Trump and Netanyahu to discuss Gaza ceasefire during Washington visit
US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has announced a key spokesperson will be visiting the Middle East to join ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Mr Netanyahu is set to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff before having a private Dinner with US President Donald Trump.
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Gaza truce talks reportedly faltering over withdrawal
Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza are stalling over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha say. A Palestinian source said Hamas has rejected the withdrawal maps Israel has proposed, as they would leave about 40 per cent of the territory under Israeli control including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two Israeli sources said Hamas wants Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian source said matters regarding aid and guarantees for ending the war were also presenting a challenge, and added that the crisis might be resolved with more US intervention. The White House said on Monday Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who played a major role in crafting the latest ceasefire proposal, would travel to Doha this week to join discussions. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar since Sunday in a renewed push for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war entirely. Hamas has long demanded an end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages were released and Hamas was dismantled. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive. Israel's subsequent campaign against Hamas has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins. Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza are stalling over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha say. A Palestinian source said Hamas has rejected the withdrawal maps Israel has proposed, as they would leave about 40 per cent of the territory under Israeli control including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two Israeli sources said Hamas wants Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian source said matters regarding aid and guarantees for ending the war were also presenting a challenge, and added that the crisis might be resolved with more US intervention. The White House said on Monday Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who played a major role in crafting the latest ceasefire proposal, would travel to Doha this week to join discussions. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar since Sunday in a renewed push for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war entirely. Hamas has long demanded an end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages were released and Hamas was dismantled. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive. Israel's subsequent campaign against Hamas has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins. Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza are stalling over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha say. A Palestinian source said Hamas has rejected the withdrawal maps Israel has proposed, as they would leave about 40 per cent of the territory under Israeli control including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two Israeli sources said Hamas wants Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian source said matters regarding aid and guarantees for ending the war were also presenting a challenge, and added that the crisis might be resolved with more US intervention. The White House said on Monday Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who played a major role in crafting the latest ceasefire proposal, would travel to Doha this week to join discussions. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar since Sunday in a renewed push for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war entirely. Hamas has long demanded an end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages were released and Hamas was dismantled. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive. Israel's subsequent campaign against Hamas has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins. Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza are stalling over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha say. A Palestinian source said Hamas has rejected the withdrawal maps Israel has proposed, as they would leave about 40 per cent of the territory under Israeli control including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two Israeli sources said Hamas wants Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian source said matters regarding aid and guarantees for ending the war were also presenting a challenge, and added that the crisis might be resolved with more US intervention. The White House said on Monday Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who played a major role in crafting the latest ceasefire proposal, would travel to Doha this week to join discussions. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar since Sunday in a renewed push for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war entirely. Hamas has long demanded an end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages were released and Hamas was dismantled. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive. Israel's subsequent campaign against Hamas has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins.
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
US citizen killed in West Bank settler attack
A Palestinian American man has been beaten to death by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and a second man has been shot dead, the Palestinian Health Ministry says. US citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, also known as Saif, was severely beaten in the incident on Friday evening in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the ministry said. Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest. Musallet's family, from Tampa, Florida, said in a statement that medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but that he died before reaching the hospital. "This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face," the family statement said. "We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes." A US State Department spokesperson said on Friday it was aware of the incident, but that the department had no further comment "out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones" of the reported victim. The Israeli military said Israel was probing the incident in the town of Sinjil. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them. The military said forces were dispatched to the scene and used non-lethal weapons to disperse the crowds. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. US President Donald Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli killings of US citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. The United Nations' highest court said in 2024 Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, and settlements there were illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land, which it captured in the 1967 Middle East War. The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for an independent state. A Palestinian American man has been beaten to death by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and a second man has been shot dead, the Palestinian Health Ministry says. US citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, also known as Saif, was severely beaten in the incident on Friday evening in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the ministry said. Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest. Musallet's family, from Tampa, Florida, said in a statement that medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but that he died before reaching the hospital. "This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face," the family statement said. "We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes." A US State Department spokesperson said on Friday it was aware of the incident, but that the department had no further comment "out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones" of the reported victim. The Israeli military said Israel was probing the incident in the town of Sinjil. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them. The military said forces were dispatched to the scene and used non-lethal weapons to disperse the crowds. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. US President Donald Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli killings of US citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. The United Nations' highest court said in 2024 Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, and settlements there were illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land, which it captured in the 1967 Middle East War. The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for an independent state. A Palestinian American man has been beaten to death by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and a second man has been shot dead, the Palestinian Health Ministry says. US citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, also known as Saif, was severely beaten in the incident on Friday evening in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the ministry said. Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest. Musallet's family, from Tampa, Florida, said in a statement that medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but that he died before reaching the hospital. "This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face," the family statement said. "We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes." A US State Department spokesperson said on Friday it was aware of the incident, but that the department had no further comment "out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones" of the reported victim. The Israeli military said Israel was probing the incident in the town of Sinjil. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them. The military said forces were dispatched to the scene and used non-lethal weapons to disperse the crowds. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. US President Donald Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli killings of US citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. The United Nations' highest court said in 2024 Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, and settlements there were illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land, which it captured in the 1967 Middle East War. The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for an independent state. A Palestinian American man has been beaten to death by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and a second man has been shot dead, the Palestinian Health Ministry says. US citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, also known as Saif, was severely beaten in the incident on Friday evening in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the ministry said. Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest. Musallet's family, from Tampa, Florida, said in a statement that medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but that he died before reaching the hospital. "This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face," the family statement said. "We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes." A US State Department spokesperson said on Friday it was aware of the incident, but that the department had no further comment "out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones" of the reported victim. The Israeli military said Israel was probing the incident in the town of Sinjil. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them. The military said forces were dispatched to the scene and used non-lethal weapons to disperse the crowds. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. US President Donald Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli killings of US citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. The United Nations' highest court said in 2024 Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, and settlements there were illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land, which it captured in the 1967 Middle East War. The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for an independent state.
Canberra Times
5 hours ago
- Canberra Times
Gaza truce talks reportedly faltering over withdrawal
A Palestinian source said Hamas has rejected the withdrawal maps Israel has proposed, as they would leave about 40 per cent of the territory under Israeli control including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza.
