U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel and Hamas to finalize a Gaza truce, noting that “90 percent of a deal was ready.” Blinken stated that the US would propose more ideas through mediators Egypt and Qatar to help seal the agreement, seeking to bridge the gap between the two sides.Israeli Prime Minister Binjamin…

The family of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was executed along with five other hostages by Hamas, is giving the OK to share a video of him before his death, in the hopes it serves as an “immediate wake up call to the world.” The Hamas propaganda video released on Thursday, Sept. 5, shows Goldberg-Polin…

A commercial ship traveling through the Red Sea came under siege Wednesday, Aug. 21. The British military suspects Yemen’s Houthi rebels are behind the attack, which would be the latest in an ongoing campaign by the group targeting ships traveling through the trade route. According to officials, the attack involved men on small boats firing…

Israeli forces announced the recovery of six hostages’ bodies, captured by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks, following an overnight military operation in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces and Israel’s security agency confirmed the retrieval in a joint statement on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The military identified the hostages whose bodies were returned to Israel as…

In a speech lasting nearly an hour on the first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), President Joe Biden defended his record as he passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris. And protesters took to the streets outside the DNC calling for an end to the war in Gaza. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday, Aug. 18, to meet with top officials as negotiations continue for a Gaza cease-fire and the release of hostages held by Hamas. This marks his ninth visit to the region since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. “This is a decisive moment, probably the best,…

The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago as President Joe Biden is among the names scheduled to speak the first night. And Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel preparing for what he calls a ‘decisive moment’ in cease-fire talks. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Day 1…

Hezbollah said it launched a series of drone and rocket attacks against Israel on Tuesday, Aug. 6, but maintained that the retaliation for Israel’s reported killings of a top Hezbollah commander and Hamas leader “has not yet come.” The attacks reportedly injured several people in Israel. The Iranian proxy group’s bombardment targeted two military sites…

United States Forces Japan is getting a glow up, and Japan couldn’t be happier about it. After a meeting between the U.S. secretaries of State and Defense and their Japanese counterparts, the four leaders announced a plan to upgrade the headquarters of U.S. military personnel in Japan to a joint force headquarters. “This will be…

There is growing fear that a major escalation is imminent in the Middle East conflict. Axios reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed G-7 leaders on Sunday, Aug. 4, that Iran and Hezbollah might attack Israel within the next 24 hours. Such an attack could significantly alter the conflict, potentially involving more nations…