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).
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 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).
They said their agencies had “exploited our intelligence channels to push hard for restraint and de-escalation (Read more at Business Standard).
"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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
The problem that has been dogging any breakthrough is a lack of trust. This is largely because America cannot be a strong ally with Israel and at the same time an honest broker. Any proposal that leaves out an end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza will ultimately be rejected. If the members of the UNSC are serious about wanting an end to the war, they can simply pass a resolution that details steps to this end and that does not include any vague wording about allowing the Israeli army to stay in Gaza (Read more at Arabnew).
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).
Constructive ambiguity is not a strategy. It is a mechanism to bypass awkward moments. The US markets a ceasefire deal without a ceasefire. Instead of an end to hostilities by all sides, it simply proposes a hostage-prisoner exchange during a pause in Israeli bombardment (Read more at Arabnews).
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).
“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).
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).
If the party’s presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, does not change her policy on Israel, I will not be casting a ballot for her and I will not be the only one. More than 700,000 Americans have cast an “uncommitted” vote in the Democratic primaries (Read more at Aljazeera).
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).
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 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).
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).
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).
While AIPAC’s funding of Bush’s and Bowman’s defeats in Missouri and New York demonstrate the pro-Israeli lobby’s power and resources, they also show that it must now provide ever greater sums of cash to keep Congress Israel-friendly and minimise the impact of progressive members (Read more at Aljazeera).
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).
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)
Harris' weak statements of 'concern' over Palestinian suffering in Gaza pale in comparison to her 'ironclad' support for Tel Aviv. The American political landscape is trapped between thuggish imperialism abroad and militant fascism at home on one side and liberal imperialism abroad and semi-sane domestic policies at home on the other (Read more at Middle East Eye).
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
“There’s a major contradiction here and the fact that both the US and the Israeli side have said on the one hand, that they don’t want a future in Gaza in which Hamas has any kind of political role left. “At the same time, this is an agreement that would have to be reached through negotiations with Hamas, so, how do you do that? How do you eliminate them as a political force and at the same time reach a negotiated solution that is agreed upon by all parties?” (Read more at Aljazeera)
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).
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).
When it comes to red lines, the US has one rule for its enemies and another for its allies and clients. One of the most infamous historical examples of red lines was seen in the lead up to the 2003 US-led invasion and another example of red lines came with former US President Barack Obama’s warning to the Assad regime against use of chemical weapons in Syria. Needless to say, Israel was true to its word in ignoring Biden’s feeble and non-credible red line warning as it launched a major military operation on Rafah (Read more at TRT World).
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).
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)
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).
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).
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).
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).
A few factors may have encouraged the American president to take the risk of to suspending “advanced weapons” to Israel at this time: First is the willingness of Republican politicians to outbid him. No matter how excessive President Biden’s defense of Israel becomes; Secondly, the student uprisings on university campuses all across the US, from coast to coast, have challenged the stagnation; Thirdly, the Israeli far-right's brazen and racist speeches have alienated all neutral or moderate observers (Read more at Arabnews).
Harrison Mann, an Army major, would be the first known DIA official to quit over U.S. support to Israel. "I was afraid. Afraid of violating our professional norms. Afraid of disappointing officers I respect," Mann wrote in a letter published on his LinkedIn profile (Read more at Reuters).
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell's comments are the clearest to date from a top U.S. official effectively admitting that Israel's current military strategy won't bring the result that it is aiming for. Likening the situation in Gaza to that of a recurring insurgency that the United States faced in Afghanistan and Iraq after its invasions there following the Sept. 11 attacks, Campbell said a political solution was required (Read more at Reuters).
Sullivan said the United States wants to see Hamas defeated. He also said that Palestinians caught in the middle of the war. Biden has sought to influence Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approach to the war, but Israel is a sovereign, democratic nation that ultimately makes its own decisions, Sullivan said (Read more at Reuters).
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant briefed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Israel's military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah and takeover of the nearby border crossing into Egypt (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
During the Suez Crisis of the 1950s, then-President Dwight Eisenhower leveraged the threat of sanctions to convince Israel to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula - In 1983, Reagan reaffirmed that he would not send F-16 jets to Israel until Israel withdrew its forces from Lebanon - In 1992, the Bush administration threatened to withhold the delivery of $10 billion in loan guarantees to Israel if it continued building settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza (Read more at Axios).
