Trump and Putin to hold talks in Alaska, and attacks on aid in Syria
On this episode of Trending Middle East:
European leaders make last-ditch appeal to Trump ahead of Alaska summit
Kaja Kallas: Trump-Putin talks in Alaska need Ukraine's presence to be meaningful
Iraq security deal with Iran sparks tension with US
This episode features Manus Cranny, geo-economics editor; and Nada Homsi, Beirut correspondent.
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The National
25 minutes ago
- The National
Gaza mother's desperate plea to end the war sparks global response
'I'm a mother just like you, I dream only to see my children grow,' Munira Al Najjar says in a plea for an end to Israel's war in Gaza, addressed to mothers around the world. The poem, which has been widely shared on social media, reflects the desperation and heartbreak that mothers in Gaza endure daily – living mostly in tents, trying to feed their children amid a blockade on aid and trying to keep them safe from Israeli attacks. Ms Al Najjar, an English teacher, wrote the poem in her tent in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, where she now lives with her four young children after her family was displaced by the war. It invokes 'the voice of every mother who endured, grieved and who still dares to dream of peace'. 'I ask mothers around the world to stand with us, to understand our struggles, and to help raise their voices for peace and justice in Gaza and beyond,' Ms Al Najjar, 40, told The National. 'We urge the world to stop the war so our children can continue their normal life and education and build a future filled with hope and opportunity,' she says. She hopes for enough food to feed her children, for clean water and daily essentials, for a life without fear of being torn to pieces by Israeli bombs and gunfire. 'We do not ask for pity but for witness, we do not ask for silence but for a voice beside ours so that your children, when they grow up, will know that we had children too,' she writes in her poem. Rachel Accurso, the creator of a YouTube channel of songs for toddlers under the name Ms Rachel, which has more than 16 million subscribers, shared Ms Al Najjar's poem on social media. 'This is a call to all mothers, please show the mothers in Gaza that they are not alone. The only difference between you and Munira is geographical luck,' Ms Accurso said in an Instagram post. The poem was then shared and read out publicly by US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and other influential figures, triggering an array of emotional responses. Ms Al Najjar said her poem had received 15 million views on Instagram after Ms Accurso shared it. Out of nearly 62,000 people killed and more than 150,000 injured in Gaza since the war began in October 2023, more than 50,000 are children, according to a Unicef estimate. Earlier this month, the UN agency said that on average at least 28 children have been killed every day. Hunger has reached starvation levels as Israeli restrictions continue to make aid inaccessible, while plans for a military offensive into Gaza city threaten to displace a million people, or half the population of the Gaza Strip. Newborns and young children are reported to be dying from malnutrition. 'My message to mothers everywhere is, although our circumstances may be different, the love we have for our children unites us all. Mothers everywhere want nothing more than safety, peace and opportunities for their children to grow and thrive,' Ms Al Najjar says. Displaced with her family at least seven times already, Ms Al Najjar says the war has taught Gazans how to 'hold on to each other more tightly', and adds: 'We will emerge from this war stronger, seeking life.'
Al Etihad
an hour ago
- Al Etihad
Trump says 'nothing set in stone' on Putin meeting
15 Aug 2025 20:48 ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) US President Donald Trump on Friday said he did not know what would make his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin a success, saying he wanted to see a what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters aboard Air Force One: "I can't tell you that. I don't know. There's nothing set in stone. I want certain things. I want a ceasefire." "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today," he said, adding that Europe and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would also be involved. "I want the killing to stop."
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Israel faces resistance from armed factions in Gaza city
Israeli troops preparing to seize Gaza city have been fired on by armed groups, as their offensive left dozens more Palestinians dead across the strip. The Israeli army is hunting explosives and dismantling what it says is 'terrorist infrastructure' in the Al Zeitoun area of Gaza city. Residents say an air assault has already flattened the neighbourhood, in what they fear is the first stage of Israel's plan to capture the city. Several armed factions have claimed attacks on Israeli troops in the area. The Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said they fired a shell at a Merkava main battle tank in Al Zeitoun. On Friday the Al Nasser Salah Al Din Brigades – a coalition of militants who took part in the October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023 – said they 'bombed a gathering' of Israeli troops and vehicles in the area. Statements from the groups were carried by friendly media outlets. The Israeli army said it came under fire from an anti-tank missile, with no injuries reported. 'The troops swiftly located and eliminated the terrorists,' it said on Friday, without specifying when that incident took place. As part of their operations in Al Zeitoun, Israeli troops 'struck and dismantled a booby-trapped structure that stored weapons', the military said. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans last week to capture the Gaza city as a first step towards taking control of the whole territory. The move has been widely condemned amid fears the dire conditions in the strip will worsen further. Gaza health officials raised the war's death toll to 61,827 on Friday, after 51 bodies were brought to hospitals in the previous 24 hours. They said one child died of malnutrition in the same period. The Palestinian news agency Wafa said six people were killed while waiting to receive aid. The UN human rights office said on Friday that at least 1,760 Palestinians had been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May, a jump of several hundred since its last published figure in early August. Israel denies a campaign to kill civilians, saying the starvation and chaos at food banks are the fault of Hamas and UN aid workers. 'All of this could have been prevented easily if [aid agency] UNRWA and other humanitarian organisations were allowed to bring in the minimum every day, and that is 500 to 600 trucks of basics,' said UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma. 'We're not asking for the moon here.' Gaza's civil defence agency says Israeli forces have destroyed more than 300 homes in Al Zeitoun neighbourhood in just three days. According to journalist Bilal Al Nabih, the Israeli army has attacked the area at least five times since the war escalated in March, but the current operation is by far the most destructive. Israel's army chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir said on Thursday that the military was 'completing preparations' for the new offensive in Gaza. 'The campaign will end when we have ensured our security and our future,' he said.
