The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which had four food distribution sites that became flashpoints of chaos and deadly violence between May and October, said in a statement that it would shut down permanently, having “successfully completed its emergency mission” (Read more at Guardian).
The United States is moving forward with plans to establish new communities for Gazans on the Israeli-controlled side of the line dividing the Strip, part of an effort to draw civilians away from Hamas-run areas (Read more at JNS).
Several anti-Palestine groups, including Canary Mission and Betar USA, claimed credit for Khalil’s arrest in March. The lawsuit comes after the Trump administration failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request Khalil filed for the documents (Read more at Middle East Eye).
While living in Maryland from late 2024 until March 2025, Dizajgan allegedly used TikTok to post images and videos of U.S. citizens marked with upside-down red triangles—an icon that Hamas uses to single out targets—accompanied by threatening remarks, per the indictment (Read more at JNS).
Clips from a Jewish-American panel discussion are racing across social media and fuelling backlash this week after a former Obama speechwriter claimed young people falsely believe the Holocaust teaches you to “fight the big, powerful people hurting the weak people". Sarah Hurwitz argues young Jewish people 'can’t hear anything through the wall of carnage in Gaza' and are misapplying lessons about antisemitism (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The Trump administration has approached Yemen’s internationally recognised government in Aden about potentially contributing to the "international stabilisation force" being assembled for Gaza. News of the Aden government's involvement comes one day after US President Donald Trump feted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. The kingdom is a key backer of the Aden government, and has waged a war on the Houthis since 2015, creating what became one of the world's worst humanitarian crises (Read more at Middle East Eye).
In addition to Resolution 2803's vague wording and unclear commitments, the biggest obstacle is Israel's relentless opposition to a Palestinian state (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The foreign ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said it welcomed the resolution and stressed the importance of every party's involvement in it, "especially the Palestinian Authority". "The resolution prioritises conflict resolution and prolonged peace through the capacity building of the Palestinian authorities," Yvonne said in a statement. "Indonesia will always support an independent and sovereign Palestinian nation." (Read more at Jakarta Post)
'It is essential now to translate the diplomatic momentum into concrete and urgently needed steps on the ground,' says Antonio Guterres. "The adoption of the resolution on Gaza by the Security Council is an important step in the consolidation of the ceasefire, which the Secretary-General encourages all parties to abide by," said his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, in a statement (Read more at Anadolu Ajansi).
US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan wins UN Security Council backing. A mixed reaction from Palestinians: the Palestinian Authority welcomes the resolution, but Hamas rejects it along with plans for an international stabilisation force. So, what's next? (Listen here)
Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed last month to the first phase of Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza - a ceasefire in their two-year war and a hostage-release deal - but the UN resolution is seen as vital to legitimizing a transitional governance body and reassuring countries that are considering sending troops to Gaza. Hamas, in a statement, reiterated that it will not disarm and argued that its fight against Israel is legitimate resistance, potentially pitting the militant group against the international force authorized by the resolution (Read more at Reuters).
A planned $500 million American base near Gaza faces questions, as no one other than the Israel Defense Forces is willing to engage in hostilities with Hamas (Read more at JNS).
While the proposal released on Friday has little chance of passing in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, it underscores the growing criticism of Israel in US politics. If the resolution did pass, it would officially recognise that “Israel has committed the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza” and call for an end to the transfer of weapons suspected of being used to commit atrocities to the US ally (Read more at Aljazeera).
President Trump told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in a phone call last month that, with the Gaza war ending, he expects Saudi Arabia to move toward normalization with Israel, two U.S. officials said (Read more at Axios).
The United States had evidence last year that Israeli officials discussed how their soldiers sent Palestinians into tunnels in Gaza that the Israelis believed were potentially lined with explosives. The information was shared with the White House and analysed by the intelligence community in the final weeks of former President Joe Biden’s administration (Read more at Aljazeera).
“I hope not,” Rubio told reporters after a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers in Canada, when asked whether the West Bank events could endanger the Gaza ceasefire. “We don’t expect it to. We’ll do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen.” (Source: Arabnews)
A new US-run system for Gaza aid is bringing Americans, Israelis and humanitarian workers around the same table for the first time since the start of the two-year war. Operations at the Civil Military Co-ordination Centre (CMCC) stand in contrast to the former Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which sidelined well-established organisations such as the UN that had been operating in the West Bank and Gaza for decades. The installation of four GHF sites in the south and centre of the strip earlier this year led to stampedes and massacres in which at least 1,400 people died, UN figures show (Read more at The National).
The two discussed some of the most sensitive aspects of phase two, Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told journalists. “Together the two discussed phase one, which we are currently still in, to bring our remaining hostages, and the future of phase two of this plan, which includes the disarming of Hamas, demilitarising Gaza and ensuring Hamas will have no role in the future of Gaza ever again,” Ms Bedrosian said (Read more at Straits Times).
The US and Israeli officials working on the plan termed them as "Alternate Safe Communities". Palestinians would be screened for “anti-Hamas” sentiment before being granted entry into the compounds. The proposal was discussed in an email by US Lieutenant General Patrick Frank, who is heading the civil-military coordination centre overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, which has been marred by regular Israeli violations (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Hamdi was detained on 26 October at San Francisco international airport. At the time, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) said his detention appeared to be in retaliation for the Muslim political commentator’s criticism of Israel while touring the US, calling it a “blatant affront to free speech”, and called for his release. The family of British political commentator Sami Hamdi, who was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in late October while on a speaking tour in the US, say he is set to be released and will be able to “return home soon” (Read more at Guardian).
The World Bank backs language in a US-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution on Gaza that would authorize a two-year mandate for a transitional governance body, according to a letter to the United States (Read more at Daily Sun).
The United States has gathered intelligence that Israeli military lawyers warned there was evidence that could support war crimes charges against Israel for its genocide in Gaza — attacks carried out with American-supplied weapons. The information circulated more widely within the US government only in the final weeks of the Biden administration, ahead of a December 2024 congressional briefing (Read more at TRT World).
The U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) will replace Israel in overseeing aid into Gaza. Israel was part of the process but that CMCC would decide what aid enters Gaza and how. A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem said that the U.S. was "working hard, in tandem with Israel and regional partners, on the next phases of implementing" the president's "historic peace plan" (Read more at New Arab)
President Donald Trump said Thursday he expects a US-coordinated international stabilization force to be on the ground in Gaza “very soon,” following two years of war in the territory between Israel and Hamas. The multinational force — likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates — is part of Trump’s post-war governance plan for Gaza (Read more at Defense Post).
The proposal would grant a two-year mandate for a transitional governing body and an international stabilisation force. The United States circulated the draft to all 15 council members on Wednesday evening, saying it already has regional backing from Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates (Read more at Anews).
The Trump administration wants to use a crisis over Hamas militants who got "stuck" in tunnels behind Israeli lines in Gaza to develop a model for disarming the group. Convincing Hamas militants to lay down their weapons is the most sensitive issue in President Trump's Gaza peace plan. Israel is highly skeptical that Hamas will agree to disarm through diplomacy (Read more at Axios).
