Phase one of Israel-Hamas truce set to expire
The first phase of the Israel-Hamas truce is due to expire on Saturday, and negotiations on the next stage to secure a permanent ceasefire so far have been inconclusive.
The ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19 after more than 15 months of war sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, the deadliest in the country's history.
Over several weeks, Hamas freed 25 living hostages and returned the bodies of eight others to Israel in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The fragile truce was brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt after months of grueling negotiations. The second phase should begin on Sunday and would secure the release of dozens of hostages still in Gaza.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to hold a ministerial meeting with security officials, according to Israeli media, after he sent a delegation to Egypt for discussions on phase two of the truce.
On Thursday, Egypt's State Information Service said: "The relevant parties have begun intensive talks to discuss the next phases of the truce agreement, amid ongoing efforts to ensure the implementation of the previously agreed understandings."
It also said Israeli, Qatari and U.S. delegations were in Cairo for the talks.
By early Saturday, there was no sign of consensus, or of a presence of a Hamas delegation in the Egyptian capital.
Max Rodenbeck, of the International Crisis Group think tank, said the second phase cannot be expected to start on Saturday.
"But I think the ceasefire probably won't collapse also," he said.
The preferred Israeli scenario is to free more hostages under an extension of the first phase, rather than a second phase, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
Hamas, for its part, has pushed hard for phase two to begin after it suffered staggering losses in the devastating war.
In a statement, it said that it "affirms its full commitment to implementing all the provisions of the agreement in all its stages and details."
The group also called for global pressure on Israel "to immediately enter the second phase of the agreement without any delay."
Ceasefire 'must hold'
Of the 251 hostages seized during the Hamas terrorist attack, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal "must hold," with just hours to go before the initial phase expires.
"The coming days are critical. The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal," Guterres said in New York.
The truce enabled greater aid flows into the territory, where more than 69% of buildings were damaged or destroyed, almost the entire population was displaced, and widespread hunger occurred because of the war, according to the United Nations.
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Voice of America
14-03-2025
- Voice of America
US envoy says Hamas misrepresented release of hostage
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said a Hamas statement issued Friday announcing it had agreed to release an American-Israeli soldier was, in reality, a condition of a "bridge" ceasefire proposal offered by U.S. officials earlier this week. Early Friday, the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas issued a statement saying it had agreed to release Edan Alexander, believed to be the last living American hostage held in Gaza, as well as the bodies of four other hostages after receiving a proposal from mediators to resume negotiations on the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal. The statement said the proposal had been offered by unnamed mediators as part of the work in Qatar to restart ceasefire negotiations. The United States, Egypt and host Qatar have been mediating the ceasefire talks. Hamas expressed its "complete readiness to begin negotiations and reach a comprehensive agreement on the issues of the second phase." Later Friday, in a joint statement issued along with the National Security Council, Witkoff's office explained he and National Security Council Senior Middle East Director Eric Trager had presented the bridge proposal to extend the current ceasefire beyond Ramadan and Passover and allow time to negotiate a framework for a permanent ceasefire. In the statement, Witkoff said that under the proposal, Hamas would release additional living hostages in exchange for prisoners, and that the extension of the phase-one ceasefire would allow more time for humanitarian aid to resume into Gaza. He said the U.S. had its Qatari and Egyptian mediating partners convey to Hamas "in no uncertain terms" that the new proposal would have to be implemented soon and Edan Alexander would have to be released immediately. "Unfortunately, Hamas has chosen to respond by publicly claiming flexibility," Witkoff said in the statement, "while privately making demands that are entirely impractical without a permanent ceasefire." In a statement released on the X social media platform, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that while Israel had accepted "the Witkoff framework," Hamas "continues to wage psychological warfare against hostage families." The statement went on to say that the prime minister would convene his ministerial team Saturday evening for a detailed briefing from the negotiating team and "decide on steps to free the hostages and achieve all our war objectives." Hamas is believed to be holding 24 living hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered its war with Israel. The group also is holding the bodies of 34 others who were either killed in the initial attack or in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in 2014. In comments to FOX Business news Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she was wary of taking Hamas statements at face value but emphasized that U.S. President Donald Trump was working "diligently" to bring hostages home. Witkoff told reporters at the White House early in March that gaining the release of Alexander was a "top priority." A ceasefire has been in place since January. During the first phase of the three-phase ceasefire, Hamas exchanged 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israel has been pressing Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase, which ended March 2. Hamas had said it wanted to move to the second phase of the agreement, which would involve the release of more hostages and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Voice of America
Under what circumstances can a US green card be revoked?
