From the 40 students arrested or disciplined when the university called upon police to the campus on April 18, only two remain suspended. Moreover, from the over 80 students arrested between April 29 and May 1, only five now face interim suspension without access to the campus (Read more at YahooNews).
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).
Since Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate for the 2024 presidential election, some Black Americans – who previously opposed President Joe Biden – have changed their minds about not voting for the Democratic party (Read more at Middle East Eye).
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).
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has demanded that Gaza ceasefire mediators present a plan to implement a proposal supported by US President Joe Biden that it had agreed upon on July 2 (Read more at TRTWorld).
The Gaza Civil Emergency Service, which has a credible record stating casualty numbers, said about 100 people were killed in Saturday's strike. Israel said around 20 militants had been operating at the compound. "Yet again, far too many civilians have been killed," Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris told reporters. "We know Hamas has been using schools as locations to gather and operate out of, but we have also said repeatedly and consistently that Israel must take measures to minimize civilian harm," the White House said (Read more at USNews).
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).
The Biden administration is clinging to the stubbornly elusive goal of a cease-fire deal to end the fighting in Gaza. It has important effects on other areas where you could see conflict — whether it’s in the north of Israel and Lebanon, whether it’s Iran, whether it’s in the Red Sea with the Houthis. Israel in particular decided that the only way to eventually calm Gaza is through more fighting now. You have a situation where each of the parties believes that in order to deter the other, they have to climb the ladder (Read more at Politico).
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).
“They are all lying and playing for time, pretending that we are close to an agreement to stop the war ... we no longer trust or believe American officials, especially the CIA director currently in the region,” Hamas official Mahmoud Taha said on Friday (Read more at The National).
Bad weather and distribution challenges inside Gaza limited the effectiveness of what the U.S. military says was its biggest aid delivery effort ever in the Middle East. The pier was only operational for about 20 days. "The maritime surge mission involving the pier is complete. So there's no more need to use the pier ... the temporary pier has achieved its intended effect to surge a very high volume of aid into Gaza," Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told a news briefing (Read more at USNews).
Hamas said it was ready to engage “positively and in a constructive manner” with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces, the reconstruction of Gaza, a return of those displaced, and a “genuine” prisoner swap deal if Israel “clearly announces commitment to such deal” (Read more at Irish Times).
“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)
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).
Nikki Haley, former United States Republican presidential candidate, visited Israel's which was organised by a right-wing member of the Israeli Parliament, Danny Danon. The message drew fury on social media (Read more at GEO).
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).
Under U.S. pressure, the Egyptian government agreed to resume the flow of aid trucks to Gaza through Israel, after deliveries were halted two weeks ago in protest of Israel's takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. Senior U.S. officials were also involved in the talks and pressured Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to find a solution that would allow the reactivation of the Rafah crossing as soon as possible. The main goal of the plan was to remove Hamas from involvement in the Rafah crossing (Read more at Axios).
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).
Pier estimated to cost $320m, involve 1,000 US troops. UN reiterates land crossings more 'efficient'. The temporary floating pier was pre-assembled at the Israeli port of Ashdod and moved into place on Thursday on the shore of Gaza, which lacks port infrastructure of its own. No U.S. troops went ashore, the Pentagon's Central Command said (Read more at Reuters).
The White House sees a hostage deal as the only viable path to a ceasefire in Gaza, and possibly ending a war. Hamas has claimed it left the hostage talks last week because of the Israeli military's operation at the Rafah crossing (Read more at Axios).
The group was set up on 12 October, days after Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel, to "change the narrative" on Israel, including by conveying "the atrocities committed by Hamas... to all Americans". Among the business leaders in the group were the CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, Dell CEO and founder Michael Dell, and Joshua Kushner, a financier and brother to Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. They urged New York City's mayor to use police to disperse a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University (Read more at Middle East Eye).
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).
(Reuters) - A group of Harvard students said on Tuesday they would peacefully end a pro-Palestinian protest encampment after the university agreed to discuss its endowment with the protesters and begin reconsidering involuntary leaves it imposed on some (Read more at USNews).
