Live: Trump threatens Gaza residents with death as his team holds direct talks with Hamas about captives

Lebanon’s National News Agency has reported multiple Israeli incursions into the country’s airspace since this morning by drones and military aircraft.

Israeli warplanes were seen by residents in Tyre and surrounding villages flying at low altitudes and staging mock raids designed to sow panic.

Similar aggressive military activity was observed over Nabatieh, western Bekaa, and the slopes of Mount Hermon, as Israeli forces intensified their aerial intimidation along the border.

An Israeli drone also loitered over Beirut and its southern suburbs, an area where Hezbollah maintains a significant presence, further violating Lebanese sovereignty with impunity.

Jordan’s King Abdullah condemned recent Israeli air strikes on Syria during a meeting with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Amman on Wednesday, according to a statement from the royal palace.

The leaders stressed the need for cooperation on border security, particularly in tackling arms trafficking and the widespread drug smuggling that Jordan has struggled to control - an issue exacerbated during the rule of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the statement added.

The media committee in Jenin camp reported that Israel’s assault on Jenin and its refugee camp, which has now lasted for over a month, has killed 27 Palestinians and forcibly displaced thousands.

The committee further stated that Israeli forces have completely demolished over 120 homes and severely damaged dozens more, leaving countless families homeless, reported Al Jazeera Arabic.

Israel is expected to receive the bodies of four captives tonight through Egyptian mediation, according to an Israeli official cited by The Times of Israel.

Hamas is set to transfer the remains of four Israeli captives. In exchange, Israel will release 602 Palestinian prisoners whose release Israel was meant to have carried out over the weekend but refused to do so breaking the terms of the ceasefire agreement. 

Hamas announced on Wednesday that it has not yet been presented with any proposal for the second phase of the ceasefire, contradicting claims from Israeli officials.

The group also stated that the timeline for a prisoner exchange involving Palestinian detainees and the bodies of Israeli captives would be determined when conditions were appropriate.

The group emphasised that any such exchange would occur “through a new mechanism” to ensure Israel upholds its commitments.

Meanwhile, Israel’s prime minister’s office confirmed an agreement had been reached with mediators for the return of four Israeli bodies from Gaza. When pressed for details, a spokesperson simply responded, “Yes,” offering no further clarification.

At the funeral of Shiri Bibas and her two young children, her sister-in-law, Ofri Bibas Levy, expressed grief and anger over their deaths, accusing the Israeli government of prioritising vengeance over their rescue.

“For sixteen months, I've been speaking about you everywhere. It always hurt and intensified the longing, but talking about you also kept you present, alive. How can it be that you are no longer here?” said Levy, reported the Israeli media outlet Haaretz.

She described Shiri as “the perfect partner for Yarden. I couldn't have asked for anyone better for him. Loving, sensitive, caring, nurturing, calming.

“They could have saved you but preferred revenge. We lost. Our image of triumph will never happen,” she said, delivering a damning indictment of Israel’s actions.

“Our struggle against the enemies will be eternal, but we must always sanctify life, love of fellow humans, respect for the dead, and never leave anyone behind. Otherwise, we lose who we are,” she added.

US President Donald Trump has shared an incendiary AI video of his proposal to expel Palestinians from Gaza and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East". 

The clip, posted to his Truth Social platform, without comment, is titled "Gaza 2025, What's Next?" 

It was first posted on social media accounts in early February. 

The video starts off by showing scenes of people walking through a destroyed Gaza, which quickly turns into a luxury beach resort with skyscrapers and palm trees. 

At one point, bearded belly dancers are seen dancing on the beach. They are wearing green headbands - not dissimilar to those worn by Hamas fighters.

Read more: Trump shares wild AI clip of his future Gaza with bearded belly dancers

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society has accused Israeli prison authorities of deliberately exposing Palestinian detainees to freezing temperatures as a form of "torture", denying them sufficient clothing and blankets.

In a statement on Telegram, the organisation cited testimony from a prisoner identified as “D.M.,” who reported losing sensation in his feet, suffering from severe cramps and pain after being left in the cold for extended periods.

“He is no longer able to move due to the severity of the pain, and he is also often unable to sleep,” the statement said.

