Latest news with #SteveWitkoff
Al Mayadeen
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Gaza ceasefire could happen by end of week: Witkoff
US envoy Steve Witkoff stated that negotiations over Gaza have reached a point of convergence, noting that there were four key issues at the start, but now only one remains. Witkoff expressed hope that by the end of the week, an agreement could be finalized that would establish a 60-day ceasefire, adding that the deal includes the release of 10 living Israeli captives and the return of 9 bodies over the course of the 60-day period. The latest round of negotiations comes as Netanyahu prepares to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington later Monday. Trump, who has publicly pushed for a Gaza deal in recent weeks, expressed optimism earlier in the day: 'There's a good chance we have a deal with Hamas... during the coming week,' he told reporters. Netanyahu echoed this sentiment before departing Tel Aviv, stating the meeting with Trump could 'definitely help advance this' agreement. He added that "Israel's" negotiation team in Doha had been given 'clear instructions' to reach a deal, though 'under the conditions that we have agreed to.' Those conditions remain a sticking point. While the US-backed proposal includes a 60-day truce and a prisoner exchange, 10 living captives and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, the Palestinian Resistance is reportedly demanding additional guarantees. These include assurances that fighting will not resume during ongoing talks, a framework for Israeli military withdrawal, the return of a UN-led aid distribution system, and, increasingly, unfettered humanitarian access into Gaza, guarantees Israeli officials have previously dismissed as 'unacceptable.' Crucially, Hamas has demanded that any agreement must include an end to Israeli aggression, a full military withdrawal from Gaza, and unobstructed humanitarian access, objectives it has described as necessary for justice and Palestinian self-determination.
Al Mayadeen
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Tehran weighs US request for renewed nuclear talks: Report
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently reviewing a US request to resume nuclear negotiations, informed sources told Mehr News Agency on Tuesday. The overture, transmitted through intermediaries from multiple countries, comes in the aftermath of a failed US military campaign to dismantle Iran's nuclear infrastructure and amid growing international pressure to de-escalate tensions. The request reportedly outlines a potential agenda that includes the lifting of sanctions, setting limits on uranium enrichment, and addressing compensation, possibly linked to the recent 12-day war that followed coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. While Iranian officials have not publicly confirmed the specifics, diplomatic sources say the Foreign Ministry is assessing both the validity of the US proposals and the broader context in which such talks could occur. This development comes against the backdrop of a major shift in regional diplomacy. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed Ankara's role in relaying the US position to Tehran. Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brazil, Fidan revealed that he had discussed the matter in separate meetings with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. He noted that Turkey had also raised the topic at the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit, underscoring Ankara's intermediary role in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. The renewed US interest in diplomacy follows widespread criticism of the Trump administration's pre-emptive military strike. As The Atlantic recently revealed, Trump had decided to attack Iran's nuclear facilities days before publicly suggesting renewed talks, an act widely seen as a calculated deception. While administration officials declared the mission a success, US military assessments and independent experts have cast doubt on its effectiveness, pointing to limited damage and Iran's rapid repositioning of key nuclear assets. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has since laid out clear conditions for any future negotiations: the continuation of domestic uranium enrichment, complete sanctions removal, and a formal commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons. He added that any future diplomatic framework must take into account Iran's demand for reparations and reflect the new political reality following what Tehran considers an illegal act of aggression. Adding to the diplomatic strain, Iran has suspended all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and barred its director, Rafael Grossi, from entering the country. Additionally, Iranian officials accuse Grossi of leaking sensitive nuclear data to "Israel," resulting in the murder of hundreds of civilians. Read more: IAEA to be held accountable for pre-strike Iran assessments: Lavrov Despite these tensions, both Iranian and Turkish officials have indicated that diplomacy is not off the table. As Araghchi put it in a recent interview, "The doors of diplomacy will never be closed", but Tehran insists any return to talks must be grounded in mutual respect, accountability, and irreversible safeguards against future aggression.