The revelation from US intelligence could challenge Israel's justification for large-scale military operations in the city. However, Israeli officials have been compelled to engage in indirect negotiations with Sinwar, particularly regarding the release of captives. Sinwar's role as a negotiator is pivotal, as Hamas negotiators must obtain his approval before making concessions, according to some officials (Read more at Al-Ahram).
It is a strategic maneuver aimed at consolidating US and Israeli control over land and sea. Once the goods are offloaded at the pier, they still need to be transported across Gaza to reach the populations in need. The Netzarim Corridor’s checkpoints, also known as Route 749, could become bottlenecks for these deliveries (Read more at The Cradle).
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).
United States is studying Hamas's response to a ceasefire proposal and will discuss it with allies in the Middle East in the coming hours, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. CIA director Bill Burns is in the region "working on this in real time," Miller said (Read more at Reuters).
Analysts say expelling Hamas leaders from Qatar will not help Israel because the Hamas leadership in Gaza is making the decisions over a possible ceasefire. Doha has hosted Hamas’ political leadership at the US’ request since 2012 and provided billions in cash to the Hamas authorities in recent years with the approval of the US and Israel (Read more at The Cradle).
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).
However, the aid was ultimately recovered and returned to the organization responsible for its distribution. Describing the incident as the "first widespread case of hijacking seen" in Gaza, U.S. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller indicated that Hamas held the aid trucks for a period before eventually releasing them (Read more at I24).
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday he did not see any indication Hamas was planning any attack on U.S. troops in Gaza but added adequate measures were being put in place for the safety of military personnel (Read more at USNews).
However, Israeli warns that the army will keep fighting the Palestinian militant group after any ceasefire. "Hamas needs to say yes and needs to get this done," Blinken said. Hamas's aim remains an "end to this war", said senior Hamas official Suhail al-Hindi (Read more at France 24).
First it is not violent. The takeover of the respective halls comes in the footsteps of students from previous generations at both Columbia and Princeton who opposed the Vietnam War or the apartheid regime in South Africa. Second Jewish students have not been harassed. Third, whereas some students have remained steadfast to the demands of disclosure and divestment, others have been open to various compromises (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The cost estimate for constructing the pier has surged to $320 million, a substantial increase from earlier projections (Read more at I24).
Comparisons are being made to the 1968 anti-Vietnam War protests and the role they played in costing Democrats the presidency. Through it all, the Biden White House has demonstrated only limited concern, apparently convinced that they’ll weather this storm. Should the war continue, many young voters will be hard-pressed to vote for Mr Biden. They won’t vote for Mr Trump. Most likely they’ll either vote for a third party or not at all (Read more at The National).
More than 13,080 meal equivalents of Jordanian food supplies were delivered, while the US provided over 25,000 Meals Ready to Eat. According to CENTCOM's estimates, the US has airdropped approximately 1,110 tons of humanitarian assistance into Gaza thus far (Read more at Breaking the News).
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Sunday sought to play down warnings, telling US media that Israel has “agreed to listen to US concerns” before moving into Gaza's last enclave of relative respite (Read more at The National).
One of the two hostages Keith Siegel said, "We are in danger here. There are explosions. It's stressful and frightening, and it's been going on for a very long time ..." Both men urge the Israeli government to "reach a deal" to free the hostages (Read more at NPR).
US thinker, anti-racism activist and potential US presidential candidate Cornel West has appeared at university student demonstrations against the Israeli (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
Secretary of State Antony Blinken's support for Israel's genocide has angered many officials and diplomats in the State Department. Hala Rharrit, the Arabic-language spokeswoman for the US State Department, has resigned in protest against White House support for Israel’s war on Gaza (Read more at The Cradle).
Between 80,000 and 100,000 Palestinians have crossed into Egypt from Gaza since the start of the war triggered by the Hamas. More humanitarian aid could reach northern Gaza via the floating pier, including if an Israeli ground offensive disrupts deliveries in the south (Read more at France24).
Columbia University canceled in-person classes and police arrested dozens of students at New York University and Yale. dozens of protesters were arrested at Yale and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public on Monday as some of the most prestigious US universities sought to diffuse campus tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas (Read more at Arabnews).
The U.S. was the only nation in the 15-member U.N. Security Council to vote against the resolution. Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan expressed disappointment at the number of countries that have supported the Palestinian request. “Regardless of the Palestinians’ failure to meet the necessary criteria for UN membership, most of you sadly decided to reward Palestinian terror with a Palestinian State.” (Read more at The Time).
A New York city academic explains why despite this setback, he'll keep advocating for Palestinians and other oppressed people across the world (Read more at TRTWorld).
The #BDS movement is witnessing a resurgence after many TikTok users urged their followers to boycott major brands due to their direct involvement in supporting Israeli forces. As TikTok has explained, there is a lot of pro Palestine content on its platform because their user base is broadly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause (Read more at NewArab).
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).
In 1918, the United States and its allies sought a German surrender that would neutralize its war-making capabilities without having to transform its state and society. A true solution to what contemporaries called the “German question” came only after World War II, when America and its allies demanded unconditional surrender from Hitler, occupied Germany and de-Nazified its institutions (Read more at NewYork Post).
Secretary Blinken emphasized that a revitalised PA is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza. Since the war broke out in October, the United States has been pressing for the Palestinian Authority to root out corruption and bring in new faces in hopes that the PA, which has limited autonomy in parts of the occupied West Bank, can take charge of Gaza as well should Hamas stop governing the Gaza Strip (Read more at NewArab).
Tim Walberg, a Republican representative from Michigan, which has a sizeable Arab community, was recorded making the comments during a meeting with his constituents. Walberg later released a statement backtracking on his remarks but did not apologise. He said his call for Gaza to be nuked was a "metaphor" to stress the need for Israel to win its war "as swiftly as possible (Read more at NewArab).
However, hours after Biden's Friday statement, the Washington Post reported that his government had signed off on additional bombs and warplanes for Israel in recent days worth billions of dollars. Biden also said Arab Americans have been a target of hate crimes while noting the fatal October stabbing of 6-year-old Palestinian American in Illinois, the November shooting of three students of Palestinian descent in Vermont, and the February stabbing of a Palestinian American man in Texas (Read more at USNews).
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).
Jared Kushner, former US President Donald Trump's son-in-law suggested that Israel should remove Palestinian civilians from Gaza while it "cleans up" the territory. This sheds light on potential future implications for Gaza under a Trump presidency amidst Israel's ongoing conflict (Read more at Jordannews).
A day after UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini publicly complained that Israel blocked him, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel, defended the need for him and his staff to visit Gaza. Senator Chris Van Hollen, in a CBS News interview Sunday, said that Israeli charges that UNRWA is a proxy for Hamas were "flat-out lies" aimed at getting rid of the agency (Read more at Barron's).
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).
The first case, Defense for Children International – Palestine v Biden, alleged that Biden Administration, has “actively abetted” Israel to commit genocide. The case was dismissed. In another case, US District Judge in Amarillo, Texas rejected the Biden administration’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit, that alleges Biden Administration put US visitors to Israel under increased risk of harm by providing economic aid to the West Bank and Gaza (Read more at Aljazeera).
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).
This sea route will be the first passage in or out of Gaza in more than 75 years not controlled by either Israel or Egypt. That also opens a window of opportunity for establishing links with an EU member state and, potentially, trade ties with the rest of this powerful economic and political union. It is a clear sign that the Biden administration is recognizing and internalizing the need to take a different approach to the war (Read more at Arabnews).
Questions include who will provide security for the US soldiers erecting the pier, who will distribute the aid, and whether building the pier is necessary. Some US officials say it is redundant, as Morocco has opened a land corridor to deliver aid by truck. It is also unclear how the causeway will be anchored to the shore, as US soldiers will be forbidden from setting foot on Gazan soil (Read more at The Cradle).
