People in Israel, Iran try to restore daily lives amid ceasefire
In the central part of Israel's biggest commercial city, Tel Aviv, barbers were busy cleaning up broken glass after their shop was damaged by a missile attack.
Local officials said about 2,500 people in the city are living in shelters.
Multiple apartment blocks collapsed after an Iranian missile attack that left eight people injured.
Meanwhile, Iran has reopened some airports.
The Iranian ministry announced that a total of 13 airports in the country's east have started to gradually resume domestic and international flights.
The fighting between Israel and Iran is winding down, while Israel continues its attacks on the Gaza Strip, saying it will destroy the Islamic group Hamas.
Health authorities in the enclave said on Wednesday that the death toll had risen to 56,156 since October 7, 2023.
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Japan Times
6 hours ago
- Japan Times
Syrian and Israeli diplomats met in Paris to discuss 'de-escalation,' report says
Syria's foreign minister met with an Israeli diplomatic delegation in Paris on Tuesday to discuss "de-escalation and non-interference in Syria's internal affairs," state news agency SANA reported. The latest in a series of U.S.-mediated talks resulted in "understandings that support stability in the region," the agency said. The U.S. government has been at work in recent weeks to try to resolve security issues in Syria and Lebanon, which its ally Israel says have prompted it to take military action. Despite a truce reached last November, Israel has continued to hit targets of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, and it has occupied territory and hit targets across Syria since last year's fall of dictator Bashar Assad. Tuesday's meeting in Paris follows one between Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Baku, Azerbaijan, in late July, and another meeting in Paris before that. Israel and Syria have technically been at war since 1948, and the talks also discussed reviving a disengagement accord from 1974 that created a buffer zone between the two countries. "These talks are taking place under U.S. mediation, as part of diplomatic efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability in Syria and preserving the unity and integrity of its territory," the agency said. The recent meetings between the two countries come after deadly sectarian clashes in July in southern Syria's Druze-majority Sweida province which left over 1,400 people dead. The clashes initially pitted local Druze fighters against Sunni Bedouin tribes but soon saw the involvement of Syrian government forces and Israel, with the latter saying it wanted to protect the Druze. Last month, Israel struck the Syrian presidential palace and the army headquarters in Damascus. The United States, an ally of Israel but who has expressed support for Syria's new leaders, announced a ceasefire between the two sides overnight on July 18.
Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Japan Times
As Netanyahu expands Gaza war, some reservists grow more disillusioned
As Israel seeks to expand its offensive in the Gaza Strip, a measure of how the country's mood has changed in the nearly 2-year-old conflict is the discontent evident among some reservists being called up to serve once again. Shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas, Israelis dropped everything — honeymoons, studies and new lives abroad — to rush home and fight. Now, some voice disillusionment with political leaders sending them back into battle, as the military prepares to take control of Gaza City, the enclave's biggest urban center. According to a study conducted by Agam Labs at the Hebrew University, which measured sentiment about the new campaign among more than 300 people serving in the current war, 25.7% of reservists said their motivation had decreased significantly compared with the start of the campaign. Another 10% said their motivation slightly decreased. Asked to describe their feelings about the campaign, the biggest group — 47% — of respondents expressed negative emotions toward the government and its handling of the war and hostage negotiations. In March, before the latest offensive was announced, the Israeli news outlet Ynet reported that the amount of reservists reporting for duty was 30% below the number requested by military commanders. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack, the bloodiest single day for Jews since the Holocaust, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. But the war has dragged on, with Hamas still putting up a fight and Israelis condemning their prime minister for failing to reach a deal with the militant group to win the release of hostages despite many mediation efforts. 'Entirely political' Reservists were among thousands of Israelis who took part in a nationwide strike on Sunday, one of the biggest protests in support of families of hostages, calling on Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and release the remaining captives. One of those angry protesters was Roni Zehavi, a reservist pilot who stopped serving out of principle after more than 200 days of service when the last ceasefire fell through. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men block a road during a protest against Israeli army conscription in Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Tuesday. | AFP-JIJI He said that when reservists were enlisted, they did everything required without saying a word. But then, questions such as "where is this going?" started to pop up, he recalled. Reservists accused the government — the most far-right administration in Israel's history — of perpetuating the war for political reasons. "This war is entirely political, it has no goal except to keep Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister," he said. "He is willing to do everything necessary, to sacrifice the hostages, fallen soldiers, dead citizens — to do what he needs so that he and his wife will stay in power. It's the tragedy of the state of Israel and it's the reality." Asked for comment about the disenchantment voiced by some reservists, the Israeli military said it sees great importance in the reserve service and each case of absence is examined. "In this challenging security reality, the contribution of the reservists is essential to the success of missions and to maintaining the security of the country," it said. The prime minister's office was not immediately available for comment. Netanyahu has so far resisted calls to establish a state inquiry — in which he could be implicated — into the security failures of the Oct. 7 attack. He has said such an investigation should not be launched as long as the war is still underway. Some of his far-right coalition partners have threatened to bring down the government should the war end without meeting all its stated goals. When Israel called up 360,000 reservists after the Oct. 7 attack, the largest such compulsory mobilization since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, it received an enthusiastic response. The mood among some reservists appears different now. "I will not be part of a system that knows that it will kill the hostages. I'm just not prepared to take that. And I really fear that, to the point where it keeps me up at night," one combat medic said. He asked not to be identified as he was not authorized to speak. Protesters in Tel Aviv on Aug. 9 | REUTERS According to Israel's Channel 12, the military plans to call up 250,000 reservists for the Gaza City offensive. Israel has lost 898 soldiers and thousands have been wounded in the Gaza war, the country's longest conflict since the 1948 war that accompanied its creation. Its military response to the Hamas attack has killed over 61,000 people in Gaza, including many children, according to Gaza health authorities. 'Lack of vision' Military service is mandatory in Israel, a small nation of fewer than 10 million people, but it relies heavily on reservists in times of crisis. Reserve duty is technically mandatory, though penalties for evasion often depend on the willingness of the direct commander to enforce punishment. A total of 10 Israeli reservists were interviewed for this story. Like many other reservists, special forces Sgt. Maj. A. Kalker concluded that Israel's military and political leadership has failed to formulate a sound day-after plan for the war. 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The Mainichi
8 hours ago
- The Mainichi
FACT FOCUS: Trump says he has ended seven wars. The reality isn't so clear cut
(AP) -- President Donald Trump has projected himself as a peacemaker since returning to the White House in January, touting his efforts to end global conflicts. In meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders Monday, Trump repeated that he has been instrumental in stopping multiple wars but didn't specify which. "I've done six wars, I've ended six wars, Trump said in the Oval Office with Zelenskyy. He later added: "If you look at the six deals I settled this year, they were all at war. I didn't do any ceasefires." He raised that figure Tuesday, telling "Fox & Friends" that "we ended seven wars." But although Trump helped mediate relations among many of these nations, experts say his impact isn't as clear cut as he claims. Here's a closer look at the conflicts. Israel and Iran Trump is credited with ending the 12-day war. Israel launched attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program and military leadership in June, saying it wanted to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon -- which Tehran has denied it was trying to do. Trump negotiated a ceasefire between Israel and Iran just after directing American warplanes to strike Iran's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. He publicly harangued both countries into maintaining the ceasefire. Evelyn Farkas, executive director of Arizona State University's McCain Institute, said Trump should get credit for ending the war. "There's always a chance it could flare up again if Iran restarts its nuclear weapons program, but nonetheless, they were engaged in a hot war with one another," she said. "And it didn't have any real end in sight before President Trump got involved and gave them an ultimatum." Lawrence Haas, a senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the American Foreign Policy Council who is an expert on Israel-Iran tensions, agreed the U.S. was instrumental in securing the ceasefire. But he characterized it as a "temporary respite" from the ongoing "day-to-day cold war" between the two foes that often involves flare-ups. Egypt and Ethiopia This could be described as tensions at best, and peace efforts -- which don't directly involve the U.S. -- have stalled. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River has caused friction between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan since the power-generating project was announced more than a decade ago. In July, Ethiopia declared the project complete, with an inauguration set for September. Egypt and Sudan oppose the dam. Although the vast majority of the water that flows down the Nile originates in Ethiopia, Egyptian agriculture relies on the river almost entirely. Sudan, meanwhile, fears flooding and wants to protect its own power-generating dams. During his first term, Trump tried to broker a deal between Ethiopia and Egypt but couldn't get them to agree. He suspended aid to Ethiopia over the dispute. In July, he posted on Truth Social that he helped the "fight over the massive dam (and) there is peace at least for now." However, the disagreement persists, and negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have stalled. "It would be a gross overstatement to say that these countries are at war," said Haas. "I mean, they're just not." India and Pakistan The April killing of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir pushed India and Pakistan closer to war than they had been in years, but a ceasefire was reached. Trump has claimed that the U.S. brokered the ceasefire, which he said came about in part because he offered trade concessions. Pakistan thanked Trump, recommending him for the Nobel Peace Prize. But India has denied Trump's claims, saying there was no conversation between the U.S. and India on trade in regards to the ceasefire. Although India has downplayed the Trump administration's role in the ceasefire, Haas and Farkas believe the U.S. deserves some credit for helping stop the fighting. "I think that President Trump played a constructive role from all accounts, but it may not have been decisive. And again, I'm not sure whether you would define that as a full-blown war," Farkas said. Serbia and Kosovo The White House lists the conflict between these countries as one Trump resolved, but there has been no threat of a war between the two neighbors during Trump's second term, nor any significant contribution from Trump this year to improve their relations. Kosovo is a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Tensions have persisted ever since, but never to the point of war, mostly because NATO-led peacekeepers have been deployed in Kosovo, which has been recognized by more than 100 countries. During his first term, Trump negotiated a wide-ranging deal between Serbia and Kosovo, but much of what was agreed on was never carried out. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Trump has played a key role in peace efforts between the African neighbors, but he's hardly alone and the conflict is far from over. Eastern Congo, rich in minerals, has been battered by fighting with more than 100 armed groups. The most potent is the M23 rebel group backed by neighboring Rwanda, which claims it is protecting its territorial interests and that some of those who participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide fled to Congo and are working with the Congolese army. The Trump administration's efforts paid off in June, when the Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers signed a peace deal at the White House. The M23, however, wasn't directly involved in the U.S.-facilitated negotiations and said it couldn't abide by the terms of an agreement that didn't involve it. The final step to peace was meant to be a separate Qatar-facilitated deal between Congo and M23 that would bring about a permanent ceasefire. But with the fighting still raging, Monday's deadline for the Qatar-led deal was missed and there have been no public signs of major talks between Congo and M23 on the final terms. Armenia and Azerbaijan Trump this month hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House, where they signed a deal aimed at ending a decades-long conflict between the two nations. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the signed document a "significant milestone," and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hailed Trump for performing "a miracle." The two countries signed agreements intended to reopen key transportation routes and reaffirm Armenia's and Azerbaijan's commitment to signing a peace treaty. The treaty's text was initialed by the countries' foreign ministers at that meeting, which indicates preliminary approval. But the two countries have yet to sign and ratify the deal. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control of the Karabakh province, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh, and nearby territories. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured broad swaths of territory. Russia brokered a truce and deployed about 2,000 peacekeepers to the region. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz to retake remaining portions. The two countries have worked toward normalizing ties and signing a peace treaty ever since. Cambodia and Thailand Officials from Thailand and Cambodia credit Trump with pushing the Asian neighbors to agree to a ceasefire in this summer's brief border conflict. Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their shared border. The latest fighting began in July after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Tensions had been growing since May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thai politics. Both countries agreed in late July to an unconditional ceasefire during a meeting in Malaysia. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pressed for the pact, but there was little headway until Trump intervened. Trump said on social media that he warned the Thai and Cambodian leaders that the U.S. would not move forward with trade agreements if the hostilities continued. Both countries faced economic difficulties and neither had reached tariff deals with the U.S., though most of their Southeast Asian neighbors had. According to Ken Lohatepanont, a political analyst and University of Michigan doctoral candidate, "President Trump's decision to condition a successful conclusion to these talks on a ceasefire likely played a significant role in ensuring that both sides came to the negotiating table when they did." ___ Associated Press reporters Jon Gambrell, Grant Peck, Dasha Litvinova, Fay Abuelgasim, Rajesh Roy, and Dusan Stojanovic contributed.