It would provoke "anarchy" without eliminating Hamas. Asked about a State Department report issued Friday that said Israel likely has violated norms of international law in its use of US weapons, Blinken said there was still too little evidence to warrant ending all military support (Read more at Al-Ahram).
“One, you have to have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven’t seen. Second, we also need to see a plan for what happens after this conflict in Gaza is over, and we still haven’t seen that,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said (Read more at CNBC).
Israeli army is using a new AI-powered system, such as “Lavender” and “The Gospel” to decide on targets for its bombardment of Gaza. Israeli forces use Google Photos facial recognition service to scan the faces of Palestinians across Gaza for its dystopian “hit list” (Read more at Aljazeera).
Democratic megadonor and Israeli American Haim Saban emailed senior White House officials Wednesday asking them to pass along his criticism of Biden's recent move to pause bomb shipments to Israel over a possible ground operation in Rafah. He added: "Let's not forget that there are more Jewish voters, who care about Israel, than Muslim voters that care about Hamas." (Read more at Axios)
The report lists incidents that raise concerns about Israel's use of U.S.-made weapons in violation of international law. It also details efforts Israel made to operate in alignment with international law. Blinken said in the report, "although we have gained insight into Israel's procedures and rules, we do not have complete information on how these processes are implemented," (Read more at Axios).
It is too little, too late, to satisfy the left-leaning coalition of young voters and people of color who have led the protests against Israel's attacks, many say. But Republicans and some Democrats have accused Biden of putting the security of the U.S.'s closest ally in the region at risk (Read more at USNews).
Hamas said on Friday it would consult with other militant Palestinian factions on its strategy to negotiate a halt to the war triggered by its Oct. 7 onslaught into Israel. "We are working hard to keep both sides engaged in continuing the discussion, if only virtually," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said (Read more at USNews).
He said "if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails." Israel says Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas and that the army must go in if it hopes to dismantle the group and return scores of hostages captured in the Oct. 7 (Read more at ArkansasOnline).
MK-84 bombs have been used by the US military since the 1970s, first in Vietnam and then, more sparingly, in Iraq and Afghanistan due to their devastating impact on urban areas. Military experts say these deadly bombs may have already contributed significantly to the horrific death toll of the war in Gaza. This decision is the most spectacular sign to date of the mounting disagreements that are poisoning the Biden administration’s relationship with the Netanyahu government (Read more at France 24).
Just from a legal perspective within US domestic law, there’s a much wider body of rules that is being ignored right now. The US has been “selective in how it invokes international law” and “how it balances rights concerns with realpolitik”. Israeli army was acting with a “systematic disregard for international humanitarian law, and US weaponry was used in a significant number of these incidents, according to the report (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday he felt betrayed by President Joe Biden after learning that he is willing to withhold offensive weapons to Israel and accused the president of reneging on the deal they made to pass aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan last month (Read more at Politico).
Cameron said Britain “would not support some major operation in Rafah unless there was a very clear plan for how to protect people, but he said there is a “very fundamental difference” between arms shipments from the U.S. and the U.K., where the government grants individual licenses to companies wanting to export arms overseas. Moreover, the UK defense exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than one percent of their total (Read more at Politico).
‘At no point during the war has Israel had a policy of deliberately withholding humanitarian aid from entering Gaza,’ Michael Herzog wrote to 88 lawmakers. Israel merely inspects trucks carrying goods to ensure they’re not transporting weapons or explosives, Herzog continued, adding that “there are today four humanitarian crossings from Israel to Gaza, including three to northern Gaza.” (Read more at Politico).
A senior administration official said the shipment would have consisted of 1,800 2,000-pound (900kg) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225kg) bombs. the US was concerned about how the larger bombs could be used in a dense urban setting (Read and listen at the Skynews).
Analysts also point to wider attempts by the US to integrate Israel with the wider region fully as not having aided the Palestinian push for liberation and Statehood (Read more at TRTWorld).
"We continue to believe that a hostage deal is in the best interest of the Israeli and the Palestinian people; it would bring an immediate ceasefire and allow increased humanitarian assistance into Gaza," the US State Department's spokesperson said in an email (Read more on TRTWorld).
Two senior Israeli officials said that when the Hamas delegation was in Cairo over the weekend, the Egyptians gave them a new proposal without coordinating with Israel. One Israeli official admitted it was a mistake that led Israel to have less visibility into the talks. Israeli officials claim the Biden administration knew about the latest hostage and ceasefire deal proposal Egypt and Qatar negotiated with Hamas, but didn't brief Israel before Hamas announced it accepted it (Read more at Axios).
