Latest news with #Saudi-Israel
News18
26-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Hamas Attacked Israel On Oct 7 To Disrupt Its Talk With Saudi, Reveal Tunnel Papers
Last Updated: Former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar believed only an "extraordinary act" could prevent Saudi-Israel talks. As tensions continue to prevail in the Middle East, new documents, allegedly recovered in a tunnel beneath Gaza, have revealed that the Iran-backed militant group Hamas attacked the Jewish nation in order to disrupt its talks Saudi Arabia over normalising ties. The documents were accessed by The Wall Street Journal. The documents further revealed that former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed an in Israeli attack, believed that only an 'extraordinary act" could refrain the two nations from strengthening ties given an Israel-Saudi Arabia deal would turn the tables for political dynamics in the Middle East. Notably, the Gaza-based terror group had launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, while left over 1200 people dead and many held hostages. This attack triggered a retaliatory attacks on Palestinians, which has so far claimed lives of more than 53,000 civilians. The records from one of the tunnels in the Hamas underground network also provides a detail of a key meeting of Hamas's leaders just five days prior to the attack. Earlier in 2023, Saudi Arabia, the most powerful Sunni country in the Middle East, was about to sign a deal with Netanyahu-led nation, when the Israel-Hamas tensions escalated and the deal got shelved. Some reports claim that experts suggest that Iran, the biggest Shia power in the Middle East, orchestrated the attack against Isreal. During October 2, 2023, meeting, Sinwar reportedly announced that only a high-impact action could prevent the Saudi-Israeli deal from taking shape. Besides, there was another document, September 2023 Hamas report, that mentioned intensifying unrest in the West Bank and Jerusalem to complicate the Saudi-Israeli negotiations. Another classified Hamas memo from August 2022 underlined rising alarm over a regional push to normalise ties with Israel, suggesting this trend as a direct threat to the Palestinian national struggle. The memo emphasised the need for Hamas to bolster itself strategically, which included enhancing ties with groups like Hezbollah and other Palestinian factions. Oct 7 Attack: Fresh Documents Indicate Iran-Hamas Link The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing both Israeli and regional intelligence sources, reported that discussions between Hamas and Iranian security officials had been underway since 2021. Iran was instrumental in strengthening the Hamas army by providing it with financial aid, arms, and combat training, especially in the weeks leading up to the October 7 attack. However, officials also noted that both Iran and Hezbollah had warned Hamas against entering into a a full-scale war with Israel. The seized reports also brings to the fore the fact that Hamas had begun institutionalising its anti-normalization efforts well before the massacre. Further in October 2022, the Gaza-based militant group had posted for a job vacany seeking a university-educated individual with negotiation skills to lead its campaign against Arab-Israeli normalisation. The Wall Street Journal report also mentioned that an internal briefing marked 'secret" from August 2022, written by Hamas's military leadership, concluded with the following text: 'It has become the duty of the movement to reposition itself to preserve the survival of the Palestinian cause in the face of the broad wave of normalisation by Arab countries, which aims primarily to liquidate the Palestinian cause." As a response, Hamas was bolstering its ties with Lebanon-based Hezbollah as well as other Palestinian militant factions, the briefing says. The responsibilities involved engaging grassroots groups and promoting boycotts against organisations backing diplomatic coordination with Israel. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Israel First Published: May 26, 2025, 16:27 IST
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First Post
14-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
The curious case of Trump sidelining Israel as he courts its rivals in West Asia
As Trump strengthens ties with Gulf powers and re-engages regional rivals, Israel watches warily from the sidelines read more In a move that's raising eyebrows, President Donald Trump on Tuesday embarked on his first West Asia visit since being re-elected — and notably, Israel isn't on the itinerary. Trump concluded his Saudi Arabia trip on Wednesday and is now enroute Qatar and will wrap up the trip in United Arab Emirates, his first three-nation foreign trip of second term. Trump's apparent snub of Israel follows a string of decisions by the Trump administration that have either caught Israeli officials off guard or seemingly sidelined their concerns altogether. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the run-up to his West Asia trip, President Trump has taken a series of steps that have left Israel searching for answers or perhaps, more pointedly, searching for the right questions. Trump started talks with Iran that could allow civilian nuclear capabilities, agreed to a ceasefire with the Houthis without stopping their attacks on Israel, and, according to Reuters, dropped the demand for Saudi-Israel normalisation in exchange for a Saudi civil nuclear deal. If that wasn't enough, the Trump administration on Sunday bypassed Israel to strike a deal with Hamas for the release of Edan Alexander, the last known living American hostage in Gaza. Trump called it a step toward ending the war and reuniting families. According to a CNN report, Israeli officials now worry that Trump's week of meetings with Gulf leaders — many of whom have condemned Israel's actions in Gaza — could signal a shift in US policy on the war and ceasefire efforts. Netanyahu took pride in being the first world leader to visit Trump during his second term in February. On a follow-up trip in April, he aimed to kickstart a new trade deal after Trump announced sweeping import tariffs. But he left Washington empty-handed — no deal, and a fresh concern: Trump's surprise announcement to pursue a new nuclear agreement with Iran. Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas told CNN that Netanyahu's influence in Washington is limited. 'There's nothing that Netanyahu has that Trump wants, needs or (that he) can give him, as opposed to, say, the Saudis, the Qataris, (or) the Emiratis,' CNN quoted Pinkas as saying. He said that that Gulf states are offering massive US investments and weapons deals — wins Trump can showcase domestically. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Despite years of staunch support for Trump, Netanyahu has little leverage left. Under Democratic presidents, he's leaned on Republican allies to sway the White House. But he's never publicly criticised Trump — and that's unlikely to change. 'He's got nothing right now,' Pinkas added. As Netanyahu hardens his stance on defeating Hamas — even at the cost of delaying hostage releases — the rift between him and Trump appears deeper than ever. However, President Trump dismissed concerns about sidelining Israel, saying strong US ties with regional countries ultimately benefit Israel. 'This is good for Israel,' Times of Israel quoted Trump telling reporters aboard Air Force One. 'Having a relationship like I have with these countries… I think it's very good for Israel,' he says In Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump secured a $600 billion investment pledge from Riyadh and agreed on a $142 billion arms deal — touted as Washington's largest-ever defence agreement. The package includes contracts with over a dozen American defence firms in key areas such as air and missile defence, aerospace, maritime security, and military communications. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Today we hope for investment opportunities worth $600 billion, including deals worth $300 billion that were signed during this forum,' Reuters quoted the Saudi crown prince as saying in a speech during a US-Saudi Investment Forum session held in Riyadh on the occasion of Trump's visit. 'We will work in the coming months on the second phase to complete deals and raise it to $1 trillion,' he added. Meanwhile, in a significant diplomatic shift, President Trump also announced that he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria after a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 'I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,' Reuters quoted Trump as saying at an investment forum in Riyadh. 'It's their time to shine. We're taking them all off,' Trump said, 'Good luck Syria, show us something very special.' On Wednesday, Trump met with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia and urged him to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Al-Sharaa once pledged allegiance to al Qaeda and swept to power at the head of a group that Washington has called a terrorist organisation. Photos posted on Saudi state television showed them shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan joined Trump and MbS virtually in the meeting, Turkey's Anadolu News Agency reported. Qatar, the next stop on Trump's tour, hosts the largest US military base in West Asia — Al Udeid Air Base — which the U.S. State Department calls 'indispensable' for operations in the region. Doha has also played a vital mediating role in conflicts from Gaza to Afghanistan, a strategy analysts say helps maintain its relevance in Washington's eyes. Trump's relationship with Qatar during his first term was marked by turbulence. During the 2017 Gulf crisis, he accused Qatar of funding terrorism, appearing to side with Saudi Arabia and its allies. Yet, the Pentagon maintained strong ties with Doha, and Trump eventually pivoted to engagement, helping repair relations by 2021. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In contrast, Trump cultivated close ties with the UAE, deepening strategic and economic cooperation. The Abraham Accords, normalising UAE-Israel ties, were a major highlight. Trump worked closely with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, prioritising counter-Iran efforts and arms deals. Today, the UAE is pushing a $1.4 trillion investment plan in AI, semiconductors, and energy to cement its role as a US tech and security partner — a vision it knows depends heavily on access to American technology. With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Israel ‘normalisation' takes backseat as Trump announces Saudi deals
