U.S. Central Command Chief Tours Long‑Deployed Aircraft Carrier

US Central Command chief visits aircraft carrier

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, visited the USS Lincoln while the carrier was on a record‑breaking deployment in the Middle East. The Lincoln arrived in the region in January and has spent more than 240 consecutive days at sea supporting U.S. operations against Iran, including a naval blockade of Iranian ports. During the tour, Admiral Cooper highlighted the crew’s leadership and emphasized the importance of mental‑health initiatives and resilience.

“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper said in a statement released Saturday. The extended deployment, which places more than 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the carrier, has drawn attention to the challenges of prolonged deployments and the need for robust support for personnel.

US negotiator meets with Hamas chief

U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner, son‑in‑law of former President Donald Trump, held a rare meeting with Hamas leader Khalil al‑Hayya in Egypt as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to restart a Gaza ceasefire. The session was attended by envoys from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

Kushner will confer with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Mediators are pushing for a road map that calls for Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups to disarm, for Israeli forces to withdraw, and for authority to be transferred to Palestinian technocrats. Netanyahu has indicated Israel will not relinquish control of the roughly 60 % of the territory it occupies until Hamas is fully disarmed.

Separately, Kushner met Egyptian President Abdel‑Fattah el‑Sisi, who called on Israel and Hamas to fulfill their obligations under the existing ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Israel targets two Hezbollah commanders in Saturday’s strikes

Israeli forces carried out strikes in southern Lebanon that killed two senior Hezbollah commanders, Abu Hassan Alaa and Ali Samir Al‑Haj Hassan, the deadliest attacks since a June truce between Israel and the Iran‑backed group. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported at least 11 fatalities.

The June framework agreement envisions Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament, though Hezbollah has refused direct talks and remains outside the U.S.‑mediated deal.

Iran insists Qatar is holding three of its pilots

Iran alleged on Sunday that Qatar is detaining three Iranian pilots who disappeared in March when their aircraft were shot down. The claim follows Qatar’s denial and an Iranian request for access to conduct a field investigation. This marks the first time Iran has publicly accused a regional country of holding its military personnel during the current conflict.

An Israeli strike in Gaza wounds five

An Israeli strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, injured five civilians, including a seriously wounded child, according to Kuwaiti and Nasser hospitals. The Israeli military said the attack targeted a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Despite a major October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes, resulting in at least 1,262 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which maintains casualty records considered reliable by the United Nations.

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