Hamas studies Gaza ceasefire proposal labelled 'final' by Trump
Trump said on Tuesday Israel had agreed to the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas after a meeting between his representatives and Israeli officials.
In a statement, the Palestinian militant group said it was studying new ceasefire offers received from mediators Egypt and Qatar but that it aimed to reach an agreement that would ensure an end to the war and an Israeli pullout from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the elimination of Hamas in his first public remarks since Trump's announcement.
'There will not be a Hamas. There will not be a 'Hamastan'. We're not going back to that. It's over,' Netanyahu told a meeting hosted by the Trans-Israel pipeline.
The two sides' statements reiterated long-held positions, giving no clues as to whether or how a compromise agreement could be reached.
'I hope it would work this time, even if for two months, it would save thousands of innocent lives,' Kamal, a resident of Gaza City, said by phone.
Others questioned whether Trump's statements would deliver long-term peace.
'We hope he is serious like he was serious during the Israeli-Iranian war when he said the war should stop, and it stopped,' said Adnan Al-Assar, a resident of Khan Younis in Gaza's south.
There is growing public pressure on Netanyahu to reach a permanent ceasefire and end the nearly two-year-long war, a move opposed by hardline members of his right-wing ruling coalition.
At the same time, US and Israeli strikes on nuclear sites in Iran and ceasefire agreed on in last month's 12-day Israel-Iran air war have put pressure on Hamas, which is backed by Tehran.
Israeli leaders believe that, with Iran weakened, other countries in the region have an opportunity to forge ties with Israel.
'SOME POSITIVE SIGNS'
Foreign minister Gideon Saar said Israel was 'serious in our will' to reach a hostage deal and ceasefire.
'There are some positive signs. I don't want to say more than that right now. But our goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible,' he said while visiting Estonia.
Of 50 hostages held by Hamas, about 20 are believed to be still alive.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid posted that his party could provide a safety net if any cabinet members opposed a deal, effectively pledging not to back a no-confidence motion in parliament that could topple the government.
At the end of May, Hamas had said it was seeking amendments to a US-backed ceasefire proposal. Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, said this was 'totally unacceptable'.
That proposal involved a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians; Hamas would release the remaining hostages as part of a deal that guarantees the end of the war.
'Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,' Trump posted on Tuesday, without specifying the conditions.
A source close to Hamas said its leaders were expected to debate the proposal and seek clarifications from mediators before giving an official response.
Gaza health authorities said Israeli gunfire and military strikes had killed at least 139 Palestinians in northern and southern areas in the past 24 hours, and the Israeli military ordered more evacuations late on Tuesday.
Among those killed was Marwan Al-Sultan, director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, in an air strike that has also killed his wife and five children, medics said.
The Israeli military said it had targeted a 'key terrorist' from Hamas in the Gaza City area. It said it was reviewing reports of civilian casualties and that the military regretted any harm to 'uninvolved individuals' and takes steps to minimise such harm.
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New York billionaires, such as Bill Ackman and former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, together with other billionaires who had supported America's right-wing president, Donald Trump, pumped about $25 million into Cuomo's campaign to fight Mamdani. This is the largest Super PAC (Political Action Committee) in New York City mayoral campaign history. The election for the mayoral position is scheduled to take place in November this year. Cuomo is ambivalent about whether he will run as an independent. Eric Adams, the incumbent mayor, who famously jumped from being Democrat leaning to Trump as stories emerged of his alleged corruption, is expected to be Mamdani's main rival — although there are whispers of Ackman running, as opposed to supporting another candidate. Mamdani is only 33 years old, and has been serving as a member of the New York state assembly since 2020. Previously he was a university student. His only work experience besides being a politician, has been a housing counsellor and an attempt to be a hip-hop rapper. But Mamdani also represents being a global citizen, with cultural influences from all over the world. Zohran, like his father, Ugandan-American academic Mahmoud Mamdani, author of Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, was born in Uganda. He lived there until he was seven years old, when they relocated to New York. He also stayed with his father in Cape Town in the late 1990s. His father had a famous fight with the University of Cape Town when he pushed for a radical change in curriculum to one that is decolonised and African-centred. Zohran Mamdani is an immigrant. Besides his cultural roots in East and Southern Africa, his mother is Mira Nair, the Indian-American filmmaker. Her body of work includes Mississippi Masala starring Denzel Washington and the critically acclaimed Salaam Bombay. He is linked to the urbane inner city culture of Uganda and the US, with his hip-hop rap career. His mother's roots are in South India, and therefore her cultural religious background is Hindu, whereas his father is of Islamic origin. He is African, Asian, American and, with the British colonialism of both Uganda and South Africa, we could even say he is also European. Mamdani's central message to New Yorkers was that it was his stated objective to make New York affordable for all New Yorkers, especially the working and middle classes. New York is the most expensive city to live in the US. He describes himself as a democratic socialist, exclaiming that he is inspired by the words of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, who said: 'Call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country'. He also quotes King saying: 'What good is having the right to sit at a lunch counter, if you can't afford to buy a hamburger?' 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IOL News
3 hours ago
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US Congress proposes sanctions against South Africa over Israel case
