No end in sight to Israel's targeting of Gaza
Farhan Bokhari is an Islamabad-based foreign correspondent who writes on Pakistan and the surrounding region.
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Japan Times
23 minutes ago
- Japan Times
Anti-war protests erupt in Israel ahead of Gaza City operation
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Sunday to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to expand operations in the Gaza Strip, rather than attempt to negotiate an end to the war under which Hamas would free its last hostages. Organizers said that as many as half a million people attended the main rally at Tel Aviv's "hostage square' in the evening, a massive turnout by Israeli standards. Earlier on Sunday, as Netanyahu suggested calls to end the war would embolden Hamas, police scuffled with demonstrators blocking roads across Israel, making at least 30 arrests and turning a water cannon on participants at a sit-down protest at a Jerusalem access tunnel. Almost two years into an offensive that's pushed Israel toward global isolation and left much of the Palestinian enclave in ruins, Netanyahu's government this month gave the army the green light to take control of the de facto capital, Gaza City, and crush Hamas holdouts. The families of 50 hostages who are still held by Hamas in Gaza — 20 of whom are thought to be alive — designated Sunday as "Israel on Hold' day, calling on all Israelis to strike during the daytime in solidarity with their fight to free their loved ones. In a statement late Sunday evening, they said that "over 1 million people participated in hundreds of actions held across the country.' They vowed to intensify their actions. The plan to take over Gaza City is deemed to be of high risk to hostage lives, all of whom are thought to be in poor medical and mental condition and suffering from acute malnutrition. They're also thought to be at risk of execution or being caught up in crossfire. While the Israeli military's tanks and troops have yet to get rolling, some members of Netanyahu's security Cabinet have complained that the planned scale of the operation is insufficient. At the same time, his envoys look poised to resume mediated talks on a truce and hostage release if Hamas softens its terms. There's been no indication so far that the Iran-backed faction will do so. A once unwavering domestic backing for the war, which was launched in response to Hamas' killing and kidnapping rampage of Oct. 7, 2023, is long gone. Polls show most Israelis want a deal to bring back the 50 hostages, even if the remnants of Hamas are left intact. In scenes recalling the kind of anti-government demonstrations that preceded the war, groups organized over social media and flooded several highway intersections on Sunday, the first day of Israel's workweek. Many held up Israeli flags and photographs of hostages. A demonstrator holds a sign that reads "the voice of your brother's blood cries out from the ground" during a protest, after families of hostages called for a nationwide strike to demand the return of all hostages and an end to the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv on Sunday. | REUTERS Netanyahu has vowed victory against Hamas. His timeline for achieving this has proven elastic, and he hasn't given details on who might next rule the shattered Gaza Strip, where the Hamas-run health ministry — which doesn't distinguish between combatant and civilian casualties — says 61,000 Palestinians have died. "Those calling today for the end of the war without a Hamas defeat are not only hardening the Hamas position and making the freeing of our hostages less likely,' Netanyahu said Sunday, signaling he was not impressed by the protests. "They're also ensuring that the horrors of Oct. 7 recur time and again, that our sons and daughters will have to fight time and again in a forever war.' While Israel's main labor federation declined to join in Sunday's strike, the protesters found support from the private sector. The local operations of Apple and Microsoft pitched in, as did New York-listed web platform developer and online marketplace Fiverr, as well as Qumra Capital and Pitango Ltd. The companies allowed workers to take the day off to attend the demonstrations. "We are at a fateful moment for the Israeli nation and we do not intend to sit idly by,' the Hi-Tech Forum, a coalition formed in 2023 to protest the government's proposed judicial overhaul, said in a statement. "This is a moment when every Jew and Israeli should show their support for the (hostage) families and call for an end to the war and the return of all hostages.' Eli Cohen, a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet, said the Israel Defense Force would on Sunday finalize orders for the takeover of Gaza City, part of about 25% of the territory previously avoided during military incursions on the belief that hostages are being held there. The plan targets six to eight weeks for the forced evacuation of as many as 1 million Palestinian civilians before the main assault, Cohen told Channel 14 TV, adding that he would press for its acceleration: "This can be done in two to three weeks.' Shva, operator of Israel's national payment processing infrastructure, reported that as of 12 p.m. local time, the day's credit card spending was down 5.1% from a week ago, suggesting a moderate impact on businesses from the strike. The Israel Business Forum, a group of 200 of the country's top business leaders, met with hostage families but stopped short of formally backing the strike. Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group in much of the West, wants any Gaza truce to guarantee a full Israeli withdrawal. It's signaled it might cede some power, but refuses Israel's demand to disarm. On Sunday, Hamas denounced the Gaza City plan as "the beginning of a new wave of brutal genocide' by the Israelis. Israel lost 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the Oct. 7 attacks and more than 450 troops in Gaza combat since. Israel's longest war has spilled onto several fronts, including with Iran, and strained the military. "Today's demonstrations show the difference between the Israeli government and its people,' said Noa Tishby, an Israeli-born Los Angeles actress/producer and social media influencer on the conflict. "Israelis are exhausted from more than two years of protesting against this government, and yet are out today resisting the war in Gaza.'
