Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 188?

The Biden administration asked Israel to update and hold consultations with the United States before any Israeli response to a potential Iranian attack, senior American and Israeli officials said.

The US intends to assist Israel in intercepting Iranian missiles and UAVs but is concerned that a sharp Israeli response will lead to a larger regional flare-up and attacks on American soldiers and bases in the region. As such, the US would like to have the opportunity to express opinions on the matter before any decisions are made, an American senior official said.

The Biden administration reportedly did not like the fact that Israel did not give the US sufficient advance notice before the attack that killed a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force commander in Damascus last week, even though the attack could have ramifications for American soldiers in the region.

Austrian Airlines, the last West European airline flying to Iran, said it was suspending all flights from Vienna to Tehran until April 18 in response to escalating tensions in the region.

Austria had continued flying for longer than its German parent Lufthansa since Vienna's closer proximity to Tehran meant it could more easily abort flights or be forced to leave staff in Tehran overnight.

Earlier on Friday, Austria's foreign ministry followed Germany in urging its citizens to leave Iran.

"Routes that pass through Iranian air space will also be modified," Austrian Airlines said in a statement. "The safety of our passengers and crews have highest priority."

Germany warned its citizens to leave Iran, saying that there was a risk both of a sudden escalation in Tehran's existing tensions with Israel and that Germans might be at risk of arbitrary arrest in the country.

"In the current tensions, especially between Israel and Iran, there is a risk of a sudden escalation," the Foreign Office wrote in a fresh travel warning issued on Friday. "It cannot be excluded that air, land and sea transport routes could be affected," it added.

"German citizens are at concrete risk of being arbitrarily arrested and interrogated and being given long prison sentences. Dual citizens with Iranian and German nationality are especially at risk," the Foreign Office said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi on Friday as the region braces for a possible Iranian attack on Israel, a statement said. 

Blinken thanked Safadi for Jordan’s leadership in facilitating the humanitarian aid delivered through joint US-Jordanian airdrops. 

The leaders also discussed the ceasefire negotiations.  

New footage of the moment hostage Noa Argamani was blindfolded and taken to Gaza can be seen in a 10-second video released by Daily Mail on Friday.

Hamas took Argamani hostage from the Nova music festival. Photos and footage of her kidnapping have become among the most well-known and well-recognized images of the October 7 massacre.

Israeli forces killed two Palestinians, including a member of the armed wing of Hamas, in raids in the occupied West Bank on Friday and the Palestinian Health Ministry reported at least one person was killed in an Israeli settler incident near Ramallah.

The Israeli military said Mohammad Omar Daraghmeh, whom it described as the head of Hamas infrastructure in the Tubas area of the Jordan valley was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces. It said several weapons and military-style equipment, including automatic rifles, were found in his vehicle.

Hamas confirmed Daraghmeh's death and his membership of its armed Al Qassam Brigades.

After over 40 rocket launches from Lebanon crossed into Israeli territory on Friday, the IDF responded by striking the sources of fire, the military stated.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the launches.

No injuries were reported in Israel as a result of the rocket fire.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir held a special situation assessment at the ministry headquarters, according to a Friday press statement.

The meeting was held together with the Commissioner of Police, the acting Chief of the Israel Prison Service, the Fire and Rescue Commissioner, and security officials as part of the assessments of the security forces in the interior of the country in the face of the security situation and the threats from Iran.

The meeting aimed to refine and improve the readiness of the Israel Police, the Israeli Prison Service, and the Fire and Rescue teams, as well as maintain the routine of life of the citizens of Israel.

Hamas has yet to respond to the proposal for a deal to release hostages in Gaza, US National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters in Washington on Friday.

"We are still waiting on a response from Hamas. We're still hopeful that they'll do the right thing. They need to do the right thing. They need to accept this first proposal.  "So we can get the ceasefire in place and get those hostages out and that's as far as I know, that's that's still where we are," Kirby said.

He referred to a deal for the release of some 40 of the remaining 133 hostages in exchange for a six-week ceasefire.

Israel is meeting its commitments in terms of opening up additional vehicle crossings to get aid into Gaza but it is not enough, the White House said on Friday, adding that the US continues to press them to do more.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby, speaking to reporters, also said the US is still awaiting a response from Hamas on the latest round of ceasefire and hostage release deal talks and that it cannot verify the militant group's claim that they do not have 40 hostages.