LIVE: Israel bombs Gaza City home, killing 12, as truce talks set to resume
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says Israel will send negotiators to Qatar for ceasefire talks, but that changes to the deal requested by Hamas are 'unacceptable'.
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Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
Donald Trump threatens ‘un-American' BRICS countries with 10-percent tariff
United States President Donald Trump has threatened to hike tariffs against the BRICS economic bloc, after the group offered indirect criticism of trade wars and the recent military attacks in Iran. On Monday, Trump took aim at the 10-member bloc, which seeks to strengthen emerging economies, framing its interests as adversarial to the US's. 'Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff,' Trump wrote in a post. 'There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' BRICS is named for its founding members, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. But it has grown to include other countries including Indonesia, Egypt, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Over the weekend, the group held its 17th summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The meeting culminated in a declaration angled at promoting peace and global cooperation. But several items in the joint declaration appeared aimed at the US and its ally Israel, even though neither was identified by name. Under a section entitled 'Strengthening Multilateralism and Reforming Global Governance', for instance, the BRICS leaders called out the increasing use of tariffs in global trade. This seemed directed at Trump, who has threatened US trading partners with a suite of tariffs in order to negotiate more favourable trade deals and exact policy concessions. The US president has also called tariffs 'the most beautiful word to me in the dictionary', though many economists warn the cost of such import taxes is often offset onto consumers. Trump has also championed the use of other protectionist economic policies, under the banner of his 'America First' agenda. But the BRICS leaders warned that these kinds of policies could backfire. 'We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO [World Trade Organization] rules,' the BRICS leaders said in their statement. Such measures, they continued could 'reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities, potentially exacerbating existing economic disparities'. The BRICS leaders also used their declaration to denounce the recent military strikes on one of the bloc's member nations, Iran. 'We condemn the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 13 June 2025, which constitute a violation of international law,' they wrote, adding that 'peaceful nuclear facilities' had been targeted. Israel carried out the first attacks against Iran in the 12-day war on June 13, and on June 22, the US sent seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to Iran to strike three nuclear facilities. Both Israel and the US have maintained these actions were necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, though Iran has denied seeking one. In the wake of Trump's tariff threat, BRICS leaders rushed to assure their US counterparts that they are not seeking confrontation. Others, however, chafed at Trump's remarks. 'I became aware of what President Trump tweeted, and I think there needs to be greater appreciation of the emergence of various centres of power in the world,' said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. 'And this should be seen in a positive light, rather than in a negative light.' Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took an even blunter approach to Trump's threats. 'I don't think it's very responsible or serious for the president of a country as big as the United States to go around threatening the world through the internet,' Lula said in a question-and-answer session with reporters. 'It's not right. The world has changed. We don't want an emperor.'
Qatar Tribune
3 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Netanyahu meets Trump at critical moment for Gaza
Agencies Washington/Gaza US President Donald Trump was set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday as the United States pushes to secure a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas. Trump was scheduled to meet Netanyahu for talks at 6:30pm (0030 CET Tuesday), followed by a private dinner. The meeting comes after Trump said on Sunday he hoped to secure a ceasefire deal and the release of hostages held in Gaza this week. Netanyahu, however, reiterated shortly before departing for Washington that he would not accept any agreement that allows Hamas to remain in power in the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli media reports, Israel is attempting to weaken the Palestinian group by promoting gangs in Gaza, which reportedly now control large parts of the coastal territory. A high-ranking Hamas officer told the British broadcaster BBC that the militia had lost control of around 80% of Gaza, leaving a power vacuum that armed gangs are exploiting. The Hamas member, described by the BBC as a lieutenant colonel, was injured at the start of the Gaza war and has reportedly not been on duty since. Israeli forces continued to pound Gaza, including attacks on aid seekers and medical clinics, with at least 42 Palestinians killed on Monday. Hamas has said the 'crimes' of Israel against unarmed civilians in the Gaza Strip are continuing through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Hamas said in a short statement that aid sites run by the private US entity have become 'death traps operated by the occupation forces under American cover'. 'This increases the number of martyrs daily and reveals the criminal nature of thissystem.' At least 750 Palestinians have been killed by attacks targeting aid distribution sites since May 27 when the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation took over operations from United Nations-led agencies. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have announced the seizure of 74 hectares (183 acres) of land in the Palestinian villages of al-Mughayyir and Khirbet Jaba'it, northeast of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. The area has been declared 'state land' to tighten control and expand illegal settlements, Wafa news agency reported, citing the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission. The area includes the Malachei HaShalom outpost, which was built illegally in 2015 on al-Mughayyir's land. The commission said the move aims to 'legalise' and expand this outpost, which Israel's far-right government pledged to approve two years ago.
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
US revokes ‘terrorist' designation for Syrian president's former group HTS
The United States will revoke its designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) as Washington softens its approach to post-war Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government last year. The decision, which takes effect on Tuesday, comes as part of US President Donald Trump's broader strategy to re-engage with Syria and support its reconstruction after more than a decade of devastating conflict. 'This FTO revocation is an important step in fulfilling President Trump's vision of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria,' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Monday. HTS had been designated as a 'terrorist' group by the US since 2018 due to its former ties to al-Qaeda. The group emerged out of the al-Nusra Front, once al-Qaeda's official branch in Syria, but formally severed those ties in 2016 after HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa declared the group's independence. Al-Sharaa, who led the opposition forces that removed al-Assad in a lightning offensive last December, has since become Syria's president. He has launched what many experts have described as a charm offensive aimed at Western powers, including meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and, most recently, Trump in Riyadh in May. The Trump administration and the European Union have since lifted sanctions on Syria. 'In line with President Trump's May 13 promise to deliver sanctions relief to Syria, I am announcing my intent to revoke the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), under the Immigration and Nationality Act,' Rubio said. 'Tomorrow's action follows the announced dissolution of HTS and the Syrian government's commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms.' HTS was dissolved in late January, with its forces folded into the official Syrian military and security forces. Damascus welcomed the US decision as a step towards normalisation. In a statement, Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the delisting of HTS was a 'positive step toward correcting a course that previously hindered constructive engagement'. The ministry added that it hoped the move would 'contribute to the removal of remaining restrictions that continue to impact Syrian institutions and officials, and open the door to a rational, sovereign-based approach to international cooperation'. Meanwhile, HTS remains under United Nations Security Council sanctions, which were imposed in 2014 over its previous affiliation with al-Qaeda. Al-Sharaa also remains under UNSC sanctions, which can only be removed by the Council itself. Al-Sharaa is reportedly preparing to attend the UN General Assembly in New York this September.
