Latest news with #HostageRelease
The National
25-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Trump and Netanyahu turn back on Gaza ceasefire talks
The US and Israel appeared to abandon talks on a Gaza ceasefire on Friday, with both countries' leaders blaming Hamas for the failure to reach a deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the two allies were "considering alternative options" to bring hostages home and end Hamas's rule of Gaza. "Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal," he said. US President Donald Trump said Hamas did not want a deal, after negotiators spent weeks studying proposals for a 60-day truce and staggered release of hostages. "It was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die," Mr Trump said. Asked about the next steps, he said: 'I think what's going to happen is they're going to be hunted down.' Both Israel and US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday they were withdrawing negotiators from Qatar, which along with the US and Egypt had been mediating between the combatants. Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said the talks had been constructive and accused Mr Witkoff of exerting pressure on Israel's behalf. "What we have presented - with full awareness and understanding of the complexity of the situation - we believe could lead to a deal if the enemy had the will to reach one," he said. It wasn't clear what Israel's "alternative options" might be. Its top general Lt Gen Eyal Zamir recently said that if no deal were reached, troops would be instructed to "intensify and expand combat operations as much as possible". A deal had appeared close at times during the weeks of negotiations, as pressure ramps up on Israel to call off a siege of Gaza blamed for causing starvation in the strip. Hundreds of aid lorries were entering Gaza every day during a previous truce agreed in January. But the Israeli army resumed its offensive in Gaza in March and tightly controls entry in and out of the strip. Almost a third of people in Gaza are now "not eating for days", the UN's World Food Programme told AFP on Friday, as it warned the crisis has reached "new and astonishing levels of desperation". "Nearly one person in three is not eating for days. Malnutrition is surging with 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment," a statement from the organisation said. Gaza's Health Ministry said on Friday that hospitals had recorded nine more starvation deaths in the space of 24 hours, bringing the total to 113. Israel rejects the death toll as Hamas propaganda and says there is plenty of aid inside Gaza that UN aid workers not delivered. They in turn say Israel is putting obstacles in the way. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday slammed global powers for ignoring the plight of Palestinians facing starvation in Gaza, calling the crisis a 'moral failure' that exposes a breakdown in global solidarity. 'I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community, the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity,' Mr Guterres said in a video address to Amnesty International's global assembly. Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that his country would recognize Palestine as a state. Arab countries praised Mr Macron's decision but it drew sharp criticism from the US and Israel.
Irish Times
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
If US envoy travels to the Middle East, it's a clear sign a ceasefire deal could be close
US president Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Israeli minister of strategic affairs Ron Dermer and a senior Qatari envoy in Rome on Thursday, as part of his push to advance a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal to end the 21-month war. If sufficient progress is made, it is expected that Witkoff will travel from Rome to Doha towards the end of the week to secure a deal, according to the well-informed Axios news website, citing a US and Israeli source. Among the ebbs and flows of the negotiations over the last few weeks, and the conflicting reports of progress and deadlock, the one key sign indicating that an agreement might be close was if Witkoff would travel to the region. A senior Israeli security official was quoted as saying: 'We are in the midst of negotiations – really in the final stretch.' READ MORE Another indication that a deal may be within reach is the fact that the Israeli negotiating team has now been in Doha for proximity talks with a Hamas delegation for 2½ weeks – far longer than any period in the past when negotiations were taking place. Under discussion is an initial 60-day ceasefire, during which 10 of the 20 hostages believed to be alive would be released and talks would begin on a permanent end to the war. A few weeks ago Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu stressed the importance of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retaining control of the Morag corridor which divides Rafah at the southern tip of Gaza from Khan Younis, the enclave's second-largest city. However, Hamas rejected the maps presented by Israeli negotiators and Israel has essentially backed down from the demand. The impending truce agreement envisages an IDF withdrawal to virtually the same Gaza security perimeter that Israel held in January, a strip of 700-1,000 metres running along the Israel-Gaza border. US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA This prompts the question of why a ceasefire wasn't reached many months ago, which would have saved the lives of many thousands of Gazans and dozens of Israeli soldiers and brought the hostages home. Stepped-up American pressure is definitely a factor and Trump has made it crystal clear in recent months that he wants this war to end. But Netanyahu's domestic political considerations may also be a factor, although he will never admit to this. The two far-right parties in Netanyahu's coalition want the IDF to conquer the entire Gaza Strip, paving the way for a return of the Jewish settlements that were uprooted in the 2005 disengagement, when Israel pulled out all settlers and soldiers from the enclave. Both parties threatened to withdraw from the coalition if Netanyahu agreed to end the war without what they termed a 'total victory' over Hamas. Such a move could have brought down the government but the threat is no longer relevant. In a few days the Knesset parliament begins a three-month-long summer recess during which no-confidence motions cannot be submitted. [ Israel's decision to expand war in Gaza amid ceasefire talks surprises many analysts Opens in new window ] Netanyahu has a 90-day breathing space – an ideal time to clinch a ceasefire while his government remains intact. And a deal that brings about the release of all the 50 hostages – 20 believed alive and 30 believed dead – would be supported by the overwhelming majority of Israelis, and could provide the catalyst for new elections. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 59,000 people have been killed in the war, which began with the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7th, 2023, during which 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.