Israel on Tuesday received a body from Hamas via the Red Cross in Gaza, the Prime Minister’s Office said, after the Palestinian group reported it had found the remains of an Israeli hostage to be handed over. The office confirmed the body was that of Staff Sergeant Itay Chen, an Israeli-American, following an identification process (Read more at NBC News).
The draft resolution would give the U.S. and other participating countries a broad mandate to govern Gaza and provide security through the end of 2027, with the possibility of extensions after that. The draft resolution will be the basis for negotiations over the coming days between UN Security Council members, with the goal of voting to establish it in the coming weeks and deploying the first troops to Gaza by January, a U.S. official said (Read more at Axios).
“The U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) observed suspected Hamas operatives looting an aid truck traveling as part of a humanitarian convoy delivering needed assistance from international partners to Gazans in northern Khan Younis,” CENTCOM tweeted. The Command’s coordination center in the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, established in October to help monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, saw the incident via a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone flying overhead, the U.S. military said (Read more at JNS).
According to the sources, "the goal of the US proposal, which was conveyed to Hamas on Wednesday by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, was to stabilize the ceasefire and clear the roughly half of Gaza that Israel controls of Hamas militants." A source in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Axios that "there are dozens of Hamas militants still hiding in tunnels on the Israeli side of the ‘yellow line,’ which separates the zones of control, particularly in the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah." (Read more at Tass).
The proposed force, part of President Donald Trump’s plan and referred to as the International Stabilization Force (ISF), raises politically delicate questions for Israel, Hamas, and the countries that might contribute troops. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is leading the planning, which envisions the creation of a new Palestinian police force trained and vetted by the U.S., Egypt, and Jordan, alongside contingents from Arab and Muslim countries (Read more at This is Beirut).
“Until The New York Times takes accountability for its biased coverage and commits to truthfully and ethically reporting on the US-Israeli war on Gaza, any putative 'challenge' to the newsroom or the editorial board in the form of a first-person essay is, in effect, permission to continue this malpractice,” the signatories to the letter wrote (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Israel claimed it struck a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group on Saturday, accusing the individual of planning to attack Israeli troops. However, Islamic Jihad denied it was planning an attack. The US top diplomat added that Israel has not surrendered its right to self-defence as part of the agreement brokered by Washington, Egypt and Qatar that saw Hamas release the remaining living hostages held in Gaza this month (Read more at Dawn).
US President Donald Trump says an international stabilisation force will operate in Gaza soon. Hours later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel can veto which countries take part. What are the challenges facing such a force and in setting it up? (Listen here)
Trump’s Gaza plan is in danger of going the way of the Oslo Accords, argues US journalist Chris Hedges: Never to be implemented beyond the first phase. Hedges tells host Steve Clemons that there are no guarantees that the US-brokered deal “will actually thwart the genocidal project that Israel is intending to carry out in Gaza and … the West Bank”. While a parade of US officials visited Israel to signify commitment to the ceasefire, Israel continued to restrict food and medicine to millions of Palestinians, and Israeli forces continued to occupy more than half of the Gaza Strip (Listen here).
The U.S. military has begun flying surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip in recent days, as part of an effort to ensure that Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization uphold the ceasefire agreement, Israeli and American military officials said (Read more at JNS).
The State Department said that Steve Fagin, a career diplomat, will work alongside US Army Lieutenant General Patrick Frank, the military head already appointed to the hub set up after the October 10 ceasefire. The Civil-Military Coordination Centre was set up in southern Israel on October 17 to observe the ceasefire for any violations and handle logistics, including aid delivery into war-ravaged Gaza (Read more at Defense Post).
"Many of the countries that have expressed an interest in participating at some level -- whether it be monetary or personnel or both -- are going to need that (a UN resolution or international agreement) because their domestic laws require it," Rubio told reporters traveling on his plane between Israel and Qatar en route to Asia. "So we have a whole team working on that outline of it." (Read more at Al-Monitor)
According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the proposal also includes "voluntary reconciliation facilities for militants to surrender their weapons and receive amnesty", as well as forward bases "for the forces expected to assist the international stabilisation force in disarming Gaza" (Read more at New Arab).
During a visit to Israel, Mr Rubio said the US was committed to making the plan work, as there was no alternative. “This is the best plan, it's the only plan, it's one that we think can succeed,” he said during a press conference (Read more at The National).
Rubio added that the future of governance in Gaza still needs to be worked out among Israel and partner nations but could not include Hamas, adding that any potential role for the Palestinian Authority has yet to be determined (Read more at Middle East Online).
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was in the process of “standing up” a civil-military coordination centre to monitor the Gaza ceasefire and would then consider “going to the UN potentially and getting the international mandate, building the international defense security forces” (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Palestinian factions met in Cairo on Friday to lay out the beginnings of a "national dialogue" that will address Gaza's governance and future as part of a Palestinian state, a joint statement on Friday indicated. "We agreed to continue working together to unify our visions and positions to confront the challenges facing the Palestinian cause, including calling for an urgent meeting of all Palestinian forces and factions to agree on a national strategy, and to activate the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," the Palestinian factions said after the meeting (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Hard-liners in the Knesset narrowly passed a preliminary vote in support of annexing the West Bank on Wednesday, in an apparent attempt to embarrass Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while Vance was still in Israel. While many members of Israel's coalition support annexation, they have backed off those calls since US President Donald Trump said last month that he opposes the move (Read more at Euronews).
The White House did not respond to a request for comment about Trump’s deliberations on the matter. But the president’s acknowledgment of the internal discussions underscores the difficult task of finding credible political figures to oversee governance in Gaza as the U.S. and Israel say they are committed to preventing Hamas from continuing to rule the territory (Read more at AP).
Out of those polled, 59 percent supported the U.S. recognizing statehood, while 33 percent were opposed. The rest of the respondents were not sure or did not have an answer. Most surveyed Democrats, at 80 percent, support U.S.-backed statehood, while 41 percent of Republicans support it (Read more at The Hill).
Turkey’s ties to Hamas, once a liability in Washington, have turned into a geopolitical asset. By persuading Hamas to accept U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza deal, Ankara has reasserted itself on the Middle East chessboard, to the dismay of Israel and Arab rivals (Read more at Japan Times).
Mr Vance, though, said events since the truce took effect had given him "great optimism the ceasefire's going to hold". US envoy Steve Witkoff added: "We are exceeding where we thought we would be at this time." Donald Trump warned Hamas it would meet a "fast, furious and brutal" end if it breaches the Gaza ceasefire deal, as his Vice President visited Israel to keep the truce on track (Read more at The National).
“Numerous of our NOW GREAT ALLIES in the Middle East, and areas surrounding the Middle East, have explicitly and strongly, with great enthusiasm, informed me that they would welcome the opportunity, at my request, to go into GAZA with a heavy force and ‘straighten our Hamas’ if Hamas continues to act badly, in violation of their agreement with us,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday (Read more at Aljazeera).
VP JD Vance visits Israel to discuss Gaza ceasefire after weekend flare-up; Trump vows Hamas will face “eradication” if truce breaks. The ultimatum came as fighters returned the body of another dead hostage under the ceasefire deal, with the Israeli military confirming the remains were back in Israel where they would be positively identified (Read more at New Arab).
