Latest news with #BisharaBahbah
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Palestinian-American who mediated Edan Alexander's release separates from Witkoff team
"Ceasefire negotiations are currently stalled. I am not a mediator in the true sense of the word, but I share your suffering," Bahbah wrote on Facebook. Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah, who was a key mediator for the release of former Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, will no longer be working with the US negotiating team for a ceasefire and hostage deal, N12 reported Saturday. "Dear people of Gaza, all I can say now is that aid trucks will continue to enter the Strip on a regular basis. Unfortunately, most of the aid trucks are stolen as soon as they enter the Strip," Bahbah said on Facebook Friday night. "Ceasefire negotiations are currently stalled. I am not a mediator in the true sense of the word, but I share your suffering. My role is to convey your voices to all officials, high and low. As I said before, I have not and will not forget you." Bahbah is now expected to work separately from US Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, according to N12. "I can achieve more with Hamas when I conduct myself freely," he said, according to the report. Bahbah said that he was never an official member of the US negotiating team. "I have played the role of a mediator whenever Steve Witkoff asked me to do so. I have tremendous respect for Mr. Witkoff. I believe that President Trump wants to end the tragedy in Gaza," he added. In late July, Bahbah criticized Hamas for not providing a quick response to an Israeli proposal. "The delay is costing the Palestinian people dozens of victims every day, and there is no convincing reason to delay the response or to demand amendments that are not essential," he wrote on Facebook. Bahbah's deal proposal months ago Bahbah proposed a plan in May for a 70-day ceasefire and the release of 10 hostages in two stages, Ynet reported. Bahbah's plan "is something that no Israeli government would agree to accept. Hamas is setting impossible conditions that mean a complete failure to meet the goals of the war, and an inability to release the hostages," an Israeli official told the Israeli news site. Solve the daily Crossword
Al Arabiya
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Trump agrees to Palestinian statehood, says Bishara Bahbah
A prominent Palestinian-American said Friday that US President Donald Trump had informed him he would accept the establishment of a Palestinian state. Bishara Bahbah, chairman of Arab Americans for Peace, formerly known as Arab-Americans for Trump, told Al Arabiya that one sticking point in current ceasefire talks was whether Israeli forces would remain present in parts of Gaza. He said a ceasefire deal was still possible and that he remained in contact with Hamas after the US withdrew from negotiations earlier this week. Bahbah also revealed that Arab countries had convinced Trump to disavow earlier plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza. 'Trump informed me of his approval for the establishment of a Palestinian state,' Bahbah said. Some Israeli far-right leaders held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss redeveloping the Gaza Strip into a tourist-friendly 'riviera,' as Palestinians face a worsening humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory. The name of the event evokes a proposal floated by Trump in February to turn the war-ravaged territory into 'the Riviera of the Middle East' after moving out its Palestinian residents and putting it under American control. The idea drew swift condemnation from across the Arab world, and from Palestinians themselves, for whom any effort to force them off their land would recall the 'Nakba,' or catastrophe -- the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel's creation in 1948.
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Business Standard
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Response of ceasefire proposal handed to mediators with new demands: Hamas
Hamas claimed that it handed its response to the Israeli ceasefire proposal to mediators, The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday morning, following earlier indications to the contrary. An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that Hamas has yet to deliver an official response to the proposal submitted a week ago and is now raising new demands on issues previously resolved. At a Doha meeting with representatives from Qatar and Egypt on Tuesday, mediators shared Hamas's feedback with Hamas leaders. "This is not a serious response," the mediators told them, according to informed sources quoted by The Jerusalem Post. "Go back and draft a new one." The mediators, as reported by The Jerusalem Post, declined to relay Hamas's response to Israel's proposed deal on Tuesday, citing that it was not a serious answer. A person familiar with the matter said, "If you don't return with a serious response, your problem will be with us - the mediators." An Israeli official also noted that Hamas has backtracked on several key issues previously agreed upon, including humanitarian aid, the deployment of Israeli forces during the proposed 60-day ceasefire, and the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, The Jerusalem Post reported. According to Hamas's response on Tuesday, it is demanding that all humanitarian aid enter the Gaza Strip exclusively through the auspices of the United Nations. Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post has highlighted that the Trump administration conveyed to both Qatar and Egypt the urgency of pressuring Hamas to align more closely with the Israeli position. The proposed hostage deal includes the release of 10 Israeli hostages alongside the bodies of 18 Israelis killed by the terrorists. Bishara Bahbah, US President Donald Trump's Palestinian-American mediator and envoy in Qatar, criticised Hamas's delays, saying they are "costing dozens of Palestinian lives every day." He added, "There is no convincing reason for the delay in responding, nor for demanding nonessential changes, especially considering this is a 60-day negotiation period with no casualties and no bloodshed, during which all details will be discussed." Summing up the frustration, Bahbah stated, "Enough with the stalling and continued bloodshed. We must move forward toward a deal that enables all parties to negotiate under American guarantees in order to reach a permanent ceasefire. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hamas likely to respond positively to ceasefire proposal later on Friday, source tells 'Post'
