Netanyahu at crossroads as Trump's Hamas ceasefire deal offers clear route to peace
Israel has already accepted a US -brokered framework on a 60-day truce. On Friday, Trump was equivocal on Hamas ' acceptance of the deal, which, sources have told The Independent, hinge on whether or not it will lead to further negotiations for a permanent cessation of hostilities.
The Independent 's chief international correspondent Bel Trew looks at the main sticking points to the deal for both sides, and whether Netanyahu's third visit to Trump's White House in six months will finally mark the beginning of the end of the war.
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The Guardian
39 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide, justice department and FBI review confirms
A review of files held by the US government on the financier Jeffrey Epstein has said there is no secret client list to be released, and confirmed his August 2019 death by suicide while in federal custody, both of which contradict conspiracy theories. A memo said that a Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) review of the files – which has for years been teased as a treasure trove of information about a larger network of wrongdoing – concluded that no further charges are expected, as investigators 'did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties'. The justice department also released hours of footage taken from Manhattan's metropolitan correctional center, showing that no one entered or left the area where Epstein was held during, before or after the time medical examiners concluded he took his life. 'As part of our commitment to transparency, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have conducted an exhaustive review of investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein,' the DOJ said. It added that the review included 'digital searches of its databases, hard drives, and network drives as well as physical searches of squad areas, locked cabinets, desks, closets, and other areas where responsive material may have been stored'. The department said it had uncovered 'a significant amount of material', including more than 300 gigabytes of data and physical evidence that included 'a large volume of images of Epstein, images and videos of victims who are either minors or appear to be minors, and over ten thousand downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography'. 'Through this review, we found no basis to revisit the disclosure of those materials and will not permit the release of child pornography,' the memo said. Nor, the statement continued, did the review uncover an incriminating 'client list' or find credible evidence that Epstein was involved in blackmailing prominent individuals. No further charges are expected in connection with the investigations into Epstein, the memo said, as investigators 'did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties'. The attorney general, Pam Bondi, had previously promised the public release of scores of records related to Epstein, but an earlier release of documents did nothing to advance the conspiracy narratives that have emerged since his death. Soon after the memo was made public by Axios, and later by the independent journalist Jessica Reed Kraus on Substack, Elon Musk voiced his disappointment, posting an image to the social platform X of 'The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter,' set to '0000'. 'What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again,' Musk captioned the photo. The billionaire CEO of Tesla, who is feuding with Donald Trump after his work to gut federal government spending through the 'department of government efficiency' (Doge) seemed to run counter to Trump's recent bill that will massively increase the deficit, has previously intimated that Epstein file releases promised by the justice department had been stalled because Trump himself was implicated. 'Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,' he wrote. 'That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT.' Trump dismissed Musk's claims to NBC News: 'That's called 'old news.' That's been old news. That has been talked about for years. Even Epstein's lawyer said I had nothing to do with it – it's old news,' he said. The justice department also said its review of the files was consistent with prior disclosures on the case and its review confirmed that Epstein harmed over one thousand victims. 'Each suffered unique trauma. Sensitive information relating to these victims is intertwined throughout the materials. This includes specific details such as victim names and likenesses, physical descriptions, places of birth, associates, and employment history. 'One of our highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to victims. Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.'
