Gaza - Cairo: Europe and the Arabs
The occupied Palestinian territories are witnessing rapid developments, both in terms of the continued Israeli bombardment of Palestinians in Gaza, resulting in more casualties, and the increase in demonstrations against the Netanyahu government and other related developments. According to a report by the Brussels-based European news network Euronews, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, published a photo of the Israeli hostages it is holding, via an official Telegram channel, warning that their lives are "in immediate danger" due to the ongoing Israeli military operations inside Gaza City. The Gaza Strip has entered its 716th day of the ongoing war, amid a marked escalation in ground and air strikes targeting residential areas and displaced persons' camps, resulting in more casualties. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reported that more than 96 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours as a result of Israeli attacks targeting various areas of the Strip. This comes as the threat of death continues to threaten tens of thousands of Gaza City residents, given the lack of safe havens to protect them from the ongoing, round-the-clock Israeli bombardment.
In a parallel development, the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, published a photo of the Israeli hostages it is holding on Saturday via an official Telegram channel, warning that their lives are "in immediate danger" due to the ongoing Israeli military operations inside Gaza City. This is an implicit reference to linking the fate of the hostages to the course of the escalation on the ground.

Israeli Demonstrations Demand Netanyahu's Deal to Return Prisoners
Massive demonstrations took place in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Kfar Saba, called for by the families of Israeli soldiers and civilians held captive in the Gaza Strip. The demonstrations aim to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu's government to expedite a prisoner exchange deal that would guarantee their release.

Israeli Army Radio reported that the main demonstration was held in "Kidnapped Square" in central Tel Aviv, with heavy participation from the families of the prisoners, while other cities witnessed scattered gatherings and marches.
Israeli Opposition Front
Politically, Israeli opposition party leaders announced the formation of a "fixed forum" comprising the heads of the main opposition parties. The forum aims to formulate a shared vision for the broad outlines upon which the next Israeli government will be built, including the drafting of a comprehensive constitution for the state. This step aims to enhance political coordination and unify positions against the ruling coalition.
The forum includes opposition leader Yair Lapid, Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman, former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, and Democratic Party leader Yair Golan. This alliance is seen as an attempt to create an organized political alternative amid growing internal polarization and declining popularity of the current government.
This comes as Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Trump administration to pressure Egypt to reduce its recent military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula, according to a US official and two Israeli officials.
Background of the Tension
According to the report, Israel believes that Egypt's military expansion in Sinai has become a new point of tension between the two sides, as the war in Gaza continues. During his meeting in Jerusalem with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last Monday, Netanyahu presented a list of Egyptian activities that he considered "fundamental violations" of the 1979 peace treaty, of which the United States is a guarantor.
Two Israeli officials said that Cairo is working to establish military infrastructure, some of which could be used for offensive purposes, in areas where only light weapons are permitted under the agreement. They explained that the Egyptians have extended runways at air bases in Sinai to enable their use by fighter jets, and have built underground facilities that Israeli intelligence believes could be used to store missiles.
However, the report indicated that there is no evidence of actual missile storage at these sites, and Cairo has not provided satisfactory explanations through diplomatic or military channels, according to the Israeli account.
The Israeli Position
One Israeli official said that his country decided to turn to Washington after direct talks with Cairo failed to achieve progress. Another official added: "What the Egyptians are doing in Sinai is very dangerous, and we are very concerned." He explained that the decline in surveillance flights by the multinational force in Sinai has reduced the international community's ability to monitor the situation. The Egyptian Response
An Egyptian official denied the Israeli allegations, stressing that the Trump administration had not recently raised the issue with Cairo.
The Wider Picture
The report indicated that Egyptian-Israeli relations have been witnessing escalating tensions since the formation of the Netanyahu government in late 2022. There have been no public meetings between Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for nearly three years, and no recorded phone call between them has taken place since June 2023.