Hamas gives positive response to Gaza ceasefire proposal
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Alexander Cornwell
Hamas has submitted its response to a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal, a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told Reuters on Friday, describing the response as a positive one that should "facilitate reaching a deal."
U.S. President Donald Trump earlier announced a "final proposal" for a 60-day ceasefire in the nearly 21-month-old war between Israel and Hamas, stating he anticipated a reply from the parties in coming hours.
"We have handed the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, our response to the ceasefire proposal," a Hamas official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
"The Hamas response is positive and I think it should help and facilitate reaching a deal," said the Palestinian official close to the talks.
Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed "to the necessary conditions to finalize" a 60-day ceasefire, during which efforts would be made to end the U.S. ally's war in the Palestinian enclave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment on Trump's announcement and in their public statements, the two sides remain far apart. Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the militant group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss.
Netanyahu is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday. Asked early on Friday U.S. time if Hamas had agreed to the latest ceasefire deal framework, Trump said: "We are going to know over the next 24 hours."
Trump has said he would be "very firm" with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire while noting that the Israeli leader wants one as well.
"We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week," he told reporters earlier this week. "We want to get the hostages out."
'STOP THIS WAR'
Israeli attacks have killed at least 138 Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24 hours, local health officials said.
Health officials at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, said the Israeli military had carried out an airstrike on a tent encampment west of the city around 2 a.m., killing 15 Palestinians displaced by nearly two years of war.
The Israeli military said troops operating in the Khan Younis area had eliminated militants, confiscated weapons and dismantled Hamas outposts in the last 24 hours, while striking 100 targets across Gaza, including military structures, weapons storage facilities and launchers.
Later on Friday, Palestinians gathered to perform funeral prayers before burying those killed overnight.
"There should have been a ceasefire long ago before I lost my brother," said 13-year-old Mayar Al Farr as she wept. Her brother, Mahmoud, was shot dead in another incident, she said.
"He went to get aid, so he can get a bag of flour for us to eat. He got a bullet in his neck. It killed him on the spot," she said.
Adlar Mouamar said her nephew, Ashraf, was also killed in Gaza. "Our hearts are broken. We ask the world, we don't want food...We want them to end the bloodshed. We want them to stop this war."
'MAKE THE DEAL'
In Tel Aviv, families and friends of hostages held in Gaza were among demonstrators who gathered outside a U.S. Embassy building on U.S. Independence Day, calling on Trump to secure a deal for all of the captives.
Demonstrators set up a symbolic Sabbath dinner table, placing 50 empty chairs to represent those who are still held in Gaza. Banners hung nearby displaying a post by Trump from his Truth Social platform that read, "MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!"
The Sabbath, or Shabbat, observed from Friday evening to Saturday nightfall, is often marked by Jewish families with a traditional Friday night dinner.
"Only you can make the deal. We want one beautiful deal. One beautiful hostage deal," said Gideon Rosenberg, 48, from Tel Aviv.
Rosenberg was wearing a shirt with the image of hostage Avinatan Or, one of his employees who was abducted by Palestinian militants from the Nova musical festival on October 7, 2023. He is among the 20 hostages who are believed to be alive after more than 600 days of captivity.
Ruby Chen, 55, the father of 19-year-old American-Israeli Itay, who is believed to have been killed after being taken captive, urged Netanyahu to return from meeting with Trump in Washington on Monday with a deal that brings back all hostages.
"Let this United States Independence Day mark the beginning of a lasting peace... one that secures the sacred value of human life and one that bestows dignity to the deceased hostages by ensuring their return to proper burial," he said, also appealing to Trump.
Itay Chen, also a German national, was serving as an Israeli soldier when Hamas carried out its surprise attack on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 251 hostage.
Israel's retaliatory war against Hamas has devastated Gaza, which the militant group has ruled for almost two decades but now only controls in parts, displacing most of the population of more than 2 million and triggering widespread hunger.