The source estimates the response will be positive, with some points rewritten. These revisions are not expected to be deal-breakers. Hamas's response to the proposed ceasefire and hostage deal will be delivered later on Friday to Israel, Egypt, and the United States via Qatar, a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post. The source estimates the response will be positive, with some points rewritten. These revisions are not expected to be deal-breakers. Steve Witkoff representative Bishara Bahbah confirmed that Hamas will provide its response on Friday evening in a post to Facebook. "Hamas will respond this evening to the Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal, which Israel has accepted. I hope to hear good news this evening," Bahbah wrote. This comes after Hamas confirmed early on Friday morning that it was discussing the US-Qatar ceasefire proposal with other Palestinian factions. The terror group promised to announce the final decision after the meetings. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he is expecting to know whether Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal over the next 24 hours, Reuters reported. The proposal, presented by Qatar and based on the Witkoff framework, calls for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 bodies during a 60-day ceasefire. During that period, the sides are expected to hold talks aimed at ending the war. On Thursday, senior Hamas officials met in Turkey to discuss the proposed framework. In exchange for the hostages, Israel would release 125 Palestinian prisoners in addition to 1,111 Gazans that Israel had arrested after October 7. This is a developing story.
Times of Oman
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Hamas submits "positive response" to US-backed Gaza ceasefire deal
Gaza: Hamas has announced that it had "submitted a positive response" to a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, opening the path toward a deal to halt the conflict after months of failed efforts, CNN reported. Hamas has "submitted a positive response to the mediators, and the movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework," the group said in a statement. Israel had previously accepted the US-sponsored framework, which means the two sides are now expected to enter final, detailed negotiations before a ceasefire agreement is officially reached. Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American interlocutor who has been in direct discussions with Hamas, praised the group's response on Facebook, saying, "We are now much closer to ending this cursed war." He said Hamas had introduced "amendments it deemed necessary." "In my view, these amendments will not prevent reaching a ceasefire agreement within the coming week, God willing," he said. An Israeli source familiar with the matter said earlier on Friday that Israel had expected a positive response from Hamas, with the rewording of a few points in the proposal language. The source said these changes were not expected to derail the ceasefire efforts. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he was optimistic that a ceasefire deal in Gaza could be agreed next week after Hamas announced its response. "We have to get it over with," Trump said. "We have to do something about Gaza." Of the 50 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza, the proposal calls for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 deceased during the ceasefire. On the first day of the ceasefire, Hamas would release eight living hostages in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Following the release, Israel would withdraw from parts of northern Gaza, and the two sides would begin negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire. The release of the hostages is to take place without any Hamas ceremonies or fanfare. The remaining hostages would be released on four more dates specified in the proposal. Efforts to secure a ceasefire intensified following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran last month. Qatar, a key negotiator, immediately launched a new round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas to find a "middle ground" based on previous proposals, CNN reported. The new proposal includes stronger assurances about the US's commitment to keeping Israel at the negotiating table to reach a permanent ceasefire deal, during or potentially after the 60-day truce, according to an Israeli official and source familiar with the negotiations. It also commits Israel to allowing a surge of aid into Gaza through traditional humanitarian channels rather than through the controversial Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. US President Donald Trump has pushed hard for a ceasefire, saying on Tuesday that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions" to finalize a deal for a 60-day cessation of hostilities. In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned Hamas to accept the proposal as well. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better -- IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he said, thanking Qatar and Egypt for their role in advancing the proposal. Israel has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the war began, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. As negotiators worked to advance the latest ceasefire proposal, Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza, killing scores across the besieged enclave. Until now, Israel has refused to agree to a ceasefire deal that includes a comprehensive end to the war, as Netanyahu said the country's goals included destroying Hamas' military capability and ability to govern. But after the conflict with Iran, he has signalled a new willingness to compromise. On Sunday, Netanyahu said that "many opportunities have opened up" following Israel's military operations in Iran, including the possibility of bringing home the remaining hostages held in Gaza. It marked the first time in months that the long-time Israeli leader has clearly prioritised the return of the hostages over the defeat of Hamas. Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington this weekend and meet Trump at the White House on Monday. Before he leaves for the trip, he will convene his full cabinet on Saturday night to discuss the proposal. Even though far-right members of Israel's government have said they will try to torpedo the deal, other political parties have made clear they will throw their support behind a ceasefire.
