Israel Agrees to US Ceasefire Deal, Hamas Demands Guarantees, Says Gaza War Must First Halt Fully
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Paris Holocaust memorial, 3 synagogues vandalised
France's Holocaust memorial and three Paris synagogues and a restaurant were vandalised with paint overnight Saturday, in what the Israeli embassy denounced as a "coordinated anti-Semitic attack". An investigation has been opened into "damage committed on grounds of religion", the Paris public prosecutor's office said. No arrests have been made. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he was "deeply disgusted by these heinous acts targeting the Jewish community," in a post on X. Retailleau had called last week for "visible and dissuasive" security measures at Jewish-linked sites amid concerns over possible anti-Semitic acts during the conflict between Israel and the Hamas-run Gaza territory. The Israeli embassy in France said it was "horrified by the coordinated anti-Semitic attack", adding that recent tensions with some French officials were contributing to a "problematic discord". "We stand with the Jewish community and have full confidence in the French authorities, who will identify and bring the perpetrators to justice," the embassy said in a statement. "At the same time, we cannot ignore the problematic discord seen over the past two weeks among certain leaders and officials," it added. "Words matter, and the current discord against the Jewish state is not without consequences, not only for Israel but also for Jewish communities around the world," it said. Israeli's President Isaac Herzog said Saturday he was "dismayed" by the Paris vandalism, noting that his great-grandfather had been a rabbi at one of the synagogues. "I call on the French authorities to act rapidly and forcefully to bring these people to justice," Herzog said in a statement. The row comes amid growing concern in France over anti-Semitic incidents. In a separate message seen by AFP, the interior minister on Friday ordered heightened surveillance ahead of the coming Jewish Shavuot holiday. "Anti-Semitic acts account for more than 60 percent of anti-religious acts, and the Jewish community is particularly vulnerable," Retailleau said in the message seen by AFP. The French Jewish community, one of the largest in the world, has for months been on edge in the face of a growing number of attacks and desecrations of memorials since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023. "There is deep sadness and outrage... at the sight of these images showing vandalised Jewish sites," said Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF). Paris authorities plan to lodge a complaint over the paint incident, said the city's mayor, Anne Hidalgo. "I condemn these acts of intimidation in the strongest possible terms. Anti-Semitism has no place in our city or in our Republic," she said. Last year, France registered 1,570 anti-Semitic acts, according to interior ministry figures, over three times more than the 436 recorded in 2022. Since 2012 they have fluctuated between 311 and 851 per year. Several EU nations have reported a spike in "anti-Muslim hatred" and "anti-Semitism" since the start of the Gaza war, according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. In May 2024, graffiti of red hands was painted beneath the wall at the memorial in central Paris honouring people who saved Jews from persecution during the 1940-44 Nazi occupation of France.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Will there be a lasting ceasefire in Gaza?
The story so far: More than 19 months since the Gaza war began, with only two brief ceasefires in between, Israel and Hamas are inching closer to agreeing on another truce — this time under the direct mediation of the U.S. In recent weeks, Israel has come under increasing international pressure, with even its close allies in the West, including Germany, and the U.K., intensifying their criticism of the war. Under pressure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government said last week that it would accept a ceasefire proposal presented by Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for the Middle East (West Asia). Meanwhile, the UN has warned that all 2.3 million Palestinians of Gaza are facing a severe hunger crisis. Where does the war stand now? When Israel launched its war on Gaza, following Hamas's October 7, 2023 cross-border attack, killing nearly 1,200 people, it had two primary objectives — dismantle Hamas and secure the release of hostages (Hamas had taken at least 250 hostages on October 7). Since then, the war has devastated the entire Gaza strip, a tiny, densely populated enclave sandwiched between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. According to Gaza's health authorities, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since October 7, with over 1,23,000 wounded. The entire population of Gaza has been displaced. Yet, Hamas has maintained its grip on Gaza's population, and continued to resist Israeli forces. As of now, at least 58 hostages remain in Hamas's captivity (20 of them are believed to be dead). Israel's strategy of ramping up military pressure on Hamas by attacking Palestinians indiscriminately and thereby forcing the group to release hostages has not worked so far. On the two previous occasions when Hamas released hostages, it did so as part of ceasefire agreements. This leaves Israel in a difficult position. It is facing increasing global criticism over the war, and has failed to achieve its two main objectives: the elimination of Hamas and the release of the hostages. Why are Israel's allies angry? In January, Israel and Hamas had agreed to a three-phase ceasefire. In the first phase, which was successfully implemented, Hamas released hostages and Israel freed Palestinian prisoners. The second phase was to see an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, leading to a permanent end to the war. But Israel wanted to extend the first phase of the ceasefire to get more hostages in return for prisoner release. When Hamas rejected the extension, Israel resumed its bombing campaign. Since then, Israel has launched a broader offensive and massive bombings in Gaza, pushing the enclave's already displaced people to the southern coastal stretches. Simultaneously, Israel has stopped aid delivery to Gaza, plunging the enclave into an acute hunger crisis. According to the UN Children's Fund, since the end of the ceasefire on March 18, '1,309 children have reportedly been killed and 3,738 injured' in Gaza. Since October 2023, more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured, said the agency. Israel has remained defiant. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he wanted Gaza to be 'completely destroyed' and its people should be moved to a 'humanitarian zone' in the south from where they should flee the territory to other countries. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has repeatedly warned the government against letting aid into Gaza. It was against this backdrop of Israel's indiscriminate attacks, Israeli Ministers' genocidal statements and Palestinians' mounting suffering that Western countries expressed rare public criticisms against Israel. The U.K., France and Canada issued a joint statement, 'strongly opposing' the expansion of Israel's offensive in Gaza, and asked the Jewish country to halt settlements in the West Bank. Friedric Merz, Germany's new Chancellor, said Israel's attacks 'are no longer justified'. Even Mr. Trump raised concerns about Gaza's hunger crisis. What is the U.S.'s stand? The Biden administration had occasionally expressed concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but consistently supported Israel's war, both militarily and diplomatically. The Trump administration lifted even Biden era restrictions on arms supplies to Israel, and has been careful not to attack Israel over the conflict. But signs of differences have emerged between Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Trump over West Asia. This week, Mr. Trump confirmed reports that he had warned Mr. Netanyahu against carrying out attacks against Iran's nuclear facilities. Mr. Trump launched direct talks with Iran, seeking a deal to resolve the nuclear crisis (which in part has been worsened by his 2018 decision, during his first term, to unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal). In early May, he abruptly ended the U.S. military campaign against Houthis — a sworn Israeli enemy and Iranian ally — by striking a deal with the Yemeni militants through Omani mediation. Although the Houthis continue to attack Israel, the deal with Mr. Trump remains intact. Mr. Trump's team also held direct talks with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist entity, and concluded a deal for the release of an Israeli-American hostage. Mr. Witkoff, President's Trump's key mediator, has been actively parleying with multiple regional players, including Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Hamas, to push for a ceasefire. What is the Witkoff proposal? The Witkoff plan calls for a 60-day ceasefire. 'President Trump guarantees Israel's adherence to the ceasefire during the agreed-upon period,' says the draft document. As per the plan, 10 Israeli live hostages and 18 deceased hostages are to be released on days 1 and 7. In exchange for the release of the 10 Israeli live hostages, Israel will release 125 'life sentence' prisoners and 1,111 Gazan detainees who were detained after October 7, 2023. In exchange for the release of the remains of 18 hostages, Israel will release 180 deceased Gazans. Aid will be sent to Gaza immediately, and will be distributed through agreed upon channels, including the UN and Red Crescent. Israel will cease all its offensive military activities, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would be redeployed in Gaza's south and north within seven days. On day one of the ceasefire, Israel and Hamas will begin negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. Will there be lasting peace? The Witkoff proposal leaves out the most critical issue — the question of Gaza's future. Israel demands a total surrender of Hamas, while Hamas insists on a complete IDF withdrawal from Gaza. If Israel agrees to withdraw, Hamas would retain its presence and influence in the territory — an outcome that could cost Prime Minister Netanyahu the support of his far-right coalition partners. If Israel refuses to withdraw, Hamas may decline to release the remaining hostages and the war could continue. So the prospects for peace in Gaza remain bleak.
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Israel claims it killed Hamas leader Mohammad Sinwar in May 13 strike
Underlining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's May 28 announcement, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Saturday confirmed the elimination of Mohammad Sinwar, a senior Hamas leader, in an airstrike targeting a tunnel beneath the European Hospital in southern Gaza's Khan Younis. The strike took place on May 13, where Sinwar was believed to be a joint statement with the Israeli security agency Shin Bet, the IDF also reported the deaths of Mohammad Shabana, commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade, and Mahdi Quara, commander of the South Khan Younis Battalion, in the same to the Israeli military, Mohammad Shabana was among the planners and executors of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and had overseen the captivity of several hostages in southern Gaza. "We eliminated the Head of Hamas, again. He happens to be a Sinwar too," the IDF posted on X (formerly Twitter) on a separate statement, the IDF said the terrorists were operating from an underground command and control center located beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, thereby "deliberately endangering the civilian population in and around the hospital."The Israeli military added that it had employed extensive intelligence measures and taken proper precautions to "enable a precise strike that would mitigate civilian harm to the greatest extent possible."Mohammad Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's top leader and mastermind of the October 7 attack, who was killed by Israel in a military operation in Gaza in October 2024. Following Yahya's death, Mohammad Sinwar assumed a senior leadership role in southern Gaza, becoming a key figure in Hamas's military wing and a major obstacle to ceasefire negotiations and hostage release Israeli officials had said they had "probably" killed Mohammad Sinwar. Netanyahu's recent remarks serve as the first direct confirmation of his elimination of Mohammad Sinwar is part of Israel's broader campaign to dismantle Hamas's leadership. In addition to the Sinwar brothers, Israeli forces have also killed military commander Mohammad Deif and political leader Ismail Haniyeh in separate targeted Watch
