Middle East updates: Israel strikes Gaza amid truce talks

The US military said on Thursday that it had destroyed a key fuel port used by Yemen's Houthis.

"US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years," US Central Command said in a social media post.

The US military has repeatedly struck logistic hubs used by the Houthis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that "Israel will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons."

In a statement on Thursday, Netanyahu's office said the prime minister "has led countless overt and covert actions in the battle against Iran's nuclear programme, without which Iran would today possess a nuclear arsenal."

These actions delayed Tehran's nuclear program "by nearly a decade," it added.

The statement comes a day after The New York Times reported US President Donald Trump had blocked Israeli plans to hit Iranian nuclear sites next month.

The Trump administration has been pushing for a new nuclear deal with Tehran, which Washington insists cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.

In 2018, during his first term in the White House, Trump withdrew the US from a now-abandoned nuclear deal with Iran that eased sanctions on Tehran in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear ambitions.
 

The nonprofit group Save the Children told DW that Israel's humanitarian blockade of Gaza has created a dire situation.

Georgia Tacey, who is on the ground in Gaza, said Israel's blockade has led to "led to a chronic and severe shortage of food, water, fuel and critical medical supplies" in the territory.

"It's been over 46 days since any food or medical supplies have entered the strip. It's significantly increasing the rates of infant and maternal malnutrition," she said.

Tacey said Save the Children has been "able to provide fresh water to people displaced across shelters." She said the organization is  "screening both pregnant mothers and children for malnutrition and when identified, providing supplemental feeding."

"We're providing a limited amount of child friendly spaces where children can come and gather and socialize and process some of the stress and trauma they're experiencing. And, where we can, are trying to deliver shelter kits, bedding kits, clothing for children," she said, adding that "there is no safe place on the strip, including for aid workers. We've seen aid workers intentionally targeted." 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in the Russian capital of Moscow on Thursday, where he is expected to discuss the Iranian nuclear program. 

Iranian officials are currently in the middle of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program with the US. Iran is expected to hold talks on the issue with US officials in Rome this weekend after holding earlier talks in Oman. 

Russia said it is ready to do "everything" to help resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.

US President Donald Trump's administration is pushing for a fresh nuclear deal with Iran and has said Tehran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.

Trump pulled the US out of a nuclear agreement with Iran in 2018, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. That deal brought sanctions relief to Iran in exchange for Tehran agreeing to curb its nuclear program and allowing enrichment facilities to be inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

Meanwhile, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi was in Iran on Thursday to meet with Iran's atomic energy agency head Mohammad Eslami. Grossi told French newspaper Le Monde a day prior that Iran was "not far" from obtaining a nuclear bomb.     

Israeli strikes on Gaza are reported to have killed several people overnight, according to local health workers. 

Israeli attacks in northern Gaza left 13 people dead, including nine children, the Indonesia Hospital said. The Indonesia Hospital is located in the northern Gaza city of Beit Lahia.   

Meanwhile, an attack in the southern city of Khan Younis killed 10 people belonging to the same family. Nasser Hospital, which is located in Khan Younis, said five children were among the dead.

The strikes come as Gaza faces a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the UN, as Israel has vowed to block aid from getting into the territory. 

Israel began its war in Gaza after Hamas carried out terror attacks on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people in Israel. Hamas also took 251 people hostage during the attack, with the group still believed to have 58 people in captivity.  

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed last month. The two sides are engaged in indirect talks on the truce, with regional player Egypt mediating the ceasefire efforts.

Israel has offered a 45-day ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate the release of hostages and possibly commence indirect negotiations to end the war.

As part of the deal, Hamas would release 10 living hostages, and Israel would release 120 Palestinian prisoners serving life terms. Israel would also release over 1,000 detainees as part of the agreement and would restart the allocation of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Israel's military said on Thursday that it hit Hezbollah infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon overnight. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it "struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon."

"The IDF will operate against any attempts by Hezbollah to rebuild or establish a military presence under the guise of civilian cover," it added.

There has technically been a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah since November 27. There have been reports of rocket fire from Hezbollah in recent months, while Israel has also conducted deadly strikes on Lebanon on multiple occasions. 

Hezbollah is both a Shiite political party and militant organization in Lebanon, which has significant support from Iran.

The United States, Germany and several Sunni Arab nations consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The EU, meanwhile, considers Hezbollah's armed wing a terror group.

Welcome to DW's coverage of events in the Middle East on April 17, 2024.

This blog will bring you the latest news, analysis, multimedia content and insight from DW correspondents on the ground in the Middle East.

DW will also bring the latest developments in US President Donald Trump's policy towards Middle Eastern countries, such as the Iran nuclear talks and the US ongoing bombing campaign in Yemen against the Houthis.