Israeli Foreign Minister in Meeting with German Counterpart: Khamenei Wants to Send Weapons to the West Bank Like Gaza

Israel Katz, the Israeli Foreign Minister, said on Friday during a meeting with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock that Ali Khamenei wants to send weapons to the West Bank just like Gaza. According to the Jerusalem Post, Katz emphasized that the ongoing terrorism in Israel has its roots in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Iranian government poses a threat to Israel, Europe, and the entire world. Regarding the killing of six Israeli hostages by Hamas, he stated that Israel will respond 'strongly' and will not sacrifice its security. He noted that no country in the world desires the freedom of hostages as much as Israel does, and as the U.S. has stated, Hamas is an obstacle to reaching an agreement. The senior Israeli diplomat also thanked Germany for thwarting an attack on the Israeli consulate in Munich, reminding that Israel faces such threats daily. In this meeting, Annalena Baerbock emphasized the necessity of freeing hostages and establishing a ceasefire in Gaza. According to the Times of Israel, she stated that the killing of six Israeli hostages by Hamas showed that a purely military approach is not the solution to the situation in Gaza. Baerbock expressed her deep condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, referring to the anniversary of the deadly attack on the Israeli athletes' caravan at the 1972 Munich Olympics, calling the current situation regrettable. The German Foreign Minister also posted on social media, highlighting the need for a humanitarian ceasefire leading to the release of hostages and the end of the war, stating: 'As a friend of Israel, I say: the fate of the remaining hostages is of utmost importance' and that 'other considerations' should take precedence. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Thursday that both Israel and Hamas are obligated to reach an agreement on outstanding issues. According to Blinken, the two sides have reached an agreement on 90% of the issues, with disagreements remaining on several important matters, including the Philadelphi Corridor. Concurrently with the German Foreign Minister's visit to Israel, exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli army continued. The Israeli army announced that Israeli fighter jets targeted a military building belonging to Hezbollah, where several members of the group were gathered, and published details of this attack. Hezbollah also launched rocket attacks on northern Israel, with one rocket hitting the home of an Israeli citizen, resulting in no casualties. Amid the ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, soldiers from the 'Yiftach' Brigade of the Israeli army concluded their multi-day exercise simulating war with Hezbollah and confronting this group within Lebanese territory. According to the Hebrew-language account of the Israeli army, 'the maneuver against the enemy in complex and mountainous areas and using fire... [and] evacuating the wounded under fire' were other focuses of this exercise. In the West Bank, the Israeli army reported in an update that during ten days of operations in Jenin, it managed to eliminate 14 Palestinian militants, arrest 30 others, and defuse nearly 30 roadside bombs. Additionally, several terrorist infrastructures, including an underground weapons depot located beneath a mosque and a laboratory for producing explosives, were neutralized by the Israeli army. The Israeli army denied reports published in Palestinian media about their withdrawal from Jenin, stating that operations will continue until the war objectives are achieved. During the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, more than 1,200 Israeli citizens, including women, children, and the elderly, were killed, and over 250 others were taken hostage. Following this terrorist attack, Israel launched an offensive on Gaza to destroy Hamas and retrieve hostages taken by Hamas. The Hamas group is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Japan, and several other countries. The Palestinian Authority claims that Israeli forces have withdrawn from Jenin. The Israeli Air Force attacked a Hezbollah weapons depot in southern Lebanon. Spiegel reported on the thwarting of 'terrorist plans' by the Islamic Republic against Jewish sites and institutions in Europe. Ongoing clashes in Gaza, the West Bank, and the Lebanon border; Israel: Hamas will pay a heavy price for killing hostages. A deadly shooting near the Israeli consulate in Munich; Germany's Interior Minister: 'This is a serious incident.' Shin Bet: Last month, 1,307 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel. The United Nations: 187,000 children in Gaza received polio vaccines. U.S. efforts to ease tensions between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah and find a way to establish a ceasefire. Michael McCaul called for new U.S. sanctions against Hamas and its supporters. The U.S. Department of Justice accused Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders of terrorism. Netanyahu: 'The axis of evil' needs the Philadelphi Corridor, so Israel must be there. Biden criticized Netanyahu; the U.S. President announced a 'draft agreement' between Israel and Hamas. Continued abuse of civilian infrastructure; Hamas command center bombed under the 'Safad' school in Gaza. Netanyahu's concern over widespread protests in Israel following the news of the killing of six hostages in Gaza.