Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers. Here are the latest developments:

The governor of Hebron announced that Israeli forces had withdrawn from the occupied West Bank city after a nearly two-week-long operation. Palestinian security forces now hold full control of the area, allowing families who were displaced to return to their homes. At least seven individuals were injured in aerial attacks carried out by the Saudi-led coalition on Yemen's Hodeidah governorate, as reported by Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV.

The Saudi-led coalition reported that their air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile en route to Saudi Arabia's southern region. A tanker traveling southeast through the Gulf was struck by two unidentified projectiles on its port side, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. The incident occurred approximately 72 nautical miles east of Saudi Arabia's Ras al-Khafji. All crew members were accounted for, and no environmental impact was reported.

A diplomatic adviser to the UAE President discussed the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the US during the IISS Manama Dialogue. Anwar Gargash expressed the UAE's readiness for the worst and mentioned that measures would be taken to protect the country and its citizens. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reiterated threats to resume attacks on Iran, indicating that the US may need to employ "the hammer" at some point.

Trump expressed his desire to save lives but also stated that a point would come when the US must take decisive action, as he wants to be nice but ultimately aims to protect people.