Trump declines to say if he supports or opposes potential Gaza takeover by Israel
"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.
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ITV News
21 minutes ago
- ITV News
Israeli cabinet to discuss expansion of military action in Gaza
The Israeli security cabinet is set to meet on Thursday evening to discuss the expansion of military activity in Gaza. The government is widely expected to approve a plan to conquer all other parts of Gaza that it currently does not occupy, according to an anonymous official. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been meeting this week with top advisers and security officials to discuss what his office said are ways to "further achieve Israel's goals in Gaza" after the breakdown of ceasefire talks last month. It comes amid warnings of starvation and famine in Gaza, with Israel attracting widespread condemnation for restricting the flow of aid into the territory. Israeli-led aid delivery sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) have also been the scenes of numerous mass killings of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers whilst attempting to access aid. According to the United Nations, more than 850 people have died near GHF sites in the past two months. The international aid charity Médecins Sans Frontières described the deaths as "orchestrated killing". MSF said it had treated nearly 1,400 people wounded near the sites between June 7 and July 20, including 41 children and 28 people who were dead upon arrival. On Thursday, at least 29 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes and shootings across southern Gaza, according to local hospitals. Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis said 12 of the fatalities were from people attempting to access aid from a distribution site. At least 50 people were wounded, many from gunshots, the hospital said. Neither the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation nor the Israeli military, which helps secure the group's sites, immediately commented on the strikes or shootings. The Israeli military has accused Hamas of operating in densely populated civilian areas. Expanding Israel's military operation would likely trigger more international condemnation, with pressure already on Israel to end the war. In July, Canada joined the UK and France with plans to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel and Hamas committed to a series of conditions. Sir Keir Starmer has defended the plans and said there is a "sense of revulsion" at the images seen in Gaza. It has also drawn opposition from the families of hostages still being held by Hamas inside Gaza, who have denounced the plan and say the move could threaten their loved ones. On Monday a video released by Hamas showed two hostages, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, in visibly emaciated states. On Thursday almost two dozen relatives of the hostages set sail to the maritime border between Israel and Gaza to blast messages to their family members over loudspeakers. Yehuda Cohen, the father of Nimrod Cohen, an Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza, said from the boat that Netanyahu is prolonging the war to satisfy extremists in his government and to prevent it from collapsing. 'Netanyahu is working only for himself,' he said, pleading with the international community to put pressure on Netanyahu to stop the war and save his son. Hamas still holds 50 hostages in Gaza, around 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel's army chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, warned that the plan would endanger the hostages and further strain the country's already stretched army. His comments appear to have exposed a rift between Netanyahu and his military. Demonstrations were planned across Israel on Thursday evening to protest the expected cabinet decision. Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 in the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the current war. Israel's military offensive in response has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry doesn't distinguish between civilians and militants.
The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Alan Dershowitz once again denied pierogi as Martha's Vineyard residents chant ‘time to go'
For the second week in a row, Alan Dershowitz was denied pierogi at a farmer's market in Martha's Vineyard, marking yet another summer of social angst at the exclusive enclave for the former Jeffrey Epstein lawyer. Following days of legal threats and accusations of antisemitism lobbed at the owners of Good Pierogi following last week's incident when the vendor denied him service, Dershowitz showed back up on Wednesday to once again purchase some potato-stuffed dumplings in 'an effort to try to restore community.' With a large crowd of supporters backing them, the vendor refused to back down against the famed defense attorney and continued to rebuff Dershowitz's pleas for pierogi, leaving him empty-handed once again. 'Time to go,' the supporters chanted. 'Go home, Alan!' Last week, Dershowitz put the West Tisbury Farmers Market in the national spotlight when he threatened legal action after Good Pierogi owner Krem Miskevich refused to serve him. Dershowitz would tell police officers on the scene that he was the victim of discrimination, and later posted to social media that he was suing the 'bigoted vendor' for denying him pierogi 'for political reasons.' Saying that much of the backlash against him centered on his defense of Donald Trump and Epstein, the deceased sex offender who has been back in the news lately, Dershowitz has also insisted that this is really about his Jewish heritage and fervent support for Israel. Over the weekend, Dershowitz passed out fliers at the market that accused vendors of being antisemitic, following that up with a tweet this week that claimed that Good Pierogi's food was 'tainted with the poison of antisemitism' while urging others to boycott the establishment. 