Israel declares two more Gaza hostages dead Israel declared dead on Monday two more of its hostages being held in Gaza, as talks to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the release of some 120 captives there were set to resume later this week. The Israeli military said it was still investigating the deaths in captivity of the two hostages, Yagev Buchshtab, a 35-year-old sound technician and Alex Dancyg, 76, a historian, who were abducted from their homes in kibbutzim near the border with Gaza during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. An Israeli negotiation team was due…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Russia restricts entry to border areas in southern Belgorod region Russia's southern region of Belgorod is restricting entry from Tuesday to 14 areas on the border with Ukraine that are subject to heavy attack from Kyiv's forces, measures that appeared to be part of a Kremlin strategy to set up a border buffer zone. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the restrictions applied to the localities "where the pertaining operational situation is extremely difficult," according to the Interfax news agency. The move follows on from the Kremlin's order to protect Russian territory from Ukrainian attacks and secure areas and…

Israel shoots down missile fired from Yemen after striking Houthis Israel said it shot down a missile launched from Yemen on Sunday and the Yemeni Houthi movement said it had fired several missiles at the Israeli city of Eilat after Israel's first public strike against the Iran-aligned group a day earlier. The Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel and disrupted global trade through the Red Sea in response to Israel's assault on Gaza, further destabilising the Middle East as war in the Palestinian enclave rages on after nine months. Israel says the Houthis have launched 200 attacks against…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Two Ukrainian military trains hit in missile strike Two Ukrainian military trains, carrying dozens of pieces of hardware, have been destroyed in a ballistic missile strike, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday, sharing drone footage of the attack. The trains, carrying equipment and personnel of the 41st mechanized brigade, were discovered at a railway station near the town of Barvenkovo, located near the border between Ukraine’s Kharkov Region and Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic. Each train consisted of at least 20 flatbed cars, the ministry said. Infrared footage captured by a surveillance drone shows a ballistic missile fired…