Rights groups and former detainees have long documented Israel’s systematic use of torture in its prisons.

Gaza’s Government Media Office director, Ismail al-Thawabteh, met with a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), raising serious concerns over Israel’s treatment of Palestinian bodies.

According to a statement on Telegram, he questioned the ICRC about the “inhumane and brutal” manner in which the Israeli military returns the bodies of Palestinian martyrs, while Israeli captives are handed over with care.

The statement recalled that last September, the ICRC denied involvement in the transfer of Palestinian remains from Israel to Gaza.

Al-Thawabteh criticised the return of Palestinian bodies in plastic bags, some allegedly "dissolved" and treated in ways that violate international standards. 

Since the Camp David Accords in 1978, Egypt has been the primary Arab country with real influence over the Palestinian issue, especially after its exit from the equation of direct confrontation with Israel. Until recently, Egypt monopolised the Arab voice in speaking on behalf of the Palestinian cause. 

But after the military coup in 2013, Egypt’s regional role diminished as the state accumulated debt and the Egyptian economy became increasingly fragile, while Gulf countries gained more influence by offering Cairo a financial lifeline. 

Egypt was no longer the sole actor in the Palestinian file. The centre of gravity in the Arab world shifted from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, which began playing an important role not only regionally, but also internationally.

At the same time, with the normalisation of relations between Israel and some Gulf states under the Abraham Accords, these countries emerged as key players in the Palestinian issue, surpassing the traditional roles of Egypt and Jordan. 

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have gained significant influence, whether through funding for Gaza or political mediation between Israel and the Palestinians.

Read more: Will Sisi sacrifice Gaza's Palestinians to maintain Gulf and US support for his rule?

The Palestinian Authority has condemned Israel’s continued obstruction of ambulances in the occupied West Bank, calling it yet another blatant violation of international humanitarian law.

Earlier, the UN voiced “serious concern” over Israel’s intensifying assaults on the occupied territory, which have increasingly targeted medical services. These attacks have surged in recent weeks as Israel ramps up its military incursions.

Hamas and Israel have agreed to exchange the bodies of four Israeli captives for 602 Palestinian detainees, both sides confirmed late Tuesday, breaking a deadlock that had threatened to derail the multiphase ceasefire agreement.

“A deal has been reached to resolve the delay in releasing Palestinian prisoners scheduled for the final batch,” Hamas said in a statement. “They will be freed alongside the bodies of the Israeli prisoners designated for transfer in the first phase, as well as an equal number of Palestinian women and children.”

An Israeli official confirmed the arrangement, the Times of Israel reported, stating that the exchange would take place through Egypt on Wednesday, though some reports suggested it may be delayed until Thursday.

Steve Witkoff, who suggested he might travel to the Middle East on Sunday if truce negotiations progress, expressed confidence in US efforts to pressure Saudi Arabia into normalising ties with Israel under the so-called Abraham Accords.

He also speculated that Lebanon and even war-torn Syria could be drawn into the agreement, claiming, “so many profound changes are happening”.

Five Palestinian newborn babies have died from extreme cold in the war-torn and besieged Gaza Strip, a hospital director has said, amid continued Israeli delays in allowing the entrance of caravans and tents to shelter displaced families.

Saeed Salah, the chief of Friends of the Patient Charity Hospital, told media outlets on Monday that the nursery department had handled nine cases over the past two weeks, all of which involved severe health conditions caused by the harsh weather.

He added that these cases had all come from northern Gaza, where the majority reside in poorly made tents made of worn-out-cloth that are out in the open and without heating. 

Dr Salah noted that one child remains in intensive care, where he is placed on a ventilator, and three others have been discharged from the hospital as their condition had improved. 

The five dead infants were aged between one day and two weeks, according to him.

Read more: Gaza: Five Palestinian infants die from extreme cold amid Israeli siege

The Financial Times, citing informed sources, reported that Israel is pushing to prolong the first phase of the ceasefire rather than transition to the next stage.

• The newspaper revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to secure the release of more captives while refusing to agree to a permanent ceasefire.

• Mediators are reportedly working to initiate second-phase negotiations this week, despite Israel’s efforts to delay any long-term commitments.