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Head of Israel's Shin Bet visited Cairo to discuss cease-fire talks

Egyptian officials said the head of Israel’s internal security agency has visited Cairo to discuss reviving Gaza cease-fire talks after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Israel and Hamas, as well as Egypt, which has served as a key mediator, appear to still be divided over whether Israel would retain control over parts of Gaza, a dispute that dragged the talks to a halt in August.

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In Israeli footage of Sinwar's last minutes, some see a symbol of defiance

The world's final glimpse of Hamas' leader was rough and raw, showing him wounded and cornered as he sat in a bombed-out Palestinian home and faced down the Israeli drone filming him, hurling a stick at it.

For Israel, the scene was one of victory, showing Yahya Sinwar, the architect of Oct. 7, broken and defeated.

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US investigates unauthorized release of classified documents on Israel's attack plans

The United States is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents that assess Israel's plans to attack Iran, three U.S. officials told The Associated Press. A fourth U.S. official said the documents appear to be legitimate.

The documents are attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, and note that Israel was still moving military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran's blistering ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1. They were sharable within the "Five Eyes," which are the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

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Blinken back to Middle East to push for Gaza truce

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads back Monday for Israel and Arab countries in a new bid to push a Gaza ceasefire after Israel killed Hamas' leader, the State Department said.

Blinken, on a trip expected to run through Friday, "will discuss the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end, securing the release of all hostages and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people," the State Department said in a statement.

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Israel's wars are expensive, paying the bill could force tough choices

On top of the grievous toll in human life and misery, Israel's war against Hamas and Hezbollah has been expensive, and the painfully high financial costs are raising concerns about the long-term effect of the fighting on the country's economy.

Military spending has ballooned, and growth has stalled, especially in dangerous border areas that were evacuated. Economists say the country could face declining investment and higher taxes as the war strains government budgets and forces tough choices between social programs and the military.

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Iran says Hezbollah behind drone attack on Netanyahu's residence

Iran's United Nations mission said that Lebanon's Hezbollah, armed and financed by Tehran, was behind a drone attack on the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Netanyahu says Iran and proxies to pay 'heavy price' for trying to 'assassinate' him

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday accused Iran and its "proxy Hezbollah" of trying to kill him and his wife, vowing that they would pay "a heavy price," after his office reported a drone targeted his residence in Caesarea.

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US, Germany, UK, France see 'immediate necessity' to end Gaza war

U.S. President Joe Biden and the German, French and British leaders have stressed the "immediate necessity" for ending the more than year-old war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

Biden, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer in a joint statement said they agreed on "the immediate necessity to bring the hostages home to their families, for ending the war in Gaza, and ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians."

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Pro-Iran protesters storm office of Saudi TV channel in Iraq

Supporters of pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq stormed and ransacked the offices of a Saudi television channel in Baghdad early Saturday, a security source said, after the broadcaster aired a report referring to Iran-backed commanders as "terrorists."

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Khamenei says Hamas will survive after Sinwar death

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that Hamas was alive and will survive despite the death of its leader Yahya Sinwar in an Israeli military operation in Gaza.

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