Israel has put its military on high alert for the first time this month after observing preparations by Iran and Hezbollah to carry out threatened attacks, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. Israel does not know whether attacks are imminent and is moving cautiously, the person said. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi approved the plans on Monday and said offensive and defensive preparations were underway, the IDF said.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan this morning the importance of Hamas’s participation in Thursday’s summit to reach a ceasefire agreement, the State Department said. The Times of Israel reports. Hamas announced two days ago that it would not participate, asking mediators to persuade Israel to accept the updated proposal it presented in July.
The offer saw Hamas back down from its demand that Israel commit to a permanent ceasefire. Hamas officials regularly reside in Turkey.
Iran on Monday rejected calls by Western countries to withdraw threats against Israel, saying it was not seeking “permission” to take revenge on its enemy, which it accuses of assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil. “The Islamic Republic is determined to defend its sovereignty… and does not ask anyone’s permission to exercise its legitimate rights,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser al-Kenani said in a statement.
As part of her ongoing contacts on the crisis in the Middle East, Giorgia Meloni held a new telephone conversation today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which she reiterated her strong hope that an agreement could be reached on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, in line with the UN Security Council resolution, in the next round of negotiations on 15 August. The Prime Minister confirmed her firm support for the mediation led by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
Recognizing Israel's right to self-defense, he finally stressed the importance of de-escalation at the regional level, including along the Israeli-Lebanese border where the UN Intervention Force, UNIFIL, is present, with Italy playing a leading role.
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