Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed his planned visit to Azerbaijan, originally scheduled for May 7–11, 2025, due to escalating military operations in Gaza and Syria. The Israeli military has issued thousands of call-up notices to reservists to support an expanded offensive in Gaza. These reservists will be deployed to Israel’s border with Lebanon and the occupied West Bank, replacing regular soldiers who will lead the new Gaza operation.
The security cabinet approved the escalation following the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in March. Hamas has demanded a complete end to the war in exchange for the release of the remaining 59 hostages. To date, 192 hostages have been freed since November 2023, while Israeli airstrikes and military operations have killed over 50,000 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, and displaced the population into smaller sections of Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office cited “recent developments in Gaza and Syria” and an “intense diplomatic and security schedule” as reasons for the postponement. A new date for the visit has not been announced.
Source: Reuters