“Mahmoud Abbas doesn’t tolerate succession planning,” the former official, who has met with Abbas said. “He believes in perpetual resurrection.” A poll late last year showed 90 percent of Palestinians want Abbas to resign. The reason the US doesn't know who will succeed Abu Mazen is because Abu Mazen doesn't know (Read more at Middle East Eye).
"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)
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)
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).
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).
He said a pending hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas which will initially allow a temporary ceasefire and enable people to get the much-needed humanitarian aid has "great value.” (Read More at TRTWorld)
He said, "to Muslims across our country, please know that you are deeply valued members of our American family. To those who are grieving during this time of war, I hear you, I see you, and I pray you find solace in your faith, family, and community." He added Islamophobia has absolutely no place in the country (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
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).
The White House claims it wishes to build the port to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, but the port would take at least 60 days to build and that "charities have said those suffering in Gaza cannot wait that long. This military tactical port will receive Israeli approval because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been seeking this idea since the beginning of the war (Read more at The Cradle)
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).
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).
he U.S. port system being envisioned for Gaza involves two separate components, the first being construction of a floating, offshore barge that would be able to accept aid deliveries. The U.S. military would then move aid from there to a floating, 550 meter causeway anchored to the shore. It may involve more than 1,000 American troops and would allow delivery about 2 million meals to Gazans daily (Read more at USNews).
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).
The operation will not require that American troops be on the ground to build the pier. The U.S. military has "unique capabilities" and can do things from "just offshore (Read more at DailySabah).
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).
Hamas says Israel does not want a ceasefire deal, and it is up to the US to pressure Tel Aviv to agree to end the fighting in Gaza. Israel says it is interested only in a temporary truce. Hamas says it wants any deal to lead to a permanent end to the war, the release of Palestinians held captive in Israeli jails, and all Gaza residents be allowed to return during the truce. (Read more at The Cradle).
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).
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)..
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).
An American convict who has spent 40 years behind bars worked in prison for over a month, earning a total of $17.74 and selflessly donated to the people of Gaza. He worked as a janitor for a mere 13 cents per hour, accumulating around this small amount for his 136 hours of labour. His altruistic gesture captured the hearts of people globally through a social media post, resulting in a tremendous outpouring of support and assistance from the community (Read more at TRTWorld).
One of them said, "I don’t even care if Trump wins or loses. I just don’t want Biden to win. I don’t want to bubble Biden on my ballot in November. I will vote for Trump because I can." Another one said, "I will vote for Trump not because he’s amazing - because he is not. But because 30,000 innocent people didn’t die under his watch." (Read more at Middle East Eye)
The C-17 and C-130 are best suited for the job. The wind plays a large role in ensuring that they land where they should. There is no guarantee that the aid will not end up in the hands of Hamas. President Joe Biden told reporters that the U.S. was also looking at the possibility of a maritime corridor to deliver aid into Gaza. One possible option is shipping aid by sea from Cyprus (Read more at USNews).
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).
This move underscores the growing concern within the White House about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The administration was skeptical of such an idea early in the war, but support for it has been growing (Read more at Axios).
Israel's plan to add thousands more homes in the occupied West Bank was the final push the Biden administration needed to declare them "inconsistent" with international law. Since January 2021, the Biden administration has come close a few times to restoring the language to the pre-Trump era, but each time the move was set aside largely due to a failure to secure a green light from all of the senior members of the administration. The Oct. 7 Hamas attack had temporarily halted plans for such a change (Read more at USNews).
Israel’s war on Gaza has not been a centerpiece of Trump’s attacks on Biden. He said if he was in charge he would go after Iran and its proxies and would argue that he would have secured the release of American hostages held by Hamas. He may decide that America has had enough of the Middle East and should focus on its real rival, China, instead (Read more at Arabnews).
"Blocking West Bank residents from working in Israel, it has a very significant negative effect on incomes in the West Bank. And Israel is also dependent on that labor force," Yellen said, adding that labor shortages were also hurting Israel's economy (Read more at USNews).
