Latest news with #IsraelHamas
Reuters
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Trump says Iran is involved in Gaza hostage negotiations
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday Iran is involved in negotiations aimed at arranging a ceasefire-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas. "Gaza right now is in the midst of a massive negotiation between us and Hamas and Israel, and Iran actually is involved, and we'll see what's going to happen with Gaza. We want to get the hostages back," Trump told reporters during an event in the White House State Dining Room. Trump did not elaborate and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for details of Iran's involvement. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The United States has proposed a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Israel said it would abide by the terms but Hamas thus far has rejected the plan. Under the proposal 28 Israeli hostages - alive and dead - would be released in the first week, in exchange for the release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians. The United States and Iran are also separately trying to negotiate a deal on Tehran's nuclear program.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Starmer welcomes King of Jordan as Gaza conflict continues
Sir Keir Starmer welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan to Downing Street on Thursday amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Prime Minister hailed Abdullah's 'leadership, particularly in the region' and described his work on the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas as 'really, really important'. He said: 'We share the objective of getting back to a ceasefire just as quickly as we can, getting those hostages out and getting humanitarian aid in fast and at speed. 'And of course we both agree that the only long-term solution is that two-state solution.' King Abdullah said: 'I think this is a timely visit, there's a lot happening, and I think the coordination and the exchanges we will have today will be very helpful, to not only Jordan but countries in my region and Europe too.' The meeting in Downing Street comes after the UK backed a resolution at the UN Security Council calling for Israel to lift restrictions on aid entering Gaza, which was ultimately vetoed by the US.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
RCMP says it will collect info on possible war crimes in Gaza war
An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck OTTAWA — The RCMP says it will 'proactively' collect information about possible war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Israel-Hamas armed conflict. In a Wednesday statement, the Mounties stressed that they have no criminal investigations underway but they want to collect information on possible crimes by any party involved in the conflict. 'The primary objective is to proactively collect relevant information that may support future investigative steps, should jurisdictional and legal thresholds be met,' says the statement. The statement came from the force's Ontario division based in London, and not from the headquarters in Ottawa. The RCMP says it initiated 'a structural investigation' in 'early 2024' of the conflict that started in October 2023, when Hamas militants brazenly attacked Israel and took dozens of hostages, prompting Israel to bombard the Gaza Strip and restrict food deliveries. 'A structural investigation is a broad, intelligence-led intake process designed to collect, preserve, and assess information potentially relevant under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. This includes gathering open-source material and voluntary submissions from individuals wishing to provide information,' the statement says. The RCMP said that this is standard procedure and the force hasn't initiated any criminal probes. 'Should a perpetrator of core international crimes — such as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity — with the appropriate nexus to Canada be identified, the RCMP will initiate a separate criminal investigation,' the statement reads. The force says it has faced technical delays in rolling out 'a secure online portal available in French, English, Hebrew and Arabic, to facilitate (investigations) and secure any submissions of information by the public and potential witnesses.' 'We urge the public to refrain from drawing premature conclusions about the RCMP's role or intent,' the statement wrote. 'This initiative is solely focused on collecting relevant information and does not target any community or group.' The RCMP statement comes after the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs suggested that talk of war crimes probes encourage 'false narratives' that can fuel a rise in antisemitic violence. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, a group advocating for Palestinians, has asked the RCMP to probe Canadian citizens serving in the Israeli military in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, given 'the serious likelihood that they are involved in the commission of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025 Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
ABC News
30-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Israel accepts US Gaza ceasefire proposal, Hamas says it will review it
Israel has accepted a new US proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas, according to White House officials. US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism this week about brokering an agreement to halt the Israel-Hamas war and return more of the hostages captured in the attack that ignited it. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday, local time, Israel had "backed and supported" the new proposal. Hamas officials gave the Israeli-approved draft a cool response, but said they wanted to study the proposal more closely before giving a formal answer. "The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine," Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official, told The Associated Press. He said it "does not respond to any of our people's demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine". Nonetheless, Mr Naim said the group would study the proposal "with all national responsibility". Hamas had previously said it had agreed with Mr Witkoff on a "general framework" of an agreement that would lead to a lasting ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an influx of aid, and a transfer of power from the militant group to a politically independent committee of Palestinians. Here's what we know about the emerging negotiations that aim to bring about an extended truce in the war in exchange for hostages that remain in captivity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to end the war until all the hostages are released and Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed and sent into exile. He has said Israel will control Gaza indefinitely and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population. Palestinians and most of the international community have rejected plans to resettle Gaza's population, a move experts say would likely violate international law. Hamas has said it would only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. It has offered to give up power to a committee of politically independent Palestinians that could oversee reconstruction. Hamas is still holding 58 hostages. Around a third are believed to be alive, though many fear they are in grave danger the longer the war goes on. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed since Israel renewed its air strikes and ground operations after ending a ceasefire in March. The dispute over whether there should be a temporary ceasefire to release more hostages — as Israel has called for — or a permanent one — as Hamas wants — has bedevilled talks brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar for more than a year and a half, and there is no indication it has been resolved. Mr Witkoff has not publicised his latest proposal, but a Hamas official and an Egyptian official independently confirmed some of the details. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, they said it called for a 60-day pause in fighting, guarantees of serious negotiations leading to a long-term truce and assurances that Israel would not resume hostilities after the release of hostages, as it did in March. Israeli forces would pull back to the positions they held during the ceasefire Israel ended that month. Hamas would release 10 living hostages and a number of bodies during the 60-day pause in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including 100 serving long sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. Each day, hundreds of trucks carrying food and humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter Gaza, where experts say a nearly three-month Israeli blockade — slightly eased in recent days — has pushed the population to the brink of famine. Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 hostages. More than half the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel has rescued eight and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's ensuing military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced about 90 per cent of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians, with hundreds of thousands living in squalid tent camps and unused schools. Hamas has been vastly depleted militarily and lost nearly all of its top leaders in Gaza. It most likely fears that releasing all the hostages without securing a permanent ceasefire would allow Israel to launch an even more devastating campaign to ultimately destroy the group. Israel fears that a lasting ceasefire and withdrawal now would leave Hamas with significant influence in Gaza, even if it surrenders formal power. With time, Hamas might be able to rebuild its military might and eventually launch more October 7-style attacks. Mr Netanyahu also faces political constraints: His far-right coalition partners have threatened to bring down his government if he ends the war too soon. That would leave him more vulnerable to prosecution on longstanding corruption charges and to investigations into the failures surrounding the October 7 attack. A broader resolution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict appears more distant than ever. The Palestinians are weak and divided, and Israel's current government — the most nationalist and religious in its history — is opposed to Palestinian demands for a state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. The last serious peace talks broke down more than 15 years ago. AP
LBCI
29-05-2025
- General
- LBCI
Washington's revised hostage deal reignites debate inside Israeli cabinet — the details
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar A revised proposal by U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff for a hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas has reignited tensions within the Israeli government, with several cabinet ministers threatening to resign if the proposal is approved, arguing that it amounts to a lifeline for Hamas. The proposal, which was discussed during a security meeting, comes at a time when Israeli security agencies have presented the government with two options: announce the continuation of the war or move forward with an immediate hostage deal. According to the revised proposal, the deal would unfold in two phases. The first phase would begin with a 60-day cease-fire, during which 10 hostages out of 20 would be released over the course of a week in two stages. In return, 18 bodies out of 38 currently held by Hamas would be transferred to Israel. In exchange, Israel would release 125 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, as well as 1,111 detainees from Gaza arrested after October 7. Over both phases of the deal, Israel would also return 180 Palestinian bodies. On the tenth day of the ceasefire, Hamas would provide Israel with a full report on the health status of the remaining 10 living hostages. Also in the first phase, Israeli forces would withdraw to positions held before the resumption of hostilities on March 18, which would include maintaining a presence along the Philadelphi Corridor but pulling out from the Morag axis. The second phase, which would follow the mutual release of hostages and remains, would see negotiations begin on principles for ending the war. If an agreement is reached, the remaining living hostages and bodies would be released. During this stage, humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza would resume under the supervision of the United Nations and international organizations. If the negotiations fail, Israel would retain the right to resume military operations or extend the ceasefire in exchange for additional hostage releases. Most expectations indicate that the 10 remaining hostages are all Israeli soldiers. Despite the opposition, expectations are that the Israeli government will approve the proposal, as it closely resembles previous deals Israel had accepted. Still, concerns remain over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu potentially stalling during the second phase to justify sending Israeli troops back into Gaza. Attention now turns to the upcoming Israeli security cabinet meeting and what the Netanyahu-Ben Gvir-Smotrich government will ultimately decide: continue the war or reach a deal that is hoped for by hostage families and opponents of the conflict, who warn that prolonging the war could lead to Israel's collapse on multiple fronts.
