Trump says Iran is involved in Gaza hostage negotiations
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday Iran is involved in negotiations aimed at arranging a ceasefire-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas.
"Gaza right now is in the midst of a massive negotiation between us and Hamas and Israel, and Iran actually is involved, and we'll see what's going to happen with Gaza. We want to get the hostages back," Trump told reporters during an event in the White House State Dining Room.
Trump did not elaborate and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for details of Iran's involvement. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The United States has proposed a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Israel said it would abide by the terms but Hamas thus far has rejected the plan.
Under the proposal 28 Israeli hostages - alive and dead - would be released in the first week, in exchange for the release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians.
The United States and Iran are also separately trying to negotiate a deal on Tehran's nuclear program.
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BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
Jesus Cruz polished luxury cars at an LA car wash for a decade. Then ICE showed up
When immigration agents pulled up outside a Los Angeles car wash on a quiet Sunday afternoon, it sparked instant customers at the Westchester Hand Wash, which sits in the centre of a busy shopping area just blocks from the city's airport, froze as the officers in olive-green uniforms approached, CCTV footage obtained by the BBC employees who spotted them ducked behind a luxury SUV they were wiping down with a rag. Another worker halfway through cleaning the back window of a car looked all at once they scattered and ran, some jumping over a nearby fence as agents raced after them on foot and in US Customs and Border Protection pick-up came the following day to make more arrests. Jesus Cruz, who has worked at the car wash for more than a decade and lived in the US for more than 30 years, was among the six men who were arrested over the course of two raids. His wife, Noemi, told the BBC she was shopping with her daughter when she spotted a social media post about a possible raid. It included a photo of the car wash, so she dropped her daughter at home and raced the time she arrived, however, she was too late. She has not been able to reach her husband since. "You are so used to having a partner there, just to help you out, to be the backbone… now it's like - how am I going to do it?" she said."My husband has no criminal background. He's never gotten a ticket before. We pay our taxes. We're up to date on everything."The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to an inquiry about Mr Cruz's legal status or the goal of the operation at the car raid at the car wash, and similar ones across Los Angeles, represent a significant escalation in the White House's strategy to round up and deport undocumented migrants. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump repeatedly said he would prioritise deporting noncitizens accused of violent crimes. That promise received widespread support, even among Hispanic immigrant groups. But in recent weeks, the administration has stepped up its targets, pushing to increase their arrests from about 660 to 3,000 a day. To do that, they have widened their net, targeting not just criminals but workplaces where many undocumented workers do jobs that are vital for the economy - from farming to factory work - and pay taxes."Just go out there and arrest illegal aliens," Stephen Miller, a top White House adviser, reportedly told Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials before they launched the recent LA raids. According to the Wall Street Journal, he told them they did not need to produce target lists of suspected illegal immigrants, a longstanding practice, and should instead raid major businesses to arrest as many as possible. Car-wash owner Mehmet Aydogan said the agents did not ask for IDs before placing the men in handcuffs and swiftly driving them away."They were not doing anything criminal," he said, noting the raids were quick and lasted less than a minute. "Everyone is hard working."Days earlier, another operation at Ambiance Apparel, a clothing wholesale business in the Fashion District near downtown LA, had set the city on edge. More than a dozen people were arrested, witnesses said, although DHS did not respond to a BBC inquiry about this operation and the total number of tsar Tom Homan denied that agents were conducting an immigration raid at Ambiance. He said it was a criminal investigation that also uncovered undocumented immigrants."I said it from day one: if you're in the country illegally, you're not off the table," he told the New York Times Lopez was one of several witnesses who started posting on Instagram about the operation, before a large group of protesters formed outside, trying to prevent the workers from being taken away. Officials eventually deployed flash bangs and tear gas to push past the crowd - one of the first protests in the LA area as the spate of immigration raids kicked off."It's sad that it's hardworking people," he said about those arrested. "And they're trying to make it seem like it's bad people."Protests first broke out on 6 June, with confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents in the streets, before spreading more widely and at times turning violent. Hundreds have been arrested and an overnight curfew in one area is being enforcement agencies have said the protests will not deter their operations. President Trump has deployed the national guard and US Marines to help ensure the immigration crackdown continues. These raids have hit Los Angeles County especially hard, where estimates suggest more than 900,000 people do not have legal status, about 10% of the population. Hispanics here outnumber any other ethnic background by a large margin - and many in the community who are citizens or legal residents have family who are undocumented."I can't emphasise enough the level of fear and terror that is in Angelenos right now," the city's Mayor Karen Bass said at news conference. "Not knowing if it's tomorrow or tonight. It might be where they live. It might be their workplace. Should you send your kids to school? Should you go to work?"Social media has been used to inform communities about sightings of immigration authorities, but also to