Gaza truce talks reportedly faltering over withdrawal
The indirect talks over a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire are nonetheless expected to continue, the sources said, despite the latest obstacles in clinching a deal.
A Palestinian source said Hamas has rejected the withdrawal maps Israel has proposed, as they would leave about 40 per cent of the territory under Israeli control including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza.
Two Israeli sources said Hamas wants Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March.
The Palestinian source said matters regarding aid and guarantees for ending the war were also presenting a challenge, and added that the crisis might be resolved with more US intervention.
The White House said on Monday Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who played a major role in crafting the latest ceasefire proposal, would travel to Doha this week to join discussions.
Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar since Sunday in a renewed push for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war entirely.
Hamas has long demanded an end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages were released and Hamas was dismantled.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza.
At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to still be alive.
Israel's subsequent campaign against Hamas has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins.
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Thousands demonstrate in Israel for hostage deal
Thousands of people have demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, calling for the government to secure the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. "The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages - living and dead - is open now, and it won't be for long," one speaker, Eli Sharabi, said at the central rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Sharabi was himself abducted during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, and held hostage for 16 months in Gaza. After his release in early February, he learned that his wife and two young daughters had been murdered during the attacks. The body of Sharabi's brother, Yossi, is still being held in Gaza. Addressing the Israeli government, Sharabi said: "You were elected to serve this people. With humility, with modesty. It is arrogance that brought disaster upon us - and we must not return to this pattern of behaviour". According to official Israeli figures, 50 people kidnapped from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel and Hamas are currently holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital Doha on a 60-day ceasefire, which would also lead to the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Sources told dpa on Saturday that the talks had stalled, with the warring parties blaming each other for the lack of progress. The protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of dragging out the process with critics saying he is trying to secure his own political survival by delaying steps to end the war. Thousands of people have demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, calling for the government to secure the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. "The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages - living and dead - is open now, and it won't be for long," one speaker, Eli Sharabi, said at the central rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Sharabi was himself abducted during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, and held hostage for 16 months in Gaza. After his release in early February, he learned that his wife and two young daughters had been murdered during the attacks. The body of Sharabi's brother, Yossi, is still being held in Gaza. Addressing the Israeli government, Sharabi said: "You were elected to serve this people. With humility, with modesty. It is arrogance that brought disaster upon us - and we must not return to this pattern of behaviour". According to official Israeli figures, 50 people kidnapped from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel and Hamas are currently holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital Doha on a 60-day ceasefire, which would also lead to the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Sources told dpa on Saturday that the talks had stalled, with the warring parties blaming each other for the lack of progress. The protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of dragging out the process with critics saying he is trying to secure his own political survival by delaying steps to end the war. Thousands of people have demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, calling for the government to secure the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. "The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages - living and dead - is open now, and it won't be for long," one speaker, Eli Sharabi, said at the central rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Sharabi was himself abducted during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, and held hostage for 16 months in Gaza. After his release in early February, he learned that his wife and two young daughters had been murdered during the attacks. The body of Sharabi's brother, Yossi, is still being held in Gaza. Addressing the Israeli government, Sharabi said: "You were elected to serve this people. With humility, with modesty. It is arrogance that brought disaster upon us - and we must not return to this pattern of behaviour". According to official Israeli figures, 50 people kidnapped from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel and Hamas are currently holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital Doha on a 60-day ceasefire, which would also lead to the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Sources told dpa on Saturday that the talks had stalled, with the warring parties blaming each other for the lack of progress. The protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of dragging out the process with critics saying he is trying to secure his own political survival by delaying steps to end the war. Thousands of