Mossad spy chief visiting Qatar to revive Gaza peace talks, Israeli officials say
The visit follows a reported expression of eagerness by Hamas for a swift return to Gaza ceasefire negotiations during a meeting with Egypt's intelligence chief in Cairo.
Meanwhile, Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Thursday plans to commence work on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and isolate it from East Jerusalem, a move his office stated would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state.
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Reuters
36 minutes ago
- Reuters
Oil markets seen bearish after Trump-Putin Alaska meeting
LONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Oil markets are set for a muted price reaction when they open on Sunday after U.S. President Donald Trump's and Russian leader Vladimir Putin's meeting in Alaska, at which Trump said a fully-fledged peace deal was the aim for Ukraine rather than a ceasefire. Trump said he had agreed with Putin that negotiators should go straight to a peace settlement - not via a ceasefire, as Ukraine and European allies, until now with U.S. support, have been demanding. Trump said he would hold off imposing tariffs on countries such as China for buying Russian oil following his talks with Putin. He has previously threatened sanctions on Moscow and secondary sanctions on countries such as China and India that buy Russian oil if no moves are made to end the Ukraine war. "This will mean Russian oil will continue to flow undisturbed and this should be bearish for oil prices," said ICIS analyst Ajay Parmar. "It is worth noting that we think the impact of this will be minimal though and prices will likely see only a small dip in the very near term as a result of this news." The oil market will wait for developments from a meeting in Washington on Monday between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. European leaders have also been invited to the meeting, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. "Market participants will track comments from European leaders but for now Russian supply disruption risks will remain contained," said Giovanni Staunovo, analyst at UBS. Brent settled at $65.85 a barrel on Friday, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate at $62.80 - both down nearly $1 before the talks in Alaska. Traders are waiting for a deal, so until that emerges, crude prices are likely to be stuck in a narrow range, said Phil Flynn, a senior analyst with Price Futures Group. "What we do know is that the threat of immediate sanctions on Russia, or secondary sanctions on other countries is put on hold for now, which would be bearish," he said. After the imposition of Western sanctions, including a seaborne oil embargo and price caps on Russian oil, Russia has redirected flows to China and India.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Trump-Putin latest: Vlad's peace demands revealed after summit as he tells Don he will ask for Ukrainian land
VLADIMIR Putin told Trump he wants the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of their peace deal, it has been revealed. It comes just hours after the pair met in Alaska to discuss terms to end the bloody war. 7 7 7 In exchange for the Donetsk region, the Russian leader said he would halt further military advances in southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Mad Vlad also vowed to halt any new attacks if he is handed Donetsk. Moscow currently controls over 70 per cent of the highly-contested region - but capturing it entirely could allow Putin's forces to cause major disruption to supply lines on the eastern front. Speaking to top officials in Moscow a day after his talks with Trump, Putin said he and his US counterpart had discussed ways of ending the conflict in Ukraine "on a fair basis". He added the summit with Trump had been "timely" and "very useful", according to images published by the Kremlin. Sources close to Volodymyr Zelensky suggest the Ukrainian leader would not agree to the demands but that he would be open to negotiating land with Trump in his upcoming visit to Washington on Monday. The US President has previously said Russia and Ukraine both believe a full peace deal is "the best way" to end the war - rather than a short term ceasefire. Now diplomatic sources have revealed some of the initial details of the potential agreement, according to news agency AFP. The US has reportedly proposed an agreement that would see Ukraine not join Nato - but instead be offered Nato-esque protections similar to Article 5. Trump reportedly floated the plan with Zelensky and European leaders during a call after his meeting with Putin. The source said: "As one of the security guarantees for Ukraine, the American side proposed a non-NATO Article 5 type guarantee, supposedly agreed with Putin." Another insider with knowledge of the matter confirmed the NATO-like guarantees had been discussed. It is unclear what Ukraine would have to give up to secure such a deal. Kyiv has long aspired to join Nato - something fiercely opposed by Russia and cited by one of the reasons for their invasion in 2022. 7 7 7 But Trump has repeatedly ruled out Ukraine joining the Western military alliance. Don hailed his talks with Putin as "great and very successful" as he detailed the next steps in securing peace in Ukraine. The US delegation left Alaska in Air Force One after a busy day and landed back in Washington shortly after 7am local time. Trump held a lengthy phone call with Zelensky during the flight and invited the Ukrainian President to Washington in just 48 hours time. Nato leaders were also updated on the summit in a separate call with Trump. The US President revealed on Truth Social that he informed the European side and Zelensky of Putin's main wish for a complete end to the war instead of a ceasefire.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Two-month-old baby girl and parents killed by Israel airstrike in Gaza while living in tent
The two-month old girl and her parents were killed during an Israeli airstrike on the area with neighbours speaking of their horror as Palestinians gathered to pray over their bodies A baby girl and her parents have been killed in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike on Saturday, hospital officials and witnesses said. The baby, who is said to have been two months old, was wrapped in blue as she was placed on top of her parents after the bombing as Palestinians stood over them and prayed. Motasem al-Batta, his wife, and the girl were all killed in their tent in the crowded Muwasi area. "Two and a half months, what has she done?" neighbour Fathi Shubeir asked. "They are civilians in an area designated safe." It comes as Israel's military said it is dismantling Hamas ' military capabilities and is taking precautions not to harm civilians. The country said it will not be commenting on the strike without more details. Muwasi is one of the most heavily populated areas in Gaza and is where Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the country plans to widen its military offensive. The mobilisation of the country's forces is expected to take weeks, and Israel may be using the threat to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages from the October 7, 2023, attack which sparked the war. Families of the hostages have said they fear the offensive further endangers the 50 remaining people in Gaza, just 20 of them thought to be alive. They, and other Israelis, were horrified when they saw the recent videos showing the hostages, speaking under duress, pleading for help and food. A group representing the families of the hostages in Gaza held by Hamas has urged the people of Israel into the streets on Sunday. The group said in a statement: "Across the country, hundreds of citizen-led initiatives will pause daily life and join the most just and moral struggle: the struggle to bring all 50 hostages home." The United Nations has warned that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are now at their highest since the war began with Palestinians drinking contaminated water as disease spreads. A further 11 deaths linked to malnutrition have occurred in the last 24 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said on Saturday, with one child among the 11. The total malnutrition-related deaths during the war has now reached 251. The UN and partners said getting aid into the territory of two million people, and then onto distribution points, continues to be highly challenging with Israeli restrictions and pressure from crowds of hungry people. At least 1,760 people were killed seeking aid between May 27 and August 13, the UN human rights office said. 766 are said to have been killed along routes of supply convoys and 994 in the vicinity of "non-UN militarised sites" - a term used to reference the Israeli-backed and US supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which has been the primary distributor of aid in Gaza since May. The Hamas-led attack in 2023 killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed 61,897 people in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.