spread misinformation. The unease caused one local minority non-profit to urge undocumented people to just stay out of sight. It offered volunteers to run errands or go grocery shopping for families so they can remain say it's a mystery when and where immigration officers will show up next. Immigration agencies do not typically announce where raids have happened, nor do they announce all arrests or where detainees are being held or jailed - adding to the anxiety. But what exactly comes next as raids continue is still nationwide in recent days have netted hundreds of arrests, including recent operations in agricultural sectors and a meat-packing plant in Nebraska. In response, protests have spurred in all corners of the country - including in major US cities like New York, Dallas, Washington and Boston."California may be first - but it clearly won't end here," California Governor Gavin Newsom said in an evening address on Tuesday. "Other states are next."Immigration attorney Karla Navarrete, who is representing multiple people who have been arrested in the immigration sweeps, said the mass arrests have overwhelmed the system. Databases aren't being updated with arrests, families and lawyers cannot find those who have been detained and when they do the person sometimes is in a different state or has already been deported to another Cruz, whose husband was arrested at the car wash, said she learned late on Tuesday that he was no longer in Los Angeles, or even the state of California. She learned through her lawyer that he is being held at a detention centre in El Paso, Texas, more than 800 miles (1,300km) from their youngest child - a five-year-old boy - is having the hardest time with the change, she said."He just keeps asking for his dad. I don't know what to tell him," she added, through tears. "He doesn't understand what is going on. He still thinks his dad is at work."
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How Greta Thunberg relishes being 'the poster girl for rebellious teenagers': JUDI JAMES reveals how she uses all the tricks of a political pro
Environment activist Greta Thunberg is projecting 'power and authority' by taking control of the narrative when she speaks, a body language expert said today. Judi James told MailOnline that the campaigner projects the 'image of a heroine' and her confidence on the global stage 'would match or even exceed seasoned leaders'. The activist was deported by Israel yesterday, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military. She has now returned to Sweden. Of the 12 activists on board the Madleen, which was carrying food and supplies for Gaza, four including 22-year-old Ms Thunberg agreed to be deported immediately. Ms Thunberg has now called for the release of the other activists who were detained aboard the Madleen, and described a 'quite chaotic and uncertain' situation. She also claimed Israel had 'kidnapped' the group in international waters and 'taken them against their will', adding that it was 'another intentional violation of rights'. Analysing her body language yesterday, Ms James said Ms Thunberg has 'several verbal and visual skills that could make her the poster girl for rebellious teenagers'. She claimed the activist still looks like a teenager despite her age, and her 'youthful appearance tends to add to the image of a heroine as she appears as a loner'. Ms James described Ms Thunberg as 'the isolated youth standing against the world of old male leaders and their nations', adding that her delivery is 'primarily political'. She continued: 'When she speaks she utilises many of the communication devices world leaders use to project power and authority. 'Her confidence levels on the global stage would match or even exceed seasoned leaders like Starmer as she looks firmly welded to her own message and view of what is right. 'Her body language suggests a sense of powerful self-affirmation for her messages. Her conviction looks unassailable. She seems to offer facts not opinions and there is her wry smile that seems to mock anyone who disagrees with her.' Ms James also noted a 'contrast of superiority and authority coming from the one who looks like the youngest in any room', saying that this created a 'counter-intuitive response in older heads while younger fans will see a path to power and the ability to change the world'. She continued: 'Her wry smile as she begins to talk gives that impression of superiority, as though she is silently mocking her critics. 'Like any good politician she uses pause and enunciation to pick out certain words she wants to be memorable and have emphasis. 'Her brows raise in an expression of authority and when she says more than once 'That is an illegal act' her staccato nod and her small shoulder shrugs help give the impression that she thinks she is on top of all the laws in this critical situation.' Ms James added that Ms Thunberg 'knows how to take control of the narrative' like most politicians, and she now appears calmer than in previous years when she had become known for 'dramatic emotional displays'. Her comment that 'That is not the real story' displayed skill in 'redirecting and taking control' during an interview, according to Ms James. The expert concluded: 'This version of Thunberg could project a contagious type of rebellion via the way her body bristles with defiance. 'Walking along alone in another clip though her body language tended to be more about teenage style stubbornness. Her arms were firmly folded, her lips clamped, and her chin lifted to suggest a refusal to back down or buckle under pressure.' Speaking upon arrival in Paris en route to her home country of Sweden yesterday, Ms Thunberg called for the release of the other activists who were detained aboard the Madleen. The conditions they faced during the detention 'are absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now,' she said. The trip was meant to protest against Israeli restrictions on aid to Gaza's population of over two million people after 20 months of war, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group behind the journey. 'We were well aware of the risks of this mission,' Ms Thunberg said. 'The aim was to get to Gaza and to be able to distribute the aid.' She said the activists would continue trying to get aid to Gaza. On Monday, US President Donald Trump called Ms Thunberg 'a young angry person' and recommended she take anger management classes. 'I think the world need a lot more young angry women,' Ms Thunberg said yesterday in response.
