• Source:JND

US President Joe Biden reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “stop bullshitting” him during their telephonic conversation on Thursday, an Israeli media report informed Saturday. The flare erupted after Netanyahu told Biden that Israel was moving forward with negotiations on a hostages-for-ceasefire deal with Hamas and would soon send a delegation to resume talks, The Times Of Israel reported, citing Channel 12 news.

Ceasefire Talks Stalled?

Senior Israeli security officials, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief Herzi Halevi, reportedly alerted Netanyahu that his insistence on new terms could jeopardize the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal. They claim that Netanyahu is aware that the new conditions he is demanding—part of an updated Israeli proposal—will likely doom the agreement.

The updated proposal includes a requirement for an inspection mechanism to prevent combatants from moving to the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Those ceasefire talks have been ongoing for many months without results, and Biden has previously said that Netanyahu has been intentionally stalling for internal political reasons.

This report comes as Middle East tensions soared Saturday as Iran and its allies readied their response to the assassination of Hamas’s political leader, blamed on Israel, spurring fears of a regional war.

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Hezbollah's Rocket Barrage On Israel

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Sunday launched over 50 rockets targeting Israel amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, APF reported. The Iran-backed group stated that its assault on Beit Hillel in northern Israel was a response to Israeli strikes on Kfar Kela and Deir Siriane in Lebanon, which it alleged resulted in civilian injuries.

The United States said it will send more warships and fighter jets to the war-hit region. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has directed the deployment of additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the European and Middle East regions and is working on sending more land-based ballistic missile defense systems to these areas, according to a Pentagon statement.

Several countries, including India, have sounded warnings for their citizens living in Israel. Many government in the west have asked their citizens to leave Lebanon. Several flight services have also been cancelled in the region.

READ MORE: 'Book Any Ticket Available': US Embassy Urges Citizens To Leave Lebanon Before Crisis Begins

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh Killed 

The killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran this week, just hours after the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah's military chief in Beirut, has created a masive unrest in the middle east. Iran supreme leader announced a war against Israel.

The leader of Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels also vowed a "military response" to the killing of Ismail. "There has to be a military response to these crimes, which are shameless and dangerous, and constitute a major escalation by the Israeli enemy," Abdul Malik al-Huthi said in a televised speech.

Several middle east nations, Including Morocco, Jordan and Turkey denounced Haniyeh's killing and expressed solidarity with Palestinians.

An unprecedented war erupted between Hamas and Israel when the former launched a surprise attack on October 7, 2024, firing as many as 5,000 missiles into Israeli territory.