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The White House said on Sunday that it supports Israel's decision to delay releasing 600 Palestinian prisoners, citing the "barbaric treatment" of Israeli hostages by Hamas.

Delaying the prisoner release is an "appropriate response" to the Palestinian militant group's treatment of the hostages, a statement from National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said.

President Donald Trump is prepared to support Israel in "whatever course of action it chooses regarding Hamas," he added.

Israeli forces have stormed the town of Hizma, north of occupied East Jerusalem, in yet another military incursion across the West Bank, Wafa news agency reports.

Soldiers raided several neighborhoods, firing tear gas and sound bombs at residents.  

The assault follows an earlier Israeli attack on a funeral in al-Issawiya, also near East Jerusalem.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced US President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan, or other countries, calling it "completely unacceptable".

During a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Erdogan reiterated Turkiye’s firm opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians, according to a statement from the Turkish communications directorate.

Hezbollah’s leader declared that the group’s "resistance" against Israel will continue, as hundreds of thousands gathered in Beirut to mourn slain chief Hassan Nasrallah.  

In a televised address during the funeral, Nasrallah’s successor, Naim Qassem, vowed to uphold his predecessor’s legacy and rejected any foreign interference in Lebanon. 

"The resistance is not over—the resistance remains present and ready," he said, reaffirming Hezbollah’s stance against Israel and denouncing US influence over Lebanon as "tyrannical".

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei also paid tribute to Nasrallah, calling him a "great mujahid and prominent leader" while vowing continued resistance against Israel.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi has announced that the group will not engage in further negotiations with Israel through mediators until Israel releases the 620 Palestinian prisoners who were set to be freed on Saturday.  

Israel has delayed the releases, demanding assurances that Hamas will stop what it calls "humiliating" staged handovers of captives.  

Syria's new President Ahmed al-Sharaa received an invitation from Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take part in an emergency Arab League summit in Egypt on March 4, the Syrian presidency said in a statement on Sunday. 

Israel postponing the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners exposes "the entire agreement to grave danger", aenior Hamas official Bassem Naim said.

Naim called on ceasefire mediators, "especially the Americans", to urge Israel "to implement the agreement as it is and immediately release our prisoners".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, says Israel will not allow Syria’s new army or the insurgent group that led the ouster of former President Bashar Assad to "enter the area south of Damascus".

Netanyahu’s comments Sunday at a military graduation led to new concerns over the Israeli presence, and sway, in a swath of southern Syria as Damascus' new leaders attempt to consolidate control after years of civil war.

"Take note: We will not allow HTS forces or the new Syrian army to enter the area south of Damascus," Netanyahu said, referring to Syria’s new authorities as well as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main former rebel group.

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Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit have warned against further deterioration in the occupied West Bank, stressing the need for immediate measures to prevent escalating unrest, Wafa news agency reported. 

Meeting in Amman, the two officials also underscored the importance of maintaining the fragile Gaza ceasefire to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged Strip. They voiced firm opposition to the displacement of Palestinians and reaffirmed support for Egypt’s reconstruction plan for Gaza. 

The talks in Jordan follow a keynote Arab summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday, where leaders discussed a counter-proposal to Donald Trump’s widely condemned plan to reshape Gaza.

Israel has ramped up its military presence around the besieged Gaza Strip, the army said on Saturday, as fears mount over a potential resumption of hostilities.  

"Following a situational assessment, it was decided to increase the operational readiness in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip," the Israeli military announced in a brief statement.  

The move comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that his forces are prepared to resume attacks in Gaza "at any moment", as the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas faces collapse.  

On Saturday, Israel failed to uphold its commitment to release 620 Palestinian prisoners under the truce deal, following Hamas' handover of six Israeli captives. 

Israeli tanks have entered the occupied West Bank city of Jenin in their first deployment in the territory since 2002, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The Israeli army has said that it has struck Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon, including buildings used by the group as weapons storage. The army said that Hezbollah activity in the sites is a "violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon", according to the Times of Israel.

Israel on Sunday said it will not tolerate presence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in southern Syria, nor any other forces affiliated with the country's new rulers, and demanded the territory be demilitarized.

Former Al Qaeda affiliate HTS took control of Damascus on 8 December in a stunning offensive, ending then-president Bashar al-Assad's rule. Israel then moved forces into a UN-monitored demilitarized zone within Syria and launched heavy airstrikes across the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will keep its positions there as a defensive measure and for as long as is necessary.

"We will not allow forces of the HTS or the new Syrian army to enter the territory south of Damascus. We demand full demilitarization of southern Syria, in the provinces of Quneitra, Daraa and Suweida," Netanyahu said at a military graduation ceremony.

"And we will not tolerate any threat to the Druze sect in southern Syria," he added. The Druze, who practice an offshoot of Islam, are a minority group in Syria as well as Israel and Lebanon.

Syria has demanded Israel withdraw its forces from the country. The United Nations says Israel's move into Syrian territory is a violation of international agreements and has also called for the troops to be withdrawn.

(Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel is prepared "at any moment" to resume fighting in Gaza and to complete the war's goals "whether through negotiation or by other means." 

"We are prepared to resume intense fighting at any moment," he said in a graduation ceremony for Israeli officers.

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun told a visiting Iranian delegation on Sunday that the war-scarred country was "tired" of external conflicts playing out on its territory.

The high-level delegation was in Beirut for the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the slain leader of Tehran-backed Hezbollah which fought a war with Israel last year that ended in a November truce.

"Lebanon has grown tired of the wars of others on its land," Aoun told the Iranian officials according to a statement shared by the newly appointed president, a former army chief seen as close to the West.

"Countries should not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries," he added.

A Palestinian man was killed by an Israeli sniper east of Gaza City, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa, which reported that the man was inspecting his agricultural land. 

US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy on Sunday said the US expects the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal to go forward.

Steve Witkoff made the comment in a CNN interview when asked about Israel's decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

"We have to get an extension of Phase One," Witkoff said. "I'll be going to the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that."

The Israeli military has announced the arrest of 26 Palestinians during raids in the occupied West Bank on Saturday. The military also announced that the ongoing assault in the north of the territory is being expanded into more villages. 

The death toll from Israel's war on Gaza has risen to 48,339 people killed, according to the enclave's Ministry of Health which said that it had received the bodies of 10 people in the past 24 hours. No injuries were reported.

The coffin of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Narallah is being carried to his final resting place in a massive procession which has seen the participation of tens of thousands of mourners.

Israeli warplanes have flown low over the ongoing funeral for Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the flight is to convey a message: "Those who threaten to destroy Israel and attack Israel, it will be their end".

"You will specialise in funerals, and we will in victories," the statement read according to the Times of Israel.

 Egypt's Suez Canal Authority chairman Osama Rabei said on Sunday that 47 ships have been rerouted from Cape of Good Hope to Suez Canal since the start of February, signaling that stability has been restored into the Red Sea region.

Israel's high court has agreed to a government request for a further 90 days on reporting the establishment of a state inquiry into the failures prior to Hamas 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. The government now has till 11 May to provide the court with an update, according to Times of Israel.

Tens of thousands of mourners flooded Lebanon’s largest stadium on Sunday to take part in the funerals of Hezbollah's longtime general-secretary Hassan Nasrallah and his successor Hashem Safieddine, both of whom were assassinated by Israel.

The ceremony is expected to be one of the largest ever events in the country's recent history, with people attending from across Lebanon and flying into Beirut from at least 65 countries, particularly where Hezbollah enjoyed significant popular support.

Thousands are expected to have arrived especially from Iraq and Iran, two Shia majority countries. But a ban on flights from Iran has forced Iranians to take different routes to arrive in Lebanon, such as via Iraq.

Large crowds filled the Camille Chamoun Sports City stadium and surrounding streets, as shown by drone footage, waving the yellow Hezbollah flag as well as other religious and national flags.

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker and head of the Amal Movement, Nabih Berri, is said to be attending the ceremony. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will send representatives.

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The leader of Israeli political party The Democrats has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of violating the ceasefire in Gaza, writing on X: "Netanyahu ordered the delay in the release of the terrorists, openly violating the deal and blowing up phase A."

"There are no real negotiations on Phase B, just spin and the neglect of the hostages' lives," he said, threating Netanyahu that "the gates of hell will open", if he thwarts the deal.

Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have arrived in Beirut to attend the funeral of former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that they were welcomed by Iran's ambassador to Lebanon as well as by Lebanese MPs. 

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Sunday he has instructed the military to prepare to remain in some of the occupied West Bank's refugee camps "for the coming year."

Katz said that some 40,000 Palestinians had been displaced from three of the camps in the northern West Bank and that they were now "emptied of residents."

He said the military was to prepare for "an extended stay" in the camps and "not to allow the return of residents."

The comments by Katz come as Israel is intensifying an offensive in the occupied Palestinian territory and as the ceasefire that paused the war in Gaza holds.

The military said Sunday it was expanding the raid in the West Bank to other areas and was sending tanks to Jenin.

The Israeli military has announced that a tank platoon will operate in the northern occupied West Bank, specifically in the area of Jenin which has been witness to large scale assaults by Israeli forces since January. Additionally, a second platoon from the Nahal Brigade will operate in other villages, according to Haaretz.

Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes Sunday about 10 kilometres from the southern border as mourners converged in Beirut for the massive funeral of the group's slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.

"Hostile aircraft launched two raids targeting the area between Qleileh and Sammaaiyah in the Tyre district," the official National News Agency said.

Hamas on Sunday condemned Israel's decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, saying its claim that the hostages' handover ceremonies are "humiliating" was false and a pretext to evade Israel's obligations under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Netanyahu's decision reflects a deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement, represents a clear violation of its terms, and shows the occupation's lack of reliability in implementing its obligations," Ezzat El Rashq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement.