Latest news with #Benjamin Netanyahu
The National
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Donald Trump's disregard for realpolitik will have dire consequences
The problem with US President Donald Trump's political optimism lies in his use of rhetoric that evokes a sense of accomplishment while distracting from failures and obstacles. He and his inner circle appear to be repeating ungrounded promises or espousing optimism that is detached from realpolitik. Whether this communication strategy involves deliberate deception or is driven by sheer determination, its negative consequences are real. The Trump administration, its envoys and cabinet members alike, would do well to acknowledge them in order to correct course. The cornerstone of Mr Trump's Middle East strategy remains the 'Deal of the Century'. He's been developing it since his first term in office, as he seeks to refashion US relations with the region. While securing the support of key Arab states remains fundamental to achieving his goal of full normalisation between Israel and the Arab world, Mr Trump aims to expand this normalisation to include Turkey and Iran. Some may argue that Mr Trump's persistence in pushing forward his political objectives is more than mere political optimism; rather it is a coherent strategy grounded in patience and resolve, bordering on what could be called strategic stubbornness. And that he is determined to find a way out of the impasse created by Israel's categorical rejection of the two-state solution in its traditional form. Following multiple meetings between the US President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – after which Mr Netanyahu left Washington with financial aid, weapons, and political and logistical support for any track Israel desired – hints emerged that Israel might accept a quasi-state for Palestinians in Gaza, on the condition that Israel retains full security control over the territory. Mr Netanyahu made clear that he was unconcerned with whether the world would view such an arrangement as a 'real state' but that what mattered to him was the appearance of a solution. Mr Netanyahu insisted that Hamas must disarm, or else face continued Israeli military operations, regardless of the planned 60-day ceasefire. Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump's Middle East envoy, has been tasked with the Gaza and Iran files. Yet the man working to implement the Deal of the Century from behind the scenes is Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. But these are men known for dealmaking in real estate ventures, hence the idea of transforming Gaza into a Riviera – as Mr Trump proposed earlier this year – resurfaced again during Mr Netanyahu's recent visit to Washington. This may explain why Mr Trump insisted that a ceasefire is imminent in Gaza, why Mr Witkoff is working on achieving a 60-day truce, and why Mr Kushner is working on the Deal of the Century. The victims of this open-ended optimism are ordinary Gazans, caught between Israel's determination to annihilate them, America's readiness to displace them and Hamas's use of them as a bargaining chip to advance its own interests. Meanwhile, Thomas Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, is playing an active role in implementing the Syrian component vital to the Deal of the Century. This component is being openly broadcasted in direct and indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel to settle their border disputes with eventual diplomatic normalisation in mind. While much of the Arab world is making progress towards normalising relations with Israel, Iran is preventing progress. It has prohibited its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon from surrendering its weapons to the state or agreeing to border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel. It also opposes border demarcation between Syria and Israel, as keeping borders open facilitates its land bridge with Hezbollah. The Trump-Witkoff duo is working to reformulate US-Iran relations, and they don't want the issue of Tehran's proxies to derail their nuclear-focused agenda. Political optimism towards Iran is leading Mr Trump's team to overlook Iran's dangerous entanglements with its regional clients. This Trump administration has also avoided confronting Iran over its differences with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which Tehran has blocked from operating within Iran pending guarantees regarding the safety of its nuclear facilities. This is because Iran is pressing ahead with restoring its nuclear programme. The victims of this open-ended optimism are ordinary Gazans Tehran is taking advantage of Mr Witkoff's eagerness to resume negotiations, setting astonishing conditions simply to return to the table. It is doing this to delay talks that might tie its hands or force it to allow inspectors to observe past and present activities. Iran's goal remains to buy time while it puts its house in order on the nuclear, missile, proxy and domestic fronts. It needs time, and Mr Trump's political optimism suits it perfectly. Tehran is now embracing an old Russian proposal – a compromise between Moscow's insistence on Iran's sovereign right to enrich highly enriched uranium on its soil and its acknowledgment of American, Israeli and European anxieties over Iran stockpiling this uranium. Russia's offer is to transfer the excess uranium to its territory. Mr Witkoff, also tasked with the Russia file, may find it appealing to let Moscow use the Iran nuclear issue as leverage to improve its standing with the US. But European powers won't agree to Russia's role in the matter, given the bitter fallout from Russian-Iranian co-operation in the Ukraine war. It won't be easy for Mr Trump to abandon his strategy of political optimism, particularly because realpolitik doesn't favour him. He prefers making lofty promises over conceding that his policies have yet to yield striking success anywhere. Even when he sent B-2 bombers to destroy Iran's nuclear infrastructure, he still ended up offering Tehran concessions to secure a ceasefire. Indeed, Iran got Mr Trump to withdraw his demand for unconditional surrender. It secured American guarantees that its establishment would remain in power, in exchange for co-ordinating its retaliatory attacks in such a way as to ensure no harm would come to US soldiers stationed in the region. It now holds the upper hand in its dealings with the Trump administration, setting the terms for negotiations – or the lack thereof – while preventing any international monitoring of its nuclear or missile programmes and dictating terms to its proxies. None of this changes the fact that Iran remains weak, and that it still fears military operations or targeted assassinations at Israel's hands. Moreover, Mr Netanyahu has secured from Mr Trump an implicit green light for Israel to resume operations against Iran should its intelligence services conclude that Tehran has restarted its nuclear activities. Nonetheless, Mr Trump's political optimism isn't working. It would be better for him to revert to his trademark blunt rhetoric, if only because it is clearer and less cloaked in fig leaves.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Prime Minister Netanyahu arrives in Israel post-Washington trip
