Crowds call for Trump's intervention to bring back hostages from Gaza
Protesters displayed banners urging Trump to strike another "big, beautiful deal".
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that another 10 hostages held in Gaza are expected to be released "very shortly," amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Doha between Israeli and Hamas delegations, The Jerusalem Post reported.
"We got most of the hostages back. We're going to have another 10 coming very shortly, and we hope to have that finished quickly," Trump said during a dinner with lawmakers at the White House on Friday (local time), according to The Jerusalem Post.
The president also praised the work of his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, for his role in the ongoing talks. According to The Jerusalem Post, Israeli and Hamas negotiators have been taking part in the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha since July 6, discussing a US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire.
Trump has made repeated comments over the past several weeks suggesting that a new hostage deal would soon be agreed upon.
A senior Hamas spokesperson issued a warning on Friday, cautioning that the group would not consider future interim truces unless a deal is achieved in the current round of negotiations.
"We are closely monitoring the ongoing negotiations and hope they will result in an agreement that guarantees the cessation of the war against our people, the withdrawal of occupation forces, and the relief of our people," said Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Ubaida in a video statement, as cited by The Jerusalem Post.
"We know the outlines of a deal exist. What's missing is the final push - the kind of resolve only President Trump can bring. We ask President Trump: lean in. Use your power. Show the world that freedom matters," said Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, whose remains are held in Gaza.
Nadav Rudaeff, whose father, Lior Rudaeff, remains in Gaza, directly thanked Trump and said his efforts are not taken for granted, as per Al Jazeera.
"Please do everything you can to pressure all the parties to reach an agreement," he said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the international community for failing to act as starvation grips Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.
"The international community, with the complicity of our own government, has not only tolerated but effectively normalised the daily massacre of Palestinian civilians by the far-right government of indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu," CAIR said in a statement, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
"These are not accidents. These are not isolated incidents. These are the predictable consequences of a system of brutality and impunity backed by billions in US taxpayer-supplied weapons and aid," the group said.
"We demand immediate action to end all US support for Israel's genocidal assault. Silence is complicity with genocide, and normalisation of slaughter is a betrayal of humanity."
The US provides Israel with at least USD 3.8bn in military aid annually. Since the Israeli war on Gaza began, it has also provided billions more in assistance and blocked UN Security Council resolutions seeking to pressure Israel to end its assault.
Noureddine al-Baba, the spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Syria, also said clashes in the southern city have come to a halt. The announcement, shared by Syria's official SANA news agency, comes after the government deployed forces in the Suwayda governorate to try to quell days of sectarian violence, as per Al Jazeera.
Hamas abducted over 250 people during its October 7, 2023, rampage, where the terror group invaded southern Israel and massacred more than 1,200 people.
As of now, The Jerusalem Post reports that 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive. The Jerusalem Post added that the ongoing diplomatic efforts are part of a broader push to bring an end to the hostilities and secure the safe return of the remaining hostages.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
28 minutes ago
- Mint
Trump hints at 20–25% tariffs on Indian imports, says final decision still pending
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (July 29) that India could face tariff rates as high as 25% on its exports to the United States, but emphasised that a final decision had not yet been made. The remarks come as the two countries work toward resolving longstanding trade disagreements. 'I think so,' Trump responded when asked by reporters aboard Air Force One if the US would impose a 20–25% tariff rate on Indian goods. 'India has been a good friend, but India has charged basically more tariffs than almost any other country. You just can't do that.' Trump added. The US President made the comments while returning from a five-day trip to Scotland, reiterating his stance that the US must be treated fairly in global trade relationships. The reciprocal tariffs were imposed on April 2, 2025 and were supposed to take effect from July 9, 2025. However, the deadline for the imposition of the import duties was later extended to August 1, 2025. The US has so far reached agreements with the UK, Indonesia, Philippines, European Union and Japan. Citing two Indian government sources, Reuters reported that New Delhi is preparing for the possibility of higher tariffs—likely between 20% and 25%—on select exports as a temporary measure. Instead of offering fresh concessions, India plans to resume comprehensive trade talks in mid-August during the visit of a US delegation. 'Talks are progressing well, and a delegation is expected in Delhi by mid-August,' Reuters quoted one India official as saying, with the news report adding that the US may still issue a tariff letter in a 'worst-case scenario.' US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer echoed the need for further talks during an interview with CNBC, saying, 'We continue to speak with our Indian counterparts, we've always had very constructive discussions with them.' However, he admitted more work is needed: 'We need some more negotiations on that with our Indian friends to see how ambitious they want to be.' 'The thing to understand with India is their trade policy for a very long time has been premised on strongly protecting their domestic market. That's just how they do business,' he noted. 'The president is in a mode of wanting deals that substantially open other markets,' Greer added. 'That they open everything or near everything.'


