Trump says 'could be' Gaza deal by next week
Morristown (AFP)US President Donald Trump said on Friday there "could be a Gaza deal" next week and that he was optimistic, although the situation could change.Asked aboard Air Force One how optimistic he was about a ceasefire deal, Trump said "very," but added "it changes day to day".
In response to reports Hamas had responded positively to proposed truce talks, he said: "That's good. They haven't briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza."
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Gulf Today
2 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Russia becomes first state to recognise Afghan Taliban rule
Afghanistan's government said that Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its rule, calling it a 'brave decision.' In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow saw good prospects to develop ties and would continue to support Kabul in security, counter-terrorism and combating drug crime. It also saw significant trade and economic opportunities, especially in energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure. 'We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields,' the ministry said. The Russian foreign ministry also announced that it had received credentials from Afghanistan's newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan. Afghanistan's foreign ministry called it a historic step, and quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as 'a good example for other countries.' The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after ousting the foreign-backed government and have imposed an austere version of Islamic law. The announcement was made after Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday. 'This brave decision will be an example for others... Now that the process of recognition has started, Russia was ahead of everyone,' Muttaqi said in a video of the meeting on X. 'Russia is the first country which has officially recognised the Islamic Emirate,' Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal told AFP, using the government's name for their administration. Muttaqi said it was 'a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement,' the foreign ministry posted on X. Russia's foreign ministry added on Telegram: 'We believe that the act of official recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will boost the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in several areas.' It highlighted potential 'commercial and economic' cooperation in 'energy, transportation, agriculture and infrastructure.' The ministry said that Moscow hoped to continue helping Kabul 'reinforce regional security and fight against the threats of terrorism and drug-trafficking.' China on Friday said it welcomed Russia's decision. 'As a traditional friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, the Chinese side has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community,' foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. China does not officially recognise the government but hosts a Taliban ambassador in Beijing. It has said the Taliban government will need to introduce political reforms, improve security and mend relations with its neighbouring countries before receiving full diplomatic recognition. But on Friday, Mao said: 'No matter how the internal or external situation changes in Afghanistan, diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan have never been interrupted.' 'The diplomatic institutions of the two sides in each other's countries have maintained their normal functioning and have played a positive role in promoting the development of relations between the two countries,' she added. Russia has taken recent steps to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities, removing them from a list of 'terrorist organisations' in April and accepting a Taliban ambassador in Moscow. In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban 'allies in the fight against terrorism'. Russia was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, and has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas heading to Southeast Asia. This time, multiple other states, including China and Pakistan, have accepted Taliban ambassadors in their capitals, but have not officially recognised the Islamic Emirate since the end of the then-insurgency's two-decade war with US-led NATO troops. There has been limited but growing engagement with the Taliban authorities, particularly from regional neighbours, but also major global players China and Russia. Agence France-Presse
Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Ten things the UK could do if it truly cared about Palestinians
Supporters of Israel frequently decry the alleged double standards applied to it, noting that Israel has been the subject of far more critical UN resolutions than any other nation. They argue that it suffers disproportionate international opprobrium for its treatment of Palestinians, particularly since it launched its devastating assault on Gaza following the brutal attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Advocates for Israel ask why there is not the same level of public attention and outrage about other ongoing wars and humanitarian crises, such as in Sudan or Myanmar. They also try to shut down proper debate about Israel's actions by dismissing all criticism as motivated by antisemitism - a loaded accusation that fails to differentiate between genuinely abhorrent hate speech and intimidation directed against Jews in general and more targeted expressions of concern about specific Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. It is a useful ploy because it deflects attention and automatically guilt-trips westerners due to the history of the Holocaust and Israel's undeniably vulnerable early years, surrounded by hostile Arab states. I would argue that whatever the historical twists and turns of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the boot is firmly on the other foot when it comes to double standards today. Israel is no longer a weak, fragile state struggling to survive but overwhelmingly the most dominant and militarily capable power in the region. