Netanyahu orders prep for ceasefire talks under US proposal
Russia says told US not to 'use force' in Yemen
Hamas, Hezbollah condemn US attacks on Yemen
Protesters across US demand release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil
For our live updates from Saturday, March 15, click here
March 16, 2025
Death toll in Gaza tops 48,570
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Netanyahu moves to oust head of Israel's domestic security service: statementIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the head of the country's Shin Bet domestic security service Ronen Bar that he plans to bring his dismissal before the government this week, a statement from Netanyahu's office said.
In a video statement, Netanyahu said that he had long lost his confidence in Bar and that trust in the head of the domestic security service was especially crucial at a time of war.
There was no immediate comment from Shin Bet or from Bar, whose dismissal would likely draw criticism in Israel. Netanyahu and Bar's relations were often described in Israeli media as tense throughout the war on Gaza.
Israeli negotiators in Cairo for talks on Gaza hostages: PM officeIsraeli negotiators are in Cairo for discussions with Egyptian officials regarding the release of hostages held in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
“The negotiating team is now meeting in Egypt with senior Egyptian officials to discuss the issue of the hostages,” a statement said.
There was no immediate comment from Egyptian authorities.
Rights group files lawsuit to block Trump deportations of pro-Palestinian protestersThe American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a lawsuit challenging as unconstitutional the Trump administration’s actions to deport international students and scholars who protest or express support for Palestinian rights.
The lawsuit, filed on Saturday in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York, seeks a nationwide temporary restraining order to block enforcement of two executive orders signed by US President Donald Trump in the first month of his second term earlier this year.
The ADC lawsuit was filed on behalf of two graduate students and a professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who say their activism and support of the Palestinian people "has put them at serious risk of political persecution."
The lawsuit centers on three Cornell University plaintiffs: a British-Gambian national and PhD student with a student visa; a US citizen PhD student working on plant science; and a US citizen novelist, poet, and professor in the Department of Literatures in English.
Israel gets 3 fighter jets from US amid uncertainty over Gaza ceasefireIsrael said that three fighter jets joined its fleet amid uncertainty over a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza.
A military statement said the three F-35I fighter jets, manufactured by US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, landed at Nevatism Airbase in southern Israel last week.
“The three jets will join the IAF (Israeli Air Force) and the 116th Squadron, bearing the IAF insignia,” the statement said.
“The expansion of the 'Adir' fleet significantly enhances the lethal capabilities of the IAF,” it added.
Gaza authorities warn of major water crisis amid Israeli blockadeMunicipal authorities in Gaza warned of a looming severe water crisis that could lead to widespread thirst amid Israel’s continued closure of border crossings and threats to cut water supply.
“The Mekorot water line supplies Gaza City with approximately 70 percent of its daily water needs,” the Gaza Municipality said in a statement.
“If the water supply from this line is cut off, it could lead to a major water shortage, threatening the lives of civilians and causing a deterioration in public health, with the potential spread of diseases,” it warned.
Iran says Yemen’s Houthis make their strategic decisions ‘independently’The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that the Houthi group in Yemen make their strategic decisions independently.
Hossein Salami’s comments followed US President Donald Trump’s call for Tehran to halt its support to Houthis in Yemen.
Addressing an event in Tehran, Salami said that the Houthis act autonomously.
“Yemen is an independent nation with its own policies,” he added. “The Yemeni people have their national policy. The Houthis as representatives of the Yemeni people make their own strategic and operational decisions."
Iran, Oman discuss US air strikes on Houthi targets in YemenIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi in the Omani capital, Muscat, to discuss US air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The two ministers reviewed bilateral relations and regional developments, including the ongoing situation in Yemen and US attacks on the country, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.
Both sides stressed the “need to foster favorable conditions for diplomatic solutions, prioritize dialogue channels, and utilize peaceful methods to resolve issues and ease tensions,” IRNA said.
Hezbollah condemns US strikes against Yemen, stresses solidarityHezbollah condemned large-scale military strikes by the US against Yemen, according to a statement.
Israeli drone strike kills Palestinian despite ceasefireAnother Palestinian was killed in an Israeli drone strike in central Gaza despite a ceasefire agreement, a medical source said.
The attack targeted a group of people in Juhor ad-Dik in central Gaza, the source said.
Witnesses said Israeli tanks also opened fire on the eastern areas of the towns of Abasan al-Kabira and Abasan al-Jadida, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
No information was yet available about injuries.
Russia says told US not to 'use force' in YemenRussia last year condemned US and British strikes on Yemen and has held talks with the Houthis.
summary
Netanyahu orders prep for ceasefire talks under US proposal
Russia says told US not to 'use force' in Yemen
Hamas, Hezbollah condemn US attacks on Yemen
Protesters across US demand release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil
For our live updates from Saturday, March 15, click here