Trump: Important that Middle Eastern countries join Abraham Accords
"Now that the nuclear arsenal being 'created' by Iran has been totally OBLITERATED, it is very important to me that all Middle Eastern Countries join the Abraham Accords," Trump wrote in a social media post.
As part of the Abraham Accords, signed during Trump's first term in office, four Muslim-majority countries agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel after U.S. mediation. Efforts to expand the accords have been complicated by a soaring death toll and starvation in Gaza.
The war in Gaza, where local authorities say more than 60,000 people have died, has provoked global anger. Canada, France and the United Kingdom have announced plans in recent days to recognize an independent Palestinian state.
Trump's administration is actively discussing with Azerbaijan the possibility of bringing that nation and some Central Asian allies into the Abraham Accords, hoping to deepen their existing ties with Israel, according to five sources with knowledge of the matter.
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The Independent
a minute ago
- The Independent
Plans to take Gaza City are met with defiance from war-weary Palestinians and anger by many Israelis
Israel's decision to take over Gaza City was met with resignation and defiance by Palestinians who have survived two years of war and repeated raids. Many Israelis responded with fear and anger, worried it could be a death sentence for hostages held in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israel would intensify its 22-month war with Hamas by taking over Gaza City, large parts of which have been destroyed by past bombardment and ground incursions. A major ground operation is almost sure to cause more mass displacement and worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. 'What does (Israel) want from us? ... There is nothing here to occupy,' said a woman in Gaza City who identified herself as Umm Youssef. 'There is no life here. I have to walk every day for more than 15 minutes to get drinking water." Ruby Chen, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen whose son, Itay, is a hostage held in Gaza, told The Associated Press that the decision puts the remaining hostages in danger. 'What is the plan now that is different from the last 22 months?' he said. Ehud Olmert, a former prime minister and harsh critic of Netanyahu, told the AP 'there's not any objective that can be achieved that's worth the cost of the lives of the hostages, the soldiers' and civilians, echoing concerns expressed by many former top security officials in Israel. 'I will die here' Netanyahu says military pressure is key to achieving Israel's war goals of returning all the hostages and destroying Hamas. On Thursday, he told Fox News that Israel intends to eventually take over all of Gaza and hand it over to a friendly Arab civilian administration. But Hamas has survived nearly two years of war and several large-scale ground operations, including in Gaza City. In a statement, the militant group said the people of Gaza would 'remain defiant against occupation' and warned Israel that the incursion 'will not be a walk in the park.' Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled Gaza City in the opening weeks of the war, the first of several mass displacements. Many returned during a ceasefire earlier this year. Now, residents say they are too busy searching for food and trying to survive amid the city's bombed-out buildings and tent camps to think about another exodus. 'I have no intention to leave my home, I will die here," said Kamel Abu Nahel from the city's urban Shati refugee camp. Israel already controls and has largely destroyed around 75% of the Gaza Strip, with most of its population of some 2 million Palestinians now sheltering in Gaza City, the central city of Deir al-Balah and the sprawling displacement camps in the Muwasi area along the coast. The offensive has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians. It says women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of casualties, while Israel disputes them. Ismail Zaydah said he and his family had remained in Gaza City throughout the war. 'This is our land, there is no other place for us to go,' he said. 'We are not surrendering ... We were born here, and here we die." 'This madman called Netanyahu' Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that started the war and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Though most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals, 50 are still in Gaza, less than half of them believed by Israel to be alive. Relatives of many of the hostages and their supporters have repeatedly protested against the continuation of the war, demanding that Israel reach a ceasefire with Hamas that would include the return of their loved ones. The long-running talks broke down last month. 'Somebody's got to stop this madman called Netanyahu,' said Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held hostage. He said faith in the United States to help is also dwindling. 'I lost hope with Donald Trump ... he's letting Netanyahu just do whatever he likes,' he said. But other Israelis voiced support for the decision. 'They need to go after Hamas,' said Susan Makin, a Tel Aviv resident. 