India.com
28 minutes ago
- India.com
‘No Recognition For Israel Until...': Saudi Crown Prince Drops a Bombshell, Abraham Accord Dream Shattered
New York: Saudi Arabia stands tall and speaks in firm tones. Its foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan speaks from New York. Israel hears. The United States hears. Normalisation talks with Israel stay paused. Conditions laid bare. A Palestinian state. A ceasefire in Gaza. No room for shortcuts. No room for deals without justice. Agreement called Abraham Accords hinges on trust. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed. Bahrain signed. Morocco followed. Now Saudi Arabia holds the line. No recognition of Israel until Palestinian state clarity. Israel faces resistance. Donald Trump's push for more Gulf nations to sign stalls. Saudi Arabia sets terms. The message echoes across diplomacy channels. The Israeli military strikes Gaza hard. Thirty‑four Palestinians killed in recent attacks. Local hospitals report aid site near deaths. Aid distribution zones hit. Injuries reported. Aid deliveries resume for limited hours. Brief ceasefire windows appear. Humanitarian corridors open. Still, lives lost. Still, fear spreads. Meanwhile, Trump meets U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. Discussion turns to Gaza. Trump reacts to Netanyahu's assertion that there is no famine in the strip. Trump disagrees. Gaza hunger looks real. Civilians lean on aid. Food access tightens. Neighbouring states step in. Jordan and the UAE send relief flights to Gaza. Saudi Arabia draws a clear line. Palestine recognition. End of Gaza war. No normalisation until justice. No hidden clauses. Pure conditions. Straight talk.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'If US fails to accept...': North Korea's warning to Trump over denuclearisation; bilateral talks still on table
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Image: AP) North Korea issued a warning to Washington, insisting that any attempt by President Donald Trump's second administration to revive stalled denuclearisation talks would be 'nothing but a mockery. ' In a statement broadcast by North Korean state media, Kim Yo Jong—the sister of leader Kim Jong Un—made it clear that while personal ties between Trump and Kim remain 'not bad,' Pyongyang now sees discussions about its growing nuclear arsenal as firmly off the table, reported Fox News. She noted that North Korea's nuclear arsenal has grown significantly since the last meeting between the two leaders and said another summit would not happen if denuclearisation remained on the agenda. "If the US fails to accept the changed reality and persists in the failed past, the DPRK- US meeting will remain as a 'hope' of the US side," Kim Yo Jong said, referring to her country by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 'It would be advisable to seek another way of contact,' she added as quoted by Fox News. She left the door open for dialogue with the US, unlike in a separate statement where she ruled out talks with South Korea. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Family Took a Photo on Vacation - and Goose Bumps Ran Down the Skin! Undo Trump met with Kim Jong Un three times during his first term: In Singapore in 2018, in Hanoi in 2019, and at the Korean Demilitarized Zone later that year, becoming the first sitting US president to step foot on North Korean soil. Despite the historic meetings, no agreements were reached, North Korea kept its nuclear weapons, and US sanctions remained in place. Kim Yo Jong is a top official on the central committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party and oversees relations with both the US and South Korea. Her comments followed a Yonhap news agency report citing an unnamed White House official who said Trump "remains open to engaging with Leader Kim to achieve a fully denuclearised North Korea." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last month that Trump hopes to see 'progress' in his second term on the summits he held with Kim. In a separate statement on Monday marking the 72nd anniversary of the end of the Korean War, Trump said, 'I was proud to become the first sitting President to cross this demilitarized zone into North Korea.' He also reaffirmed the US alliance with South Korea, saying, 'Although the evils of communism still persist in Asia, American and South Korean forces remain united in an ironclad alliance to this day.'