'As I correctly suspected, the bigot who refused to sell me perogi — Krem Miskevich — is a notorious anti-semite who is part of an anti-semitic organization that protests Jewish — not only Israeli— cultural events and doesn't believe in Israel's right to exist or to respond to what these haters regard as the 'justified' massacres of Oct 7,' he posted on Monday, adding: 'Don't patronize anti-semites who refuse to sell to Jewish Zionists.' Miskevich, who uses they/them pronouns, has yet to speak to the press about the kerfuffle but did post on Good Pierogi's Instagram account a lengthy response to Dershowitz's accusations and what sparked the incident last week. Miskevich, who co-owns Good Pierogi with their spouse Lily Rose, said they 'experienced a surge of emotion' when Dershowitz appeared at their tent last week because he's represented and befriended 'several sexual predators and abusers including Jeffrey Epstein.' Miskevich added that when it gave them pause to sell to Dershowitz, the Harvard Law emeritus 'began to harass us, misgender me, and film us without our consent.' As for Dershowitz's antisemitism claims, Miskevich noted that they are Jewish and have immediate family members in Israel, noting that friends call them 'Rabbi Krem' and that they have personal relationships with other rabbis on the island. 'Finally, we don't back down to bullies – no matter their size,' Miskevich concluded the Tuesday night post. Despite calling on others to shun Good Pierogi over their 'bigotry,' Dershowitz joined the long line of customers on Wednesday after the market opened – most of whom were there to show their support for the vendor amid Dershowitz's legal threats. With anticipation growing for another confrontation with media onlookers and supporters encircling the tent, Dershowitz made his way to the front of the line and claimed he was there to bring harmony back to the island – just as long as Miskevich acknowledged they were in the wrong. 'I'm here in an effort to try to restore community and to ask you to sell me pierogi in the interest of keeping the island together so we don't have to have two pierogi stands: one for anti-Zionists and one for people who will sell to anybody,' he declared. 'So I'd ask you to please just sell me any one of your products to show that you're prepared to sell to anybody and not allow your anti-Zionism to decide which people you'll sell to.' At the same time, he came armed with a paperback version of one of his books that he wanted to give Miskevich – which he also noted he had personally signed. 'I am very surprised that you're here because of the things that you've been saying about us and the business online,' the Good Pierogi chef reacted. 'I really do not appreciate what you've been sharing in the last week.' Dershowitz insisted that everything he said was 'true,' prompting Miskevich to ask him to provide proof that they are antisemitic. Dershowitz pointed to Miskevich's participation in a protest outside the island's Jewish Culture Festival last year. Talia Weingarten, who helped organize that protest, pushed back on Dershowitz's generalization about the demonstration, claiming it was largely about taking a stand against genocide and oppression in Gaza. At the time of the protest, Weingarten told the Martha's Vineyard Times that it was to partially object to the appearance of music artist Matisyahu, who has been outspoken in his support of the Israeli Defense Force. 'We are here to reject the presence of someone who performs and fundraises for the Israeli Occupation Forces and the AIPAC lobbying group, condones violence against the Palestinian people and land in the name of Jewish safety, and denies ongoing genocide, as an extension of our Jewish values,' she said. At one point in the back-and-forth, Miskevich took issue with Dershowitz repeatedly misgendering them, prompting the high-profile lawyer to concede the point. 'You are they, you are them. I'm happy to use whatever pronouns you want,' he said. Supporters of Good Pierogi eventually began clamoring for Dershowtiz to leave while defending Miskevich, leading the celebrity attorney to accuse them of 'bigotry' and sparking an even louder argument. 'My grandparents died in the Holocaust! Don't you call me an antisemite,' one customer shouted while another added: 'My Jewish culture is a history of resistance to genocide. We are not antisemites, we stand against the oppression of all people.' Meanwhile, as Miskevich begged Dershowitz to stop being a 'bully' and calling them 'bigots,' he groused: 'You're the one who won't sell me my pierogi!' At this point, marketgoers began chanting 'time to go' before the market manager stepped in and asked Dershowitz to leave. In the end, Dershowitz shuffled off without any pierogi while the crowd loudly applauded. This time, at least, the police did not get involved. Interviewed by the Martha's Vineyard Times about the interaction, Dershowitz said he 'predicted' that Good Pierogi would receive ample support from the community because 'much of Martha's Vineyard is anti-Israel.' He also waved off Good Pierogi's Instagram post as a 'post facto excuse,' claiming 'some of the worst antisemites in the world have Jewish background and Jewish heritage.' On the other hand, other residents and longtime visitors said it was essential to support their local vendors, especially in situations where they are suddenly thrust into national controversy. 'I think, in particular, the comments that they made on social media [were] really profound and important,' Kirsten Stevenson told the Times. 'I was disappointed with what happened last week and I want to be here and support them.' In the meantime, local attorneys have said that Dershowitz's legal threats against Good Pierogi and the farmer's market are on shaky legal ground. One of Dershowitz's demands is that the market write into its bylaws that vendors have to sell to everybody. '[Experts] highlighted that unlike race or religion, political beliefs are not given that same type of protection for consumers,' the Times reported. 'Zionism isn't a protected status since it's considered a political movement, but Dershowitz called this 'too simple-minded,' saying Zionism is an important part of his Judaism.'