Kerem Shalom, the border crossing between southern Gaza and Israel has been the primary port of entry for aid deliveries. The Israeli leader "assured the President that it will be open very soon,” he said during a virtual briefing. The Israeli army said the 401st armored brigade took "operational control" of the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side (Read more at Daily Sabah).
“We are deeply concerned that your administration failed to notify Congress about this decision,” Joni Ernst, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, and Ted Budd said in the letter (Read more at The National)
The statement said Gallant relayed that message in an overnight conversation with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (Read more at Reuters).
Israeli officials were left scrambling as to why the shipment was withheld, Axios reported, while CNN reported that the decision was unrelated to U.S. opposition to an invasion of Rafah (Read more at The Hill).
It’s the most prominent critique yet from someone inside Biden’s orbit on the administration’s response to the war in Gaza. José Andrés, co-chairs the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, with more than 1 million X followers, called out the president to hold the Netanyahu government true to its commitments on humanitarian aid, and reiterating his calls for a cease-fire in Gaza (Read more at Politico).
The Israel Defense Forces recently told the U.S. government and aid groups that they had developed a plan to move people out of Rafah, the main to al-Mawasi, a small strip of land on the southern Gaza coast. The IDF has begun ordering tents for al-Mawasi (Read more at Politico).
ICC is preparing to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. The Israeli government warned the Biden administration that if the ICC issues arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, it will take retaliatory steps against the Palestinian Authority that could lead to its collapse (Read more at Axios).
Acquired in 1990, the Raytheon-manufactured system played crucial roles in neutralizing aerial threats during the 1991 Gulf War and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. But according to an IDF official, the Patriot system is becoming “obsolete,” making it difficult to maintain. The Patriot intercepted Scud missiles fired at the country from Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War. The system was operated by the US at the time. After the Patriot was officially transferred to Jerusalem that same year, it reportedly yielded poor results (Read more at Defense Post).
During a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden eiterated his position that an invasion in Rafah would be a “red line” for his administration, pushing Israel not to pursue a military campaign in the region without a credible plan to protect civilians in place (Read more at Politico).
After Amazon and Google signed a $1.2bn contract to launch Project Nimbus, providing cloud technology to the Israeli government and the military, tech workers started to notice more Israeli use of artificial intelligence against the Palestinian people (Read more at Aljazeera).
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) report that an internal US State Department that reportedly raised “serious questions” about Israel violating international law in Gaza (Read more at Aljazeera).
Political analyst Tamer Qarmout says university protests across the US could have a broad impact on the economy since the country’s future workforce are criticising companies they may eventually work for (Read more at Aljazeera).
After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video on Wednesday criticizing ongoing campus protests across the U.S. as antisemitic, the independent lawmaker said antisemitism has always existed. But to suggest that when you have a significant majority of the American people who do not want to support more U.S. military aid to Netanyahu's war machine, we're not going to suggest that all of those people are antisemitic (Read more at NPR).
He suggested critics should focus their ire on Hamas who sparked the war with their 7 October attack on southern Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and some 250 taken hostage. But as I’ve also said repeatedly, the way Israel goes about ensuring that 7 October never happens again matters profoundly. And we’re working every day to try to minimise the damage that’s done to innocent people (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
The United States has received new information from the Israeli authorities about a specific Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) unit that Washington was reportedly going to designate for human rights allegations in the West Bank. In light of the new information, Washington is looking into whether the unit is on a path to remediation. No final decision has been made (Read more at USNews).
Experts say growing protest movement on university campuses could help shift US policy on Israel in the long term. It could also threaten the bipartisan backing that Israel enjoys in Washington. We’re already seeing evidence of a generation divide on Israel, and that is going to be a long-term issue for the Democratic Party (Read more at Aljazeera).
Asked by a reporter if he believes the Israeli government is “a credible source” for information on the mass graves, Patel responded: “We do. We do.” Gaza’s civil defence agency says more than 300 bodies have been found buried in the courtyard of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis (Read more at Aljazeera).
Israeli officials told Axios they are highly concerned the unprecedented decision could lead to more sanctions on other IDF units. The sanctions would ban the battalion and its members from receiving any kind of U.S. military assistance or training. A U.S. official said Blinken's determination about the Netzah Yehuda unit is based on incidents that occurred before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and all took place in the West Bank (Read more at Axios).
