Israeli ambassador pushes back on claims that Israel is preventing aid distribution in Gaza
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San Francisco Chronicle
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- San Francisco Chronicle
Lebanese president calls for Hezbollah to disarm as US pressure rises
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated calls for the militant group Hezbollah to give up its weapons, a day after the group's chief doubled down on its refusal to disarm. Aoun's comments Thursday during a speech marking Army Day in Lebanon came as pressure increases from Washington to disarm Hezbollah. The U.S. presented Lebanon with 'draft ideas to which we have made fundamental amendments that will be presented to the Cabinet early next week," Aoun said. Under the Lebanese proposal, there would be an 'immediate cessation of Israeli hostilities' in Lebanon, including airstrikes and targeted killing, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel, Aoun said. Lebanon, for its part, would implement the 'withdrawal of the weapons of all armed forces, including Hezbollah, and their surrender to the Lebanese Army,' he said. The comments came after a speech Wednesday by Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem that called the group's weapons 'part of Lebanon's strength' and said 'anyone who demands the delivery of weapons is demanding the delivery of weapons to Israel.' Hezbollah officials have said they will not discuss giving up the group's remaining arsenal until Israel withdraws from all of Lebanon and stops its strikes. Aoun said Lebanon's proposal also calls for international donors to contribute $1 billion annually for 10 years to beef up the Lebanese army's capabilities and for an international donor conference to raise funds in the fall for reconstruction of Lebanese areas damaged and destroyed during last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah. The war nominally ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November calling for Hezbollah and Israeli forces to withdraw from the area south of the Litani River in Lebanon, which would be patrolled by a beefed-up Lebanese army, along with U.N. peacekeepers. The agreement left vague how Hezbollah's weapons and military facilities north of the Litani River should be treated, saying Lebanese authorities should dismantle unauthorized facilities starting with the area south of the river. Hezbollah maintains the deal only covers the area south of the Litani, while Israel and the U.S. say it mandates disarmament of the group throughout Lebanon.
New York Post
a minute ago
- New York Post
Trump says it's hard to make deal with Canada for backing Palestinian statehood
President Trump warned that it'll be 'very hard' to make a deal with Canada before Friday's trade deadline after it recognized Palestine's statehood. 'Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday morning. The commander in chief's post comes hours after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada will recognize a Palestinian state at the 80th General Assembly of the United Nations in September. 5 Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump 'Canada has long been committed to a two-state solution — an independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state living side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security,' Carney wrote in a statement Wednesday. The Canadian prime minister said that the decision was reached after Palestinian Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas assured him he was 'committed to lead much needed reform' and to 'hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.' 'Canada will increase its efforts in supporting strong, democratic governance in Palestine and the contributions of its people to a more peaceful and hopeful future,' he wrote — emphasizing that Hamas 'must disarm' and that Canada 'will always steadfastly support Israel's existence.' Israel quickly criticized Carney's announcement, calling the recognition a 'reward for Hamas.' 'The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages,' the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement. 5 Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with media during a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. AP Canada is now the third of the US's allies to announce its intention to recognize the State of Palestine. Last week, France became the first major Western power to reveal plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September. On Tuesday, the UK followed France's lead to recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a cease-fire in Gaza, allows aid to be brought in, and takes other steps toward long-term peace. 5 President Trump speaks as he meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, Sunday, July 27, 2025. AP The Palestinian government has been a non-member observer state of the UN General Assembly since 2012. More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including a dozen in Europe. US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is scheduled to travel to Israel on Thursday to discuss Gaza. Trump has also said this week that he expected centers to be set up to feed more people in the enclave. 