During their visit that began on Monday, the U.S. envoys, Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, were expected to try to shore up the truce then start talks on the next, more difficult, phase of the 20-step plan. Trump, keeping pressure on both Hamas and Israel as he seeks to salvage the signature foreign policy achievement of the first year of his second term, said on Monday the U.S. was taking many steps to maintain the ceasefire (Read more at Japan Times).
“The struggles, connecting the dots with the working class, doesn’t exclude the liberation of Palestinians,” he said. “One of the motto that I stand by is a motto that’s well-known in the labour movement: an injury to one is an injury to all.” (Read more at Aljazeera)
A Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) survey of 322 randomly selected Americans conducted after the recent ceasefire in the Israel–Gaza war reveals nuanced and complex attitudes toward the conflict and its aftermath. While sympathy for Israel remains stronger than for Hamas, there is a growing empathy for Palestinians as distinct from Hamas. Most respondents believe no side truly “won” the war, though those who did choose a winner overwhelmingly named Israel (Read more at JNS).
“At Times Square, our message is clear: Barely days into a ceasefire, Hamas turned its weapons on Palestinians to reassert control through fear & violence,” the Foreign Ministry tweeted on Sunday afternoon. “The world watches. The ceasefire must be upheld. Hamas must go. Gaza must be demilitarized,” added the ministry in the X post (Read more at JNS).
Their visit comes a day after Israel launched its fiercest wave of attacks in Gaza over the weekend since a fragile ceasefire took effect. Witkoff and Kushner's travel to the region was planned before the apparent ceasefire violations had occurred, according to a Trump administration official (Read more at ABC News).
Meanwhile, Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal has told Reuters that the group is only committed to a ceasefire lasting up to five years, with guarantees for what happens next depending on Palestinians being given “horizons and hope” for statehood. Some Hamas leaders once envisioned a “multi-front confrontation” involving coordinated attacks by Iran, Hezbollah, and allied groups across the region — but “that vision never materialized,” he said. “Hezbollah was quickly neutralized and forced into a ceasefire, and Iran stepped back (Read more at Arab News).
US State Department claims the Palestinian group is planning an attack against civilians in Gaza ‘in grave violation of the ceasefire’. Hamas called on the US to “stop repeating the [Israeli] occupation’s misleading narrative and to focus on curbing its repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement” (Read more at Aljazeera).
Omar Fateh, the state senator born to Somali parents, said he 'would love' for the fake rabbi 'to get more involved' in his campaign. "I would love to do a fundraiser for you," Rabbi Linda Goldstein wrote. "How do I get in touch? This anti-Zionist rabbi loves and supports you." Fateh replied on August 11. "Thank you for reaching out," he wrote. "Can you share with me your phone and email? I'll have my finance director reach out to you." (Read more at Washington Free Beacon)
Whether the performance reviews came in from the Democratic establishment's must-read paper, The New York Times, the right-wing Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal, or the more straight-laced Politico magazine, there was a certain agreement that New York City assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is a winning communicator (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“The International Stabilisation Force is starting to be constructed and once that occurs, there'll be more efforts, but there's a lot of planning and a lot of very positive conversations between the sides,” a senior US adviser said. Another adviser said the US is in contact with Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Azerbaijan and other nations on the possibility of their joining the effort (Read more at The National).
Trump said he had received word from Hamas “through my people” that the group would agree to disarm following recent talks at what he called “the highest level”. He also claimed that Hamas had “taken out two very evil gangs” in Gaza and “killed a number of them,” adding that “it didn’t bother me much” (Read more at Indian Express).
Former Democratic presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton on Monday praised US President Donald Trump for helping broker a ceasefire in the Gaza war, a rare show of bipartisan approval for the Republican leader. “I commend President Trump and his team for their work to get a renewed ceasefire deal over the finish line,” Biden, who served as president until January, said on X. With support from the United States and global partners, the Middle East was now “on a path to peace,” he said (Read more at Qatar Tribune).
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang welcomed Mr Avinatan Or from “two unimaginable years in Hamas captivity” in Gaza, saying a number of the chip giant’s families had suffered losses during the war. An electrical engineer at Nvidia in Israel, 32-year-old Or was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on Oct 7, 2023 along with 250 others including his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, whose desperate cries on the back of a motorcycle became one of the most haunting images of the Hamas attack (Read more at Starits Times).
Despite the ceasefire that took effect on Friday, Hamas has not publicly committed to ceding power. The group has gradually returned its personnel to Gaza’s streets, maintaining law-and-order measures while asserting control over the enclave. According to a Palestinian security source, Hamas has killed more than 30 members of a “gang” in Gaza City, though the group did not specify which gang (Read more at First Post).
How will Donald Trump enforce his plan for Gaza? In his address to the Israeli Knesset and in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, the US President urged leaders to move past conflicts. But how challenging will that be? (Listen here)
Trump expressed enthusiasm about a rally held in Tel Aviv on Saturday in support of the captives, which featured his daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and envoy Steve Witkoff as speakers. "It was an incredible rally. It was a great thing," he said (Read more at Royanews).
“I’ve always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody,” Trump said, without naming specific leaders who could be weighing in on his choice of Blair (Read more at Dawn).
"Well, they [Hamas] are standing because they do want to stop the problems, and they've been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time," Trump said. "We want it to be safe. I think it's going to be fine. Who knows? Who knows for sure?" he said. "But I think it's going to be fine." (Read more at Yahoo News)
"We have noted that Donald Trump's peace plan only addresses the Gaza Strip. It mentions statehood, but in rather general terms," Lavrov told reporters from Arab countries. "It's imperative to flesh out these approaches, including defining what will happen in the West Bank." (Read more at Yahoo News)
US President Donald Trump hailed a “tremendous day for the Middle East” as he and regional leaders signed a declaration Monday meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners. “The document is going to spell out rules and regulations and lots of other things”, Trump said (Read more at Arabnews).
The Palestinian Authority is ready to work with US President Donald Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on their effort to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire and start rebuilding, a senior Palestinian official told Mr Blair on Oct 12. Mr Trump’s plan for ending the Gaza war holds out the prospect of the Palestinian Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and led by President Mahmoud Abbas, eventually taking control of Gaza, but only after it completes reforms. Mr Abbas lost control of Gaza to the Hamas militant group in 2007 (Read more at Straits Times).
Vice President JD Vance on Sunday characterized the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas as “a remarkable achievement” by the Trump administration. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Vance said, “We have to remember this is a remarkable achievement from an administration that really chose a non-conventional path to diplomacy. And I think that’s the major takeaway. The President of the United States instructed Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, he said, get a deal done, talk to the Gulf Arab states, talk to Israel, find where there’s common ground here, and actually, let’s go and find a way to get it done.” (Read more at Politico)
Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but questions will quickly turn to whether that can now be made into a lasting peace. The Paris meeting, which brought together key European and Arab foreign ministers, was seen as an opportunity to add details on core issues such as an international stabilisation force, post-war governance in Gaza and reconstruction (Read more at Reuters).