'Why are they not asking why Hamas has not given back the hostages and put (down) their arms?' The agony around the plight of the hostages has worsened in recent days as Palestinians militants have released videos showing two of the captives emaciated and pleading for their lives. Families fear their loved ones, who may be held in other parts of Gaza, are running out time. Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel's Defense and Security Forum, said there are a few hostages in Gaza City and the army will have to decide how to manage the situation. He said they might be able to surround the hostages and negotiate directly with their captors or leave those areas untouched. Under pressure, Hamas might decide to release the captives, he said. That strategy carries great risk. Last year, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six hostages who were killed by their captors when troops approached the tunnel where they were being held. ___ Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press reporter Shlomo Mor in Tel Aviv contributed. ___
Telegraph
2 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Trump must not abandon Ukraine by settling for unjust peace
Should Donald Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin go ahead, one principle must rest at the core of discussions: the United States should not make concessions over Ukrainian territory and sovereignty without having first agreed them with Kyiv. Early assurances of a swift end to the war and attempts to pile pressure on Kyiv to make concessions were a disastrous mistake, and it is clearly for the good that the White House now appears to understand that Putin is the primary barrier to peace. It is to Mr Trump's credit that he seems, belatedly, to have come to this conclusion, and that he has accompanied this with measures targeting Russia's wartime economy. The declaration that Moscow poses an 'extraordinary threat' to the US, and the sanctions on India over purchases of Russian oil, both speak to a willingness to put pressure on the Kremlin to make concessions. This pressure should be maintained. But Mr Trump must not allow himself to fall into the trap of making compromises for a swifter peace. Putin may well feel that attrition is now working in his favour, or that Ukraine's forces are on the back foot, and wish to either play for time or use his perceived battlefield advantage for leverage. The line that must not be crossed is the US agreeing to attempt to force a deal on Ukraine that Putin finds favourable, and Kyiv intolerable. The cost of this war is terrible, but an unjust peace would be worse than its continuation.
The Guardian
2 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Several people arrested at anti-Ice protest outside NYC immigration court
Several protesters outside New York City's 26 Federal Plaza government building were arrested on Friday for disorderly conduct, with demonstrators accusing the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency of operating a covert detention facility there, according to several reports. Protesters marched to the largest federal immigration courthouse in Manhattan on Friday morning and chanted outside the building. Demonstrators demanded access to the site, which was denied, and they later held a sit-in outside the courthouse, according to ABC7. Within a few minutes the New York City police department moved in to arrest some of the protesters for disorderly conduct, according to reports, as activists could be seen blocking the street. 'No fear, no hate, no Ice in our state!' chanted demonstrators during their march to the site, where Ice agents routinely detain immigrants after immigration court proceedings, in a move that goes against previously normal practice. Demonstrators allege detainees are being held in overcrowded conditions without many basic amenities or legal access at 26 Federal Plaza's 10th floor, where the agency denies it detains people, and are demanding unrestricted access for elected officials, journalists and faith leaders. Friday's protest was one of several in the city this week. Last month, footage from inside 26 Federal Plaza shared by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) showed two dozen men in bare rooms, some lying on the floor with emergency blankets and with few basic provisions. 'Just to be a presence, we're here to say that the American people are opposed to these kinds of policies. And for Ice agents, maybe that will lead some of them to reconsider their career choice,' Jeffrey Courter, the chair of the Justice Ministries Committee of the Presbytery of New York City, told ABC7. Authorities insist the facility is only a processing center. Lawmakers have been denied access to the site. In June, Brad Lander, the city's comptroller, was arrested while escorting an immigrant from a hearing. Several groups, including the grassroots protest movement known as 50501 and NYIC, as well as faith-based groups, were present at the protest. Courthouse detentions have become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown, which aims to arrest 3,000 people daily. Reports from cities including Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago and El Paso, Texas, describe routine court appearances devolving into tense encounters. A newly filed class-action lawsuit seeks to ban the practice of making Ice arrests at immigration courthouses.
