White House spokesperson John Kirby said the visit would be the first-ever by a president of the Gulf Arab country to Washington, adding that Vice President Kamala Harris would meet separately with the UAE leader. Discussions would also focus on climate, clean energy and UAE's role as a partner in the Group of Seven's global infrastructure partnership, Kirby told reporters (Read more at Gulf Today).
The incidents that occurred before Biden suspended his campaign mark "the latest example of Iran's multipronged approach" to "stoke discord and undermine confidence" in the U.S. electoral process, per a joint statement from the FBI, CISA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Read more at Axios).
Iran's leaders hope to see an easing of U.S. sanctions over its nuclear programme. It is unclear whether the Europeans and Iranians can find areas for compromise in New York. Kelsey Davenport, director of non-proliferation policy at the Arms Control Association advocacy group, said substantive talk before the U.S. election were unlikely. But interim steps, such as Iran receiving some sanctions relief in return for expanding IAEA monitoring of its nuclear facilities, could be possible (Read more at USNews).
The Gulf region’s oil and gas exporters tend to follow the US Fed’s lead on rate moves as most regional currencies are pegged to the US dollar; only the Kuwaiti dinar is pegged to a basket of currencies, which includes the dollar (Read more at Arab Weekly).
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said, “I am not tracking any force posture changes in the Eastern Med or in the Central Command area of responsibility ... In pretty much every call the secretary always reiterates the need (that) we want to see regional tensions quell.” The spokesperson added that the US felt as of now the conflict was contained to Gaza (Read more at Arabnews).
The source did not give a reason for the postponement. The trip would have come at a time of heightened tensions in the region after attacks that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers, which Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed on Israel (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "We will continue to stand by Israel's right to defend itself, but we don't want to see any party escalate this conflict, period. We have been engaged in the region for some time, and of course, since October 7th we have been engaged to try to bring down tensions. But ultimately, yes, every country is responsible, and every entity is responsible for the actions that they take." (Read more at USNews).
A US MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed near Yemen, the Pentagon said Tuesday, after Houthis claimed to have downed several of the aircraft in recent days. The Houthis claimed Tuesday that they had shot down three MQ-9s over the past week — a figure Ryder described as “too high.” The Pentagon spokesman said he could not provide a specific number for security reasons, but that the Houthis’ figure “is not accurate.” (Read more at Defense Post)
The measures come two years after the death of Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini while in police custody. The sanctions focus on members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian prison officials, and those involved in lethal operations abroad, according to a statement from the US Treasury Department (Read more at Indian Express).
He is attempting to block over $20 billion in arms sales to Israel through a series of resolutions. Sanders said he has support for the proposal, which would halt the sale of missile systems, tank rounds, new fighter jets, and other weapons responsible for the destruction in Gaza (Read more at New Republic).
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "We're collecting information in the same way that journalists are across the world, to gather the facts about what might have happened," Miller said the United States was always concerned about any incident that can raise tensions in Middle East and urged Iran not to take advantage of any incident to raise instability. Miller also said that civilians were not legitimate targets for any type of operation (Read more at USNews).
Blinken will not visit Israel on this trip, the first time he has skipped a stop in Washington’s closest regional ally since Palestinian militant group Hamas sparked the war in Gaza nearly a year ago. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that was because Washington aimed to discuss bilateral issues with Egypt on this trip and the Gaza ceasefire proposal that U.S. and mediators have been working on was still not ready to present to Israel. "So it would be premature to be presenting such a proposal, or doing any other diplomatic engagements," he added (Read more at USNews).
Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, questioned the Security Council’s effectiveness, asking, “Why has it been unable to stop this human tragedy, the worst of its kind to this day?” “Had the US not shielded one side time and again, multiple resolutions of this council would not have been flagrantly rejected and defied,” Shuang stated. He urged the US to “show a responsible attitude”, cease its passivity, and use its’ strategic influence to pressure Israel into ending its military operations immediately, as demanded by council resolutions months ago (Read more at Middle East Eye).
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week described Eygi's killing as "unprovoked and unjustified" and demanded an overhaul of Israeli military conduct in the West Bank. “If the first investigation plays out. … and we are not satisfied, we will of course look at whether any other measures are appropriate,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller added (Read more at Indian Express).
Top US diplomat will also chair US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue with his Egyptian counterpart, according to State Department. The visit, Blinken's 10th to the Middle East since Oct. 7 last year, comes as the US, along with Qatar and Egypt, are working to secure a cease-fire and hostage swap deal between Israel and Hamas. US President Joe Biden said on May 31 that Israel presented a hostage-prisoner exchange, the Israeli military’s withdrawal from Gaza, a surge in aid and a permanent end to hostilities (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
Jafar Hassan, now head of King Abdullah’s office and a former planning minister, replaces Bisher Khasawneh, a veteran diplomat and former palace adviser who was appointed nearly four years ago. Harvard-educated Hassan is a widely respected technocrat. He will face the challenges of mitigating the impact of the Gaza war on the kingdom’s economy, hard-hit by curbs to investment and a sharp drop in tourism (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
Saudi Arabia’s Commander of the Joint Forces, Lieutenant General Fahad bin Hamad Al Salman, received a delegation from the US armed forces in Riyadh on Sunday and discussed ways to strengthen the two countries' military partnership (Read more at Arabnews)
Hochstein's message came as the Israeli military and security cabinet have been ramping up preparations for a war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The U.S. envoy made clear to Netanyahu and Gallant that the U.S. remains committed to a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon, "either together with a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal or on its own." Netanyahu told Hochstein that it would not be possible to return displaced Israelis to their homes without a fundamental change in the security situation on the border with Lebanon (Read more at Axios).
"There is always communication after every operation we conduct," Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement's political bureau, told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV. "These calls are based on either threats or presenting some temptations, but they have given up to achieve any accomplishment in that direction." He added, "the calls after attacks included some from the U.S. and the United Kingdom indirectly through mediators and that the threats included direct U.S. military intervention against countries that intervene militarily "in support of Gaza." The Houthis have damaged more than 80 ships in missile and drone attacks since November, sinking two vessels, seizing another and killing at least three crew members (Read more USNews).
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "I don't have a timetable for you other than to say that we are working expeditiously to try to develop that proposal." Talks over months have so far failed to reach a deal to end war, now in its twelfth month, even after U.S. President Joe Biden in June publicly laid out a proposal that Israel had agreed to (Read more at Reuters).
Matt Nelson of Boston reportedly sets himself on fire outside Israeli consulate, becoming latest individual in US to self-immolate to protest Israel's genocidal war in Gaza being carried out with American weapons (Read more at TRTWorld).
The U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, accused the UN of "inordinately over-focus" on Israel. "There is no other country in the world that has a monthly meeting on the (Security) Council's agenda going back decades," the U.S. envoy said. Asked about recognizing the Palestinian state, Thomas-Greenfield gave an evasive response as she claimed that "a state has certain responsibilities for its people, and I do not believe the Palestinians, as they exist right now, have all of the elements to give it statehood." (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
US Central Command said that 14 ISIS operatives, among them four major figures in the group, had been killed as part of a joint raid in western Iraq on August 29. As part of the continuing post-raid assessment, Centcom can confirm that four ISIS leaders were killed. There were no civilian casualties, Centcom added (Read more at The National).
The United States, Germany, Britain and France on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, including measures against its national airline Iran Air. Araqchi said that Tehran had not delivered any ballistic missiles to Russia and sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and three European powers would not solve any problems between them (Read more at Business Standard).
It is to fund heavy-duty tank trailers. The systems include spare and repair parts, tool kits and technical and logistics support (Read more at ABCNews).
Theodore Roosevelt has departed and begun its transit to Indo-Pacific command area of operations, says spokesman. One of two US aircraft carriers deployed to the Middle East to deter Iran from attacking Israel departed the region. US forces in the region include, but aren’t limited to, an amphibious ready group and marine expeditionary unit, multiple destroyers, fighter aircraft and carrier strike group presence (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
If the U.S. did approve the transfer, the UAE would be only the second Middle East state after Israel to operate F-35 fighters. Trump had signed off on the deal in the final days of his presidency in 2021 but the UAE suspended talks by the end of the year, unable to agree terms with the Biden administration (Read more at AOL).
He called on the Justice Department to initiate independent investigations into the killing of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish American activist, by Israeli forces in the West Bank. He said, "By continuing to credulously accept the explanations of an extremist Israeli government whose stated goal is to annex the West Bank and push Palestinians off their land, the United States makes a mockery of its values." (Read more at Anadolu Agency)
Prince Turki al-Faisal stated that “Israeli lobbyists” enjoyed tax-free status in the US because they were considered to be “philanthropic or humanitarian”, rather than as representing the interests of Israel. He said, “There are many tools that are available to the United States, not simply harsh talk, which seems to have gotten us nowhere. But is America ready to do that?” (Read more at Middle East Eye)
George Lombardi, senior advisor to former US President Donald Trump, has suggested that a second Trump administration could put a definitive end to the Western Sahara dispute by bringing Algeria and Polisario to negotiate on the terms of a political settlement. This assessment comes nearly four years after the Trump administration’s historic decision in December 2020 to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara (Read more at Morocco World News).
Kataib Hezbollah, one of Iraq’s armed factions, said the timing of the attack was clearly designed to disrupt a visit to Iraq by Iranian President. The group called on Iraqi security forces to investigate the attack and to determine who is responsible (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris called the Israeli military's killing of an American activist in the Israeli-occupied West Bank "unacceptable" and said Israel must do more to make sure it never happens again. Eygi's relatives called on Biden and Harris to speak to the family directly and order an independent investigation into her shooting (Read more at Reuters).
OFAC has sanctioned three individuals, five companies and two vessels. It has facilitated dozens of LPG shipments to the Government of Syria. The US Treasury said “two prominent Hezbollah officials involved in these efforts include Muhammad Qasir (Qasir) and Muhammad Qasim al-Bazzal (Read more at Nahar Net).
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has decided to provide Egypt with its full $1.3 billion military aid allocation for 2024, which comes amid Egypt’s critical role in mediating talks between Israel and Hamas in an effort to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, overriding human rights conditions for the first time during this administration (Read more at Defense Blog).
The US steps, including last June’s announcement of the launch of a strategic dialogue with Cyprus, are detrimental to the security of the Turkish Cypriot side of the island, the Turkish foreign ministry said. “These steps … undermine the neutral USA position towards the island of Cyprus and make it more difficult to reach a just, lasting and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue,” it said in a statement (Read more at Cyprus-Mail)
The US vice president and Democratic nominee has failed to back Aysenur Eygi’s family’s call for an independent investigation. But she also urged “full accountability” for the killing. Israel’s preliminary investigation indicated it was the result of a tragic error for which the [Israeli military] is responsible (Read more at Aljazeera).
It would help the country train and run the most powerful AI models. Earlier this year, the US curtailed shipments of Nvidia’s advanced graphics cards out of concern that Saudi Arabia’s close ties with China could allow valuable AI secrets to flow there. Some who work for the Saudi Data and AI Authority, said the country is working to satisfy US security demands in an effort to get the chips as soon as possible (Read more at Semafor).
Last month, the art museum — founded by Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi — announced a policy prohibiting employees from wearing anything that expressed "political messages, slogans or symbols". The Museum said they violated its updated dress code by wearing keffiyeh head scarves, which have become an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian cause (Read more at Khaleej Times).
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that new sanctions on Iran Air would restrict its commercial flights from Iran to British and continental Europe. "The supply of these Iranian missiles, which have a maximum range of about 75 miles, could allow Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets beyond the front line while employing Iranian warheads for closer-range targets," Kirby said. Kirby said it would also be dangerous for the Middle East that Iran would now be able to avail itself of Russian technology, including on nuclear issues (Read more at USNews).
The United States said the shooting was “unprovoked and unjustified” and called for “fundamental changes” to Israel’s conduct, a rare direct rebuke of its close ally. Washington had urged Israel to investigate the circumstances around Eygi’s death and to ensure the findings were “thorough and transparent.” The Israel Defense Forces said in a brief statement published Tuesday that an initial inquiry found it was “highly likely” that Eygi was “hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire, which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator” of the protest.” (Read more at CNBC)
That rare vote is scheduled to take place next month. A group of students made up of members of Brown Students for Israel, among others, are making the case in front of the Advisory Committee on University Resources Management (ACURM) that a vote on divestment is “functionally antisemitic” and that “there is no genocide in Gaza.” Brown Divest Coalition (BDC) is seeking to have the university divest its $6.6 billion endowment away from 10 companies in particular that have contributed resources and technology to Israel’s war on Gaza (Read more at Middle East Eye).
All sources of transfers from and to Russia are being checked, and bank accounts [for Russian citizens] are being opened under increased control of head offices (Read more at Almayadeen).
US Senator Chris Murphy said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a vested political interest in avoiding a ceasefire and that his coalition partners would likely not stand for a deal that includes releasing "Hamas prisoners". Murphy said a ceasefire feels less likely with every passing month and suspects Netanyahu doesn't want to hand Biden a diplomatic victory. Looking ahead at the upcoming November election Murphy said that both Israel and Hamas may not see it as in their political interest to deliver a deal by election day. "This is speculative, but it is not hard to believe that Netanyahu is rooting for Trump (Read more at Middle East Eye).
At the same time, US Central Command said on Sunday evening that over the past 24 hours, its forces had destroyed three Houthi drones and two missile systems in a Houthi-controlled Yemeni area, all of which were threatening US-led coalition ships and commercial vessels in international shipping lanes. Hodeidah, Yemen’s only major coastal city under Houthi control, has received most of the US and UK strikes since January. Meanwhile, Yemen’s government requested financial assistance from GCC countries on Monday to help shore up its faltering economy, stabilize the currency and pay public employees (Read more at NewArab).
A Symbolic funeral held for Aysenur Eygi in Palestinian city of Nablus before her body is transported to Turkey. Turkish authorities are continuing efforts to bring Ms Eygi's body from the West Bank to Turkey (Read more at The National).
The Israeli foreign ministry “sent a classified cable” to the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, and to all Israeli consulates in the U.S.” about South Africa’s ICJ case. Israeli diplomats “were instructed to ask members of Congress to issue public statements condemning South Africa’s actions against Israel and threaten that it could lead to suspending U.S. trade relations with South Africa.” (Read more at Palestine Chronicle)
U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said, "Our understanding is that our partners in Israel are looking into the circumstances of what happened, and we expect them to make their findings public, and expect that whatever those findings are, expect them to be thorough and transparent." White House national security spokesperson John Kirby later said Israel was understood to be "moving swiftly on this investigation" and was expected to present its findings and conclusions in the coming days (Read more at USNews).
US settlement proposal includes all the contentious points, foremost among them the Philadelphia Corridor between the Gaza Strip and Egyp. It also focused on the number of senior Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails who will be released as part of the potential deal, rather than the total number of prisoners to be released (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
The Houthis have not released footage for the latest attack, but have shown downing US drones with missiles before. This is the eighth drone of this type to be shot down since the start of the war on Gaza. It costs about $30m (Read more at Aljazeera).
Support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia, reaching a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza and the tense situation in the Indo-Pacific are among the items on their agenda (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
The transfer was conducted under US supervision with strict security measures in place to prevent any security breaches, following the escape of five foreign prisoners last week, of whom the SDF managed to recapture only two (Read more at Almayadeen).
Statements so far from the administration differ from remarks that follow killings of Israeli Americans. The State Department's immediate response drew the ire of Palestinian Americans, who accused the White House of treating the death of Israeli Americans with higher concern than other Americans killed by Israel (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The White House is reassessing its strategy for a hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza deal as President Biden's top aides deliberate whether there is a point in presenting a new proposal as Hamas and Israel both take tougher positions in negotiations, U.S. officials say. The murder of six hostages by Hamas, military control of the Philadelphi corridor, and the Hamas's new demand to release 100 more Palestinian prisoners who are serving life sentences for murdering Israelis caused significant pessimism at the White House. Officials feel Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar doesn't want a deal right now (Read more at Axios).
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was shot in the head Friday while protesting in the Israeli-occupied town of Beita. Her family called on President Biden, Vice President Harris and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to order an investigation and “ensure full accountability for the guilty parties.” The IDF said in a statement that the incident is under review (Read more at New York Post).
The meetings held in Washington, DC and were participated by Ambassador Moataz Zahran, Egypt's Ambassador to the United States. Discussions included enhancing collaboration in key sectors such as renewable energy, technology, infrastructure, and agriculture within the framework of the long-term strategic partnership (Read more at Egypt Today).
The Turkish Radio Television's documentary "Journalism Under Genocide," which exposes Israeli military crimes against journalists, was deleted from Facebook (Read more at TRTWorld).
They said their agencies had “exploited our intelligence channels to push hard for restraint and de-escalation (Read more at Business Standard).
Nnnamed US and European officials believe Iran has already provided ballistic missiles to Russia. White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett stated that any missile transfer from Iran to Russia would be a "dramatic escalation" in their military partnership. However, Savett did not confirm whether the transfer had already occurred (Read more at Tribune).
"Colleges will and must end the antisemitic propaganda or they will lose their accreditation and federal support," Trump said, speaking remotely to a crowd of more than 1,000 Republican Jewish Coalition donors in Las Vegas. In the United States, the federal government does not directly accredit universities but has a role in overseeing the mostly private organizations that give colleges accreditation (Read more at Reuters).
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged both Israel and Hamas to finalize an agreement for a truce in Gaza. In an interview with US news channel Fox, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sounded less optimistic a deal would be reached soon and said, "It's not close." (Read more at Times of Oman).
The incident occurred during a regular protest march in Nablus that has witnessed repeated attacks by settlers. Fouad Nafaa, head of Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, confirmed that the woman arrived at the hospital in critical condition with a severe head injury. “We tried to perform a resuscitation operation on her, but unfortunately she died,” Nafaa told Reuters (Read more at Media Line).
Walz's comments came in an interview with a local Michigan public radio station — a state with a large Muslim American population that is also a potentially pivotal swing state. The Democratic ticket looks to balance its support for Israel with the humanitarian plight of civilians (Read more at NewArab)
The United States and Iraq have reached an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq. The U.S. and Iraq are also seeking to establish a new advisory relationship that could see some U.S. troops remain in Iraq after the drawdown (Read more at USNews).
The meeting is one of several attempts in recent days to mend fences with Muslim and Arab voters, who resoundingly backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 but could withhold their votes from Harris in numbers that would cost her the key state of Michigan. Harris will meet with Emgage, which recently endorsed her, the American Task Force on Lebanon, and a long-standing friend of Harris, Hala Hijazi, who has lost dozens of family members in Gaza (Read more at New Strait Times).
Kamel Ahmad Jawad, from Dearborn, Michigan, was killed in Lebanon in an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday, according to his daughter, a friend and the U.S. congresswoman representing his district (Read more at Reuters).
(Reuters) - The White House convened a meeting with representatives of Amazon.com, Alphabet's Google, Microsoft, Cloudflare and civil society activists in a bid to encourage U.S. tech giants to offer more digital bandwidth for government-funded internet censorship evasion tools. The tools, supported by the U.S.-backed Open Technology Fund (OTF), have seen a surge of usage in Russia, Iran, Myanmar and authoritarian states that heavily censor the internet (Read more at USNews).
A dual Lebanese-Belgian citizen accused by the United States of financing Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is expected to plead guilty in a criminal case charging him with sanctions evasion and money-laundering conspiracies. Prosecutors said Bazzi covertly sold real estate he owned in Michigan and transferred the funds abroad, in violation of those sanctions (Read more at Arabnews).
the United States, has been quiet so far on Türkiye’s intention to join the BRICS alliance of developing markets. However, a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council broke the silence on the matter. Speaking to the Turkish edition of Voice of America, the spokesperson said in a written statement that the U.S. believed that countries (Read more at Daily Sabah).