Exiled Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya said on Thursday the group has received guarantees from the United States, Arab mediators, and Turkey that the war in Gaza has permanently ended. Under the deal, fighting will cease, Israel will partially withdraw from Gaza, and Hamas will free all remaining 48 hostages it captured in the attack that precipitated the war, in exchange for prisoners held by Israel. At the White House, Trump said he believed it would lead to "lasting peace." (Read more at NDTV)
"After two years of unimaginable loss and suffering for Israeli families and the people of Gaza, we should all be encouraged and relieved that an end to the conflict is within sight; that those hostages still being held will be reunited with their families; and that vital aid can start reaching those inside Gaza whose lives have been shattered," Obama posted on X on Thursday. Many users criticised the choice to reference "Israeli families" while referring to Palestinians as "the people of Gaza" (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The image of a vast board of stakeholders, all with their own objectives, somewhat captures the spirit of the ceasefire Trump has ushered in. While Israel is still left in control of more than half the enclave and has vast leeway about further withdrawals, Trump’s plan delivered a blow to Netanyahu’s government in two key areas: it rejected Israeli annexation or occupation of Gaza and the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The meeting will follow up a conference on a “two-state solution” at the United Nations. The note had said Washington's participation would depend on advances in the negotiations (Read more at Arabnews).
The United States will deploy up to 200 troops to Israel to support the ceasefire agreement, two senior White House officials said. The officials said that the troops, under U.S. Central Command’s Adm. Brad Cooper, would not enter Gaza. “He’ll initially have 200 people on the ground. His role will be to oversee, observe, make sure there are no violations-incursions. Everybody’s worried about the other side,” one of the senior officials said (Read more at JNS).
Two years after Hamas’ October 7 attack and Israel’s punishing response, both sides say they accept in principle President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to halt the war and chart a path toward enduring peace. MEI Senior Fellow Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to unpack what’s in the plan, how compatible it is with earlier Arab and European proposals, and whether its vague “credible pathway” to Palestinian statehood can withstand politics in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Washington. They also explore the sticking points—Hamas disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, and Palestinian Authority reform—as well as what success would actually look like on the ground (Listen here).
The lesson of U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest diplomatic gambit is that in Middle East deal-making, “the devil is in the details, but the most important thing is political willpower,” said Anshel Pfeffer, The Economist’s Israel correspondent and former Haaretz columnist, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast (Listen here).
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that the coming hours will be decisive for cementing peace in Gaza and that the current conference on the matter held in Paris aimed to work in parallel with the U.S. initiative. France is hosting a meeting of foreign ministers from Western and Arab countries in Paris on Thursday to discuss an international peacekeeping force and reconstruction assistance for Gaza once the fighting stops (Read more at Global Banking and Finance).
Sustained effort needed to keep ceasefire from unraveling. Negotiators must tackle other parts of Trump’s 20-point plan over which the two sides remain bitterly at odds, including the disarmament of Hamas, which the militant group rejects, a formal end to the conflict and Gaza’s post-war governance (Read more at Reuters).
Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were stalling this week until U.S. emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner swept in to dictate key compromises. The issues included where Israeli troops would withdraw to, the mechanics of the hostage release and prisoner exchange, how aid would flow into the Gaza Strip and which Palestinian prisoners would come out of Israel, said the person, who like others in this story was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations (Read more at Politico).
10 China companies in sanctions list for facilitating the purchase of components allegedly found in weaponized Houthi drones. 5 more companies also sanctioned after components were found in weaponized drones operated by Hamas (Read more at Arabnews).
“US President Donald Trump proposed his ‘20 points,’ which mention the word ‘statehood,’ but in rather general terms,” Lavrov said. “It only concerns what remains of the Gaza Strip. The West Bank isn’t mentioned, but we are realists. We understand that this is the best thing on the table right now.” (Read more at Anadolu Ajansi)
“We affirm our full readiness to reach (a deal to) end the war, withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza, and release all Israeli captives – both alive and dead – in exchange for Palestinian prisoners specified under (US President Donald) Trump’s plan,” Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya (Read more at Anadolu Agensi)
Trump has laid the groundwork for the moment by squeezing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and showing new deference to Arab allies who are expected to coax Hamas to halt the fighting. Many of the same sticking points for Hamas remain, such as where the Israel Defense Forces will withdraw to in Gaza, whether Hamas can deliver all of the remaining hostages including those not held by the group, when prisoners will be released from Israel and the channels through which humanitarian assistance will be delivered (Read more at Politico).
He then pivoted to denounce Israel’s military response: "In the aftermath… Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli government launched a genocidal war… A death toll that now far exceeds 67,000; with the Israeli military bombing homes, hospitals, and schools into rubble… Every day in Gaza has become a place where grief itself has run out of language… Our government has been complicit through it all. The occupation and apartheid must end." Pro-Palestine social media users were quick to respond to his statement, with many pointing out that neither "Palestinians" or "Palestine" was used once (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Jordan’s King Abdullah discussed the latest developments related to US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the fighting in Gaza in a phone call hours ago with the American president (Source: Dawn).
Among Hamas officials, Qatari and Egyptian diplomats, and a Turkish spy chief huddling for Gaza peace talks in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh resort is a key American interlocutor: US President Donald Trump's son-in-law. Jared Kushner has no official title in the Trump administration, but his involvement is being read as a sign of Trump's seriousness about reaching a deal to end Israel's war on Gaza (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“At this stage, it is not appropriate to discuss what the obstacles are, we will wait for the results of the talks in the coming days,” Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson said. “Last night there was a detailed negotiation that lasted more than four hours, focusing mainly on identifying the obstacles to implementing the agreement. Many details still need consensus regarding the agreement’s implementation — including the international force, the release of hostages, the prisoner exchange, and the entry of humanitarian aid. Meetings will continue today, and there is no doubt that in this round of talks, all parties are pushing toward an agreement — but there is still a lot of work to do.” (Read more at Yahoo News)
"These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly. The technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details. I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST," Trump said in a social media post (Read more at Business Standard).
Today on the show, Fareed is joined by Dan Senor, analyst and author, on why President Trump’s Gaza plan is an all-around win for Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world. Then, Fareed speaks with Diana Buttu, a Palestinian human rights lawyer and former advisor adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization, on why she believes Trump's Gaza plan does not go far enough to ensure peace (Listen here).
US Secretary of State describes the release of the hostages held by Hamas as the first phase, while details on what happens after that still need to be worked out. “No one can tell you it’s a 100 percent guarantee," he said. Rubio told NBC the US would know "very quickly" whether Hamas was serious or not during the current technical talks to coordinate the release of the hostages (Read more at Middle East Online).
This deal follows previous ceasefire attempts - one shortly after the war began in 2023 and another earlier this year - that lasted only a few weeks before war erupted again. Israel and Hamas seem intent on showing a positive response to Trump, but face their own political calculations. There are plenty of hurdles ahead this time too (Read more at Reuters).
The countries had proposed a full Israeli withdrawal from the besieged Palestinian territory during a September 22 meeting with Trump. However, Trump’s plan calls for a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces to pave the way for Palestinian militant group Hamas to release the remaining hostages it holds (Read more at Scroll).
Hamas said it would release Israeli hostages in Gaza both living and dead "according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump's proposal, with the necessary field conditions for implementing the exchange." The Trump plan says the panel would be supervised by a new international transitional body that Trump would head and which would include other members, including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Hamas said it would agree to hand over Gaza's administration "to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats) based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing." Hamas has previously offered to hand over Gaza's administration to a different body (Read more at Yahoo News).