Washington, DC – United States President Donald Trump says that forging formal relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a 'dream', but he wants the kingdom to do it on its 'own time'. The White House on Tuesday made public a flurry of economic and defence pacts with Saudi Arabia involving hundreds of billions of dollars, but any mention of Israel was conspicuously absent from the announcements. The so-called 'normalisation' drive between Saudi Arabia and Israel dominated his predecessor, Joe Biden's, approach to the region, but the current US president is shifting focus elsewhere, analysts say. 'The Trump administration has made it clear they are willing to move forward on key agreements with Saudi Arabia without the previous condition of Saudi-Israel normalisation,' said Anna Jacobs, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, a think tank. 'This probably reflects growing frustration in the Trump administration with Israeli military action across the region, especially in Gaza.' Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at the Baker Institute, also said that Trump has realised that with the ongoing war in Gaza and Israel's refusal to negotiate the establishment of a Palestinian state, the 'time is not right' for a Saudi Arabia-Israeli pact despite Biden's emphasis on brokering a deal. 'I think the White House has finally acknowledged that a normalisation agreement at this time is not possible,' Coates Ulrichsen told Al Jazeera. During his first term, Trump managed to broker the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, which established formal relations with the US ally independently of the Palestinian the agreements were unsuccessful in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as evidenced by the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023. But even before the war started, Israel had been intensifying its military raids against Palestinians and expanding illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, further dimming the prospects of a two-state solution to the conflict. Despite the agreements' apparent shortcomings, Biden made adding Saudi Arabia to the Abraham Accords a focal point of his Middle East agenda, and US officials said they worked on securing a deal up until the final days of the administration, even as the war on Gaza was raging. Biden has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Hamas launched its October 7 attack against Israel in 2023 to thwart an agreement between the Saudis and Israelis. Still, a day before he left office, Biden boasted that his Middle East policies created an opportunity for 'the future of normalisation and integration of Israel with all its Arab neighbours, including Saudi Arabia'. US officials and media reports said that Biden's deal, which never materialised, would have brought a security pact between Riyadh and Washington and provided US help for Saudi Arabia to establish a civil nuclear programme in exchange for normalisation with Israel. A major sticking point in that push has been the widely stated Saudi Arabian support for the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions recognition of Israel on the establishment of a viable Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has categorically rejected the 'land for peace' framework, pushing instead for deals with Arab countries that bypass Palestinians. 'This Israeli government won't even provide lip service to the idea of a two-state solution, making it pretty impossible for Saudi Arabia to seriously consider moving forward with normalisation,' said Jacobs from the Arab Gulf States Institute. 'The Trump administration seems to have understood that it's off the table, at least for now.'In Riyadh, Trump announced an agreement to deepen security cooperation with Saudi Arabia. The $142bn deal will provide Saudi Arabia with 'state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services' from US firms, the White House said. It also includes 'extensive training and support to build the capacity of the Saudi armed forces, including enhancement of Saudi service academies and military medical services', it added. While the weapons and training deals fall short of a NATO-like mutual defence pact, which may have been included as part of an accord with Israel, they take a bite from the US-backed carrots offered to the kingdom for normalisation, experts say. 'The announcements today do further deepen the links between Saudi and US security and defence interests,' Coates Ulrichsen said. Trump's visit to the region comes as Israel has promised to not just continue, but expand, its devastating war on Gaza, which has killed more than 52,900 Palestinians, according to health authorities. Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University, noted that Riyadh has described Israeli atrocities in Gaza as a 'genocide'. 'The Saudis are not mincing their words; they are not holding back,' Elgindy told Al Jazeera. 'They can't now move toward normalisation with Israel after accusing Israel of genocide. That would just be ridiculous.'After his trip to Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as part of the first planned foreign trips of his presidency, since attending Pope Francis's funeral last month. Israel is not on the itinerary. For Coates Ulrichsen and others, Trump's apparent snub of Israel reflects unease in the US-Israeli alliance. 'It may be a signal that the White House sees much more value in deepening commercial and strategic relationships with the Gulf states at the moment, given that Israel remains mired in conflict,' Coates Ulrichsen told Al Jazeera. Tensions between the Trump administration and Netanyahu's government have become more apparent in recent weeks despite the US's military and diplomatic backing of Israel. Trump confirmed talks with Iran over its nuclear programme during Netanyahu's visit to the White House, despite the Israeli leader's opposition to negotiations with Tehran. Last week, the US president also declared a ceasefire with the Houthis. The deal did not demand an end to the Yemeni group's attacks against Israel. As Trump spoke in Riyadh on Tuesday, the Houthis fired another missile at Israel – part of a campaign they say aims to pressure an end to the war on Gaza. The Trump administration also worked with mediators in Qatar and Egypt to secure the release of US citizen Edan Alexander, who served in the Israeli military and was captured by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel. According to Israeli media reports, Israel was excluded from those from Georgetown University said the apparent tensions are more than a 'bump in the road', but their impact on the US-Israeli relationship remains to be seen. 