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters It is no longer Israelis who are at risk of being driven 'into the sea' but Palestinians. It is no longer Israelis who are at risk of suffering a second genocide, but Israelis who are now committing actions tantamount to a genocide of their own. Israel was entirely justified in taking action after the truly atrocious events of 7 October to try to prevent another such attack and secure the release of the Israeli captives taken by Hamas. I make no argument in support of Hamas, which triggered the latest round of fighting, is prolonging the crisis by refusing to release the captives and has itself weaponised humanitarian aid. It is a terrorist group to be shunned entirely. But Israel's response in Gaza has now gone way beyond what might be deemed legitimate or proportionate. It has involved numerous violations of international humanitarian law - such as firing on civilians, medical teams and journalists - and does not appear to be part of any plausible end strategy to ensure longer-term peace and security in the region. Massive moral failure Israel is being allowed to get away with behaviour that western democracies would condemn in the most forceful terms if undertaken by any other country. Precisely because Israel is a democracy and one that we treat as an ally, it is incumbent on us to hold it to the highest standards. In other raging conflicts, such as Sudan, where evidence of war crimes exists on both sides, at least the West does not actively tip the scale in favour of one party over another. In Israel's case, the West still defends many of its actions, supplies its army with weapons and intelligence, and equivocates about the degree to which it has violated international law as Palestinians die in their tens of thousands. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Collectively, the West's response to the tragedy in Gaza is a massive moral failure. Beyond some ritual handwringing, rhetorical expressions of concern, and a few feeble sanctions on a handful of Israeli figures, there has been no substantive action to rein in Israel's excesses in Gaza or to offer genuine protection for Palestinian civilians caught up in the conflict. Israel is a clear-cut case of western leaders failing to live up to their stated commitment to human rights and the concept of 'never again'. At the time of writing, both Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages were waiting to see whether new US-led ceasefire efforts would succeed. But if this process collapses, as has happened repeatedly in the past, here's a list of concrete measures the UK government could take - alone or with like-minded partners - if it truly cared about the Palestinian people. 1) No-fly zone: Propose the establishment of a no-fly zone over Gaza, as former Prime Minister John Major did in the early 1990s over Iraq to protect the Kurds in the north and Shia Muslims in the south from Saddam Hussein's brutal regime. UK planes helped to protect Israel from Iranian attacks. Why don't we protect Palestinians from Israeli bombs? Announcing the launch of the mission in April 1991, Major acknowledged that he did not have all the answers as to how long it would last or precisely how it would operate, but he noted: 'We do not have a long time to leave the Kurds where they are at the moment, and for them to safely survive… Action is needed; it is needed now, and that is what is going to happen.' Last year, UK planes helped to protect Israel from Iranian attacks. Why don't we protect Palestinians from Israeli bombs? 2) Secure aid: Offer to escort humanitarian aid convoys into Gaza, as was done in the 1990s to reach victims of war in the former Yugoslavia. This would address both Israel's concerns that aid must not be diverted by Hamas and Palestinians' concerns about being able to access supplies safely. Again, I quote Major, who announced this plan at a conference in London in 1992: 'We must ensure that humanitarian supplies are distributed to the victims of this conflict… It cannot be done by force but it must be done in safety.' He added: 'We have no hostile intent to any party in Bosnia, but I have to say to the conference that we will not be deflected from our determination to deliver aid wherever it is needed.' Arms and sanctions 3) Cut arms exports: Stop supplying weapons and other material support to the Israeli army - at the very least, until Israel has agreed to open up far more corridors for humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza. A recent High Court ruling that Britain's sale of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel is lawful has provided legal cover for UK arms supplies to Israel to continue. But just because something is lawful does not make it right. The UK could, at the very least, choose to apply more rigorous conditions to its continued supply of arms and intelligence analysis to Israel. As Iain Overton, the executive director of Action on Armed Violence, wrote in the aftermath of the case, a particularly troubling aspect was the government's argument that 'to withdraw from the programme would imperil NATO and the western alliance. In doing so, they made clear that the commercial and strategic value of the arms trade outweighs the lives of Palestinian civilians'. This is an obscenely immoral calculation. Ignore Starmer's theatrics. Gaza's trail of blood leads straight to his door Read More » 4) Ramp up sanctions: Broaden the scope of UK sanctions against individuals in Israel - which currently apply to just two far-right ministers for inciting violence against Palestinians, as well as some extremist Israeli settler groups in the occupied West Bank - to cover all members of the current Israeli cabinet, on the grounds that they share collective political responsibility for war crimes committed in Gaza. We have sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin and his cronies for their attempts to seize parts of Ukraine by force. Why not sanction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cronies, who have made no secret of their aspirations to seize full control of Gaza? We have the authority to do it. In 2020, the UK introduced a new global human rights sanctions regime, allowing it to impose targeted asset freezes and travel bans on individuals involved in major human rights abuses. Announcing the launch, Dominic Raab, then the foreign secretary, said that it would initially cover the 'very worst' human rights violations, including assassinations, torture and slavery, but that it could be expanded to cover other abuses. A government spokesperson explained at the time that future targets 'may include those who commit unlawful killings perpetrated against journalists and media workers'. According to a report by the Watson School of International and Public Affairs' Costs of War project, more journalists have been killed in Gaza - 232 - than in both world wars, the Vietnam War, the wars in Yugoslavia and the US war in Afghanistan combined, making it the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded. Under the UK's own criteria, this alone would merit sanctions. Raising awareness 5) Try to reach Gaza: UK ministers could join other western leaders in trying to enter Gaza to show support for innocent Palestinian victims of the war and highlight the dire situation there, just as they have repeatedly done to show solidarity with Ukraine, flying to Kyiv and being photographed with President Volodymyr Zelensky. 