Middle East crisis live: Hamas rejects Trump ultimatum and says it will only free hostages in return for lasting truce

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Mehdi Yarrahi, a well-known Iranian protest singer who spoke out against the country’s strict dress code for women, has been given 74 lashes as part of an agreement to end a criminal case against him.

Yarrahi was initially convicted in January 2024 of acting unlawfully by releasing a protest song in September 2023 entitled Your Headscarf (Roo Sarito) on the first anniversary of the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising.

He had also composed songs during the uprising, and has more than 1 million followers on Instagram.

Mehdi Yarrahi. Photograph: Mehdi Yarrahi

Yarrahi’s one-year prison sentence was later converted to electronic ankle monitoring, which ended in December, leading to his release. However, the return of his 15bn toman bail, paid by a third party, was dependent on his flogging, which was carried out this week.

At the time, Yarrahi wrote on X:

I am ready to receive the sentence of 74 lashes, and while I condemn this inhuman torture, I make no request to cancel it.”

The news of the lashes was shared on Wednesday by Zahra Minouei, the singer’s lawyer.

Minouei wrote on X on Wednesday that the last part of the sentences issued by the Tehran revolutionary court had been administered.

Yarahi wrote on Instagram:

You have brought glass to break our stone. Thank you for your constant support, dear ones, and the sincere companionship of the respected lawyers Mustafa Nili and Zahra Minoui. He who is not willing to pay the price of freedom does not deserve freedom. Wishing you freedom.”

News of the medieval-style flogging caused widespread outrage on Iranian social media.

Hamas has accused Donald Trump of seeking to undermine the shaky pause in hostilities in Gaza with his latest intervention in the region: a new and fierce ultimatum telling the group to release all hostages.

The militant Islamist organisation said Trump’s threats constituted support for attempts by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to back out of the ceasefire agreement.

“These threats complicate matters … and encourage [Israel] to avoid implementing its terms,” the Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasim said in a statement on Thursday.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump told Hamas to “release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you”.

Fighting in Gaza has been halted since 19 January under a truce arranged with US support and Qatari and Egyptian mediators, and Hamas has exchanged 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

However, the first phase of the ceasefire ended on Saturday and talks on the second phase have stalled.

The US president’s post came hours after the White House confirmed the US had entered direct negotiations with Hamas, potentially bypassing Israel to secure the release of US hostages still held by the group.

“‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye,” Trump wrote in his social media post on Wednesday, in an apparent reference to the beginning of direct talks with the group.

Official Israeli reaction to that development was limited to a single-sentence statement late on Wednesday stating that “Israel has expressed to the US its position regarding direct talks with Hamas”.

Hamas brushes off Trump's threat and says it will only free hostages in return for a lasting truce

Israel’s government has begun proceedings to dismiss attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara, a vocal critic of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing “prolonged disagreements”, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

In a letter published late on Wednesday, justice minister Yariv Levin said the move was over “inappropriate conduct and the existence of significant and prolonged disagreements between the government and the attorney general”.

The minister also indirectly accused Baharav-Miara, Israel’s first female attorney general, of politicising her position as legal adviser of the government. “Legal advice reflects the position of the law”, the letter stated, and should not be “advice that serves as a political tool, misusing its position for political purposes to completely paralyse the work of the government”.

Levin submitted a motion of a no-confidence to the cabinet secretary, part of a process that commentators say could go all the way to Israel’s supreme court, reports AFP.

Baharav-Miara, a fierce defendant of the judiciary’s independence, has often taken positions that clashed with those of Netanyahu’s government.

When the prime minister returned to power in 2022 after being ousted, Baharav-Miara warned that his new government’s legislative programme threatened to turn Israel into a “democracy in name, but not in essence”. In March 2023, she accused Netanyahu of acting “illegally” when championing the controversial judicial reforms that caused political division and mass protests.

After the war in Gaza started, she criticised the unequal enforcement of Israel’s mandatory military service, due to longstanding exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, reports AFP.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid suggested on Wednesday on X that her criticism of the government’s stance on Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community was behind the attempt to sack her. “She only told them two things they needed to do: recruit evaders and stop transferring corrupt funds to the ultra-Orthodox under the table. That’s why they want to oust her”, Lapid wrote on X.

Syria’s foreign minister has vowed to swiftly rid the country of the chemical weapons remaining after the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, and he appealed to the international community for help.

Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani spoke during closed-door meetings at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, where he became the first Syrian foreign minister to address the disarmament agency.

Following a sarin gas attack that killed hundreds of people in 2013, Assad-led Syria joined the agency under a US-Russian deal and 1,300 metric tonnes of chemical weapons and precursors were destroyed.

But three inquiries – by a joint UN-OPCW mechanism, the OPCW’s investigation and identification team, and a UN war crimes investigation – concluded that Syrian government forces under Assad used the nerve agent sarin and chlorine barrel bombs in attacks during the civil war that killed or injured thousands.

As part of its membership, Damascus was supposed to undergo inspections, but for more than a decade the OPCW was prevented from uncovering the true scale of its chemical weapons programme.

“Syria is ready … to solve this decades-old problem imposed on us by a previous regime,” al-Shaibani told delegates.

“The legal obligations resulting from breaches are ones we inherited, not created. Nevertheless, our commitment is to dismantle whatever may be left from it, to put an end to this painful legacy and ensure Syria becomes a nation aligned with international norms.”

Israel’s Shin Bet says Netanyahu policies helped pave way for 7 October

Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, has said Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies were among the underlying causes of the 7 October 2023 attack in which Hamas and other militants killed about 1,200 Israelis.

In its report on the 7 October attack, Shin Bet acknowledged its own responsibility, admitting it was aware of warning signs that Hamas was planning an operation, but the agency, also known as the General Security Service (GSS), did not grasp the scale, timing and location of the planned attack.

However, the report also argued that a string of Israeli government policies helped pave the way for the Hamas assault.

Among the main reasons for a Hamas military build-up before the attacks, an eight-page public summary of the report listed an Israeli “policy of quiet” towards the group, apparently referring to a policy of restraint in the use of force to keep Hamas’s military capability in check. It also listed Netanyahu’s acquiescence in the flow of funds from Qatar to Gaza, a policy designed to divide Palestinians by boosting Hamas at the expense of the Palestinian state.

The Shin Bet report also pointed to the daily Jewish prayers that have been taking place in recent years in the compound around Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, known to Jews as the Temple Mount. The prayers violate a 58-year-old understanding with Jordan that only Muslims should be allowed to pray at the al-Aqsa and the esplanade around it, but they were championed by the governing coalition’s former national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir.

“The cumulative weight of violations on the Temple Mount, the treatment of [Palestinian] prisoners and the perception that Israeli society had been weakened because of the damage to social cohesion” were all contributory factors to Israel’s vulnerability to attack, the report said.

Shin Bet argued that it had not underestimated Hamas and its desire to mount a major attack from Gaza by overwhelming Israeli fortifications around the coastal strip. The security agency said it even gave the plan the code name of Walls of Jericho, but it did not lead to heightened security.

A charity kitchen in the occupied West Bank has expanded its usual operations to help displaced Palestinians trying to mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, reports the Associated Press (AP).

An Israeli military raid launched weeks ago has displaced more than 40,000 people in the region. Many have no access to kitchens, are separated from their communities and struggle to mark the end of their daily fast with what are traditionally lavish meals.

The Yasser Arafat Charity Kitchen in the city of Tulkarem has been providing daily meals for up to 700 people, reports the AP. The unpaid chefs at the Yasser Arafat Charity Kitchen are hoping their labors will provide a modicum of joy to displaced Palestinians trying to mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Volunteers at the Yasser Arafat Charity Kitchen in Tulkarem, West Bank, prepare an iftar meal for displaced Palestinians trying to mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Photograph: Majdi Mohammed/AP

UK, France and Germany say Gaza aid freeze could breach international law

The UK has joined Germany and France to warn that Israel could be in breach of international law by halting the entry of aid into Gaza, which is facing a “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis.

The foreign secretary, David Lammy, signed a joint statement with his French and German counterparts to urge Israel and Hamas to engage constructively to get ceasefire talks back on track.

Israel cut off humanitarian supplies to Gaza on Sunday in an effort to push Hamas into accepting a change in the ceasefire agreement to allow the release of hostages without an Israeli troop withdrawal.

The six-week-old ceasefire is in limbo with no sign of movement towards a second phase that was scheduled to have started last weekend.

The foreign ministers said in their joint statement that they shared “deep concern” over Israel’s decision to halt all goods and supplies going into Gaza, which they said risked violating international humanitarian law.

