Latest news with #Hamas-Israel
Leaders
3 days ago
- Politics
- Leaders
Hamas Agrees to US Proposal for Gaza, Israel Rejects
Hamas has agreed to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's proposal for a Gaza ceasefire, while an Israeli official has rejected the deal and claimed that it was not Washington's, according to Reuters. The Israeli official also stated that no Israeli government could accept such a proposal. Meanwhile, Witkoff also rejected the idea that Hamas had accepted his offer for a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza. He even told Reuters that what he had seen was 'completely unacceptable,' stating that the proposal being discussed was not similar to his own. Ceasefire Deal On his part, the Palestinian official also told Reuters that the proposal seeks to ensure the release of 10 hostages and a 70-day ceasefire, emphasizing that the Palestinian group has received it through mediators. 'The proposal includes the release of 10 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in two groups in return for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,' the source said. The deal also involves the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, notably hundreds serving lengthy prison terms. Israel's Rejection However, an Israeli official dismissed the deal, expressing that no Israeli government could approve such an agreement. He further rejected the confirmation that the deal aligned with Witkoff's proposal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently said that Israel would only agree to a temporary ceasefire in exchange of the release of hostages. Netanyahu also vowed that eradicating Hamas would mark the immediate end of the war. Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 53,500 Palestinians and wounded more than 118,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: Massacre in Gaza: Israeli Strike on Hospital Targets Hamas Leader Hamas to Release US-Israeli Hostage Edan Alexander Hamas Applauds Houthi Missile Strike on Israel's Ben Gurion Airport Short link : Post Views: 20
Leaders
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Italian MPs Rally at Egypt's Gaza Border Against Genocide
A group of Italian parliamentarians rallied on Sunday in front of Egypt's Rafah border crossing with Gaza, urging the international community to put an end to Israel's genocide in Gaza and allow the entry of humanitarian aid, according to AFP. The group consisted of 11 members of the Italian parliament, three MEPs as well as representatives of NGOs. They raised signs reading 'Stop genocide now', 'End illegal occupation' and 'Stop arming Israel'. 'Europe is not doing enough, nothing to stop the massacre,' Cecilia Strada, an Italian member of the European parliament, told AFP. The demonstrators also placed toys on the ground in solidarity with Gaza's children, who are currently facing 'a growing risk of starvation, illness and death' more than two months into a total Israeli aid blockade. 'There should be a complete embargo on weapons to and from Israel and a stop to trade with illegal settlements,' Strada said. Wide Condemnation Recently, UN and international community have pressed on Israel to immediately end its aid blockade, condemning critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicines. 'We hear the bombs right now. The Israeli army continues to do what it believes is right in the face of an international community that does not intervene, and in Gaza, beyond the Rafah crossing border, people continue to die,' Walter Massa, president of Italian non-profit organization Associazione Ricreativa Culturale Italiana, said. Meanwhile, Italian government on Saturday repeated its calls to Israel to stop its airstrikes in Gaza, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying: 'Enough with the attacks. We no longer want to see the Palestinian people suffer.' Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed at least 53,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 118,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: Israel Open to Gaza Ceasefire Deal Operation Gideon Chariots: Israel Intensifies War amid Dire Conditions in Gaza Macron Accuses Israel of Committing 'Shameful and Disgraceful' Actions in Gaza Short link : Post Views: 62
Toronto Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
KINSELLA: Anita Anand seems to side with Jew-and-Israel-haters in propaganda war
Canada's new Global Affairs Minister is far worse than her predecessor Melanie Joly Melanie Joly, left, and Anita Anand. Photo by Postmedia files Meet the new boss, worse than the old boss. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Apologies to The Who, but the misapplication of their song lyric is apt: on all matters related to the Jewish state, former Global Affairs Minister Melanie Joly was bad. But her successor, Anita Anand, has already shown herself to be far, far worse. That is no easy thing, but the Toronto-area MP has pulled it off. This week, reporters approached the newly-appointed Anand for a pro forma comment about the Hamas-Israel war and this is what she said. 'We cannot allow the continued use of food as a political tool … Over 50,000 people have died as a result of the aggression caused against the Palestinians and the Gazan people in Palestine. Using food as a political tool is simply unacceptable,' Anand said, before a cabinet meeting. 'We need to continue to work towards a ceasefire. We need to ensure that we have a two-state solution, and Canada will continue to maintain that position.