More than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in nearly two years of fighting, most of them civilians, according to local health officials.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
18 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Donald Trump Has Wrapped His Political Career in the American Flag
He was born on June 14, the date President Woodrow Wilson designated as Flag Day. As a real estate developer, he battled the town of Palm Beach over the height of a flagpole at his Mar-a-Lago estate. As president in 2020, he hugged and kissed the flag and appeared to call it 'baby' as a crowd cheered at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Trump has wrapped his political career in the American flag, making the Stars and Stripes a central visual in his 'Make America Great Again' movement. On Friday, he celebrated July Fourth from the South Lawn of the White House, where he recently installed an 88-foot flagpole. He attended a picnic there with military families and signed his signature tax and spending legislation in front of more than a dozen American flags. He wore his signature uniform: a red tie, white shirt and blue suit, along with a MAGA cap that had an American flag embroidered on the side. Almost every politician uses the American flag as a backdrop, but no other has deployed the national symbol as their own brand as extensively as the former retail and licensing mogul. His family business sells dozens of 'Trump' branded trinkets with flag imagery, including a $120 rubber beach tote and a $110 knit sweater. His supporters have imposed his face on American flags, which they fly from their vehicles or wave from the crowds at his political rallies. His campaign peddled gold lapel pins with 'TRUMP' emblazoned on the flag, available for a $50 donation. And only Trump has transformed the meaning of the American flag into one of the most divisive topics in modern discourse. As flags are raised throughout the country to honor the traditionally unifying anniversary of the country's birthday, Trump's efforts to absorb the American flag into the branding of his Republican Party have left the nation divided over how to celebrate. He calls his supporters 'patriots' and his opponents anti-American, ripping open long-simmering debates over what it means to wave the flag and who gets to define American freedom. He has also spurred efforts among some Democrats and Trump opponents to embrace the flag and Independence Day celebrations – while, among others who do not care for Trump, he has pushed them away from such traditionally patriotic activities. 'It is fitting that the President of the United States loves the Star-Spangled Banner, which represents our nation's brave heroes that have fought and died for our freedom,' said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers. 'The American flag has always been important to the President's identity – from the day he was born, on Flag Day, it was clear that his DNA is USA.' This year, some July Fourth barbecues and block parties served as undisguised anti-Trump demonstrations. The Women's March planned 'Free America' rallies throughout the country, where they encouraged organizers to entice people to protest with hot dogs and veggie burgers. 'The dream of American freedom belongs to all of us, and we will not stop in our pursuit of its promise, now or ever,' wrote the Women's March on a website announcing the plans. Some Democrats in Congress are trying to unite the Democratic Party around the flag at a time when the party is scrambling to find a cohesive way to counter Trump. About half of Americans have an American flag at home, but a higher share of Republicans report owning flags than Democrats, according to YouGov survey. In the same survey, 89 percent of Republicans said flying the flag was an act of patriotism, compared with only 58 percent of Democrats. Reps. Pat Ryan (D-New York) and Chris Deluzio (D-Pennsylvania) passed out 4-inch-by-6-inch American flags to their colleagues ahead of Flag Day. 'Patriotism does not belong to one party,' an accompanying letter said. 'The flag, and the values it stands for, belong to every single American.' Deluzio, who served in Iraq in the Navy, said he was motivated to distribute the flags because no one party has a 'monopoly' on American pride. Trump undermines his flag-waving displays by showing 'disdain' for service members and attacking political rivals in the presence of military leaders, Deluzio said in an interview. 'I refuse to take a lecture on patriotism from this guy,' Deluzio said. After November 2020, as Trump falsely claimed that he had won the election, many of his supporters displayed upside-down American flags as an anti-Biden symbol. Rioters carried such a flag into the U.S. Capitol when they sought to block the certification of the election results on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump's supporters widely shared the upside-down flag again last year, after he was convicted of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to an adult-film actress ahead of the 2016 election. The U.S. Flag Code generally prohibits flying the American flag upside down except in a signal of 'dire distress.' Despite Trump's displays of pride in the American flag, he has frequently flouted the U.S. Flag Code, which dictates how the American flag should be folded, stored and displayed. The law requires that flags be flown at half-staff for 30 days following the death of the president. Trump was furious when he learned that the rule would be in effect during his inauguration festivities in January following the death of former president Jimmy Carter. 'The Democrats are all 'giddy' about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at 'half mast' during my Inauguration,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'They think it's so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don't love our Country, they only think about themselves.' House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) ultimately ordered the flag to be raised to full height during Trump's inauguration and then returned to half-staff the day after. Trump's famous hug of the flag at CPAC and his history of emblazoning his name over images of the flag have also been criticized as disrespectful to the national symbol. He has also criticized others for desecrating the flag, calling for criminal penalties against protesters who burn flags despite a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that burning the flag is protected speech under the First Amendment. DeLuzio spoke to The Washington Post from Congress on Wednesday, as House lawmakers were battling over the future of an immigration and tax package that has deeply divided the parties. But he called on Americans to put those differences aside for July Fourth. 'Go celebrate our Independence Day,' DeLuzio said. 'We need some unifying moments in our country.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