people have demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, calling for the government to secure the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. "The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages - living and dead - is open now, and it won't be for long," one speaker, Eli Sharabi, said at the central rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Sharabi was himself abducted during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, and held hostage for 16 months in Gaza. After his release in early February, he learned that his wife and two young daughters had been murdered during the attacks. The body of Sharabi's brother, Yossi, is still being held in Gaza. Addressing the Israeli government, Sharabi said: "You were elected to serve this people. With humility, with modesty. It is arrogance that brought disaster upon us - and we must not return to this pattern of behaviour". According to official Israeli figures, 50 people kidnapped from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel and Hamas are currently holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital Doha on a 60-day ceasefire, which would also lead to the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Sources told dpa on Saturday that the talks had stalled, with the warring parties blaming each other for the lack of progress. The protesters accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of dragging out the process with critics saying he is trying to secure his own political survival by delaying steps to end the war.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Trump intensifies trade war with threat of new tariffs
President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 30 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting in August, after weeks of negotiations with the major US trading partners failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal. In an escalation of a trade war that has angered US allies and rattled investors, Trump announced the latest tariffs in separate letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Saturday. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was sure an agreement can be reached. "I've always said that in these cases, what you have to do is keep a cool head to face any problem," Sheinbaum said at an event in the Mexican state of Sonora. "(But) there's something that's never negotiable: the sovereignty of our country," she said. Trump sent similar letters to 23 other trading partners this week, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, setting blanket tariff rates ranging from 20 per cent up to 50 per cent, as well as a 50 per cent tariff on copper. The US president said the 30 per cent rate was "separate from all sectoral tariffs", indicating 50 per cent levies on steel and aluminium imports and a 25 per cent tariff on auto imports would remain. The August 1 deadline gives the targeted countries time to negotiate. Some investors and economists have also noted Trump's pattern of backing off his tariff threats. The spate of letters showed Trump has returned to the aggressive trade posture that he took in April when he announced a slew of reciprocal tariffs against trading partners that sent markets tumbling before the White House delayed implementation. But with the stock market recently hitting record highs and the US economy still resilient, Trump is showing no signs of slowing down his trade war. He promised to use the 90-day delay in April to strike dozens of new trade deals, but has only secured framework agreements with Britain, China and Vietnam. The EU has hoped to reach a comprehensive trade agreement with the US for the 27-country bloc. Trump's letter to the EU included a demand that Europe drop its own tariffs. "The European Union will allow complete, open Market Access to the United States, with no Tariff being charged to us, in an attempt to reduce the large Trade Deficit," he wrote. Von der Leyen said the 30 per cent tariffs "would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic". The EU "will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required", she said. Mexico's economy ministry said "it was unfair treatment". Mexico's proposed tariff level is lower than Canada's 35 per cent, with both letters citing fentanyl flows even though government data shows the amount of the drug seized at the Mexican border is significantly higher than the Canadian border. "Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough. Mexico still has not stopped the Cartels who are trying to turn all of North America into a Narco-Trafficking Playground," Trump wrote. Mexico sends more than 80 per cent of its total exported goods to the US and free trade with its northern neighbour drove Mexico to become the top US trading partner in 2023. The EU had initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement but more recently had scaled back its ambitions and shifted toward securing a broader framework deal similar to the one Britain brokered that leaves details to be negotiated. The bloc is under conflicting pressures as powerhouse Germany urged a quick deal to safeguard its industry, while other EU members, such as France, have said EU negotiators should not cave into a one-sided deal on US terms. Bernd Lange, the head of the European Parliament's trade committee, said Brussels should enact countermeasures as soon as Monday. "This is a slap in the face for the negotiations. This is no way to deal with a key trading partner," Lange told Reuters. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 30 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting in August, after weeks of negotiations with the major US trading partners failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal. In an escalation of a trade war that has angered US allies and rattled investors, Trump announced the latest tariffs in separate letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Saturday. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was sure an agreement can be reached. "I've always said that in these cases, what you have to do is keep a cool head to face any problem," Sheinbaum said at an event in the Mexican state of Sonora. "(But) there's something that's never negotiable: the sovereignty of our country," she said. Trump sent similar letters to 23 other trading partners this week, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, setting blanket tariff rates ranging from 20 per cent up to 50 per cent, as well as a 50 per cent tariff on copper. The US president said the 30 per cent rate was "separate from all sectoral tariffs", indicating 50 per cent levies on steel and aluminium imports and a 25 per cent tariff on auto imports would remain. The August 1 deadline gives the targeted countries time to negotiate. Some investors and economists have also noted Trump's pattern of backing off his tariff threats. The spate of letters showed Trump has returned to the aggressive trade posture that he took in April when he announced a slew of reciprocal tariffs against trading partners that sent markets tumbling before the White House delayed implementation. But with the stock market recently hitting record highs and the US economy still resilient, Trump is showing no signs of slowing down his trade war. He promised to use the 90-day delay in April to strike dozens of new trade deals, but has only secured framework agreements with Britain, China and Vietnam. The EU has hoped to reach a comprehensive trade agreement with the US for the 27-country bloc. Trump's letter to the EU included a demand that Europe drop its own tariffs. "The European Union will allow complete, open Market Access to the United States, with no Tariff being charged to us, in an attempt to reduce the large Trade Deficit," he wrote. Von der Leyen said the 30 per cent tariffs "would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic". The EU "will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required", she said. Mexico's economy ministry said "it was unfair treatment". Mexico's proposed tariff level is lower than Canada's 35 per cent, with both letters citing fentanyl flows even though government data shows the amount of the drug seized at the Mexican border is significantly higher than the Canadian border. "Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough. Mexico still has not stopped the Cartels who are trying to turn all of North America into a Narco-Trafficking Playground," Trump wrote. Mexico sends more than 80 per cent of its total exported goods to the US and free trade with its northern neighbour drove Mexico to become the top US trading partner in 2023. The EU had initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement but more recently had scaled back its ambitions and shifted toward securing a broader framework deal similar to the one Britain brokered that leaves details to be negotiated. The bloc is under conflicting pressures as powerhouse Germany urged a quick deal to safeguard its industry, while other EU members, such as France, have said EU negotiators should not cave into a one-sided deal on US terms. Bernd Lange, the head of the European Parliament's trade committee, said Brussels should enact countermeasures as soon as Monday. "This is a slap in the face for the negotiations. This is no way to deal with a key trading partner," Lange told Reuters. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 30 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting in August, after weeks of negotiations with the major US trading partners failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal. In an escalation of a trade war that has angered US allies and rattled investors, Trump announced the latest tariffs in separate letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Saturday. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was sure an agreement can be reached. "I've always said that in these cases, what you have to do is keep a cool head to face any problem," Sheinbaum said at an event in the Mexican state of Sonora. "(But) there's something that's never negotiable: the sovereignty of our country," she said. Trump sent similar letters to 23 other trading partners this week, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, setting blanket tariff rates ranging from 20 per cent up to 50 per cent, as well as a 50 per cent tariff on copper. The US president said the 30 per cent rate was "separate from all sectoral tariffs", indicating 50 per cent levies on steel and aluminium imports and a 25 per cent tariff on auto imports would remain. The August 1 deadline gives the targeted countries time to negotiate. Some investors and economists have also noted Trump's pattern of backing off his tariff threats. The spate of letters showed Trump has returned to the aggressive trade posture that he took in April when he announced a slew of reciprocal tariffs against trading partners that sent markets tumbling before the White House delayed implementation. But with the stock market recently hitting record highs and the US economy still resilient, Trump is showing no signs of slowing down his trade war. He promised to use the 90-day delay in April to strike dozens of new trade deals, but has only secured framework agreements with Britain, China and Vietnam. The EU has hoped to reach a comprehensive trade agreement with the US for the 27-country bloc. Trump's letter to the EU included a demand that Europe drop its own tariffs. "The European Union will allow complete, open Market Access to the United States, with no Tariff being charged to us, in an attempt to reduce the large Trade Deficit," he wrote. Von der Leyen said the 30 per cent tariffs "would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic". The EU "will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required", she said. Mexico's economy ministry said "it was unfair treatment". Mexico's proposed tariff level is lower than Canada's 35 per cent, with both letters citing fentanyl flows even though government data shows the amount of the drug seized at the Mexican border is significantly higher than the Canadian border. "Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough. Mexico still has not stopped the Cartels who are trying to turn all of North America into a Narco-Trafficking Playground," Trump wrote. Mexico sends more than 80 per cent of its total exported goods to the US and free trade with its northern neighbour drove Mexico to become the top US trading partner in 2023. The EU had initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement but more recently had scaled back its ambitions and shifted toward securing a broader framework deal similar to the one Britain brokered that leaves details to be negotiated. The bloc is under conflicting pressures as powerhouse Germany urged a quick deal to safeguard its industry, while other EU members, such as France, have said EU negotiators should not cave into a one-sided deal on US terms. Bernd Lange, the head of the European Parliament's trade committee, said Brussels should enact countermeasures as soon as Monday. "This is a slap in the face for the negotiations. This is no way to deal with a key trading partner," Lange told Reuters. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 30 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting in August, after weeks of negotiations with the major US trading partners failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal. In an escalation of a trade war that has angered US allies and rattled investors, Trump announced the latest tariffs in separate letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Saturday. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was sure an agreement can be reached. "I've always said that in these cases, what you have to do is keep a cool head to face any problem," Sheinbaum said at an event in the Mexican state of Sonora. "(But) there's something that's never negotiable: the sovereignty of our country," she said. Trump sent similar letters to 23 other trading partners this week, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, setting blanket tariff rates ranging from 20 per cent up to 50 per cent, as well as a 50 per cent tariff on copper. The US president said the 30 per cent rate was "separate from all sectoral tariffs", indicating 50 per cent levies on steel and aluminium imports and a 25 per cent tariff on auto imports would remain. The August 1 deadline gives the targeted countries time to negotiate. Some investors and economists have also noted Trump's pattern of backing off his tariff threats. The spate of letters showed Trump has returned to the aggressive trade posture that he took in April when he announced a slew of reciprocal tariffs against trading partners that sent markets tumbling before the White House delayed implementation. But with the stock market recently hitting record highs and the US economy still resilient, Trump is showing no signs of slowing down his trade war. He promised to use the 90-day delay in April to strike dozens of new trade deals, but has only secured framework agreements with Britain, China and Vietnam. The EU has hoped to reach a comprehensive trade agreement with the US for the 27-country bloc. Trump's letter to the EU included a demand that Europe drop its own tariffs. "The European Union will allow complete, open Market Access to the United States, with no Tariff being charged to us, in an attempt to reduce the large Trade Deficit," he wrote. Von der Leyen said the 30 per cent tariffs "would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic". The EU "will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required", she said. Mexico's economy ministry said "it was unfair treatment". Mexico's proposed tariff level is lower than Canada's 35 per cent, with both letters citing fentanyl flows even though government data shows the amount of the drug seized at the Mexican border is significantly higher than the Canadian border. "Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough. Mexico still has not stopped the Cartels who are trying to turn all of North America into a Narco-Trafficking Playground," Trump wrote. Mexico sends more than 80 per cent of its total exported goods to the US and free trade with its northern neighbour drove Mexico to become the top US trading partner in 2023. The EU had initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement but more recently had scaled back its ambitions and shifted toward securing a broader framework deal similar to the one Britain brokered that leaves details to be negotiated. The bloc is under conflicting pressures as powerhouse Germany urged a quick deal to safeguard its industry, while other EU members, such as France, have said EU negotiators should not cave into a one-sided deal on US terms. Bernd Lange, the head of the European Parliament's trade committee, said Brussels should enact countermeasures as soon as Monday. "This is a slap in the face for the negotiations. This is no way to deal with a key trading partner," Lange told Reuters.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Trump intensifies trade war with threat of 30 per cent tariffs on EU, Mexico
Washington/Mexico City: US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 30 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1, after weeks of negotiations with the major US trading partners failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal. In an escalation of a trade war that has angered US allies and rattled investors, Trump announced the latest tariffs in separate letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum that were posted on his Truth Social media site on Saturday. The EU and Mexico, both among the largest US trading partners, responded by calling the tariffs unfair and disruptive while pledging to continue to negotiate with the US for a broader trade deal before the deadline. Sheinbaum said she was sure an agreement could be reached. 'I've always said that in these cases, what you have to do is keep a cool head to face any problem,' Sheinbaum said at an event in the Mexican state of Sonora. 'We're also clear on what we can work with the United States government on, and we're clear on what we can't. And there's something that's never negotiable: the sovereignty of our country.' Loading Trump sent similar letters to 23 other trading partners this week, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, setting blanket tariff rates ranging from 20 per cent up to 50 per cent, as well as a 50 per cent tariff on copper. The US president said the 30 per cent rate was 'separate from all sectoral tariffs', indicating 50 per cent levies on steel and aluminium imports and a 25 per cent tariff on auto imports would remain.
