Latest news with #peaceInitiative
Irish Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Netanyahu asks court to suspend corruption trial so he can focus on possible Gaza ceasefire
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said efforts are being made with the US to follow the military victory over Iran with a regional diplomatic initiative to end the war in Gaza and expand regional peace agreements. Mr Netanyahu said: 'We've been working on it energetically. Along with releasing our hostages and defeating Hamas , there is an opportunity, a window of opportunity has opened, and it can't be missed. Not even a single day can be wasted.' Mr Netanyahu asked the Tel Aviv district court to suspend proceedings in his corruption trial for two weeks so that he can devote more time to a possible ceasefire deal. The court rejected the request. US president Donald Trump , in a bizarre social media post, recently called for the trial to end, writing: 'Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State.' READ MORE Mr Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust – all of which he denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. He has pleaded not guilty. Mr Trump's message appeared to be linked to a wider push for regional peace and an effort to prepare public opinion in Israel for a move to pardon Mr Netanyahu. There was speculation in the Israeli media that the initiative for Mr Trump's message may have come from the prime minister's office. Opposition politicians and legal experts have criticised Mr Trump's comments as a blatant interference in Israel's internal affairs, but coalition members are considering the promotion of a Bill to cancel the trial. US officials have spoken in recent days of progress in efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire, noting that the defeat of Iran, the main backer of Hamas, has put extra pressure on the militant group. Senior Trump administration officials have urged Israel to send its negotiation team to Cairo next week, but Israeli officials have indicated such a move was premature. [ Two tribes: How Israel and Iran became enemies Opens in new window ] Israel is not willing to commit to an end to the war and Hamas refuses to disarm and agree that its leaders will leave Gaza as part of any deal. According to the Yisrael Hayom newspaper, as part of the emerging US plan to end the war, new countries including Saudi Arabia and Syria would join the Abraham Accords – the series of normalisation that Mr Trump's administration negotiated between Israel and some Gulf countries during his first term. Oman, Qatar and Indonesia have also been mentioned as states that may join the Abraham Accords if the conflict ends. As part of the deal, Israel would be required to commit to supporting a future Palestinian state. According to the plan, after Hamas leaders are exiled, four Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, would be tasked with jointly governing Gaza and supervising reconstruction efforts. Gazans wishing to emigrate would be absorbed by several unnamed countries, even though no country has expressed a willingness to absorb Gaza residents. Gazans reacted angrily in February when Mr Trump suggested the US could develop Gaza and force Palestinians to go elsewhere. The plan drew global condemnation with Palestinians, Arab nations and the UN saying it would amount to ethnic cleansing. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage into Gaza. [ Why have oil prices not soared in wake of Israel and US bombing Iran? ] In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza. A large majority of people in Israel want the conflict to end. In the last month 20 soldiers have been killed. A poll on Friday showed that 59 per cent of Israelis support ending the war in a deal that would bring back all 50 remaining hostages, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump's road to failure in Ukraine
'Vladimir, I told you in January that if you didn't stop the war in Ukraine, I would impose sanctions. You ignored me. You are disrespecting me and my presidency. BIG MISTAKE!!!' President Donald Trump could post a message like that tomorrow and begin to rescue his failing Ukraine peace initiative. He could impose the sanctions he has threatened for months — and show Russian President Vladimir Putin that he means business about stopping what he calls a 'bloodbath.' Tragically, if he doesn't, his most important foreign policy initiative will probably collapse — with violent aftershocks that could plague his entire term.
Al Jazeera
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
PKK to disband, potentially ending decades of conflict in Turkiye
The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has announced that it plans to disband and disarm, potentially bringing decades of conflict with Turkiye to an end. The move was reported on Monday by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the armed group. Part of a new peace initiative with Ankara designed to end four decades of violence, the announcement follows a call in February by jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan for the PKK to lay down its arms. Following a party congress in northern Iraq that ended on Friday, the group said it had reached 'historic' decisions that would be shared with the public soon. Firat reported that a statement by Ocalan outlining his 'perspectives and proposals' was read during the congress. In a statement carried by Firat on Monday, the PKK announced that its armed struggle had successfully challenged policies that sought to suppress Kurdish rights. The PKK has 'completed its historical mission', it read, and 'the 12th PKK Congress has decided to dissolve the PKK's organisational structure and end its method of armed struggle'. 'As a result, activities carried out under the name 'PKK' were formally terminated,' the statement said. 'If the new PKK decision is fully implemented, shutting down all PKK branches, illegal structures, it will be a turning point,' said Omer Celik, a spokesman for the governing Justice and Development Party, or AK Party. The announcement signals the potential end of a conflict that has plagued the region, spilling over into northern Iraq and Syria. In February, Ocalan – who has been in jail since 1999 – called on the group to lay down its arms and dissolve itself in a bid to end the hostilities, which have claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s. The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkiye and most Western states, announced a ceasefire days later, but set conditions to disband, including the establishment of a legal mechanism for peace talks. The group said the Kurdish people would embrace peace and a democratic process, and 'will understand the decision to dissolve the PKK and end the armed struggle method better than anyone else'. 'We believe that Kurdish political parties, democratic organisations and opinion leaders will fulfil their responsibilities in developing Kurdish democracy and ensuring the formation of a Kurdish democratic nation.' The announcement by the PKK comes against a backdrop of significant changes in the region, including a new administration in Syria, the weakening of the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. In recent years, the PKK has been limited to isolated attacks inside Turkiye as the military pushed its fighters across the mountainous border into Iraq. The president of the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, welcomed the announcement, saying the PKK's disarmament would strengthen regional stability. The latest peace initiative was launched in October by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's coalition partner, Devlet Bahceli. The far-right politician suggested that Ocalan could be granted parole if the PKK renounces violence and disbands. In late February, Erdogan described the group's potential dissolution as a 'historic opportunity to advance towards the objective of destroying the wall of terror'. Any concessions the PKK might obtain in exchange for its decision to disband have not been disclosed. Details of the peace initiative have also not been made public, and it remains unclear how the process would proceed, including how weapons would be disposed of, who would monitor the procedures, or the future of PKK fighters — whether they might be relocated to third countries. 'If terrorism is completely eradicated, it will open the door to a new era,' said AK Party's Celik. However, he warned that the decision must apply to all 'PKK branches, affiliates and illegal structures'. That appears to be a reference to Kurdish fighters in Syria, who have ties to the PKK and have been involved in intense fighting with Turkish-backed forces on the ground there. The leader of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces previously stated that Ocalan's call for a ceasefire does not apply to his group in Syria.
