"Oman says it mediated a ceasefire deal between Yemen’s Houthis and the US, marking a major shift in the Iran-aligned group’s policy since the start of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza following the terror group’s October 2023 attack.
The announcement comes as Oman also mediates nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, the next round of which is expected to be held in the Omani capital of Muscat this weekend.
A source familiar with the matter tells the Axios news site that Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy, negotiated the Omani-mediated deal with the Houthis. Witkoff is also the top US negotiator in the nuclear talks with Iran."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/oman-says-it-mediated-ceasefire-deal-between-us-and-yemens-houthis/
"The head of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, says the Iran-aligned group will continue its attacks to support Gaza, Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reports.
He advises Israelis to “remain in shelters because their government will not be able to protect them,” indicating the ceasefire with the US does not include a halt to the group’s attacks on Israel.
The head of Yemen’s Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, meanwhile, says the US halt of “aggression” against Yemen will be evaluated, according to a post on X, which also suggests the rebels will continue attacking Israel."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/houthis-declare-attacks-on-israel-to-continue-after-ceasefire-reached-with-us/
"
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has decided to fully merge the US Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) back into the US Embassy in Jerusalem, the State Department announces.
The OPA was established in 2022 by then president Joe Biden as something of a consolation for not reopening the US Consulate in Jerusalem, which served as Washington’s de facto mission to the Palestinians.
The consulate was shuttered by the Trump administration in 2019, and its staff was merged into the US Embassy in Jerusalem where they reported directly to the US ambassador. The Biden administration wanted to reopen the consulate two years later but needed Israeli approval that it was not able to secure. Instead, Biden sufficed with establishing the OPA, which remained within the embassy, but an independent reporting channel was established so that its diplomats could report directly to Washington.
Supporters of OPA said the Palestinian viewpoint was often marginalized by the Israeli one when reporting was filtered through the US ambassador. Opponents argued that the separate systems led to a lack of unity in US messaging back to Washington.
The merger “will restore the first Trump term framework of a unified US diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital that reports to the US Ambassador to Israel [Mike] Huckabee, [who] will take the steps necessary to implement the merger over the coming weeks,” says State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a briefing.
“The United States remains committed to its historic relationship with Israel, bolstering Israel’s security and securing peace to create a better life for the entire region,” she says, making no mention of the US relationship with the Palestinians, which appears to be further downgraded by this move."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/rubio-fully-merges-us-office-of-palestinian-affairs-back-into-jerusalem-embassy/
"Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the leading Trump loyalists in the upper chamber of US Congress, indicates Israel is on its own in defending itself from attacks by Iran and its proxies after the US president announced a ceasefire with the Tehran-backed Houthis rebels in Yemen.
“As to the Houthis continuing to attack Israel — they do so at Iran’s own peril. Without Iran, the Houthis do not possess the capability to attack America, international shipping or Israel,” Graham writes on X. “To my friends in Israel, do what you have to do to protect your airspace and your people. It is long past time to consider hitting Iran hard. It wouldn’t take much to put Iran out of the oil business.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/after-houthi-ceasefire-pro-trump-senator-tells-israel-do-what-you-have-to-do-to-protect-yourself/
"Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has departed for Washington for meetings tomorrow with senior American officials ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the region next week, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
The meetings will cover ongoing hostage talks, Israel’s planned operation in Gaza, Iran nuclear negotiations and other regional issues, the Israeli official says, confirming reporting in the Walla news site.
Dermer is looking to remain up to date on what the administration is planning for the trip, the Israeli official says..."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/dermer-heads-to-dc-for-meetings-with-senior-us-officials-ahead-of-trumps-mideast-trip/
"Israeli officials tell Hebrew media outlets that the United States did not give Israel advance notice of US President Donald Trump’s declaration that America will immediately halt strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, adding that Israel was surprised by the announcement."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israel-said-given-no-advance-notice-that-trump-would-declare-halt-to-strikes-on-houthis/
"Almost half of Gazans may be willing to apply to Israel to help them leave to other countries, according to a survey that also shows significant support for anti-Hamas protests.
The survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research is based on polling of people across the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank between May 1-4, some six weeks after Israeli forces resumed operations in Gaza following the breakdown of a brief ceasefire.
The center, a think tank based in Ramallah and funded by Western donors, says in the report that 49% of those surveyed declared that they would be willing to apply to Israel to help them emigrate via Israeli ports and airports, against 50% who say they would not be willing to do so.
Almost half of Gazans may be willing to apply to Israel to help them leave to other countries, according to a survey that also shows significant support for anti-Hamas protests.
The survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research is based on polling of people across the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank between May 1-4, some six weeks after Israeli forces resumed operations in Gaza following the breakdown of a brief ceasefire.
The center, a think tank based in Ramallah and funded by Western donors, says in the report that 49% of those surveyed declared that they would be willing to apply to Israel to help them emigrate via Israeli ports and airports, against 50% who say they would not be willing to do so.
Israeli officials have said that Israel will help Gazans who wish to leave the enclave, but it has made little headway persuading other countries to accept them.
The survey also finds that 48% of Palestinians in Gaza supported the series of anti-Hamas demonstrations that sprang up in various places around the enclave, a much higher level than among Palestinians in the West Bank, where only 14% back the protests, a rare public show of opposition to the terror group.
At the same time, 54% of Gazans also thought the protests, which Hamas said were set up by Israeli intelligence services, are steered by outside hands and only 20% say they express the real opinion of the population.
The Center says the survey’s sample is 1,270 with a margin of error of +/-3.5%."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/nearly-half-of-gazans-willing-to-emigrate-from-enclave-with-israeli-help-survey/
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone Tuesday ahead of Victory in Europe Day, the two leaders said, in a call that covered “regional developments” and celebrated the role of the Soviet Union in defeating Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
Netanyahu also thanked the Russian leader for his help in securing the release of Sasha Troufanov from captivity in Gaza in February, The Times of Israel has learned. He also provided Putin with an overview of Israel’s ongoing efforts to release the remaining hostages.
During the call, the two leaders “exchanged warm greetings on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II,” the Israeli readout of the call said. Israel, like Russia and some former Soviet states, marks VE Day on May 9, while most European countries commemorate it a day prior.
“The prime minister emphasized the decisive contribution of the Red Army to the victory over the Nazis, and emphasized the importance of the many Jewish commanders and fighters in the war,” the readout added..."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-thanks-putin-for-helping-secure-release-of-russian-israeli-hostages/
Written by me
"Vicki Stuart, a 64-year-old former postal worker, admitted in a plea agreement Monday to engaging in identity theft and forgery in the 2024 presidential election..."
https://dailycaller.com/2025/05/06/colorado-ex-postal-worker-vicki-stuart-2024-electoral-fraud-plea-agreement/
Written by me
"The family of Christopher Pelkey, the 37-year-old fatality in a 2021 road rage incident, brought him back to life in an AI-generated video during his convicted killer’s April sentencing hearing..."
https://dailycaller.com/2025/05/06/colorado-ex-postal-worker-vicki-stuart-2024-electoral-fraud-plea-agreement/
