Mali army reports co-ordinated attacks on its positions
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) said in a statement on social media that it had taken "complete control over three barracks and dozens of military positions in co-ordinated and high-quality attacks".
Mali's armed forces earlier on Tuesday reported a series of attacks on multiple military positions in seven towns in the central and western regions of the west African country.
They did not provide details about the attacks or say who was responsible, and a spokesperson for Mali's armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The incidents bore the hallmarks of other recent operations by the militants who have conducted similar assaults on military positions in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Mali, governed by a military junta since 2020, has for more than a decade fought Islamist insurgent groups while contending with a longer history of Tuareg-led rebellions in the north.
The attacks on Tuesday targeted Diboli in western Mali near the border with Senegal, and the nearby towns of Kayes and Sandere.
There were also attacks in Nioro du Sahel and Gogoui, northwest of the capital Bamako near the border with Mauritania, and in Molodo and Niono in central Mali, the army's statement said.
A jihadist group has claimed responsibility for a series of co-ordinated attacks against military posts across Mali.
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) said in a statement on social media that it had taken "complete control over three barracks and dozens of military positions in co-ordinated and high-quality attacks".
Mali's armed forces earlier on Tuesday reported a series of attacks on multiple military positions in seven towns in the central and western regions of the west African country.
They did not provide details about the attacks or say who was responsible, and a spokesperson for Mali's armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The incidents bore the hallmarks of other recent operations by the militants who have conducted similar assaults on military positions in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Mali, governed by a military junta since 2020, has for more than a decade fought Islamist insurgent groups while contending with a longer history of Tuareg-led rebellions in the north.
The attacks on Tuesday targeted Diboli in western Mali near the border with Senegal, and the nearby towns of Kayes and Sandere.
There were also attacks in Nioro du Sahel and Gogoui, northwest of the capital Bamako near the border with Mauritania, and in Molodo and Niono in central Mali, the army's statement said.
A jihadist group has claimed responsibility for a series of co-ordinated attacks against military posts across Mali.
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) said in a statement on social media that it had taken "complete control over three barracks and dozens of military positions in co-ordinated and high-quality attacks".
Mali's armed forces earlier on Tuesday reported a series of attacks on multiple military positions in seven towns in the central and western regions of the west African country.
They did not provide details about the attacks or say who was responsible, and a spokesperson for Mali's armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The incidents bore the hallmarks of other recent operations by the militants who have conducted similar assaults on military positions in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Mali, governed by a military junta since 2020, has for more than a decade fought Islamist insurgent groups while contending with a longer history of Tuareg-led rebellions in the north.
The attacks on Tuesday targeted Diboli in western Mali near the border with Senegal, and the nearby towns of Kayes and Sandere.
There were also attacks in Nioro du Sahel and Gogoui, northwest of the capital Bamako near the border with Mauritania, and in Molodo and Niono in central Mali, the army's statement said.
A jihadist group has claimed responsibility for a series of co-ordinated attacks against military posts across Mali.
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) said in a statement on social media that it had taken "complete control over three barracks and dozens of military positions in co-ordinated and high-quality attacks".
Mali's armed forces earlier on Tuesday reported a series of attacks on multiple military positions in seven towns in the central and western regions of the west African country.
They did not provide details about the attacks or say who was responsible, and a spokesperson for Mali's armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The incidents bore the hallmarks of other recent operations by the militants who have conducted similar assaults on military positions in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Mali, governed by a military junta since 2020, has for more than a decade fought Islamist insurgent groups while contending with a longer history of Tuareg-led rebellions in the north.
The attacks on Tuesday targeted Diboli in western Mali near the border with Senegal, and the nearby towns of Kayes and Sandere.
There were also attacks in Nioro du Sahel and Gogoui, northwest of the capital Bamako near the border with Mauritania, and in Molodo and Niono in central Mali, the army's statement said.