President Trump has released a Gaza “peace” plan that would put Gaza under a Trump-chaired “Board of Peace”. While some in the international community have welcomed the move, some question the fact that it bypasses Palestinians and offers no path to statehood. So, with Netanyahu pledging not to fully withdraw from Gaza, will this deal bring genuine peace or cement the status quo? This week on an UpFront special, Marc Lamont Hill speaks with one of the world’s foremost experts on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Norman Finkelstein (Listen here).
At least 36 people were killed in bombardments and airstrikes in the devastated Palestinian enclave since Trump demanded Israel halt its attacks late on Friday (Read more at Yahoo News).
The US plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza is designed, supervised and administered “primarily by people who are very staunchly pro-Israel,” and has little chance of delivering peace, argues Stephen Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard University. “We’ve seen this movie before,” Walt tells host Steve Clemons. According to the terms announced by US President Donald Trump, Israel can argue at any time that the Palestinian side isn’t fulfilling its obligations and thus resume the war. Increasingly seen as a threat by other countries in the region, Israel “is in for a very troubling future”, Walt says (Listen here).
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: "We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive. "Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough," he said (Read more at RTE).
Donald Trump has called for Israel to halt its bombing of Gaza after Hamas said it was ready to release hostages and agreed to some aspects of the U.S. president's plan to end the war, although Israeli strikes still killed several people on Saturday. Here are some reactions from around the world to Hamas' comments and Trump's reaction (Read more at Reuters).
Hope-filled reactions follow Hamas’s response, which marks a potential turning point in Israel’s two-year war on Gaza. Global reactions, including from key mediators, to Hamas’s partial acceptance of United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza, have been tinged with hope as the prospect of halting the two-year genocidal assault appears within reach (Read more at Aljazeera).
He warned that an agreement must be reached by 6pm US Eastern time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday, or else Gaza would face further violence. “If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER,” Trump wrote (Read more at Aljazeera).
Special rapporteurs warn the 20-point plan for Gaza risks entrenching human rights violations against Palestinians. The experts identified a wide range of concerns, raising questions about the plan’s compatibility with international law and with the International Court of Justice’s 2024 Advisory Opinion, which affirmed that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and must end unconditionally (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Judge Analisa Torres of the Federal District Court in Manhattan ruled that the UN agency is protected by immunity as part of the United Nations. According to the report, the suit, filed on behalf of roughly 100 Israeli plaintiffs, including survivors of the attack, the estates of those killed, and at least one hostage, alleged that the UNRWA allowed Palestinian resistance group Hamas to divert funds for its own use (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out,” Trump wrote on social media (Read more at Arabnews).
More than two decades ago, in the run-up to the 2003 Iraq War, a group of UK-based international lawyers, myself included, wrote a letter to then Prime Minister Tony Blair, explaining that the war would be illegal under international law. Again, a warning of illegality is required for another global adventure - an international trusteeship over Gaza - involving the same individual, this time as a possible leader of the proposed protectorate, alongside US President Donald Trump (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) crossed party lines on Tuesday and endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas. “I welcome the president’s proposal to finally bring this war to an end,” Rep. Lois Frankel said (Read more at JNS).
The plan announced in Washington was substantially different to the one they agreed to in New York. The Qataris are furious they were written out of a mediation role and that Trump refused to delay the announcement. The Egyptians, too, are furious that the role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been downgraded and that Israeli forces will always remain in Rafah and along the border with Sinai (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The plan focuses on Gaza's future in what resembles a post-Iraq war rebuilding plan, this time run by Trump and disgraced former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Palestinians will have no role in the process as the Palestinian Authority gets cast aside, and Hamas is forced to disarm and exit the enclave (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Netanyahu says the Palestinian Authority needs to end its 'lawfare' against Israel at world courts to fulfil the 'reforms' required for running Gaza. But is that even possible? a senior Palestinian diplomat denied to Middle East Eye that the PA would ever end its efforts to pursue accountability for alleged Israeli crimes internationally. Additionally, South Africa’s case has not been the sole legal development at the ICJ related to Israel’s alleged international law violations (Read more at Middle East Eye).
By forcing Palestinian disarmament and external control of Gaza while allowing Israel to maintain its occupation, the US-Israeli plan ensures more instability in the future. Despite these seemingly positive features, the plan is highly Israel-centric - an Israeli plan dressed up as American diplomacy - and reads as a demand for Palestinian surrender rather than a genuine call for peace (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Proposal to end the Gaza war entails the corporatisation of an entire traumatised people under the 'leadership' of billionaires. While the new plan seeks to “de-radicalise” and “re-educate” Palestinians - the people who have been displaced, occupied, tortured and continuously massacred - Israelis continue to play the victim (Read more at Middle East Eye).
In a blistering opinion on Tuesday, Federal District Judge William Young, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem misused their powers in the deportation campaign (Read more at Aljazeera).
Analysts say Trump’s ceasefire plan has no guarantees for the Palestinians and, once again, favours the Israelis. While the Palestinian Authority (PA) is mentioned in the plan, there is no immediate role for it until it completes a reform programme. While Trump listed his 2020 peace plan and the Saudi-French proposal, it’s unclear which reforms he specifically means. Meanwhile, the plan says aid will be provided by the United Nations and the International Red Crescent, but does not mention whether the notorious Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has led to more than 1,000 Palestinians killed waiting for aid, will be disbanded (Read more at Aljazeera).
Most of the Senate Democratic caucus sought an explanation from Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, on Monday over his recent decision to stop issuing temporary visas for Gazans who need medical care. The visas allowed Palestinians in Gaza to come to the United States for medical treatment once vetted to ensure that they did not pose security threats. “These civilians include severely wounded children, who are especially vulnerable and, through no fault of their own, have been caught in the crossfire and forced to endure horrible impacts from the war in Gaza,” the senators wrote (Read more at JNS).
US President Donald Trump has promised “something special” is coming for Gaza as Israeli officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reservations about the White House’s 21-point ceasefire and post-war governance plan (Read more at CNN).
Suggested amendments include full Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and release of hostages over two stages (Read more at The National).
The comments came after Israeli newspaper Haaretz cited sources saying Hamas had agreed in principle to release all the Israeli hostages it holds in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops under Trump’s plan (Read more at Arabnews).
Addressing protesters outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, Petro called for the creation of a global armed force to liberate Palestinians. “This force has to be bigger than that of the United States,” he declared. He further urged US troops to disobey Trump, saying in Spanish: “That’s why from here, from New York, I ask all the soldiers of the army of the United States not to point their guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.” (Read more at Arise News)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged Thursday at the United Nations to collaborate with U.S. President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia, France and the U.N. on a Gaza peace plan that has won overwhelming support from the international community (Read more at Daily sabah).
Blair had been proposed to chair a supervisory board called the "Gaza International Transitional Authority," the paper added. Blair was part of a late August meeting Trump presided over to tackle Israel's war in Gaza and post-war plans for the Palestinian territory (Read more at Daily Star).
