Trump ‘pushing for all or nothing deal' on Gaza as Netanyahu ‘wants full occupation'
After months of ceasefire talks stalled, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump are reportedly working on a deal that presents Hamas with an ultimatum: release the hostages and agree to terms to disarm or the war continues.
'No piecemeal deals. That doesn't work,' US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly told hostage families in an audio leaked to Israeli news outlet Ynet. 'We think that we have to shift this negotiation to 'all or nothing' - everybody comes home,' Mr Witkoff was quoted as saying later in the recording.
International leaders have ramped up pressure to reach a deal as Gaza faces widespread starvation and videos of two emaciated Israeli hostages circulated online.
Domestic pressure in Israel has also been growing as the videos prompted thousands of people to protest in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to release the hostages and end the war.
Nearly 600 retired Israeli security officials and former intelligence agency heads have written to Mr Trump urging him to put pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza immediately.
Mr Netanyahu is set to update his military plan for Gaza this week amid local media reports he wants to occupy all of the besieged enclave.
'The die is cast - we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,' senior officials close to Netanyahu is quoted as saying in Ynet.
'There will be activity also in areas where hostages are being held. If this doesn't suit the IDF Chief of Staff, he can resign.'
An official was also quoted as telling Israeli Channel 12: 'The decision has been made… we are going to occupy the Gaza Strip.'
The Jerusalem Post and i24NEWS also reported senior sources confirming plans for a full occupation. Mr Netanyahu's office has been approached for comment.
Meanwhile, 'the worst-case scenario of famine' is playing out in Gaza, according to a UN-back food security agency.
Israel has repeatedly denied that there are restrictions on aid or that there is a hunger crisis in Gaza. It blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza and says it is taking steps to get more aid to Palestinians.
In total, 289 airdrops have been conducted since Israel permitted them to restart two weeks ago, delivering 305 tonnes of aid.
However officials in Jordan warned that they have had warehouses of aid for Gaza gathering dust since Israel reimposed its devastating blockade in March.
More than 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
25 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump declines to say if he supports or opposes potential Gaza takeover by Israel
WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump declined to say whether he supported or opposed a potential military takeover of Gaza by Israel and said his administration's focus was on increasing food access to the Palestinian enclave under assault from Washington's ally. "As far as the rest of it, I really can't say. That's going to be pretty much up to Israel," Trump told reporters on Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met senior security officials on Tuesday, with media reporting he favored a complete military takeover of Gaza.
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Marjorie Taylor Greene begs Trump to pardon disgraced fabulist George Santos after dramatic letter from prison
Marjorie Taylor Greene penned a letter urging Donald Trump to pardon disgraced former Congressman George Santos following the release of his emotional letter from behind bars demanding clemency. Santos was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft and reported to jail less than two weeks ago. He was found guilty of fabricating thousands of dollars in campaign finance records during his successful 2022 congressional campaign. Prior to his conviction, a 2023 House Ethics Committee report found that he spent donors' money on Botox treatments, trips to casinos and at high-end luxury retailers. In an emotional letter penned from prison on Monday, Santos said he's facing harsh bathroom conditions in the medium security prison in New Jersey. Santos, 37, claimed that he started to cry after putting on a 'fluorescent yellow jumpsuit that made me feel like a caution sign in human form.' 'The tears came faster than I could stop them,' Santos wrote. 'I didn't care who saw. That reflection, in that moment, made the weight of my decisions, my mistakes, and the road that led me there all too real.' 'The bathroom, though, deserves its own horror novel,' he continued. 'The closest thing I can compare it to is an abandoned gym locker room from a forgotten high school - grim, damp, smelling of mildew and regret.' In a letter to the Justice Department on Monday, Greene urged the administration to ask the president for clemency consideration for Santos. The conservative firebrand claimed in her letter that Santos' sentence 'extends far beyond what is warranted.' She called his seven-year sentence 'excessive' and noted that other lawmakers who have 'done far worse still walk free.' 'George Santos has taken responsibility. He's shown remorse. It's time to correct this injustice. We must demand equal justice under the law!' But it's curious timing as Greene has fallen out of Trump's tight inner circle and GOP leadership. Earlier this week, the Georgia lawmaker told the Daily Mail that she believes the GOP is abandoning the 'America first' principles of the MAGA base. 'I think the Republican Party has turned its back on America First and the workers and just regular Americans,' she said. Although Greene did reiterate her loyalty to Trump, she has split with the administration's stance on Gaza by calling Israel's actions a 'genocide.' MTG also recently demanded the DOJ release all files relating to Jeffrey Epstein. Greene's letter also comes after Trump declined to rule out pardoning Santos during an interview with Newsmax last week. However, the president noted that Santos did 'lie like hell' during his Congressional tenure. Trump went on to praise Santos because his 'vote was solid' for Republicans, while adding, 'And I didn't know him, but he was 100 percent for Trump.' The president concluded that no one has approached him about pardoning the former GOP lawmaker. Santos has previously stated that he asked the White House for clemency consideration. In the past, Trump has provided sweeping pardons and clemency to individuals who have proven to be loyal supporters of his administration. Upon assuming office for his second term, Trump issued pardons for all individuals imprisoned for the Capitol riot on January 6th, 2021. Santos became embroiled in numerous scandals for lying about his education, employment history and personal wealth. After a scathing Ethics Committee report on his campaign's financial abuses, Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023. He became the sixth lawmaker ever to be expelled from Congress and the only member thrown out without having been convicted of a crime. During this time, Greene was one of the few lawmakers who publicly supported Santos in Congress. Meanwhile, Santos dismissed his indictments - and eventual conviction - for money laundering and fraud as a 'witch hunt.'
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump calls RFK Jr ‘three or four times a week' with the same question
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said that President Donald Trump calls him up 'three or four times a week' to hound him with the same question. Kennedy was speaking at an event Monday with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to push a policy banning sugary drinks, candy and junk food from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as part of his 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda. Six months into his second term, Trump wants to know 'why aren't people healthier yet,' Kennedy told reporters at the press conference. 'We have full support from the president,' Kennedy said. 'He wants this done. He promised to make America healthy again, and he's gonna do that.' 'He called me last night,' Kennedy added, referring to the president. 'He calls me three or four times a week and says, 'Where are you? Why aren't people healthier yet?' So he's keeping me under pressure.' Monday's event was promoting a policy adopted by West Virginia, Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Florida, barring SNAP participants from using food stamps to buy junk food. They join Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, Iowa, Indiana and Nebraska in the SNAP waiver initiative. SNAP is a lifeline that keeps more than 41 million Americans, or 12 percent of the population, from going hungry. More than 13 million recipients are children. Over the past 20 years, lawmakers in several states have proposed stopping SNAP from paying for everything from bottled water and soda to chips, ice cream and 'luxury meats' such as steak. Critics said that the SNAP waiver 'ignores decades of evidence showing that incentive-based approaches — not punitive restrictions — are the most effective, dignified path to improving nutrition and reducing hunger,' said Gina Plata-Nino, a deputy director at the Food Research & Action Center, a nonprofit advocacy group. Trump passed the largest-ever cuts to the program in his signature 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' by restricting eligibility for SNAP enrollment and diverting a significant chunk of the program's costs to states.