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, "we have processes within the department that are looking at that incidents that have been raised. Those processes are ongoing." (Read more at USNews)
The congresswoman from New York described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as like "an unfolding genocide." Still, she made a case for Biden's reelection despite his support for Israel, citing a "a vested interest in protecting democracy not just here domestically, but globally." (Read more at USNews)
The US Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on two organizations for fundraising on behalf of two violent Israeli extremists in the West Bank. The two groups -- Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich – established crowdfunding campaigns to raise thousands of dollars for Yinon Levi and David Chai Chasdai respectively. At the same time, the State Department on Friday sanctioned Ben-Zion Gopstein, “the founder and leader of Lehava (Read more at Al Ahram).
Israel did not notify the US of its intention to carry out strikes in Iran on Thursday, and had previously told its closest ally that it would not strike the Islamic Republic until after the Passover holiday, a senior US official has told Middle East Eye (Read more at Middle East Eye).
It shows that Iran’s attack isn’t halting negotiations over Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas. The initial plan had been to hold the discussion in person in Washington, but Iran’s weekend attack postponed a trip (Read more at Politico).
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that there is "still no date certain" for the meeting. The White House had said it expected the meeting to take place this week after a virtual face-to-face transpired last Monday, but Kirby said he is "not sure that it's going to actually happen this week." (Read more at Anadolu Agency)
Earlier, Netanyahu said in a video that "there is a date" for a ground invasion of Rafah, saying that "it will happen". Reiterating the U.S.' opposition to a ground invasion of an Israeli assault on Gaza city of Rafah without a credible plan, Miller said: "We have not yet seen them present a credible plan for dealing with a 1.4 million civilians who are in Rafah." (Read more at Anadolu Agency)
Israel is in the processes of buying 75 F-35s and - as of last year - had taken delivery of 36, paying for them with U.S. assistance. The United States has also helped Israel develop and arm its Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system. Washington has also helped fund the development of Israel's "David's Sling" system, designed to shoot down rockets fired from 100 kilometers to 200 km (62 miles to 124 miles) away (Read more at Reuters).
National Security Spokesman John Kirby said it is really just about rest and refit. Some national security experts see this as a possible inflection point in the war, though the direction of that turn remains unclear (Read more at CNBC).
Forty members of Congress signed a letter to Biden, dated Friday, stating that the deadly attack on World Central Kitchen aid workers necessitates investigation into whether Israel is using US weaponry “in compliance with US and international law.” The lawmaker's split with President Joe Biden highlights divisions within the Democratic Party on US-Israel policy (Read more at Huffingtonpost).
Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded to internal discontent with a letter to staff in November, saying: “I know that for many of you the suffering caused by this crisis is taking a profound personal toll.” (Read more at Arabnews).
He warned that U.S. policy would now be determined by “immediate” steps Israel must take to mitigate an “unacceptable” humanitarian situation. Biden’s tone in addressing the attack that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers was markedly more tense than previous tragedies that took the lives of United Nations staff (Read more at The Hill).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's execution of these objectives is undermining the US soft power elsewhere in the region. For Israel, the stakes in the ongoing war are significantly higher than for the US because Tel Aviv’s top brass widely views it as an existential threat. Faced with limited alternatives, Netanyahu opts for confrontation, banking on enduring until the upcoming US elections in November (Read more at The Cradle).
Former Trump national security advisor John Bolton believes “The fact that Iran has not yet been held to account for any of it, suggests that we’re still in the very early stages of the war ... This is not a Gaza versus Israel war, or a Palestinian versus Israel war, or an Arab versus Israel war. This is an Iranian war against Israel, fought through terrorist proxies.” (Read more at CNBC).
Even former President Donald Trump went public with his belief that Israel was losing the PR battle and needed to end the conflict soon. Kirby said the U.S. would only give Israel “hours and days” to outline policy shifts and that, absent real changes, “there’ll have to be changes from our side.” Hours later, Israel opened the Erez crossing for the first time (Read more at Politico).
The White House said it was "heartbroken" after several people working for World Central Kitchen, a US-based aid organisation, were killed in an Israeli military strike in Gaza. US Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Northern Gaza on April 1, 2024 (Read more at TRTWorld).
Some invitees turned the president down over frustrations in the Muslim community over his policy toward the Israel-Gaza war. The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that these leaders would rather have a meeting than a dinner (Read more at USNews).
A dual US-Canadian citizen and six other aid workers were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Gaza after delivering desperately needed food to the war-torn territory (Read more at NewYork Post).