The Board, which operates independently but is funded by the US social media firm, said the phrase “From the river to the sea” has several meanings, and as such its use cannot in itself be deemed to be harmful, violent or discriminatory. Critics of the phrase say it is anti-Semitic and a call for Israel’s eradication (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
Hamas' new demand to increase the number of Palestinian prisoners released as part of the deal raised even more concerns and questions among U.S. negotiators about whether an agreement is possible. U.S. officials said one of the main arguments made in the meeting was that after Hamas murdered the hostages, including an American, the U.S. shouldn't push for a proposal that gives Hamas additional concessions and instead focus on applying more pressure and accountability measures against Hamas (Read more at Axios).
The meeting, which hasn't been announced by the White House or the Israeli government, was initiated by the Biden administration to take the pulse on the Israeli side and coordinate their policies about the situation in Lebanon. The virtual meeting lasted an hour. The U.S. team was led by White House national Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. President Biden's advisers Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk also participated. The Israeli team was led by the Minister for Strategic Affairs and Netanyahu confidant Ron Dermer (Read more at Axios).
U.S. troops and the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led coalition, captured ISIS facilitator Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal days after "five ISIS Foreign Terrorist Fighter detainees (Two Russians, two Afghans, and one Libyan) escaped from the Raqqah Detention Facility," per a CENTCOM statement. The SDF recaptured two of the escapees, but CENTCOM said three remained at large (Read more at Axios).
U.S. prosecutors charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and five other leading figures in the Palestinian militant group with offenses including terrorism over the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The indictment that was unsealed Tuesday marks the first step in the U.S. trying to hold Hamas accountable for the killing and kidnapping of hundreds of civilians, including U.S. citizens, but it's largely symbolic as Sinwar is believed to be hiding in Gaza and the DOJ notes in a statement that three of those charged are believed to be dead (Read more at Axios).
Fifteen suspected assailants were detained after attack in port city of Izmir. Police intervened in the incident and authorities are conducting an investigation (Read more at Guardian).
He said Netanyahu is more concerned with retaining his grip on power than brokering an agreement to free hostages. He added, Netanhayu has made choices to pursue this fantasy of total victory over Hamas, but his idea of total victory is a messianic one, not realistic (Read more at TRTWorld).
He also said he believed a final deal to free prisoners held by the Palestinian group was “very close”. (Read more at Sarajevotimes)
After the operation, there are 101 hostages remaining in Gaza. IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the hostages were murdered by Hamas guards "shortly before IDF forces reached them." The body of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a U.S. citizen who became the symbol of the American hostages held by Hamas, was among those recovered (Read more at Axios).
Kamala Harris' strong support for Israel as it continues its war in Gaza is fueling calls for a fresh round of protests at campaign stops, universities and public events in the weeks ahead, activists told Reuters, describing what they said was her failure to listen to pro-Palestinian voices. They plan to show up in force during Harris' debate against Donald Trump in Philadelphia on Sept. 10 (Read more at Arabnews).
Also, seven US troops injured during a joint US-Iraq raid in western Iraq. The operation comes as Baghdad and Washington have been engaged in months of talks over the presence of anti-jihadist coalition forces in Iraq (Read more at France24).
Iraq seeks U.S. investment in gas as new projects target energy independence. The move is part of Baghdad's efforts to attract U.S. investment into its energy sector, following previous licensing rounds where Chinese firms secured the majority of available fields (Read more at Reuters).
at least 1.7 million Palestinians were crowded into a “safe zone” whose size is equivalent to just 70 percent of the total area of Washington’s Dulles International Airport. the US government has lobbied Israel on “several mitigating measures”, based on the assessment that Israel is “unlikely” to change its overall policy (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Turkish President "played" Donald Trump and convinced him that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would be the inevitable winner of the Syrian civil war and to withdraw US forces from parts of northern Syria to allow Turkish forces to remove Syrian Kurdish armed elements. Erdogan described continued arms transfers to the SDF as a waste of money. McMaster says, on the contrary, Trump had never ordered him to stop the delivery of weapons (Read more at Middle East Eye).
At the University of South Florida, all activities which may feature signs, tents or amplified sound now require prior approval. Likewise, at the University of California, the university president ordered chancellors on all 10 campuses to ban student encampments and "overnight loitering". Using a mask to hide your identity or block walkways and university buildings is now also prohibited. New York University says identifies "Zionists" as hate speech and be subject to punitive action. At GWU, the mandatory orientation briefing for new enrollments included a briefing on what students could and could not say with regards to criticism of Israel on campus (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty, during a meeting with a US congressional delegation, led by Senator Joni Ernst, emphasized the increasing significance of the Egypt-US strategic partnership in resolving successive regional crises, including the war in Gaza, the crises in Libya and Sudan, and security in the Red Sea (Read more at AlAhram).
The two were found in the water when a US inflatable boat and helicopter took them in from the water. They were taken to the USS Theodore Roosevelt to receive medical care, as well as food and water (Read more at The National).
Brenda Abdelall would be tasked with shoring up support from a community frustrated with U.S. support for Israel's war on Gaza. She most recently served as senior counselor to the Department of Homeland Security's secretary. Two weeks ago, Harris's campaign hired Afghan American lawyer Nasrina Bargzie to lead outreach to Muslim voters (Read more at Al Ahram).
Israel told the United States that an initial review found that shots were fired at a World Food Programme (WFP) vehicle in the Gaza Strip after a "communication error" between Israeli military units, the deputy U.S. envoy to the United Nations said (Read more at USNews).
The United States has repeatedly voiced optimism for talks on reaching a truce proposed by President Joe Biden in the more than 10-month conflict, despite repeated differences voiced between Israel and Hamas. Kirby said that senior White House official Brett McGurk stayed in Cairo for an extra day to allow further talks at a lower level (Read more at Defense Post).
The U.S. urges all Libyan stakeholders to engage constructively in dialogue, with support from United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMI) and the international community (Read more at USNews).
A drone strike in northwestern Syria killed a Saudi militant from an al-Qaeda-linked group as he was riding on a motorcycle. The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that its forces had killed Abu Abdul Rahman Makki, a senior leader in the group Horas al-Din, or “Guardians of Religion." (Read more at The Hindu).
The Lincoln is to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt at a time of heightened fears of regional conflict. “The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, is accompanied by Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21 and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9,” it added (Read more at Arab Weekly).
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called on Hamas to accept a “bridging proposal” put forward by the US that appears to differ from a previous proposal adopted by the UNSC and agreed to by the Palestinian group (Read more at Aljazeera).
Disappointed Pro-Palestinian activists said Kamala Harris' speech to close the Democratic convention in Chicago failed to demonstrate any break from the status quo, after a week in which the most divisive issue facing the party was mostly ignored (Read more at USNews).