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The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Trump says Israel has agreed to Gaza ceasefire as White House cuts supplies to Ukraine
Israel hasn't publicly commented on Trump's latest remarks. But an Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intense pressure from the Trump administration on both Israel and Hamas is having some effect, leading to modest optimism within Israel that a deal is closer. Loading Qatar and Egypt, the official said, will make it clearer to Hamas that talks during the truce would be aimed at ending the war. The official said Israel is likely to send a delegation to negotiations expected to be held either in Cairo or Doha in the coming week. Netanyahu recently stated that Israel's key concern is to return the remaining hostages in Gaza, a shift from previous statements that the war's two aims are co-equal – the destruction of Hamas and the return of the captives. Israel's military chief, Eyal Zamir, said that expanding the assault on Hamas would endanger the remaining hostages and described Hamas as a 'dead organisation', according to Israeli media reports. Far-right Israeli ministers expressed anger at those statements and are pushing for the defeat of Hamas to remain at the top of the agenda. That complicates Netanyahu's position. Still, if negotiations last through July, when parliament goes into recess until mid-October, it will be much harder for those ministers to bring down the government. Trump last week said he thought a ceasefire in Gaza could be 'close'. But he didn't provide further details. The war began with Hamas' assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1200 people and saw about 250 abducted. Of those, about 50 hostages are still in Gaza, with roughly 20 thought by Israel to be alive. Talks have stalled since the last ceasefire ended in March. During that roughly two-month truce, tens of hostages were released. International pressure to halt the war has grown with aid agencies saying the 2 million residents of Gaza are at risk of famine. More than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. Though Hamas has lost most of its key leaders and stockpile of missiles in the war, now almost 21 months old, it remains a threat to Israeli forces. Last month was the deadliest for the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza since the start of the year, with about 20 soldiers dying. Israel's attacks continue to kill large numbers of people, with at least 74 killed in strikes on Monday, including 30 at a seaside cafe, the Associated Press reported, citing witnesses and health officials in Gaza. In late May, Israel said it had accepted a US ceasefire proposal for Gaza that included a 60-day pause in the fighting, the restoration of United Nations-led food distribution and Hamas releasing some hostages. A counter-offer from Hamas, which wanted a guarantee that Israeli troops would withdraw, was rejected by Trump's main Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. It is unclear if the conditions Trump said Israel accepted are the same as those in the earlier truce proposal. While Trump is one of Netanyahu's closest allies on the world stage, the US president has urged him to end the war and secure the release of the remaining hostages. On Tuesday, Trump said he would be 'very firm' with Netanyahu in a bid to get a ceasefire. Ukraine arms halted As the White House pressed for a Middle East ceasefire, in a separate development, it confirmed it had stopped the transfer of artillery rounds and air defences to Ukraine amid falling US stockpiles, as Ukraine endures stepped-up missile and drone attacks in its war with Russia. The decision comes as Ukraine struggles to repel large-scale Russian missile and drone strikes. On Sunday, Ukraine said Russia fired a record 537 missiles and drones in 'massive' overnight attacks. Russia has intensified its attacks in recent weeks as President Vladimir Putin defies US and European calls to accept a ceasefire to allow for peace talks. Loading American news website Politico first reported that the US had stopped sending some supplies to Kyiv after a review of US munitions stockpiles amid concerns that the stockpiles had got too low. Politico reported the move was spearheaded by Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby, who has long argued that the US is overextended abroad. He has joined Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in repeatedly saying that European allies should assume greater responsibility for the continent's security, including the defence of Ukraine.
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Yoorrook inquiry's call for redress not off the table
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"We're going to take our time to consider and respond to the report," she told reporters on Wednesday. "I am not going to respond to the individual recommendations or the report as a whole through individual questions at a press conference. "That would not do justice to the years and years of work and evidence." Yoorrook held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. It found there were at least 50 massacres across Victoria by the end of the 1860s, with eight colonists killed compared to 978 First Nations people. The mass killings combined with disease, sexual violence, exclusion, eradication of language, cultural erasure, environmental degradation, child removal, absorption and assimilation brought about the "near-complete physical destruction" of Aboriginal people in Victoria. The "decimation" of the population by 1901 was the result of "a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups". "This was genocide," one of the documents read. Ms Allan said the findings made for "tough reading" because they "tell the truth" about how the state was colonised. The recommendations will inform treaty talks between the state government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, with enabling legislation expected to be introduced later in 2025. Ms Allan said reparations were not up for discussion as part of treaty talks amid backlash over Yoorrook's findings and recommendations. "I'm not focused on people who want to divide people," she said. First Peoples' Assembly member Nerita Waight warned Ms Allan not to let Yoorrook's work go ignored, as politicians have done with previous major Aboriginal-related inquiries. "The truth has been told and now the government has an obligation to act," the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive said. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe called on the federal government to press on with national truth and treaty processes. "Genocide has not just occurred in Victoria, but has been perpetrated against all First Peoples of this continent," she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to set up a "Makarrata Commission to oversee a national process for treaty and truth-telling" in 2021. His government allocated $5.8 million to commence work on establishing the independent commission, but it has not materialised after the failed voice to parliament referendum in 2023. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A landmark truth-telling inquiry's call for redress for the post-colonisation pain and suffering of Aboriginal people has not been ruled out. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports feature 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation in 1834. The Australian-first Indigenous truth-telling body calls on the Victorian government to provide redress for injustices. It suggested redress could take the form of restitution of traditional land, monetary compensation, tax relief or other financial benefits. Other recommendations include shifting prison healthcare from the justice department to the health department, more cash to First Peoples-led health services and establishing independent funding streams for the state's self-determination fund. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated none of the ideas were off the table, refusing to rule in or out any of the recommendations. "We're going to take our time to consider and respond to the report," she told reporters on Wednesday. "I am not going to respond to the individual recommendations or the report as a whole through individual questions at a press conference. "That would not do justice to the years and years of work and evidence." Yoorrook held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. It found there were at least 50 massacres across Victoria by the end of the 1860s, with eight colonists killed compared to 978 First Nations people. The mass killings combined with disease, sexual violence, exclusion, eradication of language, cultural erasure, environmental degradation, child removal, absorption and assimilation brought about the "near-complete physical destruction" of Aboriginal people in Victoria. The "decimation" of the population by 1901 was the result of "a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups". "This was genocide," one of the documents read. Ms Allan said the findings made for "tough reading" because they "tell the truth" about how the state was colonised. The recommendations will inform treaty talks between the state government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, with enabling legislation expected to be introduced later in 2025. Ms Allan said reparations were not up for discussion as part of treaty talks amid backlash over Yoorrook's findings and recommendations. "I'm not focused on people who want to divide people," she said. First Peoples' Assembly member Nerita Waight warned Ms Allan not to let Yoorrook's work go ignored, as politicians have done with previous major Aboriginal-related inquiries. "The truth has been told and now the government has an obligation to act," the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive said. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe called on the federal government to press on with national truth and treaty processes. "Genocide has not just occurred in Victoria, but has been perpetrated against all First Peoples of this continent," she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to set up a "Makarrata Commission to oversee a national process for treaty and truth-telling" in 2021. His government allocated $5.8 million to commence work on establishing the independent commission, but it has not materialised after the failed voice to parliament referendum in 2023. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A landmark truth-telling inquiry's call for redress for the post-colonisation pain and suffering of Aboriginal people has not been ruled out. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports feature 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation in 1834. The Australian-first Indigenous truth-telling body calls on the Victorian government to provide redress for injustices. It suggested redress could take the form of restitution of traditional land, monetary compensation, tax relief or other financial benefits. Other recommendations include shifting prison healthcare from the justice department to the health department, more cash to First Peoples-led health services and establishing independent funding streams for the state's self-determination fund. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated none of the ideas were off the table, refusing to rule in or out any of the recommendations. "We're going to take our time to consider and respond to the report," she told reporters on Wednesday. "I am not going to respond to the individual recommendations or the report as a whole through individual questions at a press conference. "That would not do justice to the years and years of work and evidence." Yoorrook held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. It found there were at least 50 massacres across Victoria by the end of the 1860s, with eight colonists killed compared to 978 First Nations people. The mass killings combined with disease, sexual violence, exclusion, eradication of language, cultural erasure, environmental degradation, child removal, absorption and assimilation brought about the "near-complete physical destruction" of Aboriginal people in Victoria. The "decimation" of the population by 1901 was the result of "a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups". "This was genocide," one of the documents read. Ms Allan said the findings made for "tough reading" because they "tell the truth" about how the state was colonised. The recommendations will inform treaty talks between the state government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, with enabling legislation expected to be introduced later in 2025. Ms Allan said reparations were not up for discussion as part of treaty talks amid backlash over Yoorrook's findings and recommendations. "I'm not focused on people who want to divide people," she said. First Peoples' Assembly member Nerita Waight warned Ms Allan not to let Yoorrook's work go ignored, as politicians have done with previous major Aboriginal-related inquiries. "The truth has been told and now the government has an obligation to act," the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive said. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe called on the federal government to press on with national truth and treaty processes. "Genocide has not just occurred in Victoria, but has been perpetrated against all First Peoples of this continent," she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to set up a "Makarrata Commission to oversee a national process for treaty and truth-telling" in 2021. His government allocated $5.8 million to commence work on establishing the independent commission, but it has not materialised after the failed voice to parliament referendum in 2023. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A landmark truth-telling inquiry's call for redress for the post-colonisation pain and suffering of Aboriginal people has not been ruled out. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports feature 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation in 1834. The Australian-first Indigenous truth-telling body calls on the Victorian government to provide redress for injustices. It suggested redress could take the form of restitution of traditional land, monetary compensation, tax relief or other financial benefits. Other recommendations include shifting prison healthcare from the justice department to the health department, more cash to First Peoples-led health services and establishing independent funding streams for the state's self-determination fund. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated none of the ideas were off the table, refusing to rule in or out any of the recommendations. "We're going to take our time to consider and respond to the report," she told reporters on Wednesday. "I am not going to respond to the individual recommendations or the report as a whole through individual questions at a press conference. "That would not do justice to the years and years of work and evidence." Yoorrook held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. It found there were at least 50 massacres across Victoria by the end of the 1860s, with eight colonists killed compared to 978 First Nations people. The mass killings combined with disease, sexual violence, exclusion, eradication of language, cultural erasure, environmental degradation, child removal, absorption and assimilation brought about the "near-complete physical destruction" of Aboriginal people in Victoria. The "decimation" of the population by 1901 was the result of "a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups". "This was genocide," one of the documents read. Ms Allan said the findings made for "tough reading" because they "tell the truth" about how the state was colonised. The recommendations will inform treaty talks between the state government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, with enabling legislation expected to be introduced later in 2025. Ms Allan said reparations were not up for discussion as part of treaty talks amid backlash over Yoorrook's findings and recommendations. "I'm not focused on people who want to divide people," she said. First Peoples' Assembly member Nerita Waight warned Ms Allan not to let Yoorrook's work go ignored, as politicians have done with previous major Aboriginal-related inquiries. "The truth has been told and now the government has an obligation to act," the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive said. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe called on the federal government to press on with national truth and treaty processes. "Genocide has not just occurred in Victoria, but has been perpetrated against all First Peoples of this continent," she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to set up a "Makarrata Commission to oversee a national process for treaty and truth-telling" in 2021. His government allocated $5.8 million to commence work on establishing the independent commission, but it has not materialised after the failed voice to parliament referendum in 2023. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Trump urges Hamas to accept Gaza ceasefire proposal
US President Donald Trump has urged Iran-backed Hamas militants to agree to what he called a "final proposal" for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel in Gaza that will be delivered by mediating officials from Qatar and Egypt. In a social media post, Trump said his representatives had a "long and productive" meeting with Israeli officials about Gaza. He did not identify his representatives but US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had been due to meet Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump on Tuesday said Israel has agreed to the conditions to finalise a 60-day ceasefire, "during which time we will work with all parties to end the War". He said representatives for Qatar and Egypt will deliver "this final proposal" to Hamas. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump told reporters earlier in the day he is hopeful that a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement can be achieved next week between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. He is set to meet Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war, while Israel says it can only end if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The two sides have shown little sign of a readiness to budge from their entrenched positions. The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said earlier this week Israel has agreed to a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage deal, and put the onus on Hamas. Trump and his aides appear to be seeking to use any momentum from US and Israeli strikes on Iran nuclear sites, as well as a ceasefire that took hold last week in that conflict, to secure a lasting truce in the war in Gaza. Trump told reporters during a visit to Florida that he would be "very firm" with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire while noting that the Israeli leader wants one as well. "We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week," he told reporters. "We want to get the hostages out." Gaza's health ministry says Israel's post-October 7 military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians. The assault has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations. US President Donald Trump has urged Iran-backed Hamas militants to agree to what he called a "final proposal" for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel in Gaza that will be delivered by mediating officials from Qatar and Egypt. In a social media post, Trump said his representatives had a "long and productive" meeting with Israeli officials about Gaza. He did not identify his representatives but US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had been due to meet Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump on Tuesday said Israel has agreed to the conditions to finalise a 60-day ceasefire, "during which time we will work with all parties to end the War". He said representatives for Qatar and Egypt will deliver "this final proposal" to Hamas. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump told reporters earlier in the day he is hopeful that a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement can be achieved next week between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. He is set to meet Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war, while Israel says it can only end if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The two sides have shown little sign of a readiness to budge from their entrenched positions. The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said earlier this week Israel has agreed to a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage deal, and put the onus on Hamas. Trump and his aides appear to be seeking to use any momentum from US and Israeli strikes on Iran nuclear sites, as well as a ceasefire that took hold last week in that conflict, to secure a lasting truce in the war in Gaza. Trump told reporters during a visit to Florida that he would be "very firm" with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire while noting that the Israeli leader wants one as well. "We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week," he told reporters. "We want to get the hostages out." Gaza's health ministry says Israel's post-October 7 military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians. The assault has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations. US President Donald Trump has urged Iran-backed Hamas militants to agree to what he called a "final proposal" for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel in Gaza that will be delivered by mediating officials from Qatar and Egypt. In a social media post, Trump said his representatives had a "long and productive" meeting with Israeli officials about Gaza. He did not identify his representatives but US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had been due to meet Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump on Tuesday said Israel has agreed to the conditions to finalise a 60-day ceasefire, "during which time we will work with all parties to end the War". He said representatives for Qatar and Egypt will deliver "this final proposal" to Hamas. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump told reporters earlier in the day he is hopeful that a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement can be achieved next week between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. He is set to meet Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war, while Israel says it can only end if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The two sides have shown little sign of a readiness to budge from their entrenched positions. The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said earlier this week Israel has agreed to a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage deal, and put the onus on Hamas. Trump and his aides appear to be seeking to use any momentum from US and Israeli strikes on Iran nuclear sites, as well as a ceasefire that took hold last week in that conflict, to secure a lasting truce in the war in Gaza. Trump told reporters during a visit to Florida that he would be "very firm" with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire while noting that the Israeli leader wants one as well. "We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week," he told reporters. "We want to get the hostages out." Gaza's health ministry says Israel's post-October 7 military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians. The assault has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations. US President Donald Trump has urged Iran-backed Hamas militants to agree to what he called a "final proposal" for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel in Gaza that will be delivered by mediating officials from Qatar and Egypt. In a social media post, Trump said his representatives had a "long and productive" meeting with Israeli officials about Gaza. He did not identify his representatives but US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had been due to meet Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump on Tuesday said Israel has agreed to the conditions to finalise a 60-day ceasefire, "during which time we will work with all parties to end the War". He said representatives for Qatar and Egypt will deliver "this final proposal" to Hamas. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump told reporters earlier in the day he is hopeful that a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement can be achieved next week between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. He is set to meet Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war, while Israel says it can only end if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The two sides have shown little sign of a readiness to budge from their entrenched positions. The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said earlier this week Israel has agreed to a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage deal, and put the onus on Hamas. Trump and his aides appear to be seeking to use any momentum from US and Israeli strikes on Iran nuclear sites, as well as a ceasefire that took hold last week in that conflict, to secure a lasting truce in the war in Gaza. Trump told reporters during a visit to Florida that he would be "very firm" with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire while noting that the Israeli leader wants one as well. "We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week," he told reporters. "We want to get the hostages out." Gaza's health ministry says Israel's post-October 7 military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians. The assault has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations.