5 Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas poses for a picture with the new Palestinian government, after it was sworn in on March 31, 2024, in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. AFP via Getty Images Carney's announcement to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state comes two days before Trump's Aug. 1 deadline for countries to make a trade deal with the US or face tariffs. Trump has promised a 35% tariff on Canadian goods if no deal is reached. Ottawa exports about three-quarters of its goods to the US, including cars, auto parts and oil. 5 Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas waves during a swearing-in ceremony of newly-appointed ministers, on March 31, 2024, in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. AFP via Getty Images However, Carney said that he 'would not accept a bad deal' with the US after months of stop-start talks. 'Our objective is not to reach a deal whatever it costs,' Carney said in Ontario last week. 'We are pursuing a deal that will be in the best interest of Canadians.' Carney suggested during a briefing in Ottawa Wednesday that trade talks with the US may not be wrapped up by the Friday deadline as officials continued to discuss 'a broad variety' of topics. 'There are many areas for cooperation between Canada and the United States, including defense spending, security spending, investments,' he said. 'Which is one of the reasons why we're having these broader discussions.' with Post wires
Axios
a minute ago
- Axios
Gaza starvation widens MAGA's rupture with Israel
The reliably pro-Israel Republican Party is scrambling to contain a generational revolt over foreign aid, antisemitism and the true meaning of "America First." Why it matters: Amid scenes of starvation in Gaza, the MAGA movement has become an unlikely epicenter of the national reckoning over America's relationship with Israel. A GOP realignment — in tandem with Democrats' overwhelming disapproval of the war in Gaza — could threaten the foundation and future of America's decades-old alliance with Israel. Driving the news: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a prominent voice for MAGA's grassroots base, became the first Republican member of Congress this week to call Israel's war in Gaza a "genocide." President Trump broke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by acknowledging this week that there is "real starvation" in Gaza, even as he urged Israel to "finish the job" by eliminating Hamas. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a critic and target of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, tweeted Wednesday that "Israel's war in Gaza is so lopsided that there's no rational argument American taxpayers should be paying for it." The big picture: A growing number of Gen Z conservatives — removed from the historical context that shaped older Republican views — see Israel as just another ally taking advantage of America's generosity. "What we are seeing on Israel is a generational split around the age of 40," MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec told Axios earlier this month. "Over 40 support, under 40 range from skeptical to wanting to cut all ties." The harrowing images from Gaza — along with Israel's bombing of a Catholic church this month, and attacks by Israeli settlers on Christian communities in the West Bank — have only deepened MAGA resentment. "Israel, whether it realizes it or not, has made itself the villain of the world in letting this thing go on so long. They have lost support among their dearest friends," conservative radio host Megyn Kelly warned this week. The intrigue: Keenly aware of Israel's reputational crisis, Netanyahu sat for an interview last week with the Nelk Boys — a team of pro-Trump YouTubers popular with young men. The backlash was swift and extraordinary: the Nelk Boys' own audience turned on them, accusing the hosts of platforming a war criminal and failing to ask meaningful questions. The group apologized by hosting a parade of openly antisemitic influencers to present "the other side," including white nationalist Nick Fuentes and "red pill" podcaster Myron Gaines. Gaines, who has millions of followers, drew public outrage days later when a guest on his show praised Adolf Hitler and argued that the Holocaust was justified. Between the lines: MAGA's antisemitism problem is real. But many young Trump supporters are engaged in a genuine foreign policy debate over whether sending billions of dollars to Israel aligns with the principles of "America First." At Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit this month, attendees described Israel in the same terms they might use for NATO or Ukraine: allies who drain U.S. resources that should be spent at home. "I wasn't 'Free Palestine.' I wasn't 'Free Israel.' I was America First," said Faith Merrill, an 18-year-old student at Troy University, describing TikTok content she posted that drew backlash. A recent focus group conducted by Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk showed that when Gen Z participants were asked to describe Israel, some responded with terms like "liability" and "tax dollars." Reality check: A new Gallup poll found that 71% of Republicans approve of Israel's military action in Gaza — ticking up from last September, even as Americans' overall approval plunged to 32%. Within MAGA media, even the skeptics aren't necessarily rooting against Israel: Some want the Jewish state to thrive on its own, while others continue to vocally support its war against Hamas. Kirk dedicated part of his podcast Monday to the rising number of stories about starving children in Gaza, dubbing it "an all-out propaganda campaign." The bottom line: Trump, who has described himself as the most pro-Israel president in U.S. history, is increasingly at odds with many of his youngest supporters.