'Trump is making clear in word and deed that US and Israeli interests are not one and the same,' he said. 'And that's very significant because Biden didn't do that.' For now, Trump remains committed to US military aid to Israel even as it intensifies its bombardment and starvation campaign in Gaza. And the US president has pushed on with his crackdown on critics of Israel at home, especially on college campuses. Still, experts say that by skipping Israel during his Middle East trip and de-prioritising normalisation, Trump is pushing forward in pursuit of his own vision for the region. On Tuesday, Trump lauded Gulf leaders whom he said are building a Middle East 'where people of different nations, religions and creeds are building cities together – not bombing each other out of existence'. That future seems at odds with what Israel appears to be seeking: asserting hegemony over the region with long-term bombing campaigns, including in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. 'A very strong signal is being sent that a stable, prosperous Middle East – represented, in the administration's views, by the Gulf states – is a much more desirable outcome than maybe the Israeli view of the Middle East at the moment, which is one of seemingly escalating a forever conflict,' said Coates Ulrichsen.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Is Trump sidelining Israel? Rift with Netanyahu amid Saudi nuclear talks
President Donald Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE to push forward key diplomatic efforts, including hostage talks with Hamas, a nuclear energy deal with Saudi Arabia, and discussions on the Russia-Ukraine war. While tensions reportedly grow between Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu over Saudi-Israel relations and U.S. ties with Qatar, U.S. officials insist the U.S.-Israel alliance remains strong. Watch the full video for details. Show more Show less
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Gets Lavish Welcome as Middle East Tour Kicks Off
U.S. President Donald Trump is greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives at King Khalid International Airport on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Credit - Win McNamee—Getty Images President Donald Trump arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday morning in his first major overseas trip since returning to the White House, with no shortage of pomp from the kingdom. Saudi fighter jets escorted Air Force One through the kingdom's airspace. When Trump landed at the Royal Terminal at King Khalid International Airport, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeted him on a lavender carpet unfurled across the tarmac. The two men later sat down for Arabic coffee in navy-and-gold armchairs at the opulent Saudi Royal Court, alongside Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marc Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. A high-powered list of U.S. business figures including Teslo CEO and Department of Government Efficiency lead Elon Musk, Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink were also in attendance. Later on Tuesday, Trump is expected to attend a dinner with MBS, as well as a U.S.-Saudi investment event. A key focus of the first leg of Trump's four-day Middle East tour will be economic deals between the U.S. and oil-rich Gulf nations. MBS pledged in January to invest $600 billion in the U.S., and Trump reportedly has a $1 trillion wish-list. The business deals are expected to cover energy, AI, manufacturing, and defense. The U.S. will reportedly offer Saudi Arabia an arms package worth over $100 billion, according to Reuters. 'There is also the potential for a civil-nuclear deal between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, which was long tied to the possibility of Saudi-Israel normalization but has recently been decoupled,' Elizabeth Dent, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told TIME. Experts, including Dent, have touted the potential deals as a boon to Saudi plans to diversify its economy away from oil under the kingdom's Vision 2030. While in Saudi Arabia, Trump is expected to attend a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit. Here, more diplomatic issues will be discussed, including working toward an end to the war in Gaza, plus talks on a possible nuclear deal with Iran. Later in the week, Trump will visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to discuss other diplomatic and investment deals. This week, the President said he plans to accept a luxury jet as a gift from Qatar, which has raised considerable legal and constitutional concerns. Trump's first overseas trip in his previous term was to the Middle East. The expectation was the same would happen once Trump returned to the White House. But the President traveled abroad last month to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. In May 2017, Trump attended the Arab-Islamic-American summit in Riyadh, where regional leaders came together to discuss security and terrorism issues. Investment between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia was a key outcome of the visit, as is expected for this week's trip. Contact us at letters@