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said in her Democratic National Convention speech: "I will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself," Harris said while adding "what has happened in Gaza is devastating", and "heartbreaking." (Read more at USNews)
During their call, Biden asked for Israeli forces to be pulled out from a 1- to 2-kilometer strip along the Egypt-Gaza border during the first phase of the Gaza deal so negotiations on the deal can move forward. The Israeli officials said Netanyahu partially accepted Biden's request and agreed to give up one Israeli position along the border. Netanyahu's partial agreement resulted in the U.S. supporting the Israeli position that other IDF forces remain along the Philadelphi corridor in the first phase of the deal (Read more at Axios).
He sought to inject urgency into efforts to broker a Gaza ceasefire deal and said “the United States does not accept any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel ... the agreement is very clear on the schedule and the locations of IDF withdrawals from Gaza, and Israel has agreed to that." The US official said even if Hamas were to agree on the bridging proposal immediately, there would have to be additional conversations to iron out details on implementation of the deal (Read morea t Euractiv).
The United States disputed a report as saying Netanyahu might have convinced US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel should keep troops on a border strip between Gaza and Egypt. “The only thing Secretary Blinken and the United States are convinced of is the need for getting a ceasefire proposal across the finish line,” a senior administration official told reporters en route to Doha (Read more at Cyprus Mail).
The crowd turned its frustration toward Vice President Kamala Harris, referring to the Democratic candidate as "Killer Kamala". The DNC's security team confirmed that protesters breached a portion of the fencing on the outer perimeter near the convention arena but said law enforcement personnel acted quickly and there was no threat to attendees (Read more at Business Standard).
Egyptian officials and the US ambassador inaugurated renovations of several monuments and buildings in Historic Cairo, including the Bimaristan Al-Muayyad Sheikh, a hospital complex built in 1420 A.D. Other monuments restored with US Agency for International Development help and inaugurated on Sunday included the 18th century Sabil Kuttab of Ruqayya Dudu and the 14th century Gate of Manjak Al-Silahdar. (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal – that he supports it,” Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv. “It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same." (Read more at Euractive).
Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan criticised United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted an updated proposal. The senior Hamas said that it “raises many ambiguities” because it is “not what was presented to us nor what we agreed on.” (Read more at HumEnglish)
It says it targets the American public with influence operations aimed at fanning political discord (Read more at Reuters).
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his ninth visit to the Middle East since thw war on Gaza said in Israel warned against any moves that could heighten regional tensions, following threats from Iran and Lebanese group Hezbollah to avenge the recent Israeli assassinations of two leaders (Read more at AlAhram).
The Cuban top diplomat highlighted the recent bombings in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the deaths of at least 10 children, as clear evidence of Israeli aggression. He reiterated Cuba's condemnation of the "Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people" and criticized the US for enabling this through its unwavering support (Read more at Almayadeen).
From the 40 students arrested or disciplined when the university called upon police to the campus on April 18, only two remain suspended. Moreover, from the over 80 students arrested between April 29 and May 1, only five now face interim suspension without access to the campus (Read more at YahooNews).
However, the army said it would not attend the peace talks in Switzerland unless a previous agreement struck in Jeddah is implemented. The United States is currently brokering ceasefire talks in an undisclosed location in Switzerland, which the army’s adversaries the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are attending, but the army has shunned (Read more at AlMayadeen).
Blinken’s agenda includes four steps – getting an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, getting Hamas to release all remaining Israeli captives, trying to bring in badly needed humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza and, finally, trying to establish the conditions for a broader regional peace. Pundits here in the US and in the Middle East consider the latter as a bid to prevent an Iranian attack on Israel for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the former political chief of Hamas (Read more at Aljazeera).
The group blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for moving the goalposts and the U.S. for indulging him. The rejection makes President Biden's goal of getting a deal this week almost impossible (Read more at Axios).
A senior U.S. official said that unlike past rounds of talks, the Israeli team was "empowered" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate in real-time with more autonomy (Read more at Axios).
"It was consensus of all of the participants over the past 48 hours that there's really a new spirit here to drive it to a conclusion. The Israeli team that was here was empowered...We made a lot of progress in the number of issues that we've been working on," an official said (Read more at Reuters).
He said that the deal is now in sight, but he warned that it was "far from over." "There's a couple more issues. I think we've got a shot," he added, without elaborating (Read more at USNews).
Baghdad has officially signed a procurement contract with France. The purchase is for an air force fleet that covers all Iraqi operational zones as the country sets its sights on increasing its aerial power. Formerly known as the Eurocopter EC725 Caracal, the H225M is designed to enable military forces to deploy “wherever and whenever needed.” Apart from tactical transport, the helicopter can support special operations, combat search and rescue, and medical evacuation (Read more at Defense Post).
Since Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate for the 2024 presidential election, some Black Americans – who previously opposed President Joe Biden – have changed their minds about not voting for the Democratic party (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Pro-Palestinian activists condemn Biden's administration for funding Israel during its war on Gaza (Read more at TRTWorld).
Trump added: “I will give Israel the support that it needs to win but I do want them to win fast.” (Read more at Arab Weekly)
The US treasury said the Hezbollah-controlled Talaqi Group used two tankers to ship LPG worth tens of millions of dollars from Iran to China. The US Treasury Department targeted companies, individuals and vessels accused of being involved in the shipment of Iranian commodities, including oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to Yemen and the UAE on behalf of a Houthi financial official’s network. It said the revenue from Sa’id al-Jamal’s network helps finance the Houthis’ targeting of shipping in the Red Sea and civilian infrastructure (Read more at Arab Weekly).
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said "Israel's fundamental principles are well known to the mediators and the U.S., and Israel hopes that their pressure will lead Hamas to accept the principles of May 27, so that the details of the agreement can be implemented." A Hamas source told al-Jazeera the group was briefed by the mediators about Thursday's talks and said what is being presented now doesn't coincide with what Hamas accepted on July 2 (Read more at Axios).
He has invoked Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian leader slain after striking a peace deal with Israel, asking what the U.S. did to protect Sadat. He also has discussed the threats he faces in explaining why any such deal must include a true path to a Palestinian state — especially now that the war in Gaza has heightened Arab fury toward Israel (Read more at Politico).
In a joint statement released by the White House on Monday, the leaders of all five countries said they endorsed a call from the United States, Qatar and Egypt for a renewal of talks for a Gaza ceasefire to conclude a deal as soon as possible (Read more at Business Standard).
The U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Jeff Flake, said, "we ask all of our allies that have any relations with Iran to prevail on them to de-escalate, and that includes Turkey." (Read more at USNews)
On 1 August, Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) orchestrated the exchange of 26 detainees from prisons in the US, Germany, Poland, Russia and other countries. After the exchange, Biden held a news conference where he personally expressed his gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Israeli and U.S. officials tell Axios Iran has taken significant preparatory steps in its missile and drone units, similar to those it had taken before the attack on Israel in April (Read more at Axios).