Daily News Egypt
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Escalation in Gaza as Israeli airstrikes intensify, ceasefire talks stagnate
Israel's war on Gaza entered its 647th day on Monday amid a significant escalation in airstrikes and artillery bombardments. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the ongoing assault has killed more than 58,386 Palestinians and injured over 139,077 since October 7, 2023. Overnight, Israeli forces struck multiple areas of Khan Younis, including the destruction of tents sheltering displaced persons in the city's western sector and the leveling of homes in the Al-Katiba and Al-Bayouk neighborhoods. The ministry reported 120 deaths and 557 injuries in the past 24 hours alone, including five aid seekers. The total number of aid-seeking victims has now risen to 838 dead and more than 5,575 injured. Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance factions have intensified their attacks on Israeli forces. Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, reported targeting an Israeli armored personnel carrier in northern Khan Younis with a guided missile. The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for destroying a military vehicle, a Merkava 4 tank, and a bulldozer east of Gaza City. They also reported launching an armed ambush on an Israeli engineering unit, resulting in casualties and a helicopter evacuation. Israeli media confirmed the deaths of three soldiers and the critical injury of another in eastern Gaza. There were also reports that Palestinian fighters attempted to capture an Israeli soldier during the clashes. Separately, several soldiers were reportedly killed in an anti-tank missile strike in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Despite the intensifying violence, indirect ceasefire negotiations continue. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff expressed 'optimism' on Sunday about the potential for an agreement, saying he planned to meet with senior Qatari officials to discuss recent developments. Former President Donald Trump also voiced hope that a resolution could be reached within days. However, skepticism remains. Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to discuss a potential prisoner exchange deal with Hamas. Both ministers reportedly demanded a firm commitment from Netanyahu to resume full-scale military operations following the first phase of any deal. Hamas, for its part, accused Netanyahu of deliberately undermining the negotiations, dismissing the notion of an 'absolute victory' as a 'myth used to cover up a devastating political and battlefield defeat.' The group added that its fighters are engaged in a war of attrition, using surprise tactics that have disrupted the Israeli military's operations. Israeli Channel 14 reported that the army's current mission is to 'completely destroy Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza' to eliminate Hamas fighters entrenched in tunnels before any ceasefire agreement is reached. Channel 12 added that Israel is expected to present new withdrawal maps, including plans to maintain control over the strategic Morag corridor. On the humanitarian front, international agencies have warned of a rapidly worsening crisis. UNICEF reported that over 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in June alone. Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) noted a sharp rise in malnutrition cases at its Gaza clinics since March, attributing the surge to Israel's tightened blockade.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
5 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza
Hamas has been demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. (EPA Images pic) JERUSALEM : Five Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in the northern Gaza Strip, Israel's military said today, as Israel and Hamas held indirect talks in Qatar on an elusive ceasefire. Two of the soldiers 'fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip', the Israeli military said in a statement, adding that three others were also killed and two severely wounded in the same incident. The wounded soldiers were 'evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment and their families have been notified', the military said. The latest round of negotiations on the nearly two-year war in Gaza began on Sunday in Doha, with representatives of Israel and Palestinian rebel group Hamas seated in different rooms in the same building. Monday's talks ended with 'no breakthrough', a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told AFP. The Hamas and Israeli delegations were due to resume talks, with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff also set to join them this week in an effort to secure a ceasefire. The US proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages, taken during its October 2023 attack on Israel, and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel, two Palestinian sources close to the discussions earlier told AFP. Hamas 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, they said.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Iran says ‘no specific date' for US nuclear talks
Iran had been negotiating with the US before strikes on its nuclear facilities last month. (Maxar Technologies/EPA Images pic) TEHRAN : Iran said Monday it had 'no specific date' for a meeting with the US on Tehran's nuclear programme, following a war with Israel that had derailed negotiations. 'For now, no specific date, time or location has been determined regarding this matter,' said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei of plans for a meeting between Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff. Iran had been negotiating with the US before Israel began strikes on its nuclear facilities last month, which Washington later joined. Araghchi and Witkoff met five times, starting in April, without concluding a deal, before Israel launched surprise strikes on June 13, starting a 12-day war. 'We have been serious in diplomacy and the negotiation process, we entered with good faith, but as everyone witnessed, before the sixth round the Zionist regime, in coordination with the US, committed military aggression against Iran', said Baqaei. The US launched its own set of strikes against Iran's nuclear programme on June 22, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz. The extent of the damage from the strikes remains unknown. With its own strikes, numbering in the hundreds, Israel killed nuclear scientists and top-ranking military officers as well as hitting military, nuclear and other sites. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, while it attacked a US base in Qatar in retaliation for Washington's strikes. Israel and Western nations accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied. While it is the only non-nuclear power to enrich uranium to 60% purity, close to the level needed for a warhead, the UN's atomic energy watchdog has said it had no indication that Iran was working to weaponise its stockpiles.
