Latest news with #US-brokered
Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Some notes and amendments': Hamas responds to US-brokered ceasefire proposal demanding changes
Hamas responded to the latest US-brokered ceasefire proposal for Gaza, saying that it is looking to make amendments to key elements of the deal. A senior official from the group told the AP that these revisions were requested around US guarantees, the timing of hostage releases, aid delivery, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. 'There some notes and amendments to some points, especially on the US guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces,' the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks,' the official said, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the negotiations. A separate statement issued by Hamas confirmed that the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory, and an ensured flow of humanitarian aid. It added that 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be handed over in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners. Israel has already approved the US plan for a temporary 60-day pause in hostilities. According to US President Donald Trump, negotiators are 'nearing a deal.' If agreed, the ceasefire would include the phased release of some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, the freeing of Palestinian prisoners, and the urgent delivery of food and aid. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The urgency of the talks intensified as Gaza's humanitarian situation grew increasingly dire. On Saturday, residents desperate for food intercepted 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, before they could reach distribution points, according to the UN World Food Program (WFP). The WFP said the nearly three-month Israeli blockade has pushed Gaza's population of over two million to the edge of famine, despite a recent uptick in aid allowed through. 'We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming,' the agency said, noting it has over 140,000 metric tons of food ready — enough to feed the enclave for two months. A witness in Khan Younis described chaotic scenes, telling the AP that thousands of people, many carrying bags of flour, stopped a UN convoy at a makeshift roadblock. He further said that at one point, a forklift was used to offload pallets. The UN has previously criticised Israel for forcing aid agencies to use insecure routes through military-controlled areas where armed gangs operate and aid convoys have been targeted. The war, now in its 20th month, began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians and taking approximately 250 hostages. Of those, 58 remain in Gaza. Israel believes 35 of them are dead. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are "doubts" surrounding the fate of several others.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Netanyahu accepts new truce plan as hopes rise for Gaza hostage deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza, presented by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The development marks a potential breakthrough in efforts to halt the months-long conflict and secure the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas. According to Israeli state broadcaster Kan, Netanyahu conveyed his government's acceptance of the US-brokered proposal during a closed-door meeting with families of hostages, some of whom are believed to be deceased. The Prime Minister's Office has not yet issued an official statement. Meanwhile, the Palestinian militant group Hamas confirmed that it had received the proposal through mediators and is currently reviewing its contents. Citing senior Israeli officials, Kan reported that the proposal outlines a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others, to be carried out in two phases. In return, Israel would release 1,236 Palestinian detainees, including the bodies of 180 Palestinians. Notably, the agreement does not require Israel to permanently end its ongoing military campaign in Gaza but commits both parties to begin negotiations for a long-term truce. The United States, Egypt, and Qatar would act as guarantors of the proposed agreement. Israel believes 58 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are thought to be alive. They were taken during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered Israel's full-scale offensive in the enclave. A previous ceasefire agreement, implemented in phases, collapsed in March 2024 after Hamas released 33 hostages. Israel halted further negotiations and resumed military operations on March 18. The conflict has taken a heavy toll on civilians. Gaza's health authorities report that more than 54,000 people have been killed in the territory since the start of Israeli operations in October 2023. The new initiative underscores renewed US efforts to bring both sides back to the negotiating table. The inclusion of Egypt and Qatar — key regional stakeholders — signals a multilateral push to stabilize the worsening humanitarian crisis. The coming days will be critical as Hamas reviews the proposal and Israeli authorities face increasing pressure from hostage families and the international community to reach a deal. If accepted, the ceasefire could provide a much-needed reprieve for Gaza's civilians and open the door to broader political negotiations aimed at ending one of the region's most devastating conflicts in decades.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Indian police chief accused of spying for Pakistan before terror attack