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She then turned on her heel and stalked away. Jewish Canadians – and the many who support the Jewish state – registered genuine shock. Read More There are several factual problems with what Anita Anand said. Here are the big ones. – 'Over 50,000 people have died.' The source of that figure is Hamas, which runs the health authority in Gaza. Multiple agencies have stated that Hamas – which, all but the likes of Anita Anand recall, is a designated terrorist entity that broke the ceasefire and killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023 – has promoted casualty counts that are deliberately, provably false. Even the Gaza authority now acknowledges as much. Zaher al-Wahidi, the head of statistics at the health ministry, told Sky News last month that thousands of individual deaths had been reclassified. 'We realized a lot of people died a natural death,' Wahidi said. 'Maybe they were near an explosion and they had a heart attack, or (something) caused them pneumonia or hypothermia. All these cases we don't (attribute to) the war.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. – Thousands 'have died as a result of the aggression caused against the Palestinians and the Gazan people.' One can only assume that Anand is referring to Israel as the 'aggressor' here. The death of any innocent civilian, Palestinian or otherwise, is a terrible tragedy and always to be avoided. But Anand has seemingly included members of Hamas terrorists in her body count – and even the Palestinian Health Ministry acknowledges its figures do not differentiate between civilians and Hamas combatants, who do not wear formal uniform or carry separate identification. RECOMMENDED VIDEO – 'Using food as a political tool is simply unacceptable,' Anand said. This is true: international humanitarian law forbids using food and water as a method of waging war. The resulting headlines quickly laid blame, however. CTV : 'Anita Anand accuses Israel of using food as a tool.' Except this: as of March, 66,000 trucks have delivered 1.3 million tons of humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians, mostly sent by Israel. Armed Hamas terrorists, in turn, have intercepted so much of that aid – you can Google the resulting news photos yourself – and they now lack the space to warehouse it all. Hamas then sells the food at inflated prices to Palestinians, and use the profits to purchase weapons and boost recruitment. That, indeed, is 'simply unacceptable.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. – 'We need to continue to work towards a ceasefire.' In Israel, I spoke with upwards of 100 people, from all walks of life. Overwhelmingly, they oppose the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Overwhelmingly, they oppose the war. They simply want the remaining hostages back, and peace. Those are the things they want, more than anything else. And they are bewildered that (a) the Canadian government blames them, not Hamas, for breaking the ceasefire that was in place until Oct. 7, 2023, and (b) that anyone in Canada would think that they want war without end. 'We feel alone,' one young woman said to me in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, before I joined her and thousands of others on a peace march. In case you are wondering, I was in Israel with a crew to film a documentary about the propaganda war against Israel and the West. As of this week, if you look closely, you may see someone familiar on the side of Jew-and-Israel-hating combatants in that propaganda war. And it sure looks like Anita Anand, doesn't it? Toronto Maple Leafs Golf Columnists Sunshine Girls World
Leaders
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Macron Accuses Israel of Committing ‘Shameful and Disgraceful' Actions in Gaza
French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of committing 'shameful and disgraceful,' actions in Gaza, according to Le Monde. In a special television appearance broadcast on the TF1 channel on Tuesday, Macron noted that it is not for Netanyahu to decide whether this constitutes genocide, but rather for historians. 'What Benjamin Netanyahu's government is doing today in Gaza is unacceptable. It is shameful and disgraceful,' Macron said. During the interview, Macron stated that he was 'one of the few leaders who visited the Egypt-Gaza border.' He also described the situation as 'one of the most distressing sights I've ever witnessed.' Moreover, Macron criticized Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid causing the suffering of thousands in Gaza. 'There is no water, no medicine, the wounded cannot get out, the doctors cannot get in,' Macron added. 'We need the United States. President [Donald] Trump has the levers. I have had tough words with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I got angry, but they [Israel] don't depend on us, they depend on American weapons,' he added. Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed at least 53,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 118,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: Putin Proposes Direct Talks with Ukraine, Macron Mulls Sending Troops Netanyahu Warns Macron: Palestinian State Rewards Terrorism Macron's Bold Move: France to Recognize Palestinian State in June Short link : Post Views: 12
Miami Herald
12-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Donald Trump Scores Four Diplomatic Victories
