Middle East updates: Hamas skeptical of cease-fire proposal

Hamas has said it has a "negative" view of the most recent suggested cease-fire deal, but talks are ongoing. Meanwhile, Israel has slammed Colombian President Petro over plans to cut diplomatic ties.

Iran imposes sanctions on US, UK companies over war in Gaza
The Iranian government announced sanctions against a number of US and UK companies and institutions for supporting Israel's military operations in Gaza.

Defense giants Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics as well as oil company Chevron were among the targeted companies, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said the sanctions were being imposed for "the support and financing of Israel's terrorist acts, the glorification and support of terrorism and the violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip."

The British Air Force based in Cyprus and the Royal Navy's HMS Diamond, which is deployed in the Red Sea, were also on the list of sanctions, along with several individuals, including UK Defense Minister Grant Schapps.

The sanctions include confiscating properties, blocking bank accounts in Iran and barring entry for those affected.

The move by the Iranian government comes shortly after the US, UK and Canada extended sanctions against Iran's drone industry following several waves of attacks by Iran against Israel in response to the killing of senior Iranian military figures in Damascus. 

Hamas leadership skeptical of cease-fire deal proposal
The leader of Hamas fighters in Gaza, Yehya Sinwar, has a reportedly "negative" view of the most recent proposal for a cease-fire put forward by Egyptian intermediaries.

Osama Hamdan, a Hamas representative close to Sinwar who is in hiding in Lebanon, said on the Al-Manar TV channel run by the Shia militia Hezbollah, that "our position on the current proposal is negative," according to Israeli newspaper the Times of Israel.

The French AFP news agency also reported it spoke to Hamdan about the group's skepticism of the proposal.

However, Saher Jabarin, a member of the Hamas negotiation team, said that a final decision had not yet been made, according to AFP.

The proposal, if accepted, would see a 40-day cease-fire along with the exchange of "possibly thousands of Palestinian prisoners" — according to UK Foreign Minister David Cameron — for the remaining Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.

Israeli officials estimate that Hamas is still holding about 100 hostages and the bodies of about 30 who have died since being taken into captivity during Hamas' attacks on southern Israel on October 7 that killed about 1,200 people.

US Foreign Secretary Antony Blinken has urged Hamas to accept the deal, saying that the militant group is responsible for the cease-fire being blocked. 

Israel calls Colombian president 'antisemitic' over plan to cut ties
Israel has labeled Colombian President Gustavo Petro "antisemitic and hateful" after he announced his country would cut diplomatic ties with Israel over the ongoing war against Hamas.

Petro, who has been critical of Israel's military operations in the Palestinian territories, said during a May Day rally in Bogota on Wednesday that "diplomatic relations with Israel will be severed" Thursday. He also called Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu "genocidal."

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded on social media, calling Petro "antisemitic" and saying the decision to cut ties amounted to a reward for Hamas.

"The Colombian president has promised to reward Hamas murderers and rapists — and today he delivered," Katz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Hamas, a militant Palestinian group designated a terror group by the United States, Israel and Germany, among others, called Colombia's decision a "victory."

"We greatly appreciate the position of Colombian President Gustavo Petro ... which we consider a victory for the sacrifices of our people and their just cause," the group said.

The Confederation of Jewish Communities of Colombia urged in a statement that ties "be maintained, leaving open channels of dialogue" for "the good of both peoples."

Bolivia, Belize and South Africa have already severed or suspended their diplomatic ties with Israel over the war in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian student protest camps spread in the UK
As police in the United States moved in on protest camps set up by students at numerous universities, students in the UK have been setting up their own camps.

The UK-based Palestinian Solidarity Campaign said on Wednesday that, "Today, students from Leeds, Newcastle, Bristol and Sheffield have joined Warwick — demanding that our universities stop investing in Israel's genocide!"