Hamas says ready to start Gaza ceasefire talks ‘immediately' ahead of Trump and Netanyahu meeting
The announcement on Friday (local time) came after it held consultations with other Palestinian factions and before a visit on Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, where US President Donald Trump is pushing for an end to the war, now in its 21st month.
'The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place' the terms of a draft US-backed truce proposal received from mediators, the militant group said in a statement.
Hamas ally Islamic Jihad said it supported ceasefire talks, but demanded 'guarantees' that Israel 'will not resume its aggression' once hostages held in Gaza are freed.
Mr Trump, when asked about Hamas' response aboard Air Force One on Friday, said: 'That's good. They haven't briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza.'
The conflict in Gaza began with Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive aimed at destroying Hamas and bringing home all the hostages seized by militants.
Two previous ceasefires brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have seen temporary halts in fighting, coupled with the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Mr Netanyahu earlier on Friday vowed to bring home all the hostages held in Gaza, after coming under massive domestic pressure over their fate.
'I feel a deep commitment, first and foremost, to ensure the return of all our abductees, all of them,' he said.
Mr Trump said on Thursday he wanted 'safety for the people of Gaza'.
'They've gone through hell,' he said.
60-day truce proposal
A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told AFP earlier this week that the latest proposals included 'a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip' – thought to number 22 – 'in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees'.
Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations.
The military said in a statement it had been striking suspected Hamas targets across the territory, including around Gaza City in the north and Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south.
Civil defence says aid-seekers killed
Gaza civil defence official Mohammad al-Mughayyir said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 52 people on Friday.
The Israeli military said it was looking into reports, except for a handful of incidents for which it requested coordinates and timeframes.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.
In a separate statement, the Israeli military said a 19-year-old sergeant 'fell during combat in the southern Gaza Strip'.
Mr Mughayyir said the Palestinians killed included five shot while waiting for aid near a US-run site near Rafah in southern Gaza and several who were waiting for aid near the Wadi Gaza Bridge in the centre of the territory.
They were the latest in a spate of deaths near aid distribution centres in the devastated territory, which UN agencies have warned is on the brink of famine.
The US- and Israeli-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distanced itself from reports of deadly incidents near its sites.
Displaced civilians
Mr Mughayyir told AFP that eight people, including a child, were killed in an Israeli air strike on the tents of displaced civilians near Khan Yunis on Thursday.
The civil defence official said eight more people were killed in two other strikes on camps on the coast, including one that killed two children early Friday.
The Israeli military said it was operating throughout Gaza 'to dismantle Hamas military capabilities'.
The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,268 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
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ABC News
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Israel mulls response as Hamas says it's ready for ceasefire talks 'immediately'
Israel is mulling its response after Hamas said it was ready to start talks "immediately" on a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal. The nation's security cabinet is expected to meet after the end of the Jewish Sabbath to discuss Israel's next steps as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to leave for Washington for talks on Monday with US President Donald Trump. Mr Trump has been making a renewed push for an end to nearly 21 months of war in Gaza. "No decision has been made yet on that issue", an Israeli government official said when asked about Hamas's response to the latest ceasefire proposal. Hamas made its announcement late Friday, local time after holding consultations with other Palestinian factions. "The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place" the terms of the US-backed truce proposal, the militant group said in a statement. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group said it supported ceasefire talks, but demanded "guarantees" that Israel "will not resume its aggression" once hostages held in Gaza are freed. Mr Trump, when asked about Hamas's response aboard Air Force One, said: "That's good. They haven't briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza." This week, the US president said Israel had agreed "to the necessary conditions to finalise" a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. In the subsequent fighting, more than 57,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, local health authorities say. Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US have seen temporary halts in fighting, coupled with the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Also on Saturday, the US-Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) reported two American staff were injured in an "attack" on one of its aid centres in southern Gaza. "This morning, two American aid workers were injured in a targeted terrorist attack during food distribution activities at SDS-3 in Khan Yunis," the organisation said in a statement. The GHF noted that the injured employees were in stable condition. "The attack — which preliminary information indicates was carried out by two assailants who threw two grenades at the Americans — occurred at the conclusion of an otherwise successful distribution in which thousands of Gazans safely received food," it added. The ABC has not been able to immediately verify this claim. The GHF began operations on May 26 in Gaza after Israel halted supplies into the Palestinian enclave for more than two months, sparking famine warnings. The foundation's operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people waiting to collect rations. More than 500 people have been killed while waiting to access rations from its distribution sites, the UN Human Rights Office said Friday. The Israeli military has blamed Hamas for the deaths. "GHF has repeatedly warned of credible threats from Hamas, including explicit plans to target American personnel, Palestinian aid workers and the civilians who rely on our sites for food," the foundation said. "Today's attack tragically affirms those warnings." AFP
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
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Kyiv hits Russian air base as drones pound Ukraine
Ukraine has struck a Russian air base and Russia continues to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than three-year-old war. Ukraine's military General Staff said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had struck the Borisoglebsk air base in Russia's Voronezh region, describing it as the "home base" of Russia's Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets. Writing on Facebook, the General Staff said it hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft and "possibly other aircraft". Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attack. Such attacks on Russian air bases aim to dent Russia's military capability and demonstrate Ukraine's capability to hit high-value targets in Russia. In June, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep in Russia's territory in a surprise drone attack. Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. According to the air force, Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack. Regional governor Serhii Tyurin said no damage, injuries or deaths had been reported. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukraine. Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the number of people killed in the assault had increased to two. A further 26 people were wounded. The fresh wave of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he had a "very important and productive" phone call with US President Donald Trump. 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Ukraine has struck a Russian air base and Russia continues to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than three-year-old war. Ukraine's military General Staff said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had struck the Borisoglebsk air base in Russia's Voronezh region, describing it as the "home base" of Russia's Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets. Writing on Facebook, the General Staff said it hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft and "possibly other aircraft". Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attack. Such attacks on Russian air bases aim to dent Russia's military capability and demonstrate Ukraine's capability to hit high-value targets in Russia. In June, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep in Russia's territory in a surprise drone attack. Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. According to the air force, Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack. Regional governor Serhii Tyurin said no damage, injuries or deaths had been reported. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukraine. Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the number of people killed in the assault had increased to two. A further 26 people were wounded. The fresh wave of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he had a "very important and productive" phone call with US President Donald Trump. The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defences might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the US and Ukraine, and broader US-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Zelenksiy. Asked Friday night by reporters about the call, Trump said, "We had a very good call, I think." When asked about finding a way to end the fighting, Trump said: "I don't know. I can't tell you whether or not that's going to happen." The US has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defence missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskiy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time. Russia's defence ministry said it shot down 94 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday, along with 12 further drones on Saturday morning. No casualties were reported. Ukraine has struck a Russian air base and Russia continues to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than three-year-old war. Ukraine's military General Staff said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had struck the Borisoglebsk air base in Russia's Voronezh region, describing it as the "home base" of Russia's Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets. Writing on Facebook, the General Staff said it hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft and "possibly other aircraft". Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attack. Such attacks on Russian air bases aim to dent Russia's military capability and demonstrate Ukraine's capability to hit high-value targets in Russia. In June, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep in Russia's territory in a surprise drone attack. Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. According to the air force, Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack. Regional governor Serhii Tyurin said no damage, injuries or deaths had been reported. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukraine. Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the number of people killed in the assault had increased to two. A further 26 people were wounded. The fresh wave of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he had a "very important and productive" phone call with US President Donald Trump. 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Ukraine has struck a Russian air base and Russia continues to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than three-year-old war. Ukraine's military General Staff said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had struck the Borisoglebsk air base in Russia's Voronezh region, describing it as the "home base" of Russia's Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets. Writing on Facebook, the General Staff said it hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft and "possibly other aircraft". Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attack. Such attacks on Russian air bases aim to dent Russia's military capability and demonstrate Ukraine's capability to hit high-value targets in Russia. In June, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep in Russia's territory in a surprise drone attack. Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. According to the air force, Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack. Regional governor Serhii Tyurin said no damage, injuries or deaths had been reported. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukraine. Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the number of people killed in the assault had increased to two. A further 26 people were wounded. The fresh wave of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he had a "very important and productive" phone call with US President Donald Trump. The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defences might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the US and Ukraine, and broader US-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Zelenksiy. Asked Friday night by reporters about the call, Trump said, "We had a very good call, I think." When asked about finding a way to end the fighting, Trump said: "I don't know. I can't tell you whether or not that's going to happen." The US has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defence missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskiy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time. Russia's defence ministry said it shot down 94 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday, along with 12 further drones on Saturday morning. No casualties were reported.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Hamas says ready to start Gaza ceasefire talks ‘immediately' ahead of Trump and Netanyahu meeting
Hamas says it is ready to start talks 'immediately' on a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. The announcement on Friday (local time) came after it held consultations with other Palestinian factions and before a visit on Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, where US President Donald Trump is pushing for an end to the war, now in its 21st month. 'The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place' the terms of a draft US-backed truce proposal received from mediators, the militant group said in a statement. Hamas ally Islamic Jihad said it supported ceasefire talks, but demanded 'guarantees' that Israel 'will not resume its aggression' once hostages held in Gaza are freed. Mr Trump, when asked about Hamas' response aboard Air Force One on Friday, said: 'That's good. They haven't briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza.' The conflict in Gaza began with Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive aimed at destroying Hamas and bringing home all the hostages seized by militants. Two previous ceasefires brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have seen temporary halts in fighting, coupled with the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Mr Netanyahu earlier on Friday vowed to bring home all the hostages held in Gaza, after coming under massive domestic pressure over their fate. 'I feel a deep commitment, first and foremost, to ensure the return of all our abductees, all of them,' he said. Mr Trump said on Thursday he wanted 'safety for the people of Gaza'. 'They've gone through hell,' he said. 60-day truce proposal A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told AFP earlier this week that the latest proposals included 'a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip' – thought to number 22 – 'in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees'. Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations. The military said in a statement it had been striking suspected Hamas targets across the territory, including around Gaza City in the north and Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south. Civil defence says aid-seekers killed Gaza civil defence official Mohammad al-Mughayyir said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 52 people on Friday. The Israeli military said it was looking into reports, except for a handful of incidents for which it requested coordinates and timeframes. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency. In a separate statement, the Israeli military said a 19-year-old sergeant 'fell during combat in the southern Gaza Strip'. Mr Mughayyir said the Palestinians killed included five shot while waiting for aid near a US-run site near Rafah in southern Gaza and several who were waiting for aid near the Wadi Gaza Bridge in the centre of the territory. They were the latest in a spate of deaths near aid distribution centres in the devastated territory, which UN agencies have warned is on the brink of famine. The US- and Israeli-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distanced itself from reports of deadly incidents near its sites. Displaced civilians Mr Mughayyir told AFP that eight people, including a child, were killed in an Israeli air strike on the tents of displaced civilians near Khan Yunis on Thursday. The civil defence official said eight more people were killed in two other strikes on camps on the coast, including one that killed two children early Friday. The Israeli military said it was operating throughout Gaza 'to dismantle Hamas military capabilities'. The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,268 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
