Trump says EU will send more aid to Gaza
Speaking alongside Starmer in Scotland, Trump said he had spoken with Israeli officials and told them they might need to take a different approach.
Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LBCI
3 hours ago
- LBCI
Kremlin says 'committed' to peace in Ukraine after Trump's new deadline
Russia is still committed to achieving peace in Ukraine, the Kremlin said Tuesday, in the first reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump cutting his deadline for Moscow to cease fire in the conflict. "We have taken note of President Trump's statement yesterday. The SVO continues. And we remain committed to the peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and secure our interests," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, using Russia's term for its offensive. AFP
Nahar Net
3 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Netherlands bans far-right Israeli ministers as EU considers sanctions over Gaza
by Naharnet Newsdesk 29 July 2025, 15:23 The Netherlands has banned two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country and the European Union has proposed suspending Israel from a lucrative tech investment program as frustration mounts over worsening conditions in Gaza. The ban targets hard-line National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, key partners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. It was announced in a letter sent late Monday by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp to lawmakers along with other measures, declaring "The war in Gaza must stop." The pair are champions of the Israeli settlement movement that supports continuing the war in Gaza, facilitating what they call the voluntary emigration of its Palestinian population and building Jewish settlements. Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway imposed financial sanctions on the two men last month. EU considers sanctions on Israel's science and tech access The European Commission on Monday proposed partially suspending Israel's access to a lucrative science and technology program. The European Parliament could call a vote to cut off Israel's access to the investment arm of the European Innovation Council. To pass, the vote would need 55% of the bloc's 27-member nations. The €900 million investment program is focused on small businesses and "disruptive innovations" that have "potential dual-use applications, such as in cybersecurity, drones, and artificial intelligence," the commission said in a statement. It said the partial suspension of Israeli companies from applying for grants or equity investments worth €200 million annually is a targeted and reversible action and keeps intact Israel's access to roughly two-thirds of the program that is for civilian use. The commission found Israel's military campaign in Gaza breached terms of a bilateral deal between Brussels and Israel known as an Association Agreement, according to senior officials tasked with communicating for the commission who were not authorized to speak publicly. European countries pressure Israel to let in more aid Europe has widely soured on Israel over Gaza. Countries including Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands have sought to aggressively pressure Israel to let in more aid and cease military operations. Israel has yet to reach the six points agreed in a new aid deal with the EU, which include adequate amounts of daily trucks allowed or newly opened border crossings, according to senior officials. EU aid teams have been prevented from entering Gaza despite recent humanitarian pauses. The suspension is one of 10 options presented by the commission to member states. Other steps could be suspending an aviation agreement, blocking imports from settlements and curtailing travel for Israelis in the visa-free zone known as Schengen, according to a leaked document seen by The Associated Press and verified by two EU diplomats. Like the Netherlands, other nations could act on their own to sanction specific companies or individuals in Israel or the occupied West Bank. Pressure has been mounting on the Dutch government, which is gearing up for elections in October, to change course on Israeli policy. Last week, thousands demonstrated at train stations across the country, carrying pots and pans to signify the food shortage in Gaza. The government also will summon the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands to urge Netanyahu to change course and "immediately take measures that lead to a substantial and rapid improvement in the humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip," Veldkamp wrote. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich remained defiant. In a statement on social media, Smotrich said European leaders were surrendering to "the lies of radical Islam" and Jews may not be able to live safely in Europe in the future. Ben-Gvir said in Europe "a Jewish minister from Israel is unwanted, terrorists are free, and Jews are boycotted," but he will continue to act. Israel says Hamas is the reason aid isn't reaching Gaza After international pressure, Israel over the weekend announced humanitarian pauses, airdrops and other measures meant to allow more aid to Gaza, but Palestinians say little or nothing has changed on the ground. The U.N. has described it as a one-week scale-up of aid and Israel has not said how long the latest measures would last. Israel asserts Hamas is the reason aid isn't reaching Palestinians in Gaza and accuses its militants of siphoning aid to support its rule in the territory. The U.N. denies aid looting is systematic and says it lessens or ends entirely when enough aid is allowed to enter Gaza. Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, are wanted by the International Criminal Court over allegations of crimes against humanity. They are accused of using "starvation as a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian aid and of intentionally targeting civilians in Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Member states of the ICC are obliged to arrest the men if they arrive on their territory.
Nahar Net
3 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Top Chinese, US trade officials huddle in Sweden for second day of thorny tariff talks
by Naharnet Newsdesk 29 July 2025, 15:22 Chinese and U.S. trade officials arrived for a second day of meetings in the Swedish capital Tuesday to try to break a logjam over tariffs that have skewed the pivotal commercial ties between the world's two largest economies. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng made no public comments to reporters after the first day of talks that lasted nearly five hours behind closed doors at the Swedish prime minister's office Monday. Before the talks resumed Tuesday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson met with Bessent and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer over breakfast. The United States has struck deals over tariffs with some of its key trading partners — including Britain, Japan and the European Union — since President Donald Trump announced "Liberation Day" tariffs against dozens of countries in April. China remains perhaps the biggest unresolved case. "The Chinese have been very pragmatic," Greer said in comments posted on social media by his office late Monday. "Obviously we've had a lot of tensions over the years. We have tensions now, but the fact that we are regularly meeting with them to address these issues gives us a good footing for these negotiations." "Whether there will be a deal or not, I can't say," Greer added in the clip posted on X from MSNBC's "Morning Joe". "Whether there's room for an extension, I can't say at this point. But the conversations are constructive and they're going in the right direction." Many analysts expect that the Stockholm talks, at a minimum, will result in an extension of current tariff levels that are far lower than the triple-digit percentage rates as the U.S.-China tariff tiff crescendoed in April, sending world markets into a temporary tailspin. The two sides backed off the brink during bilateral talks in Geneva in May and agreed to a 90-day pause — which is set to end on Aug. 12 — of those sky-high levels. They currently stand at U.S. tariffs of 30% on Chinese goods, and China's 10% tariff on U.S. products. Other issues on the agenda include access of American businesses to the Chinese market; Chinese investment in the U.S.; components of fentanyl made in China that reach U.S. consumers; Chinese purchases of Russian and Iranian oil; and American steps to limit exports of Western technology, like chips that help power artificial intelligence systems. The Stockholm meetings could also provide some clarity about the prospects for a summit to be held later this year between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, seen by some as a crucial step to lock in any major agreements between their two countries. On his Truth Social media platform, Trump insisted late Monday that he was not "seeking" a summit with Xi, but may go to China at the Chinese leader's invitation, "which has been extended. Otherwise, no interest!" While the Chinese side has offered few specifics of its aims in Stockholm, Bessent has suggested that the situation has stabilized to the point that China and the U.S. can start looking toward longer-term balance between their economies. Since China vaulted into the global trading system about two decades ago, the United States has sought to press leaders in Beijing to encourage more consumption in China and offer greater market access to foreign-made — including American — goods. Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator and now vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said that Trump's team would face challenges from "a large and confident partner that is more than willing to retaliate against U.S. interests." Rollover of tariff rates "should be the easy part," she said, warning that Beijing has learned lessons since the first Trump administration and "will not buy into a one-sided deal this time around." On Monday, police have cordoned off a security zone along Stockholm's vast waterfront as rubbernecking tourists and locals sought a glimpse of the top-tier officials through a phalanx of TV news cameras lined up behind metal barriers. Flagpoles at the prime minister's office were festooned with the American and Chinese flags.
