Live: UK halts trade deal talks with Israel, summons ambassador over Gaza

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has called for nationwide protests to remove Benjamin Netanyahu, telling Channel 13 the current leader has "declared war on Israel."

Barak demanded Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara force Netanyahu's recusal, referencing a delayed High Court ruling from January that blocked legislation protecting the PM from removal.

Netanyahu's Likud party fired back, accusing Barak of hypocrisy given his documented meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2013-2017.

The Wall Street Journal reported their continued association even after Epstein's 2008 prostitution conviction.

Epstein's 2019 arrest reignited scrutiny of Barak's ties during that year's election campaign. The financier died in jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges uncovered by the Miami Herald.

The United Arab Emirates has issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s recent air strikes in Syria, calling them a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability.

In an official statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it “condemned in the strongest terms the continuous Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, reaffirming the UAE’s commitment to Syria’s unity, stability and territorial integrity.

“These attacks are in violation of Syria’s sovereignty and in contravention of international law,” the statement said, adding that the ministry has “underscored the UAE’s categorical rejection of such practices, which threaten further escalation and tension in the region, and hinder efforts to achieve peace and stability.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cancelled visit to Azerbaijan resulted from Turkey's refusal to grant airspace access to his official plane, according to Walla news.

The Prime Minister's Office had initially cited regional tensions and scheduling conflicts for the postponement.

Officials reportedly considered an alternate flight path via Greece and Bulgaria but abandoned the plan due to nearly doubled travel time. This mirrors a November 2024 incident when President Isaac Herzog abruptly cancelled his COP29 attendance after Turkey blocked the "Wing of Zion" aircraft.

With most Israel-Azerbaijan routes requiring Turkish, Syrian, Iraqi or Iranian airspace, the diplomatic snub highlights deteriorating Israel-Turkey relations. Azerbaijan remains a key Israeli ally for energy and security cooperation.

Social media has erupted in anger after Israeli drones struck a ship with 30 rights activists and humanitarian aid headed for the besieged Gaza Strip.
 
Friday's attack appeared to target the ship’s generator, causing a fire and power outage on the ship while it was in international waters near Malta, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), a coalition of nonviolent activists campaigning to end the Israeli siege on Gaza, which organised the mission.

The organisers said they had been operating under a media blackout to “limit Israeli sabotage” in their attempt to deliver aid to the war-torn enclave, where Israel has blocked the entry of food, water, fuel and medicine for two months.

Israel's attack on the ship, the Conscience, sparked fierce condemnation online, as well as calls on international leaders to take action.

“Where’s the condemnation? Where’s the action? The hypocrisy is sickening, and the violence is unforgivable,” wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter.

Read more: Freedom Flotilla: Outrage over Israel's bombing of aid ship bound for Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called off next week's scheduled visit to Azerbaijan, citing security developments in Gaza and Syria along with a packed diplomatic agenda.

Netanyahu's office confirmed the postponement on Saturday but did not specify new dates for the trip, which would have included meetings with President Ilham Aliyev from 7-11 May.

The two nations maintain strong defence and energy cooperation, with Azerbaijan serving as a key oil supplier to Israel. The last-minute cancellation follows intensified regional tensions this week.

Syrian authorities have arrested Talal Naji, 79, leader of the pro-Assad Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), Palestinian sources told AP.

The Damascus-based official was reportedly taken for questioning Saturday morning after leaving his residence with aides. A Syrian official, speaking anonymously, suggested Naji would likely be released soon.

The PFLP-GC maintained close relations with Bashar al-Assad's government before its ousting. The detention comes amid ongoing political tensions in Syria.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) has condemned Israel’s ongoing restrictions preventing foreign journalists from entering Gaza, demanding immediate access for independent reporting.

In a statement marking World Press Freedom Day, the Jerusalem-based group called the blockade an "unprecedented ban" and a "mark of shame for a country that claims to be a beacon of democracy". The FPA has petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to overturn the policy.

The association praised Palestinian journalists covering the war "at great personal risk" but warned that Israel’s restrictions deprive the world of a complete understanding of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

A ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza was struck by an Israeli drone overnight - a reality all too familiar to the organisers of the mission. 

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) vessel was struck near Malta in the early hours of Friday, sparking a fire and leaving it in danger of sinking. 

It had been carrying 30 people from 21 countries. All members of the crew were confirmed to be safe. 

FFC says its goal is to break Israel’s 18-year land, sea and air blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has deprived Palestinians of their rights to health, safety and freedom of movement. 

It does that through education about the blockade, publicising the complicity of other governments in enabling it, and direct action to support Palestinians in their efforts to break the siege. 

Read more: What is the Gaza freedom flotilla?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected claims of extensive discussions with former US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz about Iran, following reports this contributed to Waltz's reassignment as UN ambassador.

"We congratulate Mr Waltz on his important appointment to the United Nations," Netanyahu posted on X, stating their post-February meeting communications "did not deal with Iran".

US media reports citing anonymous sources suggest Waltz's push for military action against Iran with Israel reportedly strained his relationship with the Trump administration.

Israeli Channel 14 reports the military will issue emergency call-up orders tonight for approximately 60,000 reserve soldiers, in one of the largest mobilizations since the war began.

According to the unconfirmed report, regular army units will also be redeployed from the West Bank and northern borders to reinforce operations in Gaza. The move suggests preparations for an intensified phase of the ground offensive.

Israeli air strikes have killed at least 39 Palestinians across Gaza since dawn today, according to medical sources speaking to Al Jazeera Arabic.

UN special envoy Geir Pedersen has called on Israel to immediately end its attacks on Syria after fresh air strikes targeted government sites overnight.

"I strongly condemn Israel's continued and escalating violations of Syria's sovereignty," Pedersen said on X, demanding the strikes "cease at once".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights described Friday's barrage – hitting military sites near Damascus and elsewhere – as Israel's heaviest this year. State media reported one civilian death.

Israel's military claimed that it striking "anti-aircraft cannons and missile infrastructure." This could not be independently verified.

Hamas's military wing has released footage purporting to show a wounded Israeli captive in Gaza.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades published the unverified four-minute clip on Saturday, featuring a man with head and arm bandages identifying himself as "Prisoner 24".

Speaking in Hebrew, the captive said he was injured during Israeli strikes, mentioning upcoming Independence Day observances.

Israeli forces have detained 290 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank in April, according to a military statement.

Channel 12 cited an army spokesperson saying troops also seized 60 weapons and "hundreds of thousands of shekels" during the operations.

The arrests come amid escalating military raids in the territory since the start of Israel's war on Gaza.

Gaza notables and clans have issued an urgent appeal, demanding Egypt open border crossings as famine grips the besieged enclave.

"The occupation uses food and starvation as a weapon against the people of the Gaza Strip," they said. "No potable water, no food, no aid for over 60 days—we suffer complete famine," the statement added according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

Calling for global action, they declared: "We are dying of hunger due to the siege. Oh free people of the world, act now to rescue Gaza."

They also urged former US President Donald Trump to "correct Washington’s sin" and halt the violence.