Israel proposes withdrawal of more troops from Gaza
The Jewish state is now willing to withdraw more troops from the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire than previously offered, the Times of Israel newspaper reported, citing an Arab diplomat.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Qatari capital Doha have recently stalled.
A key sticking point is the differing views on the extent of the Israeli troop withdrawal, particularly from the southern Gaza Strip.
Israel had previously been adamant that its forces remain in a relatively large area, including a three-kilometre wide buffer zone along the border with Egypt near Rafah, as well as the so-called Morag Corridor, which separates Rafah from Khan Younis, the next second city in the coastal strip.
Hamas, however, has demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the positions they held before the collapse of the last ceasefire in March.
Under the newly reported proposal, Israel would reduce its military presence to a two-kilometre-wide buffer zone along the southern border near Rafah.
However, according to the Arab diplomat cited by the Times of Israel, it is doubtful whether this concession will lead to a breakthrough in the negotiations.
Israel's wish to maintain its military presence in southern Gaza is linked to plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to establish a camp there for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, media reports say.
Critics describe this as an internment camp that could ultimately lead to forced deportation. Israel, however, refers to it as a "humanitarian city" intended as a base for the "voluntary departure" of Gaza's residents.
Israel's war on Gaza, which followed the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks by Hamas and other Islamist militants, continues to lead to consternation at the United Nations.
UN Secretary General António Guterres said in New York on Monday: "We all condemned the horrible, terrible attacks of Hamas, but what we are witnessing Gaza is a level of death and destruction that has no parallel in recent times."
Separately, Egypt's foreign minister said the flow of aid into Gaza has not increased despite an agreement last week between Israel and the European Union that should have had that result.
"Nothing has changed (on the ground)," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters ahead of the EU-Middle East meeting in Brussels on Monday.
The EU's top diplomat said the bloc and Israel agreed to improve Gaza's humanitarian situation, including increasing the number of aid trucks and opening crossing points and aid routes.
Asked what steps Israel has taken, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar referred to an understanding with the EU but did not provide details on implementation.
Asked if there were improvements after the agreement, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters that the situation in Gaza remains "catastrophic".
"There is a real catastrophe happening in Gaza resulting from the continuation of the Israeli siege," he said.
with Reuters
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The Advertiser
33 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Israel vows to protect Druze as it strikes Syrian city
Israel has carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria for a second day, vowing to keep the area demilitarised and to protect the Druze minority as deadly clashes continue in the region at the Israeli frontier. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard over the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday and saw a damaged tank being towed away. Dozens of people have been killed in fighting in the region since Sunday. The upsurge in violence underlines the challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa who has struggled to assert control over the area near the Israeli border since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December. While Sharaa has been buoyed by rapidly improving ties with US President Donald Trump's administration, the violence has highlighted lingering sectarian tensions and distrust among minority groups towards his Islamist-led government - distrust that was deepened by mass killings of Alawites in March. Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel. Israel has carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria for a second day, vowing to keep the area demilitarised and to protect the Druze minority as deadly clashes continue in the region at the Israeli frontier. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard over the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday and saw a damaged tank being towed away. Dozens of people have been killed in fighting in the region since Sunday. The upsurge in violence underlines the challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa who has struggled to assert control over the area near the Israeli border since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December. While Sharaa has been buoyed by rapidly improving ties with US President Donald Trump's administration, the violence has highlighted lingering sectarian tensions and distrust among minority groups towards his Islamist-led government - distrust that was deepened by mass killings of Alawites in March. Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel. Israel has carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria for a second day, vowing to keep the area demilitarised and to protect the Druze minority as deadly clashes continue in the region at the Israeli frontier. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard over the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday and saw a damaged tank being towed away. Dozens of people have been killed in fighting in the region since Sunday. The upsurge in violence underlines the challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa who has struggled to assert control over the area near the Israeli border since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December. While Sharaa has been buoyed by rapidly improving ties with US President Donald Trump's administration, the violence has highlighted lingering sectarian tensions and distrust among minority groups towards his Islamist-led government - distrust that was deepened by mass killings of Alawites in March. Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel. Israel has carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria for a second day, vowing to keep the area demilitarised and to protect the Druze minority as deadly clashes continue in the region at the Israeli frontier. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard over the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday and saw a damaged tank being towed away. Dozens of people have been killed in fighting in the region since Sunday. The upsurge in violence underlines the challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa who has struggled to assert control over the area near the Israeli border since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December. While Sharaa has been buoyed by rapidly improving ties with US President Donald Trump's administration, the violence has highlighted lingering sectarian tensions and distrust among minority groups towards his Islamist-led government - distrust that was deepened by mass killings of Alawites in March. Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel.