18 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
From UFC Fights to State Fairs, Trump Unveils Plans for Nation's 250th
DES MOINES – He was a teenager when the World's Fair came to his native Queens in 1964. As an adult, he built a casino along the Atlantic City boardwalk called Trump's World Fair. And as a candidate, he flew in a helicopter over the Iowa State Fair and took a bite from a pork chop on a stick. Now, as president, Donald Trump is trying to create the carnival-like atmosphere of state and world's fairs to showcase next year's celebration of the nation's 250th birthday. Trump on Thursday returned to the Iowa State Fairgrounds, a place that had little to do with the founding of the nation but one that has played a role in his political biography, to launch a year-long festival that will culminate on July 4, 2026. The centerpiece of that birthday celebration will be 'the Great American State Fair,' which Trump pitched to the crowd as 'an enormous year long nationwide celebration of our heritage.' 'We will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding with a birthday party, the likes of which you have never seen before,' he said. The effort, he said, is going to include a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House that will be overseen by Dana White, the chief executive of UFC and a longtime Trump supporter. 'We have a lot of land there,' Trump said. 'We're going to have a UFC fight – championship fight, full fight, like 20,000, 25,000 people. . . . The UFC fight is going to be a big deal.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed he was serious about the proposal. Trump also said that he would host nationally televised athletic competitions showcasing high school students from each state in an event he's calling the 'Patriot Games.' That effort, he said, will be overseen by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ('He's great,' Trump said. 'And he's a little different, right?') Much of his campaign rally-style, hourlong speech was spent touting the signature legislation that passed earlier in the day, a bill that he is planning to sign at the White House on Friday afternoon ahead of Independence Day fireworks. 'There could be no better birthday present for America than the phenomenal victory we achieved just hours ago when Congress passed the one Big Beautiful Bill,' he said. At one point while describing the bill he used a term many consider to be an antisemitic slur while referencing unscrupulous bankers. 'No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker – and in some cases, shylocks and bad people,' he said. Joe Biden in 2014 also used the term during a speech, later apologizing for it. The semiquincentennial celebrations will give the showman president a powerful platform from which to project his vision of U.S. strength and history onto the world. But at a moment when the country is deeply divided along partisan lines, the plans are also likely to spur vigorous debate over how to tell the story of the nation's history – and who should be the narrator. From the Oval Office, Trump has sought to reframe how American history is told, renaming federal monuments and creating displays that advance his vision of the country. He has denounced a full telling of that history, one that includes the country's flaws, as unpatriotic – stoking deep tensions about race and identity throughout his political career. Trump in March signed an executive order titled 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,' which claimed to address the ways his political opponents 'undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.' His administration has sought to minimize leaders and events that do not square with his ideology, stripping the name of gay rights leader Harvey Milk from a Navy ship and restoring the last names of Confederate generals to Army installations. In his remarks on Thursday, he touted his policies against transgender Americans, about making English the official language of the United States, and called those who pushed to rename military bases that previously honored Confederates 'radical left lunatics.' 'In everything we do, we're once again defending the values, traditions and beliefs that made every generation before us so very proud to be American,' he said. Trump originally conceived of the fair as an event on the Iowa State Fairgrounds that would bring 'millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the heartland of America for this special, one-time festival.' But the event has evolved into a more sprawling celebration beyond the pavilions of Des Moines with a grand title: 'A New Era of American Greatness.' Now, the America 250 Commission will host a two-week fair on the National Mall next year around July 4, including food vendors and exhibits from all 50 states, according the White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private plans. The 'Great American State Fair' will also travel around the country to state and county fairs over the next year. Trump has said he wants the fair to 'promote pride in American history,' and expanded on plans in his speech. 