Senior Israeli officials said holding a virtual meeting is a way for Netanyahu to "save face" and have a discussion with the White House about Rafah without sending a delegation to Washington. A senior Israeli official said a second meeting, in person, is planned to take place as soon as next week (Read more at Axios).
The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, said the sources, who confirmed a report in the Washington Post. Washington gives $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to Israel, its longtime ally (Read more at USNews).
Israelis are keenly aware that the close bond between their country and the U.S. is fraying over a war that they in their large majority support. Many are quick to echo Mr. Netanyahu by insisting Israel is ready to “go it alone” to “finish the job in Gaza” if need be. There is a growing sentiment that the widening breach with the U.S. is not based on a legitimate critique of the war, but on U.S. domestic politics (Read more at CSMonitor).
19 senators encourage Joe Biden to 'publicly outline a path' for US to recognize 'nonmilitarized' Palestinian state. The senators said they have been "particularly disappointed" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to engage on a path to a Palestinian state (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
That proposal would see Israeli forces working to curb Hamas militants’ ability to smuggle weapons into Rafah, choking off their capacity to wage further war against Israel. It’s unclear for how long Israel would stay on the border along the eight-mile stretch. Egypt have lobbied Washington to urge Israel not to invade Rafah. They worry the operation would push Gazans, including Hamas militants to flee across the border into Sinai (Read more at Politico).
Blinken has arrived in Saudi Arabia as part of a regional tour, his sixth since the start of the war. The State Department has announced that Blinken will cap his tour by visiting Israel. He is expected to be in Tel Aviv on Friday (Read more at Aljazeera).
This is a signal that both Biden and Netanyahu are trying to avoid a public clash. Biden told Netanyahu that while he shares the goal of destroying Hamas, there must be a coherent strategy to do that. "We want to have a strategic discussion about how to defeat Hamas in a way that will be long-term. There are ways to defeat Hamas without smashing into Rafah," Sullivan said (Read more at Axios).
The Biden administration sincerely wants to help ease the suffering. But he refuses to use US leverage with Israel, providing billions of dollars in weapons and other assistance. The problem is that the Israeli government knows that Biden and Congress will not withhold serious amounts of funding and therefore does not need to heed US requests (Read more at Arabnews).
Sarah Yager, Washington director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement, “Given ongoing hostilities in Gaza, the Israeli government’s assurances to the Biden administration that it is meeting US legal requirements are not credible.” (Read more at Aljazeera)
He will visit the Middle East this week and meet senior leaders in Saudia Arabia and Egypt to "discuss the right architecture for lasting regional peace". "We've also impressed upon Israel the imperative of having a plan for Gaza for when the conflict ends, which we hope will be as soon as possible, consistent with Israel's needs to defend itself and make sure Oct. 7 can never happen again," Blinken added (Read more at USNews).
Netanyahu told lawmakers on Tuesday he had made it "supremely clear" to the U.S. president "that we are determined to complete the elimination of these battalions in Rafah, and there's no way to do that except by going in on the ground" (Read more at USNews).
In a meeting with American Jewish organization executives on Tuesday, Schumer defended his call for an election and the stance that Netanyahu is a danger to Israel. Schumer only shared the content of his speech with a small circle of staff members and his wife. He alerted the White House the day before — just to ensure it wouldn't interfere with negotiations (Read more at Axios).
Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel never would have called for a new U.S. election after the Sept. 11 attacks, and denounced Schumer’s comments as inappropriate. “We will operate in Rafah. This will take several weeks, and it will happen,” he said (Read more at Yahoo News).
Kirby, White House National Security Communications Adviser, said Biden "understands that that's up to the Israeli people" concerning whether they hold new elections. He added, the U.S. doesn't "agree with everything" Israel does, but elections up to them (Read more at Axios).
The Sinn Fein leader, who was in Washington for a St Patrick's Day reception, says we're at a tipping point and big decisions now need to be made by the United States. Ceasefire now has to be the absolute priority (Read more at Skynews).
"The president was very clear that the US would continue to support Israel and to assist Israel to defend itself, so I don't think that's going to change," Varadkar said after their Oval Office meeting. "But I think none of us like to see American weapons being used in the way they are. The way they're being used at the moment is not self-defense." (Read more at NewArab)
Biden, who said that Schumer contacted his staff in advance of making the speech Thursday, said he wouldn't elaborate further on the comments. "I think he expressed a serious concern shared not only by him but by many Americans," Biden said. (Read more at NBCNews)
He said, "I can tell you is we're working intensively with Israel, with Qatar, with Egypt, to bridge the remaining gaps and to try to reach an agreement". When asked about a possible Israel military offensive on Rafah, Blinken said the US had not seen such plans, reiterating that Washington wants a "clear and implementable plan" to ensure civilians are "out of harm's way". (Read more at Barron's)
Some have called into question whether its impact could boomerang into a boost for Mr Netanyahu's far-right coalition as it continues to wage war in Gaza. Benny Gantz, a political rival of Mr Netanyahu, said the US senator had “erred in his remarks” and that “external intervention” was “counterproductive and unacceptable.” (Read more at The National)
The CFO of McDonald’s announced that the boycott’s impact on sales in the arab region and the Islamic world. McDonald's shares plummeted by over 3 percent, heading towards recording its biggest daily loss in five weeks (Read more at Jordannews).
Evangelicals, long Israel’s among greatest supporters in the U.S. and abroad, are traveling there as war volunteers, providing extra hands for farms struggling to harvest. Propelled by faith, the “voluntourists” say they hope to show solidarity (Read more CSMonitor).
The Biden administration asked Israel to provide the signed letter of assurances by mid-March. The Israeli war cabinet gave Gallant the green light to sign the letter of assurances (Read more at Axios).
Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in US history, in his most strident criticism of Israel, has declared that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace, too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, and endorsed Israel hosting new elections to oust his right-wing government. He also said “There needs to be a fresh debate about the future of Israel after October 7.” (Read more at Aljazeera)
Biden has begun a tricky maneuver: breaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Gaza war strategy — while sticking with Israel and its fight against Hamas. U.S. intelligence services expect large protests demanding Netanyahu's resignation and new elections in the coming weeks and months and A different, more moderate government is a possibility (Read more at Axios).
He was one of six Americans still considered held hostage in Gaza. 19-year-old Itay Chen was killed in action on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants crossed into Israel and attacked his base. His body was then taken by Hamas militants to Gaza (Read more at Axios).
8 senators, led by Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of preventing US-funded aid from reaching the Gaza Strip's civilian population “in a safe and timely manner (Read more at Al Monitor).
The airdrops were “a good way of showing to Democratic Party voters that the US cares about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israel is not anymore under pressure to open its border with Gaza. While Israel was considering arming some Palestinian individuals or clans in Gaza to provide security protection for aid convoys after the fighting ends, 99 percent of the time, food that’s airdropped over Gaza gets immediately collected by civilians (Read more at Arabnews).
It also suggests that Israel will fail to achieve its aim in the Gaza war of completely eliminating Hamas. It appeared unusual for American spy agencies to offer their analysis of an allied leader’s political prospects in an unclassified document (Read more at Politicalwire).
It includes mainstream left-wing groups, more than 20 advocacy groups as well as organisations focused on Palestinian rights. They claim that AIPAC is readying a $100m offensive through its electoral arms (Read more at Aljazeera).
US arms sale to Israel since Oct 7 includes tens of tonnes of 155mm shells, tens of thousands of guided bombs, air-to-ground missiles of the ‘Hellfire’ model, and drones, roughly 21,000 precision-guided munitions, thousands of bunker-buster munitions, and 200 kamikaze drones. On the other hand, the US and Israel have concluded a massive arms deal that includes the supply of F-35 and F-15 fighter jets to Tel Aviv (Read more at Jordan News).
In 100 secret operations since the start of the war, this bridge involved at least 100 flights originating from US bases worldwide and hundreds of flights operated by air and sea shipping companies. Joe Biden chose not to inform Congress about these operations (Read more at Jordan News).
Muslim organisations in New York are calling on their local mosques and spaces this Ramadan to not invite - or decline invitations from - any elected official who has not called for a ceasefire in the war on Gaza (Read more at Middle East Eye).
A day after President Biden asserted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “hurting Israel more than helping Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu dismissed that contention as “wrong.” Mr. Netanyahu said his policies represented the “overwhelming majority” of Israelis (Read more at Nepal Page).
The officials said the administration “has yet to see any kind of humanitarian or evacuation plan from the Israeli government that seeks to ensure the safety of civilians in Rafah before launching a military operation there” (Read more at Aljazeera).
"We are looking at the possibility of hundreds of thousands of children starving to death. The United States of America cannot be complicit in this mass slaughter of children," Sanders said. "You can't beg Netanyahu. You have to tell him 'if you want any money, you have to change your policy," he continued (Read more at Axios).
