JERUSALEM, Israel – A high-level Israeli delegation is in Qatar for talks intended to end the Israel-Hamas war and bring home the Hamas-held hostages.
Inside Iran, the country is facing one of the largest cyberattacks ever.
As Israelis continue to wait for a possible Iranian attack, the ceasefire talks begin in Qatar on Thursday without a Hamas representative.
The U.S. and Europe are pushing hard for a ceasefire deal that would stop the fighting in Gaza, free the hostages, and perhaps even stop the expected Iranian attack against Israel.
Germany's Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert declared, "All eyes and the hopes of millions – millions in Israel and millions in Gaza – are pinned on this Thursday, on the possible talks about a deal."
Ambassadors of the U.S., the U.K., and Germany spoke to hostage families. "President Biden has spared no effort reaching out to world leaders to bring as much force behind this effort as possible," said U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jacob Lew.
Hamas still clings to the idea it doesn't need to surrender power in Gaza. Osama Hamdan, a Hamas political official insisted, "A ceasefire is one thing and surrender is something else. It’s unthinkable for a Palestinian to surrender.”
The New York Times reports the U.S. is telling Israel it has accomplished what it can in Gaza since the Israel Defense Forces have killed or captured some 14,000 Hamas fighters. Washington claims that it weakens Hamas to the point it can no longer launch deadly attacks such as the one on October 7th.
Yet the same article quotes retired Israeli Maj.-General Yaakov Amidror, who urges the Jewish state to continue the fight. "Israel's achievements in Gaza are impressive, but they’re far from what should be achieved," Amidror stated, and warned, "If Israel evacuates its forces now, within a year, Hamas will be strong again.”
The Biden administration also suggests the remaining hostages are so well hidden that the IDF probably can't free any more of them by military means.
However, the IDF Chief-of-Staff Herzi Halevi contends the military can put so much pressure on Hamas that it will surrender the hostages. "Hamas should know that every day they hold our hostages, it will be more bitter for them than the day before. We will make it worse until we manage to return the hostages," Halevi cautioned.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog held a prayer vigil for the hostages in the synagogue at his official residence. Parents of soldiers killed in Gaza attended along with the hostages' families.
Herzog told them, "As your sons went to battle, amongst their objectives was to bring back our hostages home. They fought for that cause. They lost their life for that cause. And I want to say to the entire world. They are screaming to us from the bottom of the dungeons in Gaza, and they are going through terrible times, and we want to see them home as soon as possible."
In northern Israel, the terror group Hezbollah continues to launch projectiles into Israeli territory.
Iran itself came under a large-scale cyberattack, shutting down the country's ATM machines and causing major disruptions in financial institutions.
Anti-regime activists reportedly hung signs reading, "Dear customers, you cannot withdraw money from the bank because all of Iran's budget and national resources have been allocated to the war for the benefit of the corrupt regime of the Islamic Republic."
Meanwhile, in New York City, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik resigned after months of turmoil following on-campus protests by pro-Hamas demonstrators and violent threats against Jewish students regarding the Israel-Hamas War.
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