concordia University or shots fired at Jewish schools overnight" are all "unacceptable."

The shooting incidents at the two schools follow a violent altercation at Concordia University between people aligned with opposing sides in the conflict. 

"I know emotions are high, and people are scared. But attacking each other is not who we are as Canadians," Trudeau said during a visit to Montreal.

"If anywhere in the world is going to start building the kinds of understandings that we're going to need to see peaceful resolution in the Middle East... it starts in a place like Canada."

IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

Israeli fighter jets, artillery, and mortars attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). 

In a social media post, the IDF said it carried out the strikes in response to an earlier attack from Lebanese territory.

Compounds, infrastructure and observation posts belonging to the Iran-backed group were targeted. 

There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah about the strikes. 

Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have traded fire repeatedly since the Hamas attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7.

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has praised the Hamas attacks on Israel.

Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab countries, while the EU lists its armed wing as a terrorist group.

Brandenburg Gate illuminated in the colors of Israel

The Brandenburg Gate in Germany's capital, Berlin, was illuminated in the colors of Israel and the Star of David on Thursday.

It came as the country marked the 85th anniversary of the Nazi November pogroms against Germany's Jews.

The German words projected on the landmark translate to "Never again is now."

Germany has seen a sharp rise in antisemitism after the Hamas terror attack that killed 1,400 people in Israel on October 7, which triggered an ongoing war in Gaza.

Leaders of Germany and Egypt discuss Gaza war, humanitarian situation

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has spoken by phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi about the war in Gaza.

"Chancellor Scholz reiterated that Germany is strongly committed to the protection of civilians and also in favor of humanitarian pauses to enable safe and sufficient humanitarian supplies for the people in the Gaza Strip," government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said.

Scholz and El-Sissi agreed that it remains essential to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from spreading regionally and that only a political solution can bring long-term peace, Hebestreit said. 

Egypt has been a key player in diplomatic efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Egypt's Rafah border crossing is the only one that does not enter Israel, making it the only exit point for people trying to flee Gaza and the only way for desperately needed aid to enter.

Israel says unidentified drone hits southern city of Eilat

A drone of unknown origin has hit a building in the southern Israeli city of Eilat, the Israeli army said.

No one was physically hurt in the explosion, but paramedics were treating seven people for shock. Israeli media reported that a school had been damaged.

"The identity of the UAV and the details of the incident are under review," the military said in a statement, referring to an unmanned aerial vehicle.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed repeated missile and drone attacks aimed at Israel. The group has stepped up a campaign of disruptive strikes, also targeting US forces in the region, during Israel's war with Hamas.

Islamic Jihad group in Gaza releases new hostage video

The armed wing of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad in Gaza has released a video showing an older woman and a young boy who were among around 240 hostages seized by militant gunmen who attacked Israel on October 7.

"We are ready to release them on humanitarian grounds when the security conditions on the ground are met," the group's spokesperson, Abu Hamza, said in the video. 

Israeli military spokesperson Richard Hecht described the video as "psychological terrorism."

The vast majority of the hostages taken during the terror attacks on Israeli communities a month ago are believed to be in the hands of Hamas. 

Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group in Gaza that is allied to the territory's ruling movement, has said previously it was holding at least 30 captives.

The video is the third film showing hostages to be released by Gaza militants, who have so far freed four captives.

Israeli, US spy chiefs in Doha for talks on Gaza hostage deal — reports

Israeli and US spy chiefs have met with the Qatari prime minister in Doha for talks on the parameters of a deal for hostage releases and a potential humanitarian pause to the war in Gaza, news agencies reported. 

David Barnea, head of Israel's Mossad intelligence service, CIA Director William Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani held the meeting after Qatari mediators met officials from the Hamas political office on Wednesday night.

Burns and Barnea "are both visiting Doha for trilateral talks with the Qataris to work through the details of a potential humanitarian pause that would see the release of hostages and more aid entering Gaza," an official was quoted by AFP as saying.

"Talks have been progressing well towards a deal in the past few days," the official added.

Qatar, where several Hamas political leaders are based, has been leading efforts to mediate between the militant group and Israeli officials for the release of hostages.

Hamas militants took more than 240 hostages when they stormed into Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people.

A source told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that the talks focused on the release of 10-15 hostages in exchange for a one- to two-day humanitarian pause in the war.

Germany criticized at UN rights council for its stance on Gaza

Germany has come under sharp criticism from Muslim countries during a review of its human rights record at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Arab and Muslim countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Turkey, Qatar and Libya, denounced Germany's stance on the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Egypt's representative Ahmed Moharam said Cairo "deeply regrets the unfavorable positions taken by Germany vis-a-vis the rights of the Palestinian people." Turkey urged Berlin to "halt the provision of any military material or equipment to Israel that may be used in the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity."

The statements were made during the Universal Periodic Review of Germany, which all 193 UN countries must undergo every four years. 

Germany responded to the criticism by reiterating Israel's right to defend itself after the deadly October 7 Hamas attacks.

"Israel's security and right to exist are not negotiable for Germany," said Luise Amtsberg, Germany's commissioner for human rights policy.

Amtsberg also pointed to a rise in antisemitism, which Germany has cited as the reason for cracking down on several pro-Palestinian protests.

"The protection of Jewish life and our commitment to 'never again' is non-negotiable," Amtsberg said. "Jews no longer feel safe," she told the gathering. "We cannot accept this." 

Amstberg also said that "people in Germany are also justifiably worried about the civilian population in Gaza and the Palestinian territories."