6) Join protests: Instead of spending time trying to shut down debate about Israel's actions, ministers could join those trying to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinians. Instead of trying to curtail demonstrations, they could march alongside peaceful protesters. They could call out double standards in right-wing media about the conflict, for example, where extensive coverage is given to individual Israeli deaths, while Palestinian deaths are often reduced to anonymous statistics. They could condemn cases of Islamophobia, not just cases of antisemitism. 7) Disseminate footage: Just as Israel compelled western leaders and policymakers to watch videos of the 7 October atrocities, the UK could compile videos of the current situation in Gaza, including the most heart-rending cases of children starving to death or dying of injuries or untreated conditions - and insist that Israeli embassy staff in London watch them, that journalists based in London watch them, and that the UK's national television channels broadcast them. Israelis were understandably appalled by images of ordinary Palestinians and pro-Palestinian activists celebrating the 7 October attacks. Perhaps they should be made to watch footage of Maccabi football fans celebrating the deaths of Palestinian children, Israeli soldiers filming themselves mocking the death and destruction in Gaza, and right-wing settlers rampaging through Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank. The UK could also ask the UN Security Council to watch such videos. If Israel complains that the videos are one-sided or distorted, the UK could spearhead an effort to require Israel to allow international journalists or inspectors into Gaza, along the lines of what was previously done to allow arms inspectors into Iraq and Iran. 8) Support war crimes cases: The UK could actively support the war crimes cases against both Hamas and Israel rather than simply dropping its objection, as the new Labour government did last year. It could help compile evidence of atrocities committed by both sides for the International Criminal Court (ICC), as it did when supporting war crimes cases against members of the Bosnian Serb regime in the 1990s. I was personally involved in that effort, sifting through hundreds of testimonies gathered from Bosnian refugees. This past January, at a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in Sudan, the UK representative argued that the ICC 'has a key role to play in ensuring perpetrators are held accountable for crimes committed in Darfur' and that the court should be allowed to 'carry out its important work in Darfur and elsewhere without interference'. The UK should apply the same standard to Gaza and call out the US for its efforts to hinder the ICC's work there. The path forward 9) Actively mediate: The UK could take a more proactive role in trying to facilitate an end to the Gaza war and to achieve a longer-term regional peace, rather than standing by as the US conducts back-channel discussions with the Israelis, Gulf states and Egypt. The UK has plenty of experience in hosting international conferences, including ones aimed at ending the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s. If a ceasefire is achieved, perhaps the UK could coordinate international discussion on the reconstruction of Gaza, options for Palestinian statehood and international security guarantees along the lines of what it has been willing to offer Ukraine. 10) Enforce global commitments: The UK could try to revive the lapsed notion of 'responsibility to protect', adopted at a UN World Summit in 2005. In a recent address to the UN General Assembly, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lamented the fact that 'two decades on, the responsibility to protect remains both an urgent necessity, a moral imperative and an unfulfilled promise', calling for a renewed global commitment to the concept. The UK could make the case for this to apply to the Palestinian people. Tens of thousands are dying because not enough aid is being allowed in and they are not allowed out The US would undoubtedly seek to veto any Security Council action. But the UK did not raise any objections to US and Israeli action against Iran without explicit UN authorisation, nor did it let Russian vetoes prevent it from acting in support of Ukraine. In 1999, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair justified his support for military action in Kosovo in an address to the nation, saying that 'these are our fellow human beings… old women humiliated, young men massacred, just for being Albanian, just for being there when the Serb killing machine arrived'. He acknowledged that all humanitarian interventions were fraught with risk but concluded that, in the end, it is 'simply the right thing to do'. As in Kosovo, people in Gaza are dying in droves simply for being Palestinian. Men, women and children who had nothing to do with the attacks of 7 October are dying because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tens of thousands are dying because not enough aid is being allowed in and they are not allowed out. Taking more robust action to protect the Palestinian people is simply the right thing to do. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
ARN News Center
4 hours ago
- ARN News Center
OPEC+ speeds up oil output hikes, adds 548,000 bpd in August
OPEC+ agreed on Saturday to raise production by 548,000 barrels per day in August, further accelerating output increases at its first meeting since oil prices jumped - and then retreated - following Israeli and US attacks on Iran. The group, which pumps about half of the world's oil, has been curtailing production since 2022 to support the market. But it has reversed course this year to regain market share and as US President Donald Trump demanded the group pump more to help keep gasoline prices lower. The production boost will come from eight members of the group - UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Kazakhstan and Algeria. The eight started to unwind their most recent layer of cuts of 2.2 million bpd in April. The August increase represents a jump from monthly increases of 411,000 bpd OPEC+ had approved for May, June and July, and 138,000 bpd in April. OPEC+ cited a steady global economic outlook and healthy market fundamentals, including low oil inventories, as reasons for releasing more oil. The acceleration came after some OPEC+ members, such as Kazakhstan and Iraq, produced above their targets, angering other members that were sticking to cuts, sources have said. Kazakh output returned to growth last month and matched an all-time high. OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, wants to expand market share amid growing supplies from rival producers like the United States, sources have said. With the August increase, OPEC+ will have released 1.918 million bpd since April, which leaves just 280,000 bpd to be released from the 2.2 million bpd cut. On top of that, OPEC+ allowed the UAE to increase output by 300,000 bpd. The group still has in place other layers of cuts amounting to 3.66 million bpd. The group of eight OPEC+ members will next meet on August 3.