Trump’s comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in New York for the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday and to meet with the president. “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” Trump said in the Oval Office, acknowledging that he had spoken to Netanyahu earlier in the day on the topic. “It’s been enough. It’s time to stop now,” he added (Read more at CNN).
“I need to meet with Netanyahu; they know what I want, and I think we can finish this. We want the hostages – all of them. I think we are close to a deal.” The president’s plan contains 21 points addressing an end to the war in Gaza, and calls for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the release of all the hostages. It includes sections on the day after, proposing a governing mechanism with armed personnel in Gaza without Hamas (Read more at Yahoo News).
On Thursday, 178 House Democrats, including all those in leadership positions, signed a letter warning the Israeli government against annexing Palestinian territory in the occupied West Bank or Gaza. The letter told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar that Israeli annexation of any territory would “plunge the region” into “further chaos and violence.” (Read more at Middle East Eye)
Will Donald Trump's plan for Gaza work? The U.S. President has presented a proposal to end Israel's war in the Strip. And he's secured firm support from regional leaders. But what about the two main players: Hamas and Israel? (Listen here)
Israel has spied on millions of Palestinians using Microsoft's powerful technology. Now, the high-tech giant says it's cancelled some of its services to the Israeli army. But as the military expands its devastating war on Gaza, is this move enough? And will it make any difference on the ground? (Listen here)
Macron said that Trump had the power to put pressure on Israel and end the war. “There is one person who can do something about it, and that is the US President,” he said. He also said on Tuesday recognizing the state of Palestine does not amount to forgetting the October 2023 Hamas attack, with the French leader making his comments as he sat next to President Donald Trump in a bilateral meeting (Read more at Indian Express and USNews).
While leaders taking the podium at the U.N. gathering did not directly chastise Trump for his stance, some analysts saw a clear message to the U.S. president. Trump, however, has given no sign he will use those pressure points. Even after Israel bombed a Hamas office in the territory of U.S. ally Qatar, he held a tense phone call with Netanyahu but took no action (Read more at Reuters).
Trump will hold a multilateral meeting with representatives from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan, focusing on hostages, Israeli withdrawal, and post-war governance. Washington wants Arab and Muslim countries to agree to send military forces to Gaza to enable Israel's withdrawal and to secure funding for transition and rebuilding programs (Read more at Livemint).
The resolution demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and that Israel lift all restrictions on aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave. The text, drafted by the elected ten members of the 15-member council, would also have demanded the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups (Read more at Arab Weekly).
Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who is leading the effort, said in a statement: “America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now.” The resolution urges US recognition of a demilitarised Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel and would offer both sides hope while boosting prospects for peace, he said. However, it is unlikely to pass the Chamber, where US President Donald Trump’s Republicans have a 53-47 majority (Read more at Straits Times).
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said there had been conversations around an interim governing structure involving Gulf Arab states, potentially with the U.S. taking on a supervisory role, with a decision on a permanent arrangement to be made later (Read more at Yahoo).
“The State of Palestine may submit a prerecorded statement of its President, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall,” said the resolution, which passed on Friday with 145 votes in favour, five opposed, and six abstentions (Read more at Aljazeera).
The nonbinding resolution was introduced Thursday by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the first of its kind in the Senate, as the pressure rises on Israel over its nearly two-year military siege in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. “Recognition of a Palestinian state is not only a practical step the United States can take to help build a future where Palestinians and Israelis can live in freedom, dignity, and security, but it is the right thing to do. America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now,” Merkley said (Read more at The Hill).
Trump, speaking at a press conference with Starmer on Thursday, said he wants the immediate release of hostages. The disagreement with Starmer's approach, Trump said, is "one of our few disagreements." (Read more at NPR)
The United States and Israel have sent complaint letters to top United Nations officials contesting the impartiality of their staff over the Gaza conflict, as hundreds of UN staff protested outside its European headquarters. The letters highlight the rising tensions between the UN and its top funder, the US, which has already disengaged from the UN Human Rights Council over what Washington says is its anti-Israel stance (Read more at Dawn).
An immigration judge in the US state of Louisiana has ordered the deportation of pro-Palestinian protest leader Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria or Syria, ruling that he failed to disclose information on his green card application (Read more at Guardian).
Sanders had long received flak from supporters and protesters alike for avoiding the term, which he previously said made him “queasy” when protesters chanted it last year during a speech in Ireland. Sanders' acknowledgement came after an independent UN commission of experts concluded that Israel’s actions “meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide convention” (Read more at Guardian).
Rubio showed no daylight between himself and Netanyahu on a visit to Jerusalem on Monday, saying Israel could “count on our unwavering support” for its military push in the devastated Palestinian territory. Hours later, witnesses told AFP there is “heavy, relentless bombing on Gaza City” which leveled homes and left people trapped under the rubble (Read more at Defense Post).
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said on Wednesday that growing international momentum to recognize a Palestinian state directly led to the collapse of U.S. efforts to persuade Israel to release much-needed funds to the Palestinian Authority. Huckabee said he had been "shuttling back and forth" between the two sides, partly out of concern that worsening economic instability in the West Bank could spark violence, but that momentum towards recognition had hardened Israeli positions (Read more at MSN).
This is day one of the inaugural Church at the Crossroads conference, designed to heed the call from Christians who want a space that can be an antithesis to, among others, the annual Christians United For Israel (Cufi) conference, which draws thousands of people whose religious priority is the defence of Israel, as they believe that only in protecting it will the second coming of Jesus Christ materialise (read more at Middle East Eye).
“The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!” Hamas said it was discussing with mediators ways to develop those ideas, without giving specifics (Read more at Guardian).
The Palestinian group Hamas said Sunday that it had received a new US ceasefire proposal through mediators and expressed its readiness to resume negotiations. “We received some ideas from the American side through mediators to reach a ceasefire agreement,” the group said in a statement on Telegram. It welcomed any move that supports “efforts to stop the aggression on our people." (Read more at Anadolu Ajansi)
The new U.S. proposal aims to find a diplomatic solution ahead of the massive offensive Israel is planning to launch to occupy Gaza City. The new proposal includes the release of all 48 remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and the end of the Israeli operation to occupy Gaza. He stressed the U.S. message to Hamas is: "If you immediately release the hostages, good things are going to happen, but if you don't — it is going to be tough and nasty for you." (Read more at Axios)
"We are in very deep negotiation with Hamas," he told reporters, saying the situation will be "tough" and "nasty" if Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages. "We said let them all out, right now let them all out. And much better things will happen for them but if you don't let them all out, it's going to be a tough situation, it's going to be nasty," MrTrump said, adding that Hamas was "asking for some things that are fine", without elaborating (Read more at The National).
The organizations “have directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent,” Rubio said in a statement posted to the US Treasury Department’s website. The US sanctions come days after the world’s leading genocide scholars said Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide. Israel rejected the accusation, saying it is based on a “campaign of lies” by Hamas. It has previously rejected other accusations it is carrying out genocide or war crimes (Read more at CNN).