'The Great American State Fair will bring America 250 programing to fairgrounds across the country, culminating in a giant patriotic festival next summer on the National Mall, featuring exhibits from all 50 states,' he said. He also said that he would celebrate the 250th anniversaries of the Navy and the Marines, just as he recently did for the Army. He again touted a rise in military recruitment numbers and the performance of troops who had recently executed a strike on Iran's nuclear capabilities, promoting his decision to authorize strikes on Iran and defending its results. The career entertainer, who often attends NASCAR races and UFC bouts, has long had a love of fairs and the rollicking and unpredictable settings they can provide. In 1996, he opened the Trump World's Fair Casino at an event that included strolling performers, jugglers, stilt walkers and high school marching bands – along with a fireworks and laser light display choreographed to music. It featured artifacts from and murals of past U.S. World's Fairs and included a 3,000-pound stainless steel sphere similar to the 'Unisphere' from the World's Fair held in 1964-1965 in Flushing Meadows. The biggest mural, however, rose over an escalator and was of Trump himself, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. 'We've been looking forward to this day for a long time,' Trump said when it opened. 'Trump World's Fair is an exciting destination, uniquely designed around the World's Fair theme, that we know will be well-received.' About three years later, it closed. It was losing some $10 million per year. Falling glass panes had forced closures of businesses below. Eventually, it was demolished. Trump also installed a 'Unisphere' look-alike at the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Columbus Circle in Manhattan. City officials objected when he adorned the structure with 'Trump International' in big letters. 'Well, do you know originally they wanted to tear down the Eiffel Tower?' he said during a 2008 appearance with shock jock Howard Stern. 'Do you know the Eiffel Tower was built just during the World Fair?' One of Trump's most significant experiences with a fair came when he was an early presidential candidate in 2015. He arrived at one known for its deep-fried foods, presidential candidates speaking from bales of hay and a life-size cow carved from 600 pounds of butter. Trump made his appearance that year from a black helicopter emblazoned with bold letters spelling T-R-U-M-P, circling several times before landing. Hillary Clinton was strolling below him, posing for selfies. Trump emerged wearing his signature red cap along with white dress shoes and French cuffs. He offered rides in his helicopter to randomly selected handfuls of Iowa children. When Trump won a second term last year, Iowa's leaders responded, ready to execute his vision of a fair. 'We know the Iowa State Fair is the best fair in the country!' Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds wrote on X on Nov. 7, two days after the election. 'In Iowa, we dream big, and we stand ready to host the Great American State Fair!' Iowa state lawmakers in May approved legislation to allow state residents to set off fireworks around Independence Day and New Year's Eve, an effort to align it with the festive atmosphere Trump is seeking for next year's celebrations. During the debate, opponents questioned why the state was changing its laws to appease the president, while others pointed to firework displays dating to the nation's founding. 'Mr. President, we welcome that idea in Iowa, and we're ready, willing and able to host the party,' state Rep. Bill Gustoff said during debate on the measure. 'We need to enable Iowans to be part of that celebration.' At one point during his remarks, a bang occurred in the distance. 'Don't worry, it's only fireworks. I hope,' said Trump, who survived an assassination attempt a year ago this month. 'Famous last words. My famous last words. 'Trump said, 'Don't worry, it's only fireworks.' You always have to think positive.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
34 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Indian Minister Backs Dalai Lama's Position on Successor, Contradicting China
DHARAMSHALA, India, July 4 (Reuters) – A senior Indian minister has said that only the Dalai Lama and the organization he has set up have the authority to identify his successor as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, in a rare comment contradicting rival China's long-held position. The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, said on Wednesday that upon his death he would be reincarnated as the next spiritual leader and that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust would be able to identify his successor. He previously said the person would be born outside China. Beijing says it has the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor as a legacy from imperial times. Kiren Rijiju, India's minister of parliamentary and minority affairs, made a rare statement on the matter on Thursday, ahead of visiting the Dalai Lama's base in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala for the religious leader's 90th birthday on Sunday. 'No one has the right to interfere or decide who the successor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be,' Indian media quoted Rijiju as telling reporters. 'Only he or his institution has the authority to make that decision. His followers believe that deeply. It's important for disciples across the world that he decides his succession.' Rijiju, a practicing Buddhist, will be joined by other Indian officials at the birthday celebrations. In response to the remarks, China's foreign ministry warned India on Friday against interfering in its domestic affairs at the expense of bilateral relations, urging it to be prudent in its words and actions. 'We hope the Indian side will fully understand the highly sensitive nature of Tibet-related issues, recognize the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama,' spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press conference. In a statement issued late on Friday afternoon, India's foreign ministry said the country does not take any position or speak on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion. 'Government has always upheld freedom of religion for all in India and will continue to do so,' foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in the statement. India is estimated to be home to tens of thousands of Tibetan Buddhists who are free to study and work there. Many Indians revere the Dalai Lama, and international relations experts say his presence in India gives New Delhi a measure of leverage with China. Relations between India and China nosedived after a deadly border clash in 2020 but are slowly improving now.