He added that he was leading the effort in Congress to make sure that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't get the US funds that he needs to continue his war against the Palestinian people (Read more at NewArab).
Mohammad Shtayyeh announced the resignation of his government. The United States and other powers have called for a reformed Palestinian Authority to take charge of all Palestinian territories after the end of the war sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack. He said, "the next stage and its challenges require new governmental and political measures that take into account the new reality in the Gaza Strip" (Read more at Barrons).
The Biden administration asked Israel to stop targeting members of the Hamas-run civilian police force who escort aid trucks in Gaza. Gaza is turning into Mogadishu" as a security vacuum and desperation have opened the door for armed gangs to attack and loot aid trucks. Many of the trucks that have recently entered Gaza have been overrun by criminal gangs (Read more at Axios).
It includes the release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of killing Israelis and serving long sentences, in exchange for Hamas freeing 35 to 40 Israeli hostages. Israel would agree to a day of ceasefire for each hostage, a limited return of Palestinian citizens to the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and a significant increase in the scope of humanitarian aid that would enter the Gaza Strip. It only mentions general principles for the next phases of the deal and the release of soldiers and an exchange of bodies (Read more at Axios).
In the intermediate term, Israel wishes to “maintain its operational freedom of action in the entire Gaza Strip, without a time limit,” as well as to retain a security buffer within the besieged territory. Any reconstruction can only begin after “de-radicalization” and demilitarization. Israel also requests a “southern lock” on the border between the Gaza and Egypt (Read more at ABCNews).
Any movement towards Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration of Israel’s very real security needs on October 7 (Read more at Aljazeera).
He talks with Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli officials for at least a six-week pause in fighting. The main sticking point centers on differences over the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released and how the list will be determined for the first stage of what could be a three-phase deal (Read more at Axios).
Senator Lindsey Graham: “We are in a religious war here. I am with Israel. Do whatever the hell you have to do to defend yourselves. Level the place.” (Read more at Aljazeera).
Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Coons who held talks with Israeli and Arab leaders said yesterday that they were hopeful a deal could be struck allowing a humanitarian pause in the war in Gaza before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (Read more at USNews).
But it says "as soon as practical" and based on the formula of all hostages being released” while also “lifting all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale” in Gaza. The US draft also warns Israel not to launch a ground offensive in Rafah where more than 1.4 million of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza have sought shelter. This is the first time the US is proposing the word ceasefire, while it has twice vetoed Security Council resolutions. Something very clearly has changed in Washington in the last 24 hours (Read more at Aljazeera).
Algeria put forward an initial draft resolution more than two weeks ago. But U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield quickly said the text could jeopardize "sensitive negotiations" aimed at brokering a pause in the war (Read more at USNews).
Community leaders ask administration officials to allow 50,000 Palestinians to come to US under humanitarian parole programme. However, it is likely to face severe resistance from Mr Biden's Republican rivals, who are likely to bring up issues of vetting and security. (Read more at The National).
It took place on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference and would be linked to the normalisation of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to diplomats and officials (Read more at Middle East Eye).
This may be due to the lack of experience of Biden’s administration and the failure to withdraw from the region. America returned with its largest presence since World War II. After Hezbollah carried out more than a thousand military operations against Israel, it established a buffer zone inside enemy territory, when the settlers fled the border areas that became the target of resistance strikes (Link).
Protesters carrying banner saying ‘Cultural workers stand with Gaza’ call for lifting of blockade in Gaza, end to ‘artistic collaboration’ with Israel (Link).
The planning group envisions a unified Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza coupled with a Saudi-Israel normalization deal. However, the plan is premised on Israel ceasing its counteroffensive against Hamas before taking Rafah. Such a step would deny Israel the ability to complete its objective of dismantling Hamas (Link).
Territory cannot be acquired by force, the far right in Israel must be shunned, and there must be genuine reform of the Palestinian National Council (Read more at Carnegie).
The move grants "deferred enforced departure" to an estimated 6,000 Palestinians for the next 18 months (Link).
