Middle East tensions: Ceasefire appears to be holding following days of conflict in Syria's south
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CNA
10 hours ago
- CNA
Israeli minister hints at annexing parts of Gaza
JERUSALEM: Israel could threaten to annex parts of Gaza to increase pressure on the militant group Hamas, an Israeli minister said on Wednesday (Jul 30), an idea that would deal a blow to Palestinian hopes of statehood on land Israel now occupies. The comment by security cabinet member Zeev Elkin came a day after Britain said it would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes steps to relieve suffering in Gaza and agrees to a ceasefire in the war with Hamas. France, which said last week it would recognise a Palestinian state in September, and Saudi Arabia issued a declaration on Tuesday, backed by Egypt, Qatar and the Arab League, outlining steps toward implementing a two-state solution. As part of an end to the Gaza war, they said Hamas "must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority". Israel has denounced moves to recognise a Palestinian state as rewarding Hamas for its October 2023 attack that precipitated the war. POSSIBLE ULTIMATUM TO HAMAS Accusing Hamas of trying to drag out ceasefire talks to gain Israeli concessions, Elkin told public broadcaster Kan that Israel may give the group an ultimatum to reach a deal before further expanding its military actions. "The most painful thing for our enemy is losing lands," he said. "A clarification to Hamas that the moment they play games with us they will lose land that they will never get back would be a significant pressure tool." Mediation efforts aimed at reaching a deal that would secure a 60-day ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas ground to a halt last week, with the sides trading blame for the impasse. Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the situation in Gaza, where a global hunger monitor has warned that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding. The Gaza health ministry reported seven more hunger-related deaths on Wednesday, including a two-year-old girl with an existing health condition. "MONSTROUS" Though recognition of a Palestinian state is largely seen as a symbolic move, Gazan man Saed al-Akhras said he hoped it marked a "real shift in how Western countries view the Palestinian cause". "Enough! Palestinians have lived for more than 70 years under killing, destruction, and occupation, while the world watches in silence," he said. Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza appealed for no recognition of a Palestinian state to come before their loved ones were returned. "Such recognition is not a step toward peace, but rather a clear violation of international law and a dangerous moral and political failure that legitimises horrific war crimes," the Hostages Family Forum said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said Britain's decision "rewards Hamas' monstrous terrorism". Israel made similar comments last week after France's announcement. Two Hamas officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the demand for the group to hand its weapons to the PA, which now has limited control of parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Hamas has previously rejected calls to disarm, while Israel has ruled out letting the PA run Gaza. Netanyahu said this month he wanted peace with Palestinians but described any future independent state as a potential platform to destroy Israel, so control of security must remain with Israel. His cabinet includes far-right figures who openly demand the annexation of all Palestinian land. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that reestablishing Jewish settlements in Gaza was "closer than ever", calling Gaza "an inseparable part of the Land of Israel". AID GOING IN, BUT NOT ENOUGH A 2-year-old girl being treated for a build-up of brain fluid died overnight of hunger, her father told Reuters on Wednesday. "Mekkah, my little daughter, died of malnutrition and the lack of medication," Salah al-Gharably said by phone from Deir Al-Balah. "Doctors said the baby has to be fed a certain type of milk ... but there is no milk," he said. "She starved. We stood helpless." The deaths from starvation and malnutrition overnight raised the toll from such causes to 154, including at least 89 children, since the war's start, most in recent weeks. On Sunday the Israeli military announced steps to ease the supply of food into Gaza, including daily pauses in military operations in some areas and corridors for aid. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the United Nations and its partners had been able to bring more food into Gaza in the first two days of pauses, but the volume was "still far from enough". "Most aid is still being offloaded by crowds before reaching where it is supposed to go. But market monitoring shows prices for basic goods are starting to drop - which could point to better operating conditions if aid flows further increase," it said in an update. The war began on Oct 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked communities in southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
CNA
12 hours ago
- CNA
Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire: Thai evacuees reluctant to return home despite truce
A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appears to be holding for a second day after five days of deadly fighting along a disputed stretch of their border. Despite the truce, evacuated Thai residents remain reluctant to go back to their homes and businesses. CNA's Jack Board reports from the border in Thailand's Surin province.
CNA
13 hours ago
- CNA
Thai-Cambodia ceasefire an ASEAN win - but US, China ‘loomed large'. What roles did they play?
