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The National
an hour ago
- The National
Crucial Gaza ceasefire talks resume in Doha ahead of Netanyahu's US visit
Indirect Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed on Sunday in the Qatari capital, ahead of a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington. The talks come two days after Hamas gave a 'positive' response to a proposed ceasefire and hostage deal that envisages a 60-day truce, the release of 10 living hostages held by the group as well the remains of 18 others who died in captivity, according to a draft text of the deal seen by The National. If a deal is reached in the coming hours, US President Donald Trump is expected to announce the ceasefire on Monday, sources told The National. The announcement will include a call on Hamas to lay down its arms and for its leaders to leave the war-torn enclave and live in exile, they added. 'He will call on Hamas to lay down its arms and release all the hostages if it wants a permanent ceasefire,' one source said. The proposals include a provision for discussions on the end of the war and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza to begin as soon as the truce comes into effect. An Israeli negotiating team, led by a top official from the domestic Shin Bet security agency, arrived in Doha on Sunday. Also travelling there are officials from Israel's Mossad spy agency, the army's department in charge of hostages and an aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Egypt, which together with the US and Qatar have for months been trying to broker a Gaza ceasefire, was represented by senior officials from its intelligence agency, which has for years been in charge of the Palestinian file, according to the sources. The US 's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Doha later on Sunday, they added. Hamas negotiators are led by Khalil Al Hayya. Mr Netanyahu is also set to depart for Washington on Sunday to meet US President Donald Trump, with Gaza expected to dominate discussions in their White House meeting on Monday. Mr Trump renewed the push to end the war in Gaza that has been raging since October 2023. He has pledged to be firm with Mr Netanyahu and has expressed the hope that the momentum of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran can be used to secure a truce in the Palestinian enclave. Seeking assurances Hamas on Friday said while it has given a positive response to the proposed deal it also wanted 'assurances' on the implementation of some aspects of it. 'The changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are unacceptable to Israel,' a statement from Mr Netanyahu's office said late on Saturday. 'In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages – on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to – be continued,' the statement added. Hamas said it was seeking guarantees from Mr Trump that the war in Gaza would come to a complete end. It is also seeking a timeline for the redeployment of Israeli forces away from the routes that will be used to deliver humanitarian aid during the 60-day truce, said the sources. It is also seeking assurances that the UN and affiliated agencies will be allowed to resume their decades-old role in delivering and distributing food in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are facing hunger and the shortage of other basic items, they said. 'We submitted our positive response to the mediators yesterday. A new round of negotiations is expected to begin, focusing on the core issues: Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war,' a Hamas official told The National on Saturday. The ceasefire efforts come amid continuing Israeli attacks on Gaza and as Palestinians struggle for limited aid supplies. The US on Saturday blamed Hamas for an attack that injured two American aid workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The US and Israeli-backed GHF said the injured Americans were receiving medical treatment and were in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. '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,' the GHF said. US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce blamed 'Hamas terrorists' for the attack. The Gaza war was sparked by a Hamas-led attack on communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attacks left 1,200 people dead. Another 250 were taken hostage. It drew a devastating military response from Israel that has to date killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded more than twice that number, according to health authorities in Gaza. Most of Gaza's approximately two million residents have been displaced by the fighting, more than once in many cases. Israel has also razed large built-up areas of Gaza.
The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Sheikh Mohammed reveals new AI strategy for streamlining services
, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has unveiled a new government strategy under which artificial intelligence will be used to manage resources. The new policy will enable the UAE to make government services easier and faster, said Sheikh Mohammed. "We're proud to launch the UAE Federal Government Strategic Plan 2031 – a new chapter in shaping a smarter, faster and more efficient government," said Sheikh Mohammed, as reported by Dubai Media Office. "This phase focuses on using AI to streamline processes and improve how we manage resources across the federal government. In the past, success was measured by the strength of regulations, the size of teams and the complexity of procedures. "Today, success means making things easier and faster – delivering seamless services and using resources wisely in a complex world," said Sheikh Mohammed, also Vice President. "Tools may change and goals may shift, but one thing stays the same: our commitment to excellence in serving the people of the UAE." Sheikh Mohammed has directed teams across ministries and strategies based on more innovative and flexible foundations, incorporating AI as part of the 'We the UAE 2031' vision, the media office said. The planning cycle will involve 38 federal groups and brings together key public officials, including directors of strategy, future planning and finance. Last month, Sheikh Mohammed announced a National Artificial Intelligence System would become an advisory member of the UAE Cabinet, starting in January next year. 'The world is going through comprehensive restructuring, scientifically, economically and socially and our goal is being ready today for the coming decades and ensuring continuing prosperity and a decent life for the following generations,' Sheikh Mohammed said at the time.
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
Lebanese leadership's failure to confront Hezbollah would invite more Israeli devastation
Optimism about Lebanon's ability to transition itself from a vassal state to a state with stature and the capacity to govern itself is waning. As neighbouring Syria makes strides following a civil war, Lebanon is still behaving like an extension of Hezbollah's mini state. This is largely because Iran hasn't allowed Hezbollah to surrender its weapons and relinquish its position as the leader of its 'Resistance Axis' against Israel, thereby refusing to facilitate US President Donald Trump's quest for a strategic shift in Lebanon. Mr Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, hasn't raised the issue of armed proxies in his negotiations with Iran, perhaps giving its leaders the impression that Hezbollah is a mere footnote in the nuclear talks. As for Israel, its confidence in its military capability to eliminate Hezbollah's arsenal – even if that means causing widespread destruction in Lebanon – is growing. It's for this reason that Lebanon's citizens, as well as its Arab and western partners, are growing weary of Beirut's political class. The country's top three leaders – President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri – will face severe blowback if, out of wariness of Hezbollah, they don't force the group to place its weapons under the sole authority of the state. They will have only themselves to blame if their hesitation serves as ammunition for Israel to complete its mission of dismantling Hezbollah's arsenal by force, which might include reoccupying southern Lebanon. Mr Aoun genuinely believes in the oath he took to become President in January, which earned him popular applause and kindled hopes for a better future. He understands the importance of the international support he received for his presidency. His problem, however, has been to fall into the trap of starting a 'dialogue' with Hezbollah and getting caught in the clutches of its stalling tactics. By opening the door to Hezbollah's bargaining and the various Palestinian factions' refusal to disarm, Mr Aoun has imprisoned himself in a spiral of give-and-take, appearing weak and forfeiting much of the public's confidence. Mr Salam, meanwhile, seems to have retreated after making bold statements, affirming the need for Hezbollah to place all its arms under state authority, and speaking in a critical tone about Iran's revolutionary ideology. Whether his retreat is the result of a backlash he received from Hezbollah – or his own fears about accusations that he has abandoned pro-Palestinian positions from early on in his political career – the fact is that he has remained largely silent lately. As Mr Berri, the future of southern Lebanon rests on his shoulders. It's time for him to challenge his own political environment and Hezbollah's leadership, and to compel a choice between ties to Iran and loyalty to Lebanon. It's time for him to take proactive positions that spare southern Lebanon from Israel's aggression, and to return the decision of reconstructing the country to the Lebanese state – not leave it as a bargaining chip in Hezbollah's hands. The group's secretary general, Naim Qassem, once entrusted its affairs to Mr Berri when it was needed. Today, Mr Qassem and Hezbollah's leadership act from a deluded place of triumph, echoing Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's declarations of victory after its 12-day war with Israel, while completely ignoring Israel's capacity to devastate both Hezbollah and Lebanon. Hezbollah's leadership is turning a blind eye to the potential non-renewal of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon – known as Unifil – which could lead to direct confrontation between the Israeli army and the ill-equipped Lebanese army, paving the way for a possible renewed Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. Mr Berri's responsibility today is, therefore, historic. It requires courage on his part to confront Hezbollah publicly, and to speak honestly to Lebanon's Shiite community. Everyone knows that reconstruction funding from western and Arab states won't flow unless Hezbollah hands over its weapons to the state. Everyone also knows there is a real opportunity to secure Israel's withdrawal from the five Lebanese hilltops it is currently occupying, and to reach a realistic solution on the Shebaa Farms thus ending the rationale for 'resistance'. At that point, it would be possible to demarcate Lebanon's land borders with both Israel and Syria. Hezbollah's tactics to avoid disarmament are fast turning into ammunition for Israel. One day we hear that the group is thinking about limiting its role as an armed movement without fully disarming. Another day we hear it might hand over more weapons on the condition that Israel withdraw from the south. What remains constant, as Reuters reported citing sources within Hezbollah, is that the group 'does not intend to hand over its full arsenal and will retain light weapons and anti-tank missiles to defend against any future attacks'. The weakness of the Lebanese state is the result of an equation it has created for itself, with its top three leaders having surrendered their sovereign authority and placed it at the mercy of Hezbollah. The talk of the trio demanding prior guarantees from US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack – including that Israel withdraw completely from southern Lebanon – is little more than a contrived excuse, a deliberate obstruction and a severing of the hand that the Trump administration is extending to help Beirut. The necessary guarantees from Israel are already baked into the border normalisation strategy, which is, in itself, the guarantee. Let's hope that the coming days bring reassuring surprises when Mr Barrack returns to Lebanon for talks. Let's hope for a fundamental shift in the strategies of the three leaders, as well as in Hezbollah's positions. But this requires serious American resolve towards Iran. Demonstrating seriousness means proving that Washington is truly determined to stop Tehran's continued investment in its proxy doctrine, which undermines the sovereignty of independent states like Lebanon. Whether Washington, and Beirut itself, can prevent Lebanon from becoming a victim of both Israel's destructive ideology and Tehran's expansionist ambitions remains to be seen.
