Mossad chief David Barnea and Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met in Europe and discussed the release of hostages.
Meanwhile, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give an address and hold a press conference at 8.30 pm.
The address comes amid mounting criticism that the prime minister did not announce the tragic killing of three hostages by the IDF last night and amid stepped-up pressure to reach a deal to free additional captives, reports Press TV and Times of Israel.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) says three rockets were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel, setting off sirens in Kiryat Shmona and nearby communities.
It adds that troops are responding with artillery shelling.
There are no reports of injuries or damage.
On the other hand, Yemeni Armed Forces say they have launched a large-scale drone strike against “sensitive” targets in the occupied territories in a show of support for the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“A large squadron of unmanned aerial vehicles carried out a military operation against sensitive targets in the Umm al-Rashrash area [of the Port of Eilat] in the southern sector of the occupied lands” on Saturday, Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah television channel cited a statement released by the armed forces.
In a statement the forces said the drone strike came in line with the guidelines of the leader of Yemen's Ansarullah movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, and in response to calls made by the freedom-loving Yemeni nation as well as peoples from other Muslim countries.
January 27, 2022. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP)
A senior Houthi official has vowed that the Yemeni rebels will continue operations against Israel, as repeated attacks by the Iran-backed group have disrupted international shipping through a key Red Sea waterway.
“The Houthis will not abandon the Palestinian cause, regardless of any US, Israeli, or Western threats,” Houthi politburo member Ali al-Qahoum told Al-Mayadeen, according to Reuters, while warning any hostile move against Yemen would have dire consequences.
He also claimed: “Yemen is concerned in protecting international maritime navigation in accordance with international laws and norms.”
Meanwhile, US Navy forces said they shot down 14 drones over the Red Sea Saturday morning. Egypt’s state-run media also reported that Egyptian air defense had shot down a “flying object” off the Egyptian resort town of Dahab.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