Defence Minister Yasar Guler has said Turkiye wants to improve its ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), but its priority is fulfilling its responsibilities to NATO (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
Talks to end Sudan's 16-month war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) will move forward this week, despite little sign from either party that they seek a peaceful resolution (Read more at USNews).
State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel, said the U.S. fully expects talks to continue and it would continue to work with the parties involved, adding that agreement was still possible (Read more at YahooNews).
"We obviously don't want to see Israel have to defend itself against another onslaught, like they did in April. But, if that's what comes at them, we will continue to help them defend themselves," Kirby said. But a U.S. official told Reuters the Lincoln carrier strike group was currently close to the South China Sea and would likely take over a week to reach the Middle East (Read more at Reuters).
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has demanded that Gaza ceasefire mediators present a plan to implement a proposal supported by US President Joe Biden that it had agreed upon on July 2 (Read more at TRTWorld).
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area of responsibility, adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike Group. Additionally, Austin ordered the USS Georgia (SSGN 729) guided missile submarine to the Central Command region (Read more at TRTWorld).
The peace talks, slated to begin on August 14, are planned to address the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group (Read more at TRTAfrica).
One source said sales could resume as early as next week. Ties between the kingdom and the United States have warmed since then, as Washington has worked more closely with Riyadh in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 attack to devise a plan for post-war Gaza (Read more at South China Morning Post).
The Gaza Civil Emergency Service, which has a credible record stating casualty numbers, said about 100 people were killed in Saturday's strike. Israel said around 20 militants had been operating at the compound. "Yet again, far too many civilians have been killed," Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris told reporters. "We know Hamas has been using schools as locations to gather and operate out of, but we have also said repeatedly and consistently that Israel must take measures to minimize civilian harm," the White House said (Read more at USNews).
They were wounded in a drone attack in Syria, in the second major attack in recent days against U.S. forces amid soaring tensions in the Middle East. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said the United States would not tolerate attacks on U.S. personnel but Washington was also trying to de-escalate tensions in the region (Read more at USNews).
Funds cames from a $14.5bn supplemental funding bill for Israel passed by the Congress in April. The supplemental budget comes on top of the more than $3bn in annual US military aid to Israel. The State Department said it had decided against sanctioning the unit – which would have been the first-ever blocking of aid to the Israeli military – saying it was satisfied with Israeli efforts to address “violations” and have been “effectively remediated” (Read more at Aljazeera).
The US accused Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 72, of lying about his past in an attempt to secure U.S. citizenship. He oversaw severe physical abuse of inmates while head of the Adra prison, located in a Damascus suburb, from 2005 until 2010. Alsheikh was later appointed by Assad as governor of the Deir Ez-Zor province in eastern Syria. He had been living in South Carolina when he was arrested last month after purchasing a one-way ticket on a flight to Beirut (Read more at USNews).
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said that Smotrich's claims that a ceasefire deal would be a surrender to Hamas or that hostages should not be exchanged for prisoners are "dead wrong," and said the minister was misleading the Israeli public (Read more at Reuters).
Blinken stressed the "urgent need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza" that could release hostages held in the enclave and "create the conditions for broader regional stability." (Read more at USNews)
U.S. troops in northeastern Syria at Rumalyn Landing Zone were attacked by a drone. Initial reports do not indicate any injuries. This is the second attack in recent days against U.S. forces in the Middle East (Read more at USNews).
The deployment is part of force posture changes in the region to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies (Read more at Defense Post).
The three leaders said there is a framework agreement on the table and only its implementation details need to be finalized. They have called on the two sides to resume urgent talks on Thursday, August 15 in (Doha or Cairo) to fill all remaining gaps and begin implementing the agreement without any delay (Read more at Axios).
Rahm Emanuel will not attend the event because it was “politicized” by Nagasaki’s decision not to invite Israel. He will instead honor the victims of the Nagasaki atomic bombing at a ceremony at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo (Read more at AP).
Pro-Israel advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over sanctions issued against individuals involved in settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Biden's executive order against settler violence in West Bank 'unconstitutionally chills' free speech, lawsuit argues (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Biden warned Netanyahu that if he escalates again, he shouldn't count on the U.S. to bail him out. At the end of the meeting with Netanyahu in the Oval office, Biden became emotional, raised his voice and told Netanyahu he needs to reach a Gaza deal as soon as possible. When asked if the assassination of Hamas leader Haniyeh has ruined the chances for a deal, Biden said: "It hasn't helped." (Read more at Axios)
The US Secretary of Defense ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and to send additional cruisers and destroyers which have a system for intercepting ballistic missiles to the U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command regions. The Department is also taking steps to increase their readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense and deploy additional fighter jet squadron (Read more at Axios).
Netanyahu's latest conditions weren't included in the proposal announced by US President Joe Biden in May, which Biden said Israel had agreed to (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
The White House, however, sought to downplay anxieties that an impending Israeli retaliation could trigger a broader regional war, with Kirby labeling such concerns “exaggerated” during a briefing with reporters. But the cautious optimism projected by the White House contrasted with defensive preparations taken by US troops in Iraq and Syria in anticipation of blowback from local militias in response to the impending Israeli strikes (Read more at AlMonitor).
Israel has so far not targeted Hezbollah in Beirut. U.S. and Israeli officials agree that an all out war between Israel and Hezbollah would cause huge destruction on both sides and could lead to a regional war. The Israeli official said Hochstein expressed concern that if the IDF strikes Beirut, Hezbollah would respond by firing long-range missiles at Israel, which would likely lead to even further escalation (Read more at Axios).
Earlier on Monday, the Israeli army admitted that its soldiers were responsible for the bombing of the water reservoir in Tal al-Sultan. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, an investigation into the incident has been initiated. Also, fuel restrictions imposed by Israel have further hindered the operation of remaining desalination facilities in the region (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
Washington has been in discussions with Israeli and Lebanese officials since Saturday's attack. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated U.S. support for Israel. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday echoed Blinken's statement: "Israel has every right to defend itself against Hezbollah like they do against Hamas." (Read more at Reuters).
Her national security adviser Phil Gordon said "The Vice President has been briefed and is closely monitoring Hezbollah’s horrific attack on a soccer field in Majdal Shams" (Read more at Reuters).
the updated Israeli proposal includes a mention of the establishment of a foreign mechanism to monitor and prevent the transfer of militanta and weapons from the south of the Gaza Strip to the north. It also includes changes in the locations where the redeployment of IDF forces will take place in the Gaza Strip in the first phase of the deal as well as a determination that the IDF forces will remain in the Philadelphi corridor during the first phase's implementation (Read more at Axios).
“They are all lying and playing for time, pretending that we are close to an agreement to stop the war ... we no longer trust or believe American officials, especially the CIA director currently in the region,” Hamas official Mahmoud Taha said on Friday (Read more at The National).