Free Malaysia Today
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Trump to meet Qatar's PM as push for Gaza ceasefire deal continues
Donald Trump and Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman al-Thani are also set to discuss reviving US-Iran nuclear talks. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : US President Donald Trump will meet with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Wednesday, the White House said, as Trump presses for progress on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Israeli and Hamas negotiators have been taking part in the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha since July 6, discussing a US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire that envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza, and discussions on ending the conflict. Trump will host the Qatari leader for dinner at the White House on Wednesday evening, the White House said in a daily schedule for the president. Trump on Sunday said he hoped talks for a ceasefire deal would be 'straightened out' this week. Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had said on Sunday he was 'hopeful' about the ceasefire negotiations under way in Qatar, a key mediator between the two sides. US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have been working to secure an agreement; however, Israel and Hamas are divided over the extent of an eventual Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in Oct 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Gaza's Health Ministry says Israel's subsequent military assault has killed over 58,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population, and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations. A previous two-month ceasefire ended when Israeli strikes killed more than 400 Palestinians on March 18. Trump this year proposed a US takeover of Gaza, which was condemned globally by rights experts, the UN and Palestinians as a proposal of 'ethnic cleansing'. Trump and Sheikh Mohammed are also expected to discuss efforts to resume talks between the US and Iran to reach a new nuclear agreement.
Al Arabiya
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Gaza talks deadlocked, Trump ups pressure on Russia over Ukraine
In this episode of W News Extra, presented by Jono Hayes, we report on the faltering Gaza ceasefire talks, now in their second week. Mediators in Qatar are struggling to close the gap between Israel and Hamas, as both sides trade blame for stalling a proposed 60-day truce and hostage release deal – after 21 months of war. We also cover US President Donald Trump's latest warning to Russia: end the Ukraine war within 50 days or face sweeping new economic sanctions. Trump also announced expanded US weapons support for Kyiv. Guests: Micheal Jabri Pickett Wissam Keyrouz
Khaleej Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Gaza truce talks to resume in Doha before Netanyahu heads to US
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are set to resume on Sunday in Doha for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. Netanyahu had earlier announced he was sending a team to Qatar, a key mediator in the conflict, though he said Hamas's response to a draft US-backed ceasefire deal contained "unacceptable" demands. Under mounting pressure to end the war, now approaching its 22nd month, Netanyahu is scheduled to meet on Monday with US President Donald Trump, who has been making a renewed push to end the fighting. A Palestinian official familiar with the talks and close to Hamas said international mediators had informed the group that "a new round of indirect negotiations... will begin in Doha today". The group's delegation, led by its top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, had already arrived in the Qatari capital, the official told AFP. On Friday, Hamas had said it was ready "to engage immediately and seriously" in negotiations. Netanyahu, who confirmed Israeli negotiators were also en route, said that "the changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal... are unacceptable to Israel". Hamas has not publicly disclosed its response to the US-backed proposal, relayed by mediators from Qatar and Egypt. In Tel Aviv on Saturday, protesters gathered for a weekly rally demanding the return of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, which triggered the war. Macabit Mayer, the aunt of captives Gali and Ziv Berman, called for a deal "that saves everyone". 'Enough' Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told AFP the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system. On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said 14 people were killed by Israeli forces on Sunday. The agency said 10 were killed in a pre-dawn strike on Gaza City's Sheikh Radawn neighbourhood, where AFP images showed Palestinians searching through the rubble for survivors with their bare hands. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates. Sheikh Radawn resident Osama al-Hanawi told AFP: "The rest of the family is still under the rubble." "We are losing young people, families and children every day, and this must stop now. Enough blood has been shed." Since the Hamas attack sparked a massive Israeli offensive with the aim of destroying the group, mediators have brokered two temporary halts in fighting, during which hostages were freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel's rejection of Hamas's demand for a lasting ceasefire. 'Dying for flour' The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip. Karima al-Ras, from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, said "we hope that a truce will be announced" to allow in more aid. "People are dying for flour," she said. A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points. The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,418 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