Japan Times
2 hours ago
- Japan Times
Trump's peace-deal demands leave Ukraine's Zelenskyy with only bad options
Volodymyr Zelenskyy finds himself in an impossible bind: risk Donald Trump's wrath or accept a quick deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine by paying the disastrous price of ceding territory for vague security guarantees that could see Moscow come back stronger in a few years' time. This is the existential dilemma confronting the Ukrainian leader as he travels to Washington for talks with the U.S. president on Monday. Fresh off a summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin that bypassed a ceasefire, Trump has left Zelenskyy little room to maneuver. The situation is made even more tenuous by the memory of his last visit to the White House in February that erupted into a bitter exchange between Zelenskyy and Trump and briefly led to a halt in military support. This time a coterie of European leaders will accompany him, but they have questionable leverage and haven't always been on the same page. The entourage will seek clarity from Trump on exactly what security guarantees the U.S. is willing to provide as it attempts to orchestrate a meeting with the Ukrainian president and Putin. Among the group accompanying Zelenskyy are people Trump has struck a strong personal rapport with, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Aside from avoiding another dispute and maintaining Trump's interest in brokering a deal, Zelenskyy's objectives in the talks include: learning more about Putin's demands, pinning down the timing for a trilateral meeting, and prodding the U.S. toward tougher sanctions against Russia, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. Whether he can achieve any of these goals will depend on how much, in the view of European officials, Putin has gotten into Trump's head. After Friday's summit, Trump appeared to align again with the Russian president by dropping demands for an immediate ceasefire as a condition for opening negotiations. Instead, he said he'll urge Zelenskyy to act fast on a peace plan. "Putin has many demands,' Zelenskyy said Sunday at a joint news conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, a stopover to prepare for the Washington visit. "It will take time to go through them all — it's impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons,' he said, adding that a ceasefire would be needed to "work quickly on a final deal.' Raising the stakes for Kyiv, the U.S. president sounded open to Putin's demands that Ukraine give up large areas of land in the east of the country, which the Russian army and its proxies have been trying to seize since 2014. French President Emmanuel Macron attends a video conference with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of the so-called coalition of the willing on Sunday at the Fort de Bregancon in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France. | Pool / via REUTERS Despite the harsh demands on Ukraine, there are signs that the U.S. is now prepared to back a deal. Following his meeting with Putin, Trump told European leaders that the U.S. could contribute to any security guarantees and that Putin was prepared to accept that. But it remains unclear what kind of security guarantees are being discussed with Putin, and what the Kremlin leader is willing to accept. "We got to an agreement that the U.S. and other nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to Ukraine,' Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, said in an interview with CNN, referring to the NATO provision that says if one ally is attacked, it is considered an attack on all members. Trump is also under pressure. He had promised that after taking office in January he would quickly end Russia's full-scale invasion, which is in its fourth year. His efforts were mainly targeted at Kyiv but he ultimately had to acknowledge it was the Kremlin that didn't want to stop the war. Trump on Sunday insisted that he made "BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA' in a post on Truth Social. But instead of yielding to Trump, Russia has intensified attacks. Civilian deaths have mounted, with June and July the deadliest months in more than three years, according to the United Nations. Ahead of the Alaska summit, Trump said refusal to accept a ceasefire would trigger tough new punitive measures on Moscow and countries buying Russian oil. After the meeting, which included a red-carpet reception for Putin and a shared ride in the U.S. leader's armored limo, Trump called off the threats. Rather than punish the aggressor, he declared he's seeking a full peace deal that includes "lands' swap' and urged Zelenskyy to accept it. On Sunday, the Ukrainian leader reaffirmed his stance that he won't give up territory or trade land. "Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia' at a meeting accompanied by the U.S., Zelenskyy said. "So far Russia gives no sign the trilateral will happen.' Zelenskyy's refusal to accept territorial losses is a position shared by the majority of Ukrainians. But the level of support has softened as counteroffensives sputter and casualties mount. Still, fears are that a further retreat could invite later attacks. Talks in Washington will also be pivotal for Zelenskyy domestically. In late July, he faced his first political crisis since Russia invaded. Thousands took to the streets over his move to undermine anti-corruption institutions. Zelenskyy relented and re-installed independence to agencies that investigate top officials. U.S. President Trump walks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin as Putin arrives as Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. | Doug Mills / The New York Times His position in the talks is complicated by divisions between the U.S., Ukraine and other allies. Trump believes Russia can take the whole of Ukraine — although the Kremlin has managed only to seize less than a fifth of Ukraine's territory despite more than 1 million war casualties. Europeans, meanwhile, are wary that favorable conditions could encourage Putin to widen his aggression. "It is important that America agrees to work with Europe to provide security guarantees for Ukraine,' Zelenskyy said on Sunday. "But there are no details how it'll work and what America's role will be, what Europe's role will be, what the EU can do. And this is our main task.' By joining Zelenskyy at his meeting with Trump at the White House, European leaders hope to show support for Ukraine's leader as he faces growing U.S. pressure to agree to a quick deal. Beyond von der Leyen, Rutte and Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have confirmed their participation. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will join the talks as well, according to an official. Macron said that any agreement needs to maintain the strength of Ukraine's military, as well as include the involvement of European and even U.S. support, including training and logistics. "Several states are ready to do it,' Macron told reporters outside the presidential summer residence in the south of France, adding that allied forces may also be stationed in "non-hot zones' inside Ukraine. "We're going to present that in asking the U.S. up to what point they're ready to join these forces.' While Trump had gone into Friday's summit with Putin seeking a ceasefire, he'd emerged saying he was going to focus on a final settlement. Witkoff said the switch was made because Putin and Trump made "so much progress' that there was no need for a ceasefire period in which the details would be worked out. "The thesis of a ceasefire is that you'd be discussing all of these issues that we already resolved' in Alaska, Witkoff said on CNN, noting that they couldn't finalize any discussion of land swaps because Zelenskyy needed to be directly involved.
Japan Today
4 hours ago
- Japan Today
Israelis stage nationwide protests to demand end to Gaza war and release of hostages
Demonstrators block Israel's main highway connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, after families of hostages have called for a nationwide strike to demand the return of all hostages and an end to the war in Gaza, in Latrun Israel August 17,2025 REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun By Lili Bayer Thousands of Israelis took part in a nationwide strike on Sunday in support of families of hostages held in Gaza, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and release the remaining captives. Demonstrators waved Israeli flags and carried photos of hostages as whistles, horns, and drums echoed at rallies across the country, while some protesters blocked streets and highways, including the main route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. 'Today, everything stops to remember the highest value: the sanctity of life,' Anat Angrest, the mother of hostage Matan Angrest, told reporters at a public square in Tel Aviv. Among those who met with families of hostages in Tel Aviv was Israeli Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman and starring in the Fast & the Furious franchise. Ahead of Sunday, some businesses and institutions said they would allow staff to join the nationwide strike, which was called by the hostages' families. While some businesses closed, many also remained open across the country on what is a working day in Israel. Schools are on summer recess and were not affected. A major rally is scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv in the evening. Israeli police said that 38 demonstrators had been detained by 2 p.m. Some protesters blocking roads scuffled with police, and were carried away by officers. Demonstrations across the country were briefly halted around 4 p.m. local time when air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere, warning of an incoming missile fired from Yemen. The missile was intercepted without incident. MILITARY CAMPAIGN On Sunday, Netanyahu told the cabinet: "Those who call today for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages. They are also ensuring that the horrors of October 7 will repeat themselves over and over again." The prime minister, who leads the country's most right-wing government in history, said his government was determined to implement a decision for the military to seize Gaza City, one of the last major areas of the enclave it does not already control. That decision is widely unpopular among Israelis and many of the hostages' families, who fear an expanded military campaign in Gaza could risk the lives of their loved ones still held captive. There are 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza, of which Israeli officials believe around 20 are still alive. "There is no time – not for the lives wasting away in hell, nor for the fallen who may vanish in the ruins of Gaza," said the Hostages Families Forum, which represents many families of captives held in Gaza, on Sunday. After nearly two years of war in Gaza, ignited by the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, most of the hostages who have been freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic talks. Negotiations towards a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it would only free the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war, while Netanyahu has vowed that Hamas cannot stay in power. The Israeli government has faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, including from some of its closest European allies, over the announcement that the military would soon seize Gaza City. On Sunday, Hamas called the plan criminal, saying it would force the displacement of hundreds of thousands from Gaza City. More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to local health officials there. They said on Sunday at least 29 had been killed in the past day. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza during Hamas' attack on Israel. Over 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who attended a rally in Tel Aviv, expressed support for the protesters. "The only thing that strengthens the country is the wonderful spirit of the people who are going out from home today for Israeli solidarity," he wrote on X. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