An unnamed Israeli official said it was to be hoped that Harris' comments would not be interpreted by Hamas as indicating a gap between the United States and Israel "and thus push a deal into the distance." Both Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leaders of two hardline religious nationalist parties whose support is vital for Netanyahu's right-wing coalition, condemned Harris' remarks (Read more at USNews).
The White House will offer deportation relief and work permits to an estimated 11,500 Lebanese nationals already in the U.S., due to conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The measure, under an authority known as Deferred Enforced Departure, will allow Lebanese nationals to remain in the U.S. for 18 months and could be renewed. U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan, which is home to Lebanese Americans in Detroit and elsewhere, applauded the move (Read more at USNews).
In a statement, the White House said Biden briefed Abdullah on "preparations for a surge in humanitarian assistance during a ceasefire period." They also discussed reforms to the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and ensuring it has access to revenue. Abdullah reaffirmed "the important role of the United States in creating a political horizon to achieve just and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution." (Read more at USNews).
Harris did pressure Netanyahu to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal. She did not mince words about the humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza. But analysts do not expect there would be a major shift in US policy toward Israel, Washington’s closest ally in the Middle East (Read more at Arab Weekly).
Harris expressed her "unwavering commitment" to the existence of Israel and said the country has a right to self-defence, but added "how it does so matters." Trump dismissed questions that the relationship had hit a setback. "It was never bad, I would say it was always good. No president has done what I've done for Israel and we've always had a very good relationship," he said (Read more at Freance 24).
Within Israel itself, two states remain the most popular way to peace, a May poll by Tel Aviv University showed, though support fell to only 33% of respondents, from 43% before Oct. 7. The annexation of the West Bank by Israel and limiting rights for Palestinians living there, an option favoured by some settlers, had the support of 32% of Israelis, from 27% before Oct. 7 (Read more at Reuters).
The State Department said the ICJ opinion that Israel must withdraw as soon as possible from the Palestinian territories was "inconsistent with the established framework" for resolving the conflict. Washington said that framework took into account Israel's security needs, which it says were highlighted by the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas (Read more at USNews).
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield called on other nations to step up their aid. "This is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world ... People are eating dirt to survive relying on tree leaves for nutrition," she told reporters. The U.N. says nearly 25 million people - half of Sudan's population - need aid, famine is looming and 10 million people have fled their homes. More than 2.2 million of those people have left for other countries (Read more USNews).
The State Department barred a former Israeli Defense Forces sergeant from traveling to the United States, accusing him of being involved in the extrajudicial killing of a Palestinian in the West Bank. Washington also imposed visa restrictions on a group of people involved in actions undermining peace, security and stability in the West Bank (Read more at USNews).
Bad weather and distribution challenges inside Gaza limited the effectiveness of what the U.S. military says was its biggest aid delivery effort ever in the Middle East. The pier was only operational for about 20 days. "The maritime surge mission involving the pier is complete. So there's no more need to use the pier ... the temporary pier has achieved its intended effect to surge a very high volume of aid into Gaza," Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told a news briefing (Read more at USNews).
One drone was shot down outside the base by defence systems, and the second exploded inside the base without causing any injuries or damage. A senior security official in Baghdad confirmed Tuesday’s attack, saying he believed it was meant to “embarrass” the Iraqi government and pressure the ongoing talks on the future of the international coalition in Iraq (Read more at Defense Post).
It opens new possibilities for cooperation with NASA in areas such as space science, exploration, aeronautics, space operations, education, and Earth science. “The agreement represents a turning point in the Kingdom’s journey towards building a strong and prosperous space sector,” said Saudi Space Agency Chairman (Read more at NASA)
Sikorsky has received a $251.4-million contract to produce UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for Jordan and Croatia, scheduled for completion by June 2027. The choppers are expected to boost the ability of both countries to conduct cargo and personnel transport, border security, counterterrorism, and search and rescue missions (Read more at Defense Post).
But Israelis emphasized Israel can resume fighting if it thinks Hamas violates the deal at any point. Shortly after the Jewish Sabbath ended, Netanyahu's ultranationalist coalition partners ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich issued statements attacking the Israeli proposal, which they heard about for the first time in Biden's speech. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid responded by issuing a statement committing to give Netanyahu a political "safety net" if needed in order to pass the deal (Read more at Axios).
Addresses to joint meetings of Congress by foreign leaders are a rare honour. This speech would make Netanyahu the first foreign leader to address joint meetings of Congress four times (Read more at Stratnewsglobal).
Hamas said it was ready to engage “positively and in a constructive manner” with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces, the reconstruction of Gaza, a return of those displaced, and a “genuine” prisoner swap deal if Israel “clearly announces commitment to such deal” (Read more at Irish Times).
Netanyahu took issue with Biden’s presentation of what was on the table, insisting the transition from one stage to the next in the proposed roadmap was “conditional” and crafted to allow Israel to maintain its war aims. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his counterparts from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday to press the deal (Read more at Arabnews).
In his opening speech at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping restated China’s backing of a two-state solution and pledged 500 million yuan ($69 million) in humanitarian aid for Gazans. The longer the war, the easier for China to pursue this objective (Read more at Arab Weekly).
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said, “the U.S. must do more to empower Sudanese civilians ... and continue to support a transition to a civilian-led government.” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said the administration’s sanctions policy is “uncoordinated and not part of a larger strategy to achieve a lasting ceasefire.” He also called on the White House to target countries that supply weapons and materiel to both sides of this conflict (Read more at Politico).
The UK and the US struck 13 Houthi targets including a wide range of underground facilities, missile launchers, command and control sites, a Houthi vessel and other facilities,According to Houthi officials, the airstrikes killed at least 16 people and wounded 35 (Read more at Euronews).
The first phase would last for six weeks and would include a “full and complete ceasefire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. 600 trucks would be allowed into Gaza each day. The second phase would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza. The third phase calls for the start of a major reconstruction of Gaza (Read more at Euronews).
Nikki Haley, former United States Republican presidential candidate, visited Israel's which was organised by a right-wing member of the Israeli Parliament, Danny Danon. The message drew fury on social media (Read more at GEO).
Sudan has descended into crisis since the war between the army led by Gen Al Burhan, the country's de facto leader, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by his former ally Gen Mohamed Dagalo, began in April last year. Saudi Arabia was expected to host a round of peace talks earlier this month in Jeddah. However, Gen Al Burhan has said there will be no peace in Sudan until the military defeats the RSF, throwing any chances of a resumption of ceasefire talks into doubt (Read more at The National).
The Biden administration said it opposes sanctions being pushed by Republicans in Congress against the International Criminal Court in response to its prosecutor's decision to seek arrest warrants against Israeli leaders over the war in Gaza (Read more at Axios).