The recent arrest of Palestinian activist and U.S. legal permanent resident Mahmoud Khalil, who played a prominent role in last year's Columbia University protests over the war in Gaza, has prompted questions about the limits of a green card. A green card holder since 2024, Khalil was granted lawful permanent residency status in the U.S. But green card holders can lose their status and face deportation if they violate immigration law. A federal judge on Wednesday extended efforts to halt Khalil's deportation, and the New York resident remains in detention in Louisiana although he has not been charged with any crime. It is not a criminal offense to disagree, even openly, with the U.S. government's policy or actions, and the Bill of Rights protects free speech and the right to assemble. The why Green cards can be revoked, New York-based immigration lawyer Linda Dakin-Grimm told VOA. 'It's not that common, but it also isn't rare. People lose their green cards most often when they're convicted of crimes. … A green card is not citizenship. It's seen as a privilege that you earn, but you can also lose it if you engage in conduct that is contrary to the conditions that green card holders live under,' she said. Examples of crimes that can cause a green card holder can lose their status include aggravated felonies, drug offenses, fraud, or national security concerns such as ties to a terrorist group. Green card holders can also lose their status and lawful permanent residency status for being deemed a threat to national security. If a green card holder is accused of a crime, their criminal case will go through the justice system. But the process to revoke their permanent status takes place in immigration court, where officials must present evidence to justify revoking a green card. The how Revoking a green card is a legal process that starts when the U.S. government determines that an individual has violated immigration laws. The case can come to the government's attention in different ways, either through a routine immigration check, law enforcement investigation, or whistleblower. 'It could theoretically be a whistleblower. Someone who has some information. … Could they call the State Department? Maybe. Could they call the ICE hotline? Maybe,' Dakin-Grimm said. The Department of Homeland Security usually initiates the process. The green card holder will receive a document known as a Notice to Appear in immigration court or, in serious cases, they may be arrested and detained. White House officials said Wednesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has the authority to revoke a green card or any visa if an individual's activities in the United States 'would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences' to the country. Rubio has said that Khalil's case is not about free speech. 'No one has a right to a green card, by the way. … If you told us that's what you intended to do when you came to America, we would have never let you in,' Rubio said on Wednesday. 'If you do it once you get in, we're going to revoke it and kick you out.' The authority for the secretary of state to intervene in a case like Khalil's stems from the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. A provision in the law allows the secretary of state to deem a non-citizen deportable if their presence or activities are believed to significantly harm U.S. foreign policy interests. According to Khalil's NTA, Rubio has made that determination. Khalil has been ordered to appear in front of an immigration judge on March 27 at the Lasalle Detention Facility in Louisiana. The court In immigration court, the burden of proof is on the government; it must show the person violated immigration laws. In a case like Khalil's, ICE attorneys will ask for deportation, but they will have to prove he is a threat to national security. The green card holder can also present a defense. In the criminal justice system, if a person cannot afford an attorney, the government must provide a public defender. In immigration court, however, immigrants have the right to their own attorney, but the government does not have to provide one. If immigrants cannot afford an attorney or cannot find one to represent them pro bono, they do will not have access to legal representation. Dakin-Grimm says the process can sometimes go fast, but it is also complex. In the immigration court system, the decision to revoke a green card is an administrative procedure conducted by the Department of Justice, under an office known as the Executive Office for Immigration Review. 'It's kind of like the government is prosecuting a case, and the judge is also the government,' Dakin-Grimm said. The outcome If the immigration judge rules against the green card holder, they can appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). And if the BIA agrees with the government, the green card holder can appeal to a Federal Court of Appeals. Although the case can end up at the U.S. Supreme Court, Dakin-Grimm says that rarely happens, mostly because the Supreme Court has complete discretion over the cases it chooses. 'Most people can't afford to do this kind of legal work themselves. It's just very, very expensive — you know, hundreds of thousands of dollars to take a case from the trial court level all the way to the Supreme Court,' she said. 'But in the immigration space, you tend to see nonprofit agencies, law school clinics, working pro bono, working for free in significant cases like this.' A final decision If the green card is revoked and all appeals fail, the person is usually deported from the U.S. If the appeal is successful, the person keeps their green card and is allowed to stay in the country. Dakin-Grimm said many green card holders think because it is called 'permanent residency,' the status is actually permanent. 'But it's only permanent as long as you follow the rules,' she said. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell contributed to this report.
Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Voice of America
ຜູ້ພິພາກສາ ເລື່ອນຄຳສັ່ງຫ້າມເນລະເທດ ນັກສຶກສາ ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລ ໂຄລຳເບຍ ອອກຈາກສະຫະລັດ
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