An Indian police inspector has been arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan before a deadly terror attack. Moti Ram Jat of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was detained for 'espionage activities' and allegedly 'sharing classified information relating to national security' with Pakistani intelligence officers. Mr Jat worked at Pahalgam in Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, on April 22. The attack sparked a brief military confrontation between India and Pakistan, the neighbouring nuclear-armed states that contest Kashmir. A security official speaking anonymously told The Telegraph that Mr Jat was based at Pahalgam until six days before the incident. The official said: 'The site of the terror attack falls under his battalion's area of responsibility. An ASI [assistant sub inspector] rank official plays a significant role in operations and internal security.' Mr Jat was charged with a slew of terror and conspiracy offences and dismissed from CRPF after his arrest. India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) claimed that he had been spying for, and receiving funds from, Pakistan since 2023. A Pakistani official was reported to have approached Mr Jat via social media posing as a woman and later extracted information, including on the movements of Indian security forces and the locations of key military bases. During internal monitoring, Mr Jat was found to have been receiving 3,000 rupees monthly into his bank account from abroad, which raised suspicions, an NIA spokesman said. Mr Jat was found to have 'acted in violation of established norms and protocols' in regard to his social media activity, a CRPF spokesperson said. The CRPF is an armed police force that uses military-style tactics and training, and often supports the Indian army during counter-insurgency and internal security operations. Indian security agencies have recently intensified anti-espionage operations and arrested 13 people from across the country for allegedly working with Pakistan's spy agencies. Among these was Jyoti Malhotra, a popular video blogger who posted multiple videos on her social media accounts about a trip to Pakistan and meetings with Pakistani diplomats. Pakistan has denied having any role in the April 22 attack, which was the worst terror incident in Kashmir in decades. The massacre led to India launching aerial strikes on Pakistan, and Islamabad retaliating in kind, before the two sides were pulled back from the brink by a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10. Between May 7 and the ceasefire, both sides fired missiles and drones into each other's territories, killing dozens of civilians. Pakistan claimed it shot down six Indian warplanes including three French-made Rafale jets, which India has not yet confirmed. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Gulf Insider
6 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Ukraine Allegedly Targets Putin's Helicopter Mid-Flight
The Kremlin as well as Russian state media are alleging a huge, potentially conflict-altering incident which will surely escalate the war in Ukraine – an attempted attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin himself. A high-ranking Russian military commander on Sunday described that last week, as Putin traveled to the Kursk region for the first time since is liberation after 6+ months of Ukrainian occupation, Ukraine tried to attack Putin's helicopter mid-flight, sending a wave of drones to swarm the flight path of the chopper. The presidential helicopter was caught in the 'epicenter' of a massive Ukrainian drone attack, commander of an air defense division in Kursk, Yury Dashkin, told Russian media. The headline is the top featured story of English-language RT on Sunday, something which suggests the allegations are largely aimed at grabbing the attention of the West. The incident is said to have happened Tuesday as the helicopter transported Putin to tour Kursk – a southern oblast which has suffered much destruction since the initial Ukrainian cross-border incursion of last August. Commander Yury Dashkin told Russia 1 in an interview which aired Sunday said that Putin's helicopter had found itself 'in the epicenter of an operation to repel a massive drone attack by the enemy' in Kursk Region. He went on to describe that this 'unprecedented' attack was successfully repelled by anti-air defenses in the region. Air defense units in the area had to 'simultaneously conduct anti-aircraft combat and ensure the safety of the president's helicopter in the air. The task was accomplished,' Dashkin stated. 