A Palestinian aid worker employed at a US charity has been killed in an Israeli attack on his shelter in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah. This is the fifth member of a US humanitarian aid group killed in the war on Gaza (Read more at Aljazeera).
Biden said, “The defence of Israel is still critical, so there’s no red line [where] I’m going to cut off all weapons so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them. But there’s red lines that if he crosses them…”, Biden said without finishing his chain of thought, adding that his administration “cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead.” (Read more at Aljazeera)
He changed only rhetorically. But he has not backed away from the two pillars of President Biden’s position on the October 7 terrorist attacks: Israel has a right to defend itself and Hamas must be destroyed. There is one area where the president has changed: Prior to the war, he evinced little or no interest in a two-state solution. He has now put his administration squarely behind this idea (Read more at CFR).
In his last State of the Union address before the November elections, US President Joe Biden reiterated his administration's commitment to a two-state solution. However, Biden said that “Israel has a right to go after Hamas” for the Oct. 7 massacre and resisted calls from the progressive wing of his party to restrict US military assistance to Israel or cut off its diplomatic protection at the United Nations (Read more at Al Monitor).
An international relations and media lecturer at Israel’s Hebrew University, believes the historically close relationship between the two countries will supersede the relationships between individual administrations. I don’t remember another war that Israel fought where it received so much support from a U.S. administration. The airlifting of U.S. military equipment to Israel occurred almost immediately. It never stopped (Read more at CNBC).
The White House is seeking a full accounting of the government's weapons assistance to Israel as criticism and pressure grow across the political spectrum of U.S. support for Israel in the war in Gaza (Read more at Axios).
William Burns secretly arrived in Egypt yesterday and headed to Doha today for a meeting with Qatar’s prime minister. He will next travel to Israel (Read more at Aljazeera).
Mike Pompeo said that the Palestinian aid packed in Joe Biden's State of Union speech was to appeal to pro-Hamas democrats who wish to see Israel fail and Hamas succeed. He believes that aid will end up in the Hamas's hands (Watch the interview at Hudson).
Council on American-Islamic Relations calls for federal investigation into a real estate event which advertised properties in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. They are deemed illegal under international law. The event's website advertises properties located in several Israeli cities. It also lists the following Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank: Neve Daniel, Efrat, Ma’ale Adumim (Read more at Middle East Eye).
US activist, academic and presidential candidate Cornel West said, "I stand in deep solidarity with my Palestinian brothers and sisters." (Read more at NewArab)
Former president’s rhetoric shows voters seeking to punish Joe Biden for backing Israel face dilemma in upcoming election. Donald Trump has voiced explicit backing for Israel’s war on Gaza, suggesting that he supports the goal expressed by the hardline government in Tel Aviv of continuing the assault until “total victory” (Read more at Aljazeera).
The United States on Tuesday revised language in a draft United Nations Security Council resolution to back "an immediate ceasefire of roughly six-weeks in Gaza together with the release of all hostages. The third revision of the text - first proposed by the US two weeks ago - now reflects blunt remarks by Vice President Kamala Harris (Read more at TBS News).
She called for Hamas to accept terms for an immediate ceasefire. In a post on X, Ms Harris said she "reiterated" support for Israel's "right to defend itself" and discussed the need to increase the flow of aid into Gaza (Read more at Skynews).
The strong messages Gantz received in private, signal the White House has lost its patience and is ratcheting up pressure on the Israeli government. Gantz, who is considered a more moderate member of the Israeli war cabinet, tried to reassure Harris and Sullivan that Israel won't go into Rafah without evacuating the civilian population and stressed Israel has ways to do it, but also realized the White House doesn't believe the previous assurances received from Netanyahu about this issue (Read more at Axios).
Speaking before his meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the State Department, the top U.S. diplomat also said there was an opportunity right now to achieve an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war but that the onus was on the Palestinian militant group to engage in those talks (Read more at USNews).
The US administration’s decision to host war cabinet minister Benny Gantz is a calculated step aimed at “strengthening the moderate axis” in the Israeli governmen. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is upset about the visit (Read more at Aljazeera).
Since the end of the Vietnam War, every US presidency has been shaped by conflict in the Middle East and viewed it solely through the lens of Israel. Donald Trump accepted Israel’s annexation of “East Jerusalem” and the Golan Heights. This led some Arab states to move to establish ties with Israel in an effort to forestall further moves towards annexation. Israel, emboldened by its support from Washington, remained intransigent (Read more at The National).
