Breaking Tonight AUS drone strike in Baghdad has killed a
high-ranking terror leader involved in an attack that killed three
US service members.
That news comes as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met
with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a ceasefire
with Hamas.
Senior Correspondent Mike Tobin is live in Tel Aviv tonight
with the latest.
Good evening, Mike.
Good evening, Brett. the US has carried out a strike
in Baghdad,
killing a senior member of the Iranian proxy group Khattab
Hezbollah or Hezbollah Brigades.
U.S. central Command says he was a high value target,
a commander involved in the planning of participation in attacks
on U.S.
forces. Now this is part of the US response to
the deaths of three American soldiers killed by Iranian proxies
in Jordan more than a week ago.
As tension builds in the region,
an attempt at a ceasefire in Gaza comes screeching to
a halt.
A Hamas counter proposal was dismissed as delusional by Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He calls for complete victory,
meaning the destruction of Hamas,
and said the army will create the environment to bring
the hostages home.
Military pressure led to the release of 110 hostages,
and only continued military pressure will bring home the remaining
hostages.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is here in Israel
with the unenviable task of trying to find some common
ground between Hamas and Israel.
What I can tell you about these discussions is that
while there are some clear non starters in Hamas response,
we do think it creates space for agreement to be
reached and we will work at that until we get
there.
The Hamas counter proposal called for 135 days of ceasefire,
a release of all of the hostages,
including the dead, over three different phases.
But it also called for the release of 1500 Palestinian
prisoners and a complete Israel Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza
Strip.
At the moment it's going nowhere,
Brett.
Mike Tobin live in Tel Aviv.
Mike, thanks.