Tension escalates in the Middle East
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians are entering a new phase of escalation, as Israeli forces announced the elimination of a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, while a few hours later they proceeded to arrest the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, following Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israel announced the elimination of a Hamas commander
The Israeli military claimed that an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip killed Yahya Saeed Muhammad Hamdan, whom it describes as a commander of the Nukhba Forces of Hamas's Qassam Brigades. According to the statement from the Israel Defense Forces, Yahya Saeed Muhammad Hamdan allegedly participated in the attacks of October 7, 2023, and specifically in the assault against the Reim kibbutz in southern Israel. "The terrorist posed an immediate threat to our forces operating in the area and was neutralized with a precision airstrike," the Israeli military stated in its announcement. So far, Hamas has neither confirmed nor commented on Israel's claim.
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem arrested
Concurrently, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli forces arrested the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, immediately after the conclusion of Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. Local sources reported that Sheikh Mohammad Hussein was taken into custody shortly after delivering his weekly sermon and leading the congregation of worshippers. The reasons for his arrest are not yet known, while Israeli authorities have not announced where the top Muslim religious leader of Jerusalem has been taken. The two developments occur during a period of exceptionally heightened tension in the Middle East, with military operations in Gaza ongoing and the situation in Jerusalem remaining highly fragile.
British agency maintains maximum risk warning for the Strait of Hormuz
Meanwhile, the British agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced that the threat level for navigation in the Strait of Hormuz remains at the highest possible level. The warning was issued following the new military escalation between the United States and Iran, which has significantly increased risks for commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz represents one of the most critical arteries of the global energy market, as a large portion of global oil and gas exports is moved through it. Consequently, any disruption to vessel transit is considered a grave threat to both international energy markets and global shipping.
CNN: Israel warned the US of a new Iranian plot targeting Trump for assassination
Israel conveyed information to the United States according to which Iran had recently formulated a new plan to assassinate President Donald Trump. This was reported to CNN by two sources with knowledge of the matter, adding another factor of tension during a period when the ceasefire agreement between the two sides is being tested. One of the sources stated that the warning was conveyed this week. A second source mentioned that US intelligence agencies had recorded a steady flow of information over recent weeks regarding potential assassination plots against Trump, though the Israeli briefing was new and concerned a specific conspiracy.
Scenario of… influence
Other American officials estimated that the Israeli report may constitute an effort to influence Trump's decisions at a time when he is considering the possibility of intensifying US military action against Iran. The details of the alleged plot have not yet been made public. Two sources with knowledge of the matter stated that US agencies had not independently verified the information nor were they tracking this specific plot prior to the Israeli warning. The United States government has warned for years that Iran might seek the assassination of Trump as retaliation for the drone strike he ordered in 2020, which resulted in the death of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
They want to eliminate me
When asked about the Israeli warning, which was initially published by the Wall Street Journal, the White House referred to Trump's recent statements regarding Iran's alleged intentions to assassinate him. "They want to eliminate the leader of the United States — me," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. "I am on whatever list they have. I saw this morning that I am on all of their lists. So far I have been rather lucky, but maybe that won't last for long. These are bad and depraved people. We must root out this cancer. You know what you do with cancer? You remove it while it's still early. That's how I see it."
The new list
Later, Trump claimed that he was recently informed of the existence of a new list on which he appears as Iran's number one target for assassination. It is unclear whether he was referring to the new information transmitted by Israel. Over the weekend, during the funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the onset of the war, crowds of Iranians chanted slogans favoring the assassination of Trump. Tension between the United States and Iran has risen significantly in recent days, with the two sides exchanging threats and military strikes, while the 60-day truce that had been agreed upon to end hostilities is now practically collapsed.
Under surveillance
Two sources with knowledge of recent US intelligence assessments stated that the intelligence community is monitoring various actors who have discussed the possibility of attacks without, so far, having proceeded to action. One of the sources noted that American agencies have long been concerned that Iran could target current and former high-ranking US officials.
The role of Netanyahu
The same source added, however, that the Israeli report is treated partly as an element of a broader effort by Israel to influence Trump's decisions regarding Iran. As pointed out, there is long-standing skepticism within the US intelligence community toward certain Israeli reports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed serious doubts about Trump's diplomatic initiatives toward Iran, while in the past he had clashed with him regarding Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which had complicated negotiations. The two leaders had a telephone communication on Thursday, while Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington soon for talks with the American president.
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