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Washington had harsh words for world leaders, who have said that they plan to recognize an independent Palestinian state. The secretary, who is also the U.S. national security advisor, also told reporters that it was “wholly predictable” that the Israeli government would hold discussions on applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria in response to France and others saying they would recognize a Palestinian state. “There’s going to be a response from Israel,” Rubio said. “You’re going to make it harder to get a ceasefire, and it may even trigger these sorts of actions.” (Read more JNS)
The groups are the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and Al-Haq, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The sanctions were posted on the U.S. Treasury Department's website on Thursday and include blocking any provisions of funds, goods or services to them (Read more at AOL).
"We call for this measure to be reversed and for Palestinian representation to be ensured in accordance with the Host Country Agreement," Macron said Tuesday on X’s platform (Read more at TRT).
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said “if the Palestinian economy were to completely collapse, it won’t be a winning deal for anyone”. He told US media outlet Axios: “Desperate people do desperate things.” The warning by the ardently pro-Israel envoy comes as the West Bank endures Israeli military occupation and settler violence, often overlooked with the world’s attention on Gaza (Read more at The National).
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the United States should urgently revise its decision to revoke the visas of Palestinian officials and bar them from attending a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations this month in New York (Read more at Yahoo News).
Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to reconsider the decision to bar Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from the UN General Assembly, arguing it was made on false pretenses. The ban constitutes the biggest rupture between the U.S. and the PA since President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017. It's part of a series of moves from the State Department in recent months, that undermine the Palestinian Authority (PA). (Read more at Axios)
A 38-page slide deck of the plan, first reported by the Financial Times, was published in full by The Washington Post on Sunday. The proposal was reportedly led by Michael Eisenberg, an Israeli-American venture capitalist, and Liran Tancman, an Israeli tech entrepreneur and former military intelligence officer. Their initials, "ME" and "LT", appear to be listed on the deck’s first page alongside a mysterious third set of initials, "TF". Eisenberg and Tancman were part of an informal group of Israeli officials and businesspeople that first conceived of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in late 2023, weeks after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023 (Read more at Middle East Eye).
A post-war plan for Gaza is circulating within President Donald Trump's administration that would see the U.S. administer the war-torn enclave for at least a decade, the relocation of Gaza's population and its rebuilding as a tourist resort and manufacturing hub. The Washington Post said that according to a 38-page prospectus it had seen, Gaza's 2 million population would at least temporarily leave either through "voluntary" departures to another country or into restricted areas within the territory during reconstruction (Read more at Reuters).
“This decision will only increase tension and escalation," Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said. “We have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue” (Read more at Arabnews).
It wasn't immediately clear if Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would be affected. "It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace," the State Department said (Read more at Euronews).
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has announced he will boycott King Charles' state banquet held in honour of Donald Trump in protest against the US president's failure to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza. Davey said he 'prayed long and hard' and was motivated by his Christian faith to turn down the invitation from King Charles (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Israeli official Ron Dermer said Israel doesn't want to occupy Gaza long-term, but needs an acceptable alternative to Hamas to govern the enclave. Kushner and Blair got Trump's blessing to keep developing such a plan, but right now they don't have an answer as to who would take over (Read more at Axios).
In a joint statement, the 14 council members warned the use of starvation as a weapon of war is banned under international humanitarian law. They called for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, a substantive surge of aid throughout Gaza, and for Israel to immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on aid delivery (Read more at Skynews).
A group of 26 Israeli citizens based in New York filed an amicus brief in support of Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi on Monday, saying that deporting him sends a message that promoting peace between Israel and Palestine is “contrary to the foreign policy of the US” (Read more at Middle East Eye).
President Donald Trump was set to chair a meeting Wednesday about the future of Gaza, as Israel faced mounting global outcry over strikes on a hospital that killed 22 people, including journalists and medics. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said the U.S. planned to settle the war before the end of the year, though Israel showed no signs of halting its deadly campaign (Read more at NBC News).
Why has Donald Trump not spoken out about famine in Gaza? He publicly acknowledged last month that 'children looked very hungry' there. What's behind his silence now? And is it a green light for Israel to continue its genocide by starvation? (Listen here)
US subcontractors working for the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) fired at relief-seeking Palestinians together with Israeli forces, an eyewitness said. The witness named as Mike, whose real identity has been hidden for fear of reprisal, said he was hired by a US logistics company to drive aid trucks in Israel, not knowing he would be working with the Israeli and US-backed GHF in Gaza (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) said on Wednesday that it filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its failure to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (Foia) request demanding the financial records of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). (Read more at Middle East Eye)
Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed that 59 percent of Americans believe that Israel’s military response in Gaza has been excessive. A 58 percent majority of Americans believe that every country in the United Nations should recognize Palestine as a nation. Some 33 percent of respondents did not agree that UN members should recognize a Palestinian state (Read more at Arabnews).
Qatar has been working with Egypt to mediate between the warring factions and broker a US-backed ceasefire deal for Gaza. A latest Gaza ceasefire proposal approved by Hamas is "almost identical" to that put forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry has said (Read more at Sky news).
The United States continues to discuss a ceasefire proposal for a 60-day truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas that the Palestinian militant group has accepted, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday. "I don't think it's a coincidence that Hamas accepted this proposal after the president of the United States posted a very strong statement about this conflict on Truth Social yesterday," Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing at the White House (Source: Yahoo News).
US-based charity HEAL Palestine and other rights groups have criticised the State Department’s decision to stop visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza, saying it will harm wounded children seeking medical treatment on short-term US visas. HEAL Palestine said there was no refugee resettlement program, as stated by Loomer and that the group’s efforts were part of a medical treatment program. It also said the program was run on donations and did not use US government money (Read more at Dawn).
Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump added that “the sooner this happens, the greater the chances of success.” “Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!). I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one who OBLITERATED Iran’s Nuclear facilities. Play to WIN, or don’t play at all!,” Trump said further (Read more at Indian Express).
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said Israel has the right to "massive" development and that it does not violate international law. Mike Huckabee's comments come after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Thursday that he was planning to relaunch the E1 area settlement project that would see the construction of thousands of new housing units in the E1 area, east of Jerusalem (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The move comes after far-right activist Laura Loomer said Friday that Palestinian “refugees” had entered the U.S. this month. The U.S. State Department said “a small number” of temporary medical-humanitarian visas had been issued in recent days but did not provide a figure (Read more at NBC News).
The Democratic National Committee plans to vote later this month on competing resolutions about the party’s position on Israel and the Palestinians. Democratic Majority for Israel said that it is “deeply troubled” that a “flawed, irresponsible resolution” was introduced at a meeting “that will further sow division within our party.” (Read more at JNS)
“We each have to continue to have an open heart about how we do this, how we do it effectively, and how we take action in time to make a difference, whether that is stopping the starvation and genocide and destruction of Gaza, or whether that means we are working together to stop the redistricting that is going on, taking away the vote from people in order to retain power,” Clark said (Read more at The Hill).
Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) and Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) penned a letter to Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, in which they claimed, as military veterans, to know that “flooding” Gaza with aid would “take away the leverage that scarce aid has provided to Hamas.” (Read more at JNS)
“I’d like to see that happen,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked whether he would press Israel to permit journalists into the enclave to cover humanitarian work. “I’d be very fine with journalists going in. It’s a very dangerous position to be in if you’re a journalist, but I would like to see it,” he added (Read more at Media Line)
He called the timing “detached from reality” while the war in Gaza rages and humanitarian needs mount. He argued that the most urgent priorities are averting famine in Gaza, securing the release of Israeli hostages, and bringing the conflict to an end. Blinken warned that granting recognition without conditions risks strengthening “proponents of terror” among Palestinians and emboldening those in Israel who oppose any form of Palestinian statehood (Read more at MediaLine).