BEIJING/SINGAPORE: Artillery fire along the disputed Thai-Cambodian border might have fallen silent for now, but the battle for regional sway between the United States and China continues. A joint statement issued after an unconditional ceasefire agreement between Thailand Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet was brokered in Malaysia on Monday (Jul 28) revealed that the meeting was co-organised by the US, with China's 'active participation'. While analysts lauded the ceasefire as a win for Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), repeated references to Washington and Beijing by the three PMs at the post-talks press conference point to deeper superpower involvement. China's foreign ministry also announced on Wednesday that Thailand and Cambodian representatives met in Shanghai for an informal meeting, while US President Donald Trump declared himself 'president of peace' in his social media post on Monday. 'ASEAN hosted the talks, but the weight of Washington and Beijing loomed large,' said veteran Malaysian diplomat Ilango Karuppannan, also a former High Commissioner to Singapore and Ambassador to Lebanon. 'Malaysia helped shape the outcome but it did so in an environment made more conducive by external push and pull factors,' he told CNA. However, the approaches by Beijing and Washington differ. Analysts say the US uses a carrot-and-stick strategy, leveraging tariffs for influence. In contrast, China prefers quiet engagement to safeguard its regional interests. To observers, the episode illustrates how both powers remain aligned - at least tactically - in preventing further escalation in a region where their economic and strategic stakes are deeply entrenched. Analysts note that neither Beijing nor Washington benefits from prolonged instability along the Mekong frontier, which could disrupt supply chains, threaten infrastructure investments, and trigger wider political fallout across mainland Southeast Asia. In the immediate term, analysts say both powers may see some reputational gains among regional elites for helping to avert a deeper crisis. But the contrast in style also reinforces long-standing perceptions: Washington as forceful but transactional, Beijing as cautious but ever-present. Whether these approaches translate into lasting diplomatic capital may depend on whether the ceasefire holds - and how both powers respond if it begins to unravel. 'Both these superpowers are friends of Southeast Asia. All the countries here depend on these two for either trade or security ... they have an important role to play,' said Karuppannan. WASHINGTON'S OPEN ASSERTION, BEIJING'S QUIET INTERVENTION At the Monday press conference announcing the ceasefire, all three leaders - Anwar, Hun Manet and Phumtham - made references to roles played by the US and China. Anwar described the meeting as 'co-organised by the United States of America, with the active participation of the People's Republic of China', adding that both powers had worked to 'promote a peaceful resolution' to the ongoing conflict. He also noted that their presence, alongside ASEAN and host country Malaysia, reflected 'a shared commitment to peace, dialogue, and regional stability'. Hun Manet offered particular praise for Washington, thanking Trump for what he described as 'decisive mediation' on Jul 26. That same day, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, saying he had spoken directly with Hun Manet and was preparing to call Thailand's acting leader to press for an immediate ceasefire. 'We happen to be, by coincidence, currently dealing on Trade with both Countries, but do not want to make any Deal ... if they are fighting - And I have told them so!' Trump wrote. 'Cambodia values the effort of the United States and thanks its government for organising this crucial meeting in support of peace,' said Hun Manet. He also acknowledged Beijing's contribution, thanking 'the government of China for its efforts and participation in this process in order to achieve the outcome that we have today'. Phumtham echoed the sentiment, briefly thanking both China and Trump. These public acknowledgements reinforced the perception that Washington and Beijing had applied pressure to steer the two parties toward de-escalation. Trump has also openly taken credit for brokering the Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire deal, declaring that his intervention brought peace and paved the way for renewed trade talks. 'By ending this war, we have saved thousands of lives,' Trump said on Truth Social. 'I have instructed my trade team to restart negotiations on trade. I have now ended many wars in just six months - I am proud to be the President of peace!' Experts said Trump's call for peace was loud - threatening to cease trade talks with both Thailand and Cambodia if hostilities continued - and appeared to work. It was also an opportune window, they added, with both Thailand and Cambodia facing 36 per cent tariff hikes set to begin on Aug 1. 'I guess Trump can shock leaders into action. His direct diplomacy did appear to get the Thais and Cambodians to talk and have an agreement,' said Ja Ian Chong, an assistant political science professor at the National University of Singapore, noting that the US leader had 'linked tariff talks to a ceasefire'. 'ASEAN and Malaysia clearly had a role in facilitating the agreement (but) ASEAN on its own was unable to broker a meeting earlier or to prevent conflict from breaking out,' Chong said. 