The Age
6 hours ago
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Netanyahu's coalition rattled as ultra-Orthodox party exits over conscription bill
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The Age
7 hours ago
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‘Confected furore', ‘trust-breaker': Readers debate donation from Jillian Segal's husband
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. SPECIAL ENVOY Australia's antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, has every right to be appalled by the selective outrage over her husband's donation to the Advance lobby group. Her husband, John Roth, has no capacity in the Australian government. If instead, he had donated money to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the silence of his critics would be deafening. Apparently, Roth has no right to donate to the ″wrong″ cause. It is besides the point anyway. Does anyone seriously believe that Segal's vital work would be compromised by a donation by her husband? Anyone who believes that is effectively saying women have no capacity to form their own, independent opinions. If nothing else, this confected ″furore″ is an embarrassing insult to women everywhere. Jeremy Browne, Ripponlea Loss of trust in Segal's role Jillian Segal's husband gave $50,000 to help fund the Advance lobby group's vision of Australia that is narrow, brittle, and hostile to dissent. She says she had no involvement in the donation, but her role as Australia's special envoy on antisemitism is not just any role. Segal has been entrusted with leading a national conversation about hate, about how we live together, about where the lines of decency and bigotry are drawn. That task demands moral clarity—and public trust. Even if her husband wrote the cheque alone, the proximity matters. Judgment is shaped by what we accept, what we ignore, and what we quietly let pass. This is not a question of guilt. It is a question of trust. And that trust, I'm afraid, is already broken. Nadia Green, Sunshine North Segal must declare views on Advance Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke says in relation to Jillian Segal's husband making donations to the far right organisation Advance that 'claims that she should not be held responsible for her husband's actions are outdated' (″ Burke Slams Advance ″ 15/7). However, just claiming she didn't know is not good enough. We need to hear Jillian Segal herself condemn the racism of the Advance agenda. As a special envoy dealing with racism, such a condemnation is long overdue. To have any credibility in her role she must be unequivocal in condemning all forms of racism, not just antisemitism. Bruce Francis, Brunswick Muslim and Jewish communities need own envoy Your correspondent does not have her facts correct, (Letters ″Another envoy needed″ 15/7. Indigenous Australians have a federal minister representing them in cabinet. This minister has a huge budget and a department of 1200 public servants receiving and seeking and providing advice to the government on the needs for the Indigenous community. The Muslim and Jewish communities now have special separate envoys giving recommendations to the government on how to stop hate speech, incitement and terrorist acts against their respective communities. Ian Fayman, Malvern East Israel does not get special treatment All those who oppose antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal's recommendation to apply the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism claim the definition prevents or unduly restricts criticism of Israel. However, the definition itself specifically states that 'criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic'. Those complaining about the definition want to criticise Israel in a way they wouldn't criticise any other country. Perhaps they should explain why they want to apply such double standards to the Jewish state. Mark Kessel, Caulfield North THE FORUM Trump's war calendar Re Ukraine war: Donald Trump's ″I will have it solved within one day″ has proven to be a seismic miscalculation, notwithstanding his later comment that his promise was made in″jest″. Now, thankfully (after 175 days in office), he appears to be taking the thrust of his promise seriously. His commitment to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles for Ukraine's defence and his threats of secondary tariffs on Russia are certainly steps in the right direction. They say a week is a long time in politics. Trump is finding ″a day″ is a long time in warfare and peacemaking. Brian Marshall, Ashburton Men of steel Maureen Dowd (″ Why Donald Trump's good-looking cabinet can't stop making him look bad ″, 15/7) relates how White House staff posted a meme of Donald Trump as the 'Man of Steel″. Perhaps the staff got it unintentionally correct; we 85 year-old or more European immigrants, especially those of us from Eastern Europe, know who the Man of Steel was – the USSR dictator Stalin. Richard Crago, Burwood East