While in the US capital, Netanyahu met with Trump and spoke with the families of the hostages. Earlier, in an interview with Newsmax, Netanyahu said that he hopes a hostage deal is reached soon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concluded his trip to the US Thursday night to return to Israel. Shortly before his departure, Netanyahu visited Andrews Air Force Base, where he flew in a US military helicopter. He and his wife, Sarah Netanyahu, also visited the home of Thomas Jefferson, the third US president and one of the country's founding fathers. Before their departure, the prime minister said that he hopes there will be a ceasefire deal in an interview with Newsmax, where he hopes to get 10 living hostages released in an upcoming deal. Shortly before, in a leaked recording shared by N12, the prime minister said that Israel cannot achieve a comprehensive deal to release all Gaza hostages at once. Numerous Israeli politicians, either for or against a hostage deal, attempted to influence talks in Washington by pressuring Netanyahu. Far-right National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir pressured the prime minister not to go through with what he claimed was a 'reckless' deal. Opposition party leader MK Benny Gantz (Blue and White) said in a video statement, 'Prime minister, don't return until there is a framework for the return of all the hostages. Stay and keep up the pressure in Washington." Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
UN slams Israel as 10 more Palestinians killed seeking aid in Gaza, nearly 800 deaths at relief sites since May
JERUSALEM, July 12 — Ten Palestinians were reported killed yesterday while waiting for rations in Gaza, adding to nearly 800 similar deaths in the last six weeks, according to the UN, with Israel's army saying it issued new instructions to troops following repeated reports of fatalities. Friday's reported violence came as negotiators from Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas were locked in indirect talks in Qatar to try to agree on a temporary ceasefire in the more than 21-month conflict. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he hoped a deal for a 60-day pause in the war could be struck in the coming days, and that he would then be ready to negotiate a more permanent end to hostilities. Hamas has said the free flow of aid is a main sticking point in the talks, with Gaza's more than two million residents facing a dire humanitarian crisis of hunger and disease amid the grinding conflict. Israel began easing a more than two-month total blockade of aid in late May. Since then, a new US- and Israel-backed organisation called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has effectively sidelined the territory's vast UN-led aid delivery network. There are frequent reports of Israeli forces firing on people seeking aid, with Gaza's civil defence agency saying 10 Palestinians were killed Friday while waiting at a distribution point near the southern city of Rafah. 'Unacceptable' The UN, which refuses to cooperate with GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives, said Friday that 798 people have been killed seeking aid between late May and July 7, including 615 'in the vicinity of the GHF sites'. 'Where people are lining up for essential supplies such as food and medicine, and where... they have a choice between being shot or being fed, this is unacceptable,' UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday's deaths, but has previously accused militants of firing at civilians in the vicinity of aid centres. Asked about the UN figures, the military said it had worked to minimise 'possible friction' between aid seekers and soldiers, and that it conducted 'thorough examinations' of incidents in which 'harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported'. 'Instructions were issued to forces in the field following lessons learned,' it added in a statement. GHF called the UN report 'false and misleading', claiming that 'most deadly attacks on aid sites have been linked to UN convoys'. Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency, told AFP that Israeli forces killed 45 people overall in the territory on Friday. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties. Truce talks In Gaza's south, a witness said Israeli tanks were seen near Khan Yunis, reporting 'intense gunfire, intermittent air strikes, artillery shelling, and ongoing bulldozing and destruction of displacement camps and agricultural land'. Israel's military said troops were operating in the area against 'terrorist infrastructure sites, both above and below ground'. Hamas has said that as part of a potential truce deal it was willing to release 10 of the hostages taken during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the Gaza war. Netanyahu, who is under pressure to end the war after mounting military losses, said that would leave 10 living hostages still in captivity. 'I hope we can complete it in a few days,' he said of the initial ceasefire agreement and hostage release in an interview with US outlet Newsmax. 'We'll probably have a 60-day ceasefire, get the first batch out, then use the 60-day ceasefire to negotiate an end to this.' Netanyahu has said that a key condition of any deal is that Hamas first gives up its weapons and its hold on Gaza, warning that failure to do so on Israel's terms would lead to further conflict. Another issue holding up a deal is disagreement on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for hostages, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said. Hamas has said it wants 'real guarantees' for a lasting truce and Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza, and that it opposes any Israeli moves to push Palestinians into 'isolated enclaves'. The group's 2023 attack on Israel led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Out of 251 hostages seized in the attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. At least 57,823 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. — AFP
France 24
2 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
