Israel says it is prepared for a possible retaliatory strike by Iran. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls on his colleagues in China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to stop Iran from escalating.
The US Embassy in Israel issued a security warning for its employees in light of the threats. Lufthansa extended the suspension of planned flights to and from the Iranian capital Tehran until Saturday, April 13th, according to a company spokesman. The fate of the abductees can only be determined during a ceasefire, said Basem Naim, a member of the political bureau of the Islamist Hamas. The abductees are in various locations in the embattled Gaza Strip and in the hands of various groups. Some of them are also lying “under the rubble” along with killed Palestinians, said the senior Hamas official. According to media reports, a compromise proposal was presented at negotiations in Cairo. The proposal called for Hamas to release 40 hostages in exchange for the release of 900 Palestinian prisoners during a six-week ceasefire. Israel should in turn allow up to 150,000 displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.