JERUSALEM, Israel – Iran closed its airspace and threatened retaliation after confirming its president was wounded in an Israeli strike. At the same time, Israel issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Hamas in Gaza, and fighting intensified across Syria.
It’s day 647 of Israel’s seven-front conflict, and the fighting in Gaza is more intense than ever. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly given Hamas a 48-hour ultimatum: agree to a temporary ceasefire or face a full-scale offensive into Gaza City, one of the most densely populated areas in the Strip.
President Trump is apparently hopeful for a diplomatic solution. He noted, “Gaza, we are talking, and hopefully we’re going to get that straightened out over the next week. Let’s see what happens.”
Despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire, Hamas has rejected the latest deal, demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says that would only embolden future attacks.
“We accepted the deal the mediators offered us. Hamas refused it. He wants us to leave so he can rearm and attack us again and again. I will not accept this. I will do everything to bring our hostages back,” the prime minister declared.
In Syria, Israeli troops uncovered more than three tons of rockets, landmines, and explosives in abandoned regime facilities. That discovery came as Israeli and Syrian officials met quietly in Baku, Azerbaijan, marking a rare diplomatic step between two longtime enemies.
But while Syria’s new leadership talks peace abroad, its forces are cracking down at home, fighting with Druze militias in the south amid reports of dozens killed.
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In Iran, officials now confirm their president was wounded during last month’s Israeli strike on a National Security Council meeting. The regime has vowed that the injury “will not go unanswered.”
Tehran has since closed its airspace, and Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia have followed suit – raising fears that a retaliatory strike on Israel could be imminent.
At the same time, Europe is preparing to trigger “snapback” sanctions under the 2015 nuclear deal, cutting off Iran’s oil exports and punishing companies that do business with the regime. The move could accelerate Iran’s economic collapse.