UN says hundreds killed in recent weeks while seeking aid in Gaza
Friday's reported violence came as negotiators from Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas were locked in indirect talks in Qatar to try to agree on a temporary ceasefire in the more than 21-month conflict. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he hoped a deal for a 60-day pause in the war could be struck in the coming days, and that he would then be ready to negotiate a more permanent end to hostilities. Hamas has said the free flow of aid is a main sticking point in the talks, with Gaza's more than two million residents facing a dire humanitarian crisis of hunger and disease amid the grinding conflict. Israel began easing a more than two-month total blockade of aid in late May. Since then, a new US- and Israel-backed organisation called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has effectively sidelined the territory's vast UN-led aid delivery network. There are frequent reports of Israeli forces firing on people seeking aid, with Gaza's civil defence agency saying 10 Palestinians were killed Friday while waiting at a distribution point near the southern city of Rafah. 'Unacceptable' The UN, which refuses to cooperate with GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives, said Friday that 798 people have been killed seeking aid between late May and July 7, including 615 "in the vicinity of the GHF sites". "Where people are lining up for essential supplies such as food and medicine, and where... they have a choice between being shot or being fed, this is unacceptable," UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday's deaths, but has previously accused militants of firing at civilians in the vicinity of aid centres. Asked about the UN figures, the military said it had worked to minimise "possible friction" between aid seekers and soldiers, and that it conducted "thorough examinations" of incidents in which "harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported". "Instructions were issued to forces in the field following lessons learned," it added in a statement. GHF called the UN report "false and misleading", claiming that "most deadly attacks on aid sites have been linked to UN convoys". Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency, told AFP that Israeli forces killed 45 people overall in the territory on Friday. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties. Truce talks In Gaza's south, a witness said Israeli tanks were seen near Khan Yunis, reporting "intense gunfire, intermittent air strikes, artillery shelling, and ongoing bulldozing and destruction of displacement camps and agricultural land". Israel's military said troops were operating in the area against "terrorist infrastructure sites, both above and below ground". Hamas has said that as part of a potential truce deal it was willing to release 10 of the hostages taken during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the Gaza war. Netanyahu, who is under pressure to end the war after mounting military losses, said that would leave 10 living hostages still in captivity. "I hope we can complete it in a few days," he said of the initial ceasefire agreement and hostage release in an interview with US outlet Newsmax. "We'll probably have a 60-day ceasefire, get the first batch out, then use the 60-day ceasefire to negotiate an end to this." Netanyahu has said that a key condition of any deal is that Hamas first gives up its weapons and its hold on Gaza, warning that failure to do so on Israel's terms would lead to further conflict. Another issue holding up a deal is disagreement on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for hostages, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said. The group's 2023 attack on Israel led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Out of 251 hostages seized in the attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. At least 57,823 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
UN agency slams Israel over ‘inhumane' plan
Israel's plan to concentrate Gaza's entire population into a sealed, military-controlled 'humanitarian city' is 'inhumane,' the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has said, warning it would constitute forced displacement on a massive scale. The scheme was unveiled by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday. It envisions establishing a walled-off camp in southern Gaza on the ruins of Rafah. Katz has said the site would initially hold 600,000 Palestinians displaced by the war and would eventually house the entire population of the enclave – more than 2 million people. According to Katz, residents would be screened to prevent Hamas operatives from entering and would not be permitted to leave. At some point, the inhabitants would be allowed to 'voluntarily emigrate' to other countries. He has described the plan as a way to give the Israeli military more 'freedom' to fight Hamas in other parts of Gaza. Katz has claimed that while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would initially control the zone, it could eventually be operated by international organizations, though he has not specified which bodies would participate. A source cited by Haaretz has claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported the plan. Commenting on the idea of providing comforts to the confined Gazans, Netanyahu allegedly said, 'Give them Ben & Jerry's, for all I care.' Speaking to reporters on Thursday, UNRWA communications director Tamara Alrifai said: 'There is nothing humanitarian about confining hundreds of thousands of people behind fences and checkpoints under military surveillance.' 'Labeling it a 'humanitarian city' is an insult to the very notion of humanity,' she added. Alrifai warned that the project would transform Gaza, already described as an 'open-air prison' by humanitarian groups, into the most crowded and tightly controlled camp on Earth. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has called the idea a 'massive overcrowded camp' and said the only viable solution is a lasting ceasefire, the release of hostages, unimpeded humanitarian access, and a renewed commitment to a two-state solution. The plan has also sparked outcry from rights experts and observers, some of whom have compared the sealed zone to a concentration camp and have accused Israel of engineering a mass expulsion of Palestinians. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023 following a deadly Hamas incursion. Since then, the IDF has reportedly killed nearly 57,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children, leading to accusations of genocide against the Israeli leadership.