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Homeland Security turns on Kim Kardashian after reality star is mocked over ICE criticism
The Department of Homeland Security joined the growing number of voices hitting out at Kim Kardashian for her criticism of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Los Angeles. The 44-year-old reality television star took to Instagram on Tuesday night to advocate for the immigrants being torn apart from their families in President Donald Trump 's ongoing crackdown on those in the country illegally. 'When we're told that ICE exists to keep our country safe and remove violent criminals - great,' the mother-of-four wrote as riots in the city continued. 'But when we witness innocent, hardworking people being ripped from their families in inhumane ways, we have to speak up. We have to do what's right.' Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed the reality star for her comment as she doubled down on the Trump administration's assertions that the ICE operations in Los Angeles are targeting convicted criminals. '@KimKardashian, which one of these convicted child molesters, murderers, drug traffickers and rapists would you like to stay in the country,' McLaughlin posted on X, sharing photos of four individuals she said ICE arrested in recent days from the City of Angels. 'These are just a few of the convicted illegal criminals who have been picked up in the last 72 hours.' Others accused the billionaire - who is good friends with Ivanka Trump - of virtue signaling. 'Eh not buying it,' one Reddit user said. 'She needs to call out her friend Trump by name directly if she wants people think she's being genuine. 'These deportations have been going on for years since the first Trump admin and she only decides to speak up when it's convenient, when people will question her silence if she doesn't.' 'Why doesn't she just call up her bestie Ivanka?!' another asked. 'C'mon Kim - get your a** up and WORK.' A third blasted: 'This is for public perception only. She has a direct line to the Trump/Kushner clan. Wtf is she telling us for? Call up your bestie, Kimberly.' 'She's got Ivanka on speed dial,' a fourth agreed. 'She could easily go that route, if need be.' 'Every time I see Kim K virtue signal I die a little inside,' added another. 'You say "damned if you do" as if she's "doing" anything,' said a sixth. 'She has a direct line to the Trumps and could call that f**ker out by name if she really cared. But she doesn't. Her words are meaningless.' A seventh pointed out: 'She has actual ability to do a whole lot more.' McLaughlin doubled down on the Trump administration's assertions that the ICE operations in Los Angeles are targeting convicted criminals. Kim has never spoken publicly about who she endorsed in the 2024 Presidential election, in which Donald Trump triumphed over Democrat candidate Kamala Harris. However, she has a close friendship with Trump's daughter Ivanka. Kim and Ivanka's friendship traces back several years, and it only strengthened after the pair began working on prison reforms together. The duo first crossed paths in 2014 at the Met Gala, where it was said that they bonded over motherhood. A source told Us Weekly in 2023, 'Kim and Ivanka have been friends for years and have hung out on a number of occasions. 'They initially bonded nearly a decade ago at the Met Gala over motherhood and being new moms. But they continued to connect numerous times over the years.' Since their initial meeting a decade ago, the women have been spotted together on numerous occasions. In 2018, the pair was seen posing side by side at the White House, where Kim was petitioning Ivanka's father, then-President Trump, to commute the life sentence of drug offender Alice Marie Johnson. The duo worked closely together to reduce and clear prison sentences - with Kim often confiding in Ivanka while attending dinner parties at her house. And by 2020, the reality star was gushing about Ivanka's dad online. 'President Trump commuted the sentences of three really deserving women. I didn't hear much about it in the news, so I wanted to share with you their stories,' she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 'I have the pleasure of spending the day with these women today along with Alice Marie Johnson, who helped to pick these women.' Meanwhile, the White House has said its deportation efforts in Los Angeles are continuing - despite Kardashian's comments and photos and videos showing protesters wearing face masks confronting police in riot gear. 'The Trump Administration will fulfill the President's promise to deport illegal aliens and no one – not even violent left-wing rioters – will get in the way of our mission,' White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the Daily Mail on Wednesday. 'ICE is arresting illegal aliens and will continue to do so all around the country no matter what radical liberals do, the safety of the American people depends on it,' she said in a statement. 'Radical liberal rioters, enabled by weak politicians like Gavin Newsom, are using violence to try and stop the American people's agenda from being implemented. It won't work,' Jackson told the Daily Mail. 'In November, the American people gave President Trump a mandate: deportations.'