US President Donald Trump hands papers to President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Image: AFP A controversial bill introduced in the United States Congress aims to cut off direct aid to South Africa and impose targeted sanctions on its political leaders, citing the country's legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice and its growing diplomatic ties with Iran and Hamas. Republican Representative Greg Steube on Friday tabled the Addressing Hostile and Antisemitic Conduct by the Republic of South Africa Act of 2025 in the US House of Representatives. The proposed legislation accuses the South African government of using international institutions to wage 'lawfare' against Israel, advancing what it calls an 'antisemitic narrative under the guise of international law'. 'It is clear as day that the Government of South Africa is unfairly targeting the State of Israel and inciting hostility towards the United States and our allies,' Steube said in a statement dated June 17. 'America has no business engaging with a corrupt government that weaponises its political system against the Jewish people while jeopardising our national security interests by indulging terrorist organisations and their sponsors.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Steube said the bill is a direct response to South Africa's 'genocide' case against Israel at the ICJ, its hosting of Hamas delegations following the October 7 attacks, and the signing of an economic cooperation deal with Iran involving oil refinery projects. Under the bill, the US would suspend all direct assistance to South Africa, excluding humanitarian and public health aid, unless the government ceases all formal support for international legal actions 'that unfairly target the State of Israel', implements institutional reforms to combat corruption, and improves diplomatic cooperation with the United States. It also authorises the US president to impose sanctions, under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, on any South African official deemed to have promoted antisemitic policies or misused international courts to attack Israel. Political analyst Siseko Maposa, director at Surgetower Associates, said while the bill's passage is uncertain, its symbolic and diplomatic weight should not be underestimated. 'This bill exemplifies President Trump and the Republican faction's continued efforts to punish South Africa for its principled positions on international justice – particularly regarding Israel,' said Maposa. 'What distinguishes this initiative from prior attempts, however, is its heavy enforcement mechanisms, which would inflict tangible consequences for South Africa if enacted.' He noted that from 2012 to 2021, South Africa received an estimated $6 billion in direct US foreign direct investment, and a significant portion of development assistance has flowed through US government and affiliated aid programmes. 'While passage remains uncertain, a narrow legislative pathway exists. Republicans hold a slim majority in both chambers, but recent infighting, such as the collapse of the 'Big Beautiful Bill' vote, shows that internal dissent could derail it. South Africa's best chance may lie in lobbying moderate Republicans to oppose this draconian overreach,' he said. Maposa also warned that the bill could face legal challenges in the US if its conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism is seen as infringing on constitutional free speech protections. At the time of publication, the South African government had not issued a formal response. However, senior ANC leaders have previously defended the country's application to the ICJ as a legal obligation under the Genocide Convention, following Israel's military campaign in Gaza that has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths and widespread humanitarian destruction. Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has been a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights and last year described the ICJ case as a stand for 'international justice and accountability'. Steube's bill frames these actions differently, alleging that South Africa has 'repeatedly turned a blind eye to the atrocities committed by Hamas and Iran against Israel and the United States,' while 'aligning itself with authoritarian regimes hostile to United States national interests'. The bill further accuses the ANC of giving legitimacy to terrorist actors, pointing to its meetings with Hamas officials and Tehran's diplomatic engagement with Pretoria. The Democratic Alliance, the country's main opposition party, is expected to weigh in on the diplomatic fallout. The DA has previously criticised the ANC government's foreign policy as isolating South Africa from key Western partners. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation will likely be called on to explain whether any formal communication has been received from US officials regarding the bill and what diplomatic channels, if any, are being pursued to address it. Should the bill pass, it could result in South African officials being barred from travelling to the US or having assets frozen under US jurisdiction. It could also signal further deteriorating relations between the two countries, which have clashed in recent years over BRICS alignment, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and military cooperation exercises with China. For now, Pretoria's best hope appears to rest on political divisions within the US Republican Party. Maposa said: 'This internal Republican division may be its sole reprieve – one Pretoria must seize by urgently lobbying moderate Republican legislators to oppose the bill outright.' Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) was best suited to respond to the bill. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation confirmed that it is monitoring the proposed legislation through diplomatic channels. Spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said: 'As you may know, an act or bill is proposed and passed by a country's legislative body, such as the Parliament in South Africa or the Congress and Senate in the USA. These bodies operate within their sovereign territories, and their primary function is to create or implement policy through legislation, typically without the need for consultation with other nations. We recognise that this principle underscores the autonomy of states in their legislative processes. Legislative processes by their nature are publicly accessible, as such our Embassy in Washington D.C. will be able to monitor relevant developments.' On political lobbying within the US, Phiri said: 'We have noted the information regarding the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its financial contributions to American politicians. We understand that AIPAC openly ties its contributions to candidates' support for the US-Israel relationship, thereby creating a significant incentive for politicians to align with this stance. There is public information indicating that some House Representatives who have introduced bills may fall within this category of politicians.' Phiri added that South Africa's foreign policy remains non-aligned. 'Minister Lamola consistently asserts that South Africa's foreign policy is independent and non-aligned, rooted in its constitutional principles and national interests, rather than hostility towards any nation.' Regarding Iran, he said: 'South Africa upholds its dedication to international initiatives to curtail the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and supports the right to develop nuclear capability for peaceful purposes. South Africa's engagement with Iran is consistent with its broader foreign policy of engaging with all countries.' He said South Africa's approach to foreign policy was based on constitutional values and international legal principles. 'We reemphasise that our foreign policy is based on principles such as human rights, self-determination, anti-colonialism, multilateralism, peaceful resolution of conflicts, and the pursuit of a just and equitable world order. These are universal values, not ideological preferences. Our non-aligned stance enables us to pursue an independent foreign policy that serves our national interests and contributes to global peace and stability. This means engaging with all countries, regardless of their geopolitical alignment.' Phiri added: 'We wish to reiterate that South Africa's genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice is fundamentally driven by our commitment to upholding a rules-based international order anchored in international law, with the aim of protecting vulnerable populations and ensuring that all actors, including powerful states, are bound by these principles. It is not, as you suggest, driven by ideological alignment, but by a consistent pursuit of justice and the reinforcement of international legal frameworks.' Attempts to get comments from the ANC and the DA were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
