US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has indicated that the conflict in Gaza will persist following Hamas's proposal of numerous changes to an American-backed ceasefire plan. Blinken noted some of these changes were "workable," while others were not, though specifics were not disclosed. Speaking in Qatar, Blinken emphasized that US and other mediators will continue efforts to negotiate an agreement.
The ceasefire plan, which has garnered global backing, remains unaccepted by both Israel and Hamas. Hamas submitted its first formal response on Tuesday night, including requests for amendments to the proposed deal.
In parallel developments, Lebanon's Hezbollah launched a significant barrage of rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of senior commander Taleb Sami Abdullah, escalating regional tensions. Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas supported by Iran, has engaged in nearly daily exchanges of fire with Israel since the onset of the eight-month-long Israel-Hamas conflict, and asserts it will cease hostilities only if there is a truce in Gaza. Approximately 160 projectiles were fired from southern Lebanon, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel and igniting brush fires, although no immediate casualties were reported.
Separately, in Kuwait, a fire engulfed a building housing workers in the southern Mangaf district early Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of at least 41 individuals. Officials attributed the blaze to code violations. Kuwait Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah ordered the arrest of the building's owner. The incident underscores safety concerns in Kuwait, where a significant portion of the population comprises migrant workers.