'The attack of the enemy drones was repelled, with all aerial targets being hit.' While this could just be a mid-level officer's attempt to toot his own horn, given the world is just hearing about what's tantamount to an 'assassination attempt' on one of the world's most powerful leaders being alleged – and coming belatedly a number of days after the incident in question – this seems part of Moscow's ongoing messaging that the UAV incursions are an attempt to derail the US-brokered peace talks between Moscow and Kiev. Ukraine tried to ATTACK Putin's helicopter mid-flight over KurskRussian Air Defense Division officer says Ukrainian drones attempted to swarm chopper flight pathRussian air defenses scrambled — worked perfectly and repelled the strike — RT (@RT_com) May 25, 2025 The drones are being launched on Russia in record numbers, with literally multiple hundreds sent over the past week, in some cases halting inbound and outbound flights at major airports, including in the Moscow area. Ukrainian officials have boasted that the operations is trying to disrupt and destabilize daily life in Russia, in hopes that the government could lose control. Significantly, Russia's military pummeled the Ukrainian capital of Kiev again overnight, with emerging images showing raging fires and devastation in city neighborhoods and populated areas. Other regions were hit as well, in a second straight night of some of the largest strikes of the war. Also Read : Putin Isn't Ready To End War In Ukraine, Trump Told Allies In Private
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Keep talking
EDITORIAL: The recent agreement between Pakistan and India to pull back troops from forward positions along the Line of Control is a welcome, if cautious, development. This is not just another headline about ceasefires brokered and broken; this time the quiet work behind the scenes suggests a serious effort to avoid slipping back into open conflict. But as much as the physical withdrawal of troops matters, it must be paired with sustained, continuous engagement — no matter how fraught, indirect, or fragile the dialogue may be. The timing and context could not be more critical. Just weeks ago, the subcontinent saw a dangerously escalated conflict, with missile strikes, drones, and aerial combat that rattled nerves from Islamabad to New Delhi — and beyond. The US-brokered ceasefire, agreed on May 10, was a stark reminder that neither side can afford the consequences of unchecked escalation, especially when nuclear weapons hover in the background. Yet ceasefires are fragile if they exist only on paper or through sporadic announcements. This latest troop withdrawal, quietly agreed upon by the directors general of military operations on both sides, must be seen as more than a tactical repositioning. It is an opportunity — and a necessity — to keep channels open. One cannot overstate the importance of continuous communication even in tense geopolitical standoffs. History offers ample lessons. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union stood as sworn enemies, locked in ideological, military, and nuclear rivalry for decades. Yet, despite the hostility and competition, both powers maintained back-channel communications, diplomatic contacts, and arms control talks. This persistent engagement proved essential to avoiding miscalculations that could have led to nuclear catastrophe. The famous 'hotline' between Washington and Moscow was not just symbolic; it was a lifeline. Similarly, Pakistan and India face a complex web of unresolved issues — Kashmir foremost among them — that cannot be wished away. Political rhetoric in New Delhi may remain aggressive, with references to 'probation' and paused operations, but the Indian military's willingness to pull back troops suggests a recognition of the high cost of escalation. Pakistan's stance is clear too: peace is preferred, but it will not be mistaken for weakness. This duality — a desire for peace coupled with firm resolve — must underpin future interactions. The delicate task now is to transform military-level disengagement into a foundation for broader dialogue. While direct political talks remain stalled or limited, indirect and back-channel communications can sustain momentum and build trust incrementally. This could mean working-level negotiations on ceasefire management, confidence-building measures, and humanitarian concerns. It may also require third-party facilitation — as seen with the US role in brokering the recent ceasefire. Critically, engagement is not a one-off event but a continuous process. The worst outcome would be to retreat into silence or allow hostile rhetoric to dominate public discourse, undermining fragile progress. Both sides must resist the temptation to use these pauses merely as opportunities to regroup militarily or score political points domestically. The real test will be consistent, transparent efforts to manage conflict risks and explore avenues for eventual political resolution. The international community also has a role. Global capitals reacted sharply to the May flare-up, underscoring the broader risks of regional instability. Sustained diplomatic pressure and support for dialogue, rather than short-lived ceasefires, are essential. The world's eyes remain on this volatile region, not only because of the nuclear dimension but because lasting peace here would be a stabilising force in South Asia. Ultimately, the recent troop withdrawal is a positive sign — a small but significant step away from the brink. But it is not a destination. For Pakistan and India, the path to peace is long and uncertain. It demands patience, pragmatism, and above all, unrelenting communication. Like the Cold War rivals before them, they must keep talking — even when it is difficult — to prevent conflict from spiraling again. If silence is allowed to fill the void, the peace gained this May will prove only temporary. The cost of that silence could be measured in lives lost, economies shattered, and the shadow of nuclear catastrophe looming once more. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