National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters: "We still don't believe that a major ground operation in Rafah is warranted. US President Joe Biden earlier said Washington would not continue providing aid to Israel if it moved forward with a long-threatened invasion of Rafah, but his “red line” has become increasingly blurry amid the continuing military operations there. Israeli troops are now estimated to occupy 60 per cent of the city, including the hill that overlooks the border with Egypt, according to the BBC (Read more at The National).
That entails the export of crucial components of AI technology such as model weights, a crown jewel of AI systems that determine how powerful they are. There were safeguards to protect the company’s technology and prevent it from being used by Chinese entities to train AI systems. But those measures have not been made public, and some US lawmakers question whether they are adequate (Read more at Arab Weekly).
This bilateral agreement, once finalised, will be uncoupled from the regional “Grand Bargain”, which is supposed to include Saudi normalisation with Israel. Keeping normalisation outside the deal with the US, at least for now, would also allow Riyadh to avoid the domestic and regional blowback considering the tensions fuelled by the war in Gaza (Read more at Arab Weekly).
Under U.S. pressure, the Egyptian government agreed to resume the flow of aid trucks to Gaza through Israel, after deliveries were halted two weeks ago in protest of Israel's takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. Senior U.S. officials were also involved in the talks and pressured Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to find a solution that would allow the reactivation of the Rafah crossing as soon as possible. The main goal of the plan was to remove Hamas from involvement in the Rafah crossing (Read more at Axios).
Some top House Democrats are going so far as to say Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) should not sign onto the invitation. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters on Wednesday he has "not spoken to [Schumer] personally, but our staffs have communicated and it seems as though he wants to sign on." (Read more at Axios)
The counter-drone system works by overwhelming a hostile drone’s control frequency, forcing it to abandon its mission and return to its operator. The weapons can perform up to three hours of jamming and more than 10 hours of drone detection (Read more at Defense News).
Considered the biggest such exercise in Africa, African Lion is joined by 7,000 elements of the armed forces from some 20 countries in Africa and countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). It added that the exercises includes combined day and night tactical, land, sea and air exercises, a special forces exercise, airborne operations and an operational planning exercise for Task Force staff (Read more at Arab Weekly).
His remarks referred specifically to a case at a different tribunal, the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ). He also amped up his criticism of the ICC, a separate war crimes court, saying that “we reject” ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s bid to arrest Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its defense minister (Read more at Arabnews).
Yahya Saree said the drone was targeted with a locally made surface-to-air missile and that videos to support the claim would be released. The Houthis said last Friday they downed another U.S. MQ9 drone over the southeastern province of Maareb (Read more at Reuters).
The potential sale of the F-35s to the Saudis was not guaranteed for a variety of reasons, but its inclusion in the discussions was significant because Riyadh has desired the stealthy fighter jet for years. The U.S.-Saudi security accord is also expected to involve sharing emerging technologies with Riyadh, including artificial intelligence (Read more at Reuters).
It is quoted that “these negotiations were not the first and will not be the last.” (Read more at Defense Post).
The deal included “a two-state solution that meets the aspirations and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” and “the situation in Gaza and the need to stop the war there and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.” (Read more at Stripes).
Pier estimated to cost $320m, involve 1,000 US troops. UN reiterates land crossings more 'efficient'. The temporary floating pier was pre-assembled at the Israeli port of Ashdod and moved into place on Thursday on the shore of Gaza, which lacks port infrastructure of its own. No U.S. troops went ashore, the Pentagon's Central Command said (Read more at Reuters).
The talks — involving President Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, and Abram Paley the acting U.S. envoy for Iran — were the first round of discussions between the U.S. and Iran since January, when similar negotiations were held in Oman. The sources said the talks focused on clarifying the consequences of actions by Iran and its proxies in the region and to discuss U.S. concerns regarding the status of Iran's nuclear program (Read more at Axios).
Key Arab leaders’ desire for a new “political horizon” for Gaza is only complicating President Joe Biden’s fraught efforts in the region — and his bid for a second term. Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, said that is what some Arab leaders would need to see before making long-term commitments to help the Palestinian enclave after Israel’s war with Hamas comes to an end (Read more at Stripes).
Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said "We strongly believe that the relationship between Türkiye and the U.S. hold potential to develop peace, security, and prosperity-based approaches to regional and global concerns while adhering to the tenets of alliance and strategic partnerships." (Read more at DailySabah).
The White House sees a hostage deal as the only viable path to a ceasefire in Gaza, and possibly ending a war. Hamas has claimed it left the hostage talks last week because of the Israeli military's operation at the Rafah crossing (Read more at Axios).
The group was set up on 12 October, days after Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel, to "change the narrative" on Israel, including by conveying "the atrocities committed by Hamas... to all Americans". Among the business leaders in the group were the CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, Dell CEO and founder Michael Dell, and Joshua Kushner, a financier and brother to Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. They urged New York City's mayor to use police to disperse a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University (Read more at Middle East Eye).
16 Largely symbolic vote underscores the divide in the Democratic Party over support for Israel. The lawmakers who broke ranks with their party include vocal democratic supporters of Israel such as Lois Frankel, Jared Moskowitz, Josh Gottheimer, and Ritchie Torres (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The Biden administration struggles to respond as two allies battle over who should control Gaza's lifeline. Analysts say that Egypt is unlikely to suspend its peace treaty with Israel over the dispute, but in addition to publicly criticising Israel, could quietly stonewall cooperation on security matters that both the US and Israel need (Read more at Middle East Eye).
TikTok has altered the way how a large number of Americans view Israel and its occupation of the Palestinian territories. Two American lawmakers, who co-authored a controversial law aiming to ban TikTok in the US, received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funding from the pro-Israel lobby, according to official records (Read more at TRTWorld).
The package being sent includes about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds. It’s the first arms shipment to Israel to be announced by the administration since it put another arms transfer — consisting of 3,500 bombs — on hold earlier in the month. The administration has said it paused that earlier transfer to keep Israel from using the bombs in its growing offensive in the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah (Read more at Arabnews).
Though the exact location was not disclosed, sharp eyes online revealed that the photos were taken from the Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Interestingly, the base serves as the home for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and previously housed the US Air Force’s RQ-4 Global Hawk drones. It is believed to be connected to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (Read more at Defense Post).
US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the UN Security Council that there is extensive evidence that Iran is providing advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles, to the Houthis in violation of UN sanctions. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, the US Maritime Administration said late last month. Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a US-led airstrike campaign in Yemen (Read more at IrishExaminer).
Recent resistance operations in eastern Syria have established new rules of engagement that constrain both Washington and Tel Aviv’s once-untethered freedom to operate in this strategic theater. The re-establishment of the Tehran–Beirut road, was perceived by the US and Israelis as a strategic geopolitical setback to their goal of severing relations and routes between Iran and the Mediterranean (Read more at TheCradle).