The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Laura Loomer names the MAGA rep she says the Trump admin ‘can't stand'
MAGA influencer Laura Loomer has claimed that the Trump White House 'can't stand' Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. 'She's very jealous of me,' Loomer testified during a deposition in her lawsuit against HBO talk show host Bill Maher, according to Puck. 'Trump's staff told me that they can't stand Marjorie Taylor Greene.' The lawsuit stems from Maher joking that President Donald Trump may have slept with Loomer, an Islamophobe and conspiracy theorist. The audience's groaning response prompted a federal judge to reason that they may have interpreted the claim as factual rather than as a joke, leading the suit to enter the discovery process. Last year, Maher suggested that Loomer may be in an 'arranged marriage' with Trump. 'We did an editorial here a few years ago ... it was basically, who's Trump f***ing? Because I said, you know, it's not nobody. He's been a dog for too long, and it's not Melania. I think we may have our answer this week. I think it might be Laura Loomer,' said Maher. Loomer has recently been getting senior Trump administration officials fired by digging up old social media posts, going through theiremployment records, and looking at their past political donations. In April, several members of the National Security Council were fired after Loomer met with Trump. Last month, the general counsel of the National Security Agency, April Falcon Doss, was fired just a day after Loomer met the president in the Oval Office. She also attacked the top vaccine regulator, Vinay Prasad, as a 'progressive leftist saboteur undermining President Trump's Food and Drug Administration.' Prasad later left his position. In May, she said that former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz had been 'Loomered' following his ouster. Waltz has since been nominated to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Loomer believes that her goal of getting a job in the Trump White House was quashed not because of her litany of racist comments and spreading of conspiracy theories, but by Maher's comments. Greene and Loomer have exchanged verbal blows in the past. Greene blasted Loomer as 'extremely racist' after Loomer posted that if former Vice President Kamala Harris, who is half Indian, would win the 2024 election, 'the White House will smell like curry and White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.' 'This does not represent President Trump,' said Greene. Puck obtained a copy of Loomer's deposition with an HBO attorney before it was sealed by a Florida judge. Loomer reportedly said during the proceedings that Maher started a 'media frenzy' that ended her chances of a White House role. Loomer added that before that, she had visited Mar-a-Lago, '20, 30 times' and had unrestricted access to the president. HBO's lawyers remained skeptical of Loomer's assertion, with one attorney asking her, 'Other than Bill Maher, can you name a single human being on all of Planet Earth that believes what Bill Maher said?' 'It's up for interpretation,' said Loomer. Attorney Kate Bolger then moved to show, via her questioning, how Loomer's past Islamophobic and other controversial statements could have contributed to her being denied a White House role. She cited her attacks on Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his trans and bathroom policies and her intense dislike of Greene. It was at this point that Loomer accused Greene of jealousy and alleged that the White House 'can't stand' her. She went on to accuse Bolger of being a 'Democratic lawyer who represents fake news media.' Loomer told The Washington Post that offers of White House jobs were 'snatched away in acts of professional jealousy.'