'But for all the talk about (the importance of Chinese exports), it seems that these states still can't do without the US market.' The Thai-Cambodia ceasefire deal was a clear win for the US, said Bradley Jensen Murg, senior advisor to the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, an NGO think tank in Phnom Penh. 'In the immediate term, on Sino-American competition in the region: the points go to Washington - a much needed 'win' following significant erosion of American influence in 2025,' he said. Trump has vowed to be a 'peacemaker' president during his second White House term, promising to end global conflicts like the Gaza war and Israel-Iran conflict. In Scotland on Monday, he also set a new deadline of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress in ending the war in Ukraine, threatening sanctions if unmet. Rather than position itself as a public confrontational mediator like the US, China has often favoured behind-the-scenes engagement and messaging that emphasises centrality and regional solutions, experts said. For instance, China today hosted an informal trilateral meeting in Shanghai - its latest diplomatic effort to reinforce the fragile ceasefire and avert further escalation. According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong met with representatives from both Cambodia and Thailand in what was described as a 'candid, friendly and cordial' exchange. Representing Cambodia at the meeting was Kung Phoak, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while Thailand was represented by Jullapong Nonsrichai, executive advisor to the Thai foreign minister. 'The Cambodian and Thai sides reaffirmed to the Chinese side their commitment to the ceasefire consensus and expressed appreciation for the constructive role China has played in helping de-escalate the situation,' the statement read. China's top diplomat Wang Yi has also called for calm. In separate meetings held earlier this month with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn, Wang, who's China's foreign minister, expressed hope that the two Southeast Asian neighbours would uphold peace and resolve their dispute through dialogue. In comparison, analysts said that while the US has adopted a carrot-and-stick approach by using tariffs as economic leverage over both Southeast Asian countries, China by contrast, has been more restrained and nuanced - especially when compared to Trump's headline-grabbing approaches. 'The Trump administration's diplomacy was overtly transactional and used the prospect of favourable or punitive trade terms as leverage,' said Sothyridh Ean, a Cambodian commentator and PhD political science candidate at the University of Toronto. 'Beijing, by contrast, kept a lower profile, preferring quiet envoy-level engagement that protects its regional economic interests while avoiding direct entanglement,' he said, adding that it had chosen a 'wait-and-see approach designed to preserve influence without heavy political costs'. Beijing might not have taken the lead in shaping the ceasefire text but it played a vital role in shaping the environment that allowed Malaysian and ASEAN officials to facilitate talks, said veteran Malaysian diplomat Karuppannan. '(Beijing) would probably have been playing the role behind the scene ... to keep things under the lid, so that (the negotiation) doesn't break apart,' he added. COMMON STRATEGIC INTERESTS For both global superpowers, the Thailand-Cambodia conflict was not merely a border skirmish - it represented a strategic flashpoint in a region central to both US and Chinese economic and geopolitical interests, experts said. Prolonged fighting and instability risks disrupting trade corridors, undermining infrastructure investments, and damaging political capital accumulated over decades, they added. China's interests in keeping the region stable was both 'economic and strategic', said Karuppannan, adding Beijing had poured billions into infrastructure and energy projects through its Belt and Road Initiative, with Cambodia being one of its most loyal partners in the region. 'China relies upon Southeast Asia for not only supplies, but also exports, and trade, and investments,' he said. 'Disruption here would actually bring about ... a big disaster in so far as global trade is concerned.' 'Whether they (China and the US) like it or not, they have to keep Southeast Asia intact.' Ean noted Beijing's delicate balancing act, carefully protecting its 'extensive economic stakes in Thailand and strategic ties with Cambodia'. 'China's bilateral trade with Thailand is very large while trade with Cambodia has grown to record levels,' he said. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, said China's risk calculus was clear. 'China does not want to see a military conflict and attendant instability in mainland Southeast Asia, which it considers its backyard.' Even with an official ceasefire in place, experts said the situation remained fragile and have also cast doubt on whether the deal would hold. 'I am very sceptical that this ceasefire will work,' said Kurlantzick, noting that there had already been reports of 'continued fighting'. 'I'm not sure the ceasefire will make it out this week.' Still, experts agreed that willingness from both Washington and Beijing to support the diplomatic process reflected a rare moment of alignment.