During President Joe Biden’s administration, the US military carried out waves of air drops of food into Gaza, delivering some 1,220 tons of assistance. But the option hasn’t been seriously considered by Donald Trump’s administration, US officials and other sources say. One source said it is seen as an unrealistic option because airdrops would not come close to meeting the needs of 2.1 million Palestinians (Read more at Dawn).
The resolution supports boycott campaigns against Israel and principles outlined by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. The resolution, passed with a 56 to 43 percent vote at DSA’s biennial convention, also allocates resources to pro-Palestine organising and emphasises the Palestinian right to return "from the river to the sea" (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The UK government acknowledged this year that it conducts such flights over the war-ravaged Palestinian territory but insisted they were “solely in support of hostage rescue.” The Royal Air Force (RAF) had been using its Shadow R1 reconnaissance aircraft to film over Gaza, aiding the search for the hostages, but turned to a US firm after the planes were reassigned or needed maintenance (Read more at Defense Post).
A team leader for a US contractor providing services to the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Fund has been accused of being a member of an Islamophobic organisation. Anthony Aguilar says the contractor leading security in Gaza is not experienced to lead UG solutions and is part of a group that purports to tackle 'jihadism' (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Senior UN aid officials met Wednesday with the chair of the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, marking their first direct engagement since the foundation began operating in Gaza in late May. It came after months of bitter public exchanges between the UN and the GHF, as Gaza spirals deeper into starvation (Read more at Axios).
Trump administration believes Israel had not adequately addressed situation. US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump discussed the increased US role during a White House meeting. The meeting came after Witkoff's visit to Gaza last week, where he spent over five hours assessing conditions on the ground, according to US State Department (Read more at Anadolu Ajansi).
He said his administration’s focus was on increasing food access to the Palestinian enclave under assault from Washington’s ally. “I know that we are there now trying to get people fed,” Mr Trump told reporters on Aug 5. “As far as the rest of it, I really can’t say. That’s going to be pretty much up to Israel.” Mr Trump had proposed a US takeover of Gaza earlier in 2025 (Read more at Straits Times).
The "last thing" Rabbi Rachel Timoner says she wanted to do was block the street in front of New York's Israeli consulate as part of a protest calling on Israel to increase the flow of humanitarian aid in Gaza – let alone get arrested for doing so. The Brooklyn rabbi said on the Haaretz Podcast that when she was asked to take part in the demonstration, she found it impossible to say no. "As a leader of the Jewish community here, as a rabbi, I feel that when Israel is acting in a way that they are claiming is representing Judaism, it's part of my job to show my understanding of what Judaism stands for. We feed the hungry, and we care for the sick, and we free the captives, and we care for the human dignity of every life, of every human life." (Listen Here)
Johnson becomes the highest-ranking US official to visit an illegal settlement in the occupied Palestinian territory. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called the trip by the speaker of the US House of Representatives on Monday a “blatant violation of international law” (Read more at Aljazeera).
In a letter to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Democratic lawmakers have urged the government to follow in the footsteps of 147 countries that have already recognised a Palestinian state, saying the US should not “be isolated from the rest of the free world”. US Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna's effort to gather support for recognising a Palestinian state is now being supported by 13 House Democrats, as of Monday (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Trump has so far paid no price for ignoring a ceasefire. Trump said this week that “real starvation” was occurring in Gaza, in an apparent jab at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has denied the charge. Trump said anyone who viewed the images of emaciated children in Gaza would say it was terrible “unless they’re pretty cold-hearted or, worse than that, nuts”. He wants to bring the hostages home and create a better humanitarian situation, but is not interested in spending the time on the underlying issues to end the war (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“The purpose of the visit was to give @POTUS (Trump) a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said. He visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 milion inhabitants. Hours after Witkoff’s visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group’s sites in the city on Gaza’s southern edge (Read more at Gulf Times).
In San Francisco, Boston, Dallas and other cities around the country, protesters have marched and chanted outside the offices of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The demonstrators were demanding accountability for BCG’s role in creating a deadly new aid distribution system backed by the US and Israel that a United Nations official described as using starvation as a bargaining chip (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The US announces sanctions against the Palestinian leadership, saying it has undermined peace efforts. It comes as the war in Gaza still rages and the push for Palestinian statehood is gaining momentum. So, what are the implications of the US decision? (Listen here)
The US president's sentiments on Palestinian statehood have shifted significantly over the past week. More and more, his Mideast policy is being driven by hawkish staff and donors who have his ear, which could explain the shift in messaging. Washington adopted the policy of two states, Israel and Palestine, at the signing of the 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. It became official at the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords in the White House Rose Garden. No administration has officially, on paper, overturned that policy since, but now more than ever, no government action even remotely suggests that it remains in effect (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Following the meeting, a senior Israeli official said an understanding between Israel and the US was emerging that there was a need to move from a plan to release some of the hostages to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas militants and demilitarise the Gaza Strip. The official did not provide details on what that plan would be, but it was seen as a shift from seeking a limited truce to a more comprehensive deal. The official added that Israel and the United States would work to increase humanitarian aid, while continuing the fighting in Gaza (Read more at The Age).
“As the president stated, he would be rewarding Hamas if he recognizes a Palestinian state, and he doesn’t think they should be rewarded," a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "So he is not going to do that. President Trump’s focus is on getting people fed (in Gaza).” (Read more at Reuters)
In a Truth Social Post late on Wednesday, Trump expressed surprise over Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing that Canada plans to recognize the State of Palestine at the U.N. in September, and said (quote) "That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.” (Read more at Yahoo News).
Trump has made clear in recent days that he thinks there is starvation in Gaza and has committed to increasing U.S. aid. At the same time, he said he expects other Western countries and Israel to do their share. Amid calls for an immediate ceasefire, Trump has also said Israel might need to escalate the war to force Hamas to sign a hostage deal (Read more at Axios).
President Trump said on Thursday that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza will end if Hamas releases the hostages and surrenders. The comment from the president marks a change in tone from others he made in recent days that put the onus on Israel to improve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza (Read more at Axios).
The reliably pro-Israel Republican Party is scrambling to contain a generational revolt over foreign aid, antisemitism and the true meaning of "America First." A growing number of Gen Z conservatives — removed from the historical context that shaped older Republican views — see Israel as just another ally taking advantage of America's generosity. "What we are seeing on Israel is a generational split around the age of 40," MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec told Axios earlier this month. "Over 40 support, under 40 range from skeptical to wanting to cut all ties." (Read more at Axios).
They announced sanctions against members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), accusing them of supporting “terrorism” and seeking to destabilise peace efforts. The State Department said it reported to Congress that the groups had violated international agreements, including the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002. The State Department denounced the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization for seeking to “internationalize its conflict with Israel” by seeking relief at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (Read more at Aljazeera).
