Hostage deal within days? Hamas says agreement is 'possible' | 2 IDF soldiers die in Gaza building collapse | Police nabs another Israeli working for Iranian intel

17:01 - Prime Minister's Office says Netanyahu visited Mt. Hermon today

After his spokesman denied reports that he was headed to Cairo, Egypt, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office stated he "today (Tuesday, 17 December 2024), on the Hermon ridge, held an assessment with the Defense Minister, IDF Chief-of-Staff, the Head of Northern Command and the ISA Director."

"The Prime Minister reviewed the IDF deployment in the area and set guidelines for the future," the statement read.

It is unclear whether Netanyahu's visit to the Syrian border was the reason he requested the cancellation of today's court hearing.

16:32 - Netanyahu headed to Cairo? Reports say Gaza ceasefire could be signed 'within days'

Reuters reported that Netanyahu traveled to Cairo as talks on a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Gaza Strip appear to have advanced significantly. The report was based on anonymous, informed sources.

Shortly after the Reuters report was released, Netanyahu's spokesman, Omer Dostri, denied that the Israeli leader traveled to Eygpt: "Contrary to the wave of rumors, Prime Minister Netanyahu is not in Cairo," Dostri wrote on 𝕏.

The sources also told Reuters that a deal with Hamas was expected to be signed within days. Senior officials told Bloomberg that an agreement is approaching, apparently confirming the Reuters report.

Hamas said in a statement: "In light of the serious and positive discussions today under the auspices of Qatar and Egypt – it is possible to reach a cease-fire agreement and a prisoner exchange if Israel stops setting new conditions."

15:48 - IDF announces the name of second soldier who fell in Gaza yesterday

Sergeant First Class (res.) Alexander Anosov (26), a platoon commander in the 7107th Engineering Battalion of the Nahal Brigade, from Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut, is the second soldier who fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF stated.

According to Army Radio, the army's investigation shows that they were killed when a building collapsed on them. The building didn't collapse as a result of hostile fire, but was dilapidated and further weakened by frequent trips of armored vehicles nearby.

In addition to the two soldiers who died, two others were moderately wounded and airlifted to hospitals in Israel.

13:13 - Israel Police arrests another Israeli citizen working for Iranian intelligence

Israel Police announced that Ardler Amoyal, a 23-year-old resident of Jerusalem, was arrested on suspicion of committing security offenses related to contact with Iranian intelligence officials and carrying out missions in Israel under their direction in exchange for money.

Amoyal will be indicted in the coming days and will remain in detention until the end of the week.

His case appears similar to several other cases recently revealed by the security services. Amoyal was allegedly contacted by an Iranian agent on the internet using a fake name and agreed to carry out different tasks despite knowing that the agent was an Iranian intelligence official.

Among other tasks, he sprayed graffiti across Israel, calling on the government to end the war, and took photos of different sites after purchasing a GoPro camera. At one time, he searched social media to purchase a gun with a silencer, as well as materials for explosive charges.

In return, he received payments using cryptocurrencies.

11:06 - IDF announces name of soldier killed in Gaza yesterday

The IDF announced this morning that Major (Res.) Moshiko Maxim Rozenwald (35), a company commander in the 7107th Battalion of the Combat Engineering Corps in the Nahal Brigade, fell during combat in southern Gaza.

Rozenwald was reportedly killed when a building collapsed on him in Rafah.

The IDF also said another soldier was killed in the collapse, although his name has not been released, pending contact of the family.

10:54 - Iran prepares to reopen Syria embassy "when security is ensured"

The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that its embassy in Damascus will be reopened once “necessary conditions” are met. After the fall of the Assad regime, the embassy building was vandalized and ransacked.

“The reopening of the embassy in Damascus requires preparations, the most important of which is ensuring the security and safety of the embassy and its staff,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said.

He added that "Israel is attacking Syrian sovereignty and violating the ceasefire agreement."

08:28 - DM Katz says Israel will have security control over Gaza after the war 

Defense Minister Israel Katz posted a message to his 𝕏 account this morning, saying that Israel will have security control over Gaza after the war. 

“After we defeat Hamas' military and governmental power in Gaza, Israel will have security control over Gaza with full freedom of action, just as it did in Judea and Samaria. We will not allow any terrorist organization [to come] against Israeli communities and Israeli citizens from Gaza. We will not allow a return to the reality of before October 7,” Katz wrote. 

07:58 - Turkey amassing forces on Syrian border - could invade Kurdish areas 

The United States is concerned that Turkey and the militias it supports in Syria are preparing for a large-scale invasion of territory controlled by the Kurdish rebels in Syria, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal. According to one of the sources, the pro-Turkish forces include militia fighters and Turkish commandos, along with large artillery forces concentrated near Kobani, a major Kurdish city in Syria, near the Turkish border. One source told the WSJ that the invasion could be carried out “immediately." 

07:26 - IDF says arms in Netiv HaAsara were false alarm 

07:16 - Alarms sound in Netiv HaAsara in the Gaza Envelope 

Rocket alarm sirens were triggered in Netiv HaAsara, a town in the Gaza envelope area.

00:25 - US CENTCOM strikes Houthi capital of Sana’a in Yemen 

The United States Central Command conducted airstrikes on a central command and control facility operated by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Houthi-controlled territory in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen.

The U.S. Central Command said that attacks had been launched against U.S. Navy warships and vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from that facility. Large explosions were reported in Sana’a following the strikes. 

CENTCOM Conducts Precision Airstrike Against Iran-Backed Houthi Facility in Yemen

On Dec. 16 Yemen time, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a precision airstrike against a key command and control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled… pic.twitter.com/DlZ9SQcAqX

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 16, 2024