They urged Israel and Hamas to get back around the negotiating table to agree the next phases of a peace deal, to bring a permanent end to hostilities and a credible pathway to a two-state solution.

They said it was vital the ceasefire was maintained and that all Israeli hostages were released unconditionally and their “degrading” treatment brought to an end.

“We call on the government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza,” the statement said.

“This includes supply of items such as medical equipment, shelter items, water and sanitation equipment, essential to meet humanitarian and early recovery needs in Gaza, but which face restrictions under Israel’s ‘dual use’ list.”

Hamas says Trump threats 'encourage' Israel to avoid implementing Gaza ceasefire

Hamas said on Thursday that US president Donald Trump’s comments threatening the militant group if it does not return hostages held in Gaza “encourage” Israel to disregard the ceasefire’s terms, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“These threats complicate matters regarding the ceasefire agreement and encourage the occupation to avoid implementing its terms,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasim said in a statement, urging the United States to pressure Israel to enter the ceasefire’s second phase.

Donald Trump has posted a fresh ultimatum to Hamas, telling the group to “release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you”.

“‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye,” he wrote in a social media post on Wednesday, in an apparent reference to the beginning of direct talks with the group.

The post came just hours after the White House confirmed that the US had entered direct negotiations with Hamas, potentially to bypass Israel in securing the release of the remaining US hostages.

It also followed a White House meeting between the US president and a group of hostages who had been released recently under the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Trump reinforced his support for Israel and referred to a recent decision to provide billions more in support for Israeli arms sales.

“I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say,” Trump wrote.

“This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance,” he wrote. “Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!”

Trump also made clear there could be repercussions for Gaza as a whole, where virtually the entire population has been displaced by Israel’s relentless offensive response to the Hamas 7 October 2023 attacks.

“To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”

Trump’s comments came hours after Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said that officials had held “ongoing talks and discussions” with Hamas officials amid a shaky ceasefire deal.

Leavitt told reporters that Israel had been consulted on the talks and that the US special envoy Adam Boehler “does have the authority to talk to anyone” when “American lives are at stake”.

White House confirms US in negotiations with Hamas

The White House press secretary has confirmed that the US is in direct negotiations with Hamas for the time since the group was formed, through US special envoy Adam Boehler.

Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Boehler had the authority to talk to anyone “to do what’s in the best interest of the American people”. Leavitt said Israel had been consulted before the US began negotiations.

Opening summary

Hamas has said that Donald Trump’s repeated threats against Palestinians constituted support for Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to back out of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and intensify the siege and starvation on Palestinians in Gaza.

It follows the US president’s demands on Wednesday that Hamas “release all of the hostages now, not later” including the remains of dead hostages, “or it is OVER for you”.

Trump’s post came just hours after the White House confirmed that the US had entered direct negotiations with Hamas, potentially to bypass Israel in securing the release of the remaining US hostages.

Fifty-nine hostages are still held by Hamas, though Israeli intelligence believes that only 22 are still alive.

Five Americans are believed to still be held by Hamas, one of whom, 21-year-old Edan Alexander, is believed to still be alive.

You can read our story on Trump’s demands here:

In other developments:

• The UK has joined Germany and France to warn that Israel could be in breach of international law by halting the entry of aid into Gaza, which is facing a “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis. The foreign secretary, David Lammy, signed a joint statement with his French and German counterparts to urge Israel and Hamas to engage constructively to get ceasefire talks back on track.

• Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, has said Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies were among the underlying causes of the 7 October 2023 attack in which Hamas and other militants killed about 1,200 Israelis. In its report on the 7 October attack, Shin Bet acknowledged its own responsibility, admitting it was aware of warning signs that Hamas was planning an operation, but the agency, also known as the General Security Service (GSS), did not grasp the scale, timing and location of the planned attack.

• Syria’s foreign minister has vowed to swiftly rid the country of the chemical weapons remaining after the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, and he appealed to the international community for help. Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani spoke during closed-door meetings at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, where he became the first Syrian foreign minister to address the disarmament agency.

• Mehdi Yarrahi, a well-known Iranian protest singer who spoke out against the country’s strict dress code for women, has been given 74 lashes as part of an agreement to end a criminal case against him. Yarrahi was initially convicted in January 2024 of acting unlawfully by releasing a protest song in September 2023 entitled Your Headscarf (Roo Sarito) on the first anniversary of the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising.