
Gaza War Escalates with Tanks, Airstrikes & Civilian Panic

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India Today
40 minutes ago
- India Today
Trump says Hamas wants to die, urges Israel to ‘finish the job' in Gaza
US President Donald Trump on Friday said Israel should escalate its military campaign in Gaza and 'clean it up' after Hamas rejected a US-backed ceasefire proposal, suggesting the militant group has no interest in peace.'Hamas really didn't want to make a deal. I think they want to die,' Trump said bluntly before leaving for a trip to Scotland. 'It's very, very bad. It got to be to a point where you have to finish the job.'advertisementThe president's warning came a day after his Middle East peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced that the United States was pulling back from ongoing negotiations to reassess strategy in Washington. Trump, who played a key role in negotiating the release of Edan Alexander — the last US-Israeli citizen held hostage by Hamas — said the group's refusal to compromise on the final stages of talks showed it was committed to continued violence.'Now we're down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages,' Trump said. 'Basically because of that, they really didn't want to make a deal.'With the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorating rapidly, and reports mounting of starvation among civilians, Trump signaled that diplomacy may no longer be viable.'They'll have to fight and clean it up,' he said, backing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military campaign. 'They (Hamas) will be hunted down.'Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling "alternative" options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the envoy Steve Witkoff said Hamas was to blame for the impasse, and Netanyahu said Witkoff had got it Hamas official Basem Naim said on Facebook that the talks had been constructive, and criticised Witkoff's remarks as aimed at exerting pressure on Israel's behalf."What we have presented - with full awareness and understanding of the complexity of the situation - we believe could lead to a deal if the enemy had the will to reach one," he Qatar and Egypt said there had been some progress in the latest round of talks. They said suspensions were a normal part of the process and they were committed to continuing to try to reach a ceasefire in partnership with the HUNGERMass starvation has taken hold in Gaza, with international aid agencies warning that food and medical supplies are nearly depleted for the territory's 2.2 million residents. Israel's siege of the enclave — tightened in March and only partially eased in May — has left the population teetering on the brink of a man-made Gaza Strip does not need flying aerobatics,' said Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of the Hamas-run Gaza media office, dismissing recent airdrops by Israel and other countries as cosmetic. 'It needs an open humanitarian corridor and a steady daily flow of aid trucks to save what remains of the lives of besieged, starving civilians.'Over the past 24 hours alone, Gaza's health authorities reported nine more deaths from malnutrition and starvation. The toll is rising by the day, with dozens having already died in recent weeks due to worsening United Nations confirmed Friday that supplies of specialised therapeutic food — critical for treating children with severe acute malnutrition — are nearly gone. UN agencies blame Israeli restrictions for hampering humanitarian for its part, insists it has allowed sufficient food into the territory and accuses the UN of mismanagement. 'This is a deliberate ploy to defame Israel,' the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. The UN has pushed back, saying it is doing its best under highly restricted conditions and has demanded Israel provide evidence for claims that UN aid workers are affiliated with aid chief Tom Fletcher, in a letter seen by Reuters, asked Israel to substantiate its accusations, amid growing international scrutiny of Israel's role in worsening Gaza's humanitarian the war rages on. Palestinian officials said 21 people were killed Friday in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire, including five in a strike on a Gaza City school sheltering displaced families. Among the dead was journalist Adam Abu Harbid, whose body was carried through the streets with his blue flak jacket marked 'PRESS' laid across military campaign began after Hamas-led militants attacked border towns on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Since then, Gaza's health ministry says nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli operations, with much of the strip reduced to rubble.- EndsTune InMust Watch


Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Trump administration to release over $5 billion in school funding after backlash
The administration of US President Donald Trump will release more than $5 billion in school funding that it had frozen earlier this month, following criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, Reuters reported. The money, intended for K-12 education programmes, had been withheld as part of a review announced by the White House. States say a total of $6.8 billion in funding was affected, with $1.3 billion already released last week. In a statement sent by email, Madi Biedermann, a senior official at the US Department of Education, said, 'The Office of Management and Budget has completed its review … and has directed the Department to release all formula funds.' 'The agency will begin dispersing funds to states next week,' she added. No details of the review findings were provided. A senior Trump administration official told Reuters that some 'guardrails' would be attached to how the funds are used, but did not give specifics. The Washington Post first reported the release of the $5 billion. Earlier in July, the Trump administration said it had found indications that the money was being misused to support what it called a 'radical leftwing agenda.' The freeze affected funds for teacher training, migrant education, English language learning, and after-school programmes. The decision led to legal action by a group of mostly Democrat-led states. Ten Republican senators also wrote to the Trump administration urging it to reverse the funding freeze. Some Republican lawmakers welcomed Friday's announcement, while Democrats argued the money should never have been withheld. President Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut federal funding for schools and colleges over a range of issues, including climate policies, diversity initiatives, and pro-Palestinian protests related to Israel's war in Gaza.

The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Trump says Hamas 'didn't want' Gaza deal as talks break down
U.S. President Donald Trump accused Hamas on Friday (July 25, 2025) of not wanting to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza as Israel said it would explore "alternative options" to rescue hostages after negotiations collapsed. An Israeli official meanwhile told AFP air drops of aid would resume soon over the Gaza Strip, where aid groups warned of surging numbers of malnourished children after more than 21 months of war. After U.S. and Israeli negotiators quit indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar, Mr. Trump said that "it was was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die." The U.S. President argued that the Palestinian militant group was not ready to hand over the remaining captives in Gaza because "they know what happens after you get the final hostages". His special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not "acting in good faith" in the negotiations that ended on Thursday (July 24, 2025). Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim in turn accused Mr. Witkoff of distorting the reality of the talks and walking back on agreements that had been reached between the parties. Mr. Witkoff was looking to "serve the Israeli position", Naim told AFP. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "together with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's terror rule, and secure lasting peace." Mr. Witkoff similarly said Washington would "consider alternative options" on Gaza, without elaborating on what they could entail. Mr. Netanyahu's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called to reinstate a complete aid blockade, occupy the entirety of Gaza, "encourage" its people to leave and re-establish Israeli settlements there. Mediators Qatar and Egypt said the talks could still resume, vowing to carry on with "intensive efforts" to secure an elusive breakthrough.