The family of the final American citizen held captive by Hamas in Gaza has thanked Donald Trump following news their relative would be released, delivering the latest foreign policy boost for the U.S. president. In a statement to Newsweek via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters, relatives of American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander expressed "deepest gratitude to President Trump" and his administration for its work in securing his release following his capture on October 7, 2023. It delivers more good news for the Trump administration, with a ceasefire between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan; the prospect of talks between Kyiv and Moscow over the war in Ukraine, and the announcement of a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs between China and the U.S. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment. With a bulging foreign-policy in tray, Trump has faced pressure over efforts to end the war in Ukraine, his recommendations for the Gaza Strip and the trade war with China. The developments offer a diplomatic boost to Trump ahead of his tour of the Middle East. Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades military wing spokesperson Abu Obeida said that Edan Alexander will be freed on Monday from the Gaza Strip. Trump was thanked in a statement by Alexander's family which said "on Mother's Day, we received the greatest gift imaginable—news that our beautiful son Edan is returning home after 583 days in captivity in Gaza." "We express our deepest gratitude to President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the US administration for their tireless work to make this happen," the statement shared with Newsweek said, adding that the release should spark negotiations over the remaining 58 captives taken in Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The move help U.S. efforts to revive a stalled Gaza deal following the collapse of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire in March, which had stopped hostage releases including an earlier Hamas pledge to free Alexander. Following negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, the White House announced a trade deal with China. sparking hope of a de-escalation in the trade war and relief for the global economy. Trump had imposed 145 percent tariffs on Beijing, which responded with 125 percent levies on U.S. goods. But U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said both sides agreed to pause their reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, bringing their rates down by 115 percentage points. The deal would see tariffs imposed on Chinese goods fall to 30 percent, and those imposed on U.S. goods by Beijing to 10 percent, with further negotiations underway. Bessent said on Sunday that trade talks had been "productive" and the mood music from Beijing was also positive with China's Vice Premier He Lifeng touting "substantial progress." The fact that China had agreed to the talks had already delivered a win to Trump, according to Craig Singleton, senior fellow at Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), based in Washington, D.C. He told Newsweek on Monday the deal marked a "tactical reset" rather than a strategic realignment and that "Beijing appears to have blinked, and Washington responded in kind." He said it was striking how quickly it happened—suggesting both sides were more economically boxed in than they let on. For China, the economic pain was real with rising unemployment, capital flight, and export orders falling at their fastest rate in nearly two years, he said, while for Trump, markets mattered, and this deal gives him a win without abandoning leverage. However, Singleton said deep structural rifts remained and it was a truce, not a treaty. Trump was the first to announce a truce between Pakistan and India, following U.S.-talks. Although hours after the agreement was announced, India accused Pakistan of "repeated violations," as of Monday, the ceasefire appeared to holding. It followed fears of an escalation between two nuclear powers in which clashes, missile and drone strikes took place across their borders, sparked by a gun massacre of tourists last month that India blames on Pakistan, which Islamabad denies responsibility for. Trump praised the leaders of both countries for agreeing to halt the aggression, posting on Truth Social he would "substantially" increase trade with them. He also said he would work with both sides to see if "a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir." Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan each rule a part of Kashmir but claim the region in full. Pakistan's foreign ministry welcomed Trump's post and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was "extremely grateful" to the president for his "most valuable offer" to play a greater role in bringing lasting peace. Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky said on X, formerly Twitter, he was ready to travel to Istanbul on Thursday, where he said he will be awaiting to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin "personally." Zelensky's post came shortly after Trump had told him to accept the Russian president's proposal of direct talks. Putin's proposal followed a demand by Kyiv's allies on Saturday that Russia agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face "massive" new sanctions. This position was endorsed on Sunday by Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg. Mark Galeotti, senior associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute said on the "In Moscow's Shadows" podcast one reason for Putin's offer could be the Russian leader could be trying to win back Trump's favor. This would make sense if Moscow had some hint that the White House is going to be more specific about what walking away from talks means as it has threatened, he added. Edan Alexander family, via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum: "On Mother's Day, we received the greatest gift imaginable—news that our beautiful son Edan is returning express our deepest gratitude to President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the US administration for their tireless work to make this happen." Craig Singleton, senior fellow at Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD): "For Trump, markets mattered, and this deal gives him a win without abandoning leverage." The diplomatic developments give Trump a boost as he starts his trip to the Middle East on Monday in his first major foreign trip of his second presidency during which he is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. 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