Although she urged Hamas to accept a deal, she directed the bulk of her comments at Israel in what appeared to be the sharpest rebuke yet by a senior leader in the U.S. government over the conditions in the coastal enclave. Her comments reflected intense frustration, if not desperation, within the U.S. government about the war, which has hurt President Joe Biden with left-leaning voters as he seeks re-election this year (Read more at USNews)..
Lebanon's deputy parliament speaker said that he believed the timing of his visit pointed to progress in efforts to secure a Gaza truce "within the next few hours or days". Lebanon's caretaker prime minister said that a halt to fighting in the Gaza Strip as early as this week would trigger indirect talks to end hostilities along Lebanon's southern border with Israel (Read more at USNews).
The war has also reignited previously-dormant advocacy groups such as Pro-Israel America. It’s also supercharged fundraising on all sides of the conflict. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the nation’s only federal Palestinian-American lawmaker, raised a staggering $3.7 million in the final three months of 2023, her largest-ever single quarter fundraising haul (Read more at Politico).
For example, Israel lists a number of fundraising campaigns hosted by Michigan-based LaunchGood, a nonprofit that crowdsources funding for some of the largest Muslim charities in the world and the U.S. hasn’t taken action against any of the campaigns or charities on the fundraising platform. They have undergone scrutiny by the Western governments that regulate them (Read more at MSN).
A senior US official said on Saturday that Israel had broadly accepted the plan and it was now up to Hamas to agree to release captives for the deal to take effect. In addition to halting Israel's war, Hamas wants new truce terms to ensure immediate humanitarian relief for Gazans, an Israeli withdrawal and the return of Gazans displaced from the north (Read more at Al Ahram).
The talks, first reported by Reuters, are expected to span topics including reducing Palestinian civilian casualties, securing a temporary ceasefire, the release of hostages held in Gaza and increasing aid to the territory, a White House official said (Read more at USNews).
The US claimed that it did not 'have all the facts on the ground' concerning the massacre on Palestinians queueing for aid by the Israeli military. The US was the only country out of 15 to not back Algeria's statement on the massacre in Al-Rashid Street that killed at least 112. US deputy ambassador Robert Wood said that he wanted the wording to reflect "the necessary due diligence with regards to culpability." (Read more at NewArab).
The US normally does airdrops in hostile environments, not in areas occupied by allies. The move to drop aid from the skies signals Biden can’t persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more for suffering Palestinians. The U.S. has many ways to influence Israeli actions, not least of which is to consider conditioning military aid for the country (Read more at Politico).
Both presidents stressed the need to avoid the expansion of the conflict in the region. Egypt urged the UNSC member States to provide protection for the Palestinian people. Biden praised Egypt's intense political efforts to reach a truce and its pioneering role in providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. They also discussed strengthening the strategic bilateral partnership (Read more at Al Ahram).
The congressional leaders cited a recent poll from Data For Progress that found 77 per cent of Democrats, 69 per cent of Independents and 56 per cent of Republicans wanted "a permanent ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza". Not only is a ceasefire good policy, it is good politics (Read more at The National).
The Pentagon said Mr Austin was quoting Hamas numbers and that the US is not keeping track of Gaza casualty figures. Pentagon press secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder said that absent being on the ground in Gaza, the Pentagon has no way to corroborate tolls given by Israel or Gaza authorities (Read more at The National).
Biden walked back his previous remarks about a possible ceasefire in Gaza by Monday. White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said the U.S. asked the Israeli government to thoroughly investigate the aid convoy incident. USAID Administrator Samantha Power said two crossings is not enough and we need more crossings into Gaza so that vitally needed humanitarian assistance can be dramatically surged (Read more at Axios).
The US urged Israel to allow Muslims to worship at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem during Ramadan after a far-right minister proposed barring Palestinians from the occupied West Bank from praying there (Read more at Al Ahram).
The Biden administration gave Israel until mid-March to sign a letter that gives assurances it will abide by international law while using U.S. weapons and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. If the assurances aren't provided by the deadline, U.S. weapon transfers to the country will be paused (Read more at Axios).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday pushed back against President Biden's recent warning that Israel will lose support worldwide if its "incredibly conservative" government continues down its current path. Netanyahu cited a recent Harvard-Harris poll that found more than 80% of those surveyed in the U.S. supported Israel more than Hamas in the current conflict. But a recent AP/Norc poll showed that 50% of U.S. adults surveyed in January said they believed Israel's actions had gone too far (Read more at Axios).