The Independent
44 minutes ago
- The Independent
Barnard College settles suit brought by Jewish students, agreeing not to meet with anti-Israel group
Barnard College has settled a lawsuit that accused the college of not doing enough to combat antisemitism on campus, agreeing to a litany of demands that include banning masks at protests and refusing to meet or negotiate with a coalition of pro-Palestinian student groups, according to a statement released Monday. The Manhattan college, an all-women's affiliate of Columbia University, will also establish a new Title VI coordinator to enforce against claims of discrimination. Beginning next semester, all students and staff will receive a message conveying a 'zero tolerance' policy for harassment of Jewish and Israeli students. The settlement was announced in a joint statement by Barnard and lawyers for two Jewish advocacy groups, Students Against Antisemitism and StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, who brought the lawsuit last February on behalf of some Jewish and Israeli students. In the statement, Barnard's president, Laura Ann Rosenbury, said the agreement 'reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining a campus that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all members of our community.' The terms of the deal also drew immediate pushback from some students and faculty, who accused the university of capitulating to a legal strategy aimed at stifling legitimate pro-Palestinian activism on campus. 'This settlement appears to equate criticism of Israel with antisemitism,' said Nara Milanich, a Barnard history professor who is Jewish. 'That is a problem for critical thought and academic freedom.' As part of the agreement, the college will adopt contentious federal guidance to 'consider' the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism and its examples, which include certain critiques of Israel. A newly-appointed Title VI coordinator will oversee compliance with the policy and produce an annual report on antisemitism for university leaders. Additionally, the university's leaders agreed not to recognize, meet or negotiate with Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the coalition behind last spring's student encampments. The group has called on both Columbia and Barnard to sever ties with companies that do business with Israel. As part of the deal, the university will also affirm that its endowment will not be used for expressing political positions, including 'taking actions for the purpose of penalizing the government of a country or the commercial/financial activity within that country.' The agreement follows a federal lawsuit brought last February that accused Barnard and Columbia of allowing Jewish and Israeli students to be 'bombarded' by antisemitism during protests that erupted against Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The litigation against Columbia remains ongoing — though the university has already agreed to revamp its policies around protests, among other concessions made under threat from the Trump administration. New York University and Harvard University have entered into their own legal settlements following lawsuits focused on antisemitism. In the lawsuit against Columbia and Barnard, Jewish and Israeli students said they were subject to unchecked harassment during protests by 'mobs of pro-Hamas students and faculty.' Those who participated in the protests, including many Jewish students, have strongly disputed that characterization. The lawsuit also claimed that students who served in Israel's military were singled out, with some left 'overwhelmed and unable to concentrate in class' after encountering signs accusing Israel of committing genocide and social media posts from fellow students. Starting next semester, students will be reminded that they can be subject to discipline for off-campus conduct, including social media posts. Barnard will also restrict where, when and how students can protest. And the university will ban face masks at demonstration used to 'intimidate or interfere with the enforcement' of school policies. 'Barnard's commitment to take meaningful actions to combat antisemitism demonstrates its leadership in the fight against antisemitism and upholding the rights of Jewish and Israeli students,' said Marc Kasowitz, an attorney for the plaintiffs. 'I encourage other colleges and universities to do the right thing and follow Barnard's lead.'
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Israeli soldiers 'psychologically broken' after 'confronting the reality' in Gaza, UN expert says
A UN expert has said some young soldiers in the Israeli Defence Forces are being left "psychologically broken" after "confront[ing] the reality among the rubble" when serving in Gaza. Francesca Albanese, the UN Human Rights Council's special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, was responding to a Sky News interview with an Israeli solider who described arbitrary killing of civilians in Gaza. She told The World with Yalda Hakim that "many" of the young people fighting in Gaza are "haunted by what they have seen, what they have done". "It doesn't make sense," Ms Albanese said. "This is not a war, this is an assault against civilians and this is producing a fracture in many of them. "As that soldier's testimony reveals, especially the youngest among the soldiers have been convinced this is a form of patriotism, of defending Israel and Israeli society against this opaque but very hard felt enemy, which is Hamas. "But the thing is that they've come to confront the reality among the rubble of Gaza." Being in Gaza is "probably this is the first time the Israeli soldiers are awakening to this," she added. "And they don't make sense of this because their attachment to being part of the IDF, which is embedded in their national ideology, is too strong. "This is why they are psychologically broken." Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF spokesman who is now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said he believes the Sky News interview with the former IDF solider "reflects one part of how ugly, difficult and horrible fighting in a densely populated, urban terrain is". "I think [the ex-soldier] is reflecting on how difficult it is to fight in such an area and what the challenges are on the battlefield," he said. 10:42 'An economy of genocide' Ms Albanese, one of dozens of independent UN-mandated experts, also said her most recent report for the human rights council has identified "an economy of genocide" in Israel. The system, she told Hakim, is made up of more than 60 private sector companies "that have become enmeshed in the economy of occupation […] that have Israel displace the Palestinians and replace them with settlers, settlements and infrastructure Israel runs." Israel has rejected allegations of genocide in Gaza, citing its right to defend itself after Hamas's attack on 7 October 2023. 2:36 The companies named in Ms Albanese's report are in, but not limited to, the financial sector, big tech and the military industry. "These companies can be held responsible for being directed linked to, or contributing, or causing human rights impacts," she said. "We're not talking of human rights violations, we are talking of crimes." "Some of the companies have engaged in good faith, others have not," Ms Albanese said. The companies she has named include American technology giant Palantir, which has issued a statement to Sky News. It said it is "not true" that Palantir "is the (or a) developer of the 'Gospel' - the AI-assisted targeting software allegedly used by the IDF in Gaza, and that we are involved with the 'Lavender' database used by the IDF for targeting cross-referencing". "Both capabilities are independent of and pre-ate Palantir's announced partnership with the Israeli Defence Ministry," the statement added.
