Trump says he hopes for Gaza deal within a week
The US is backing a 60-day ceasefire with a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and talks to end the conflict. Trump told reporters, 'We are talking and hopefully we're going to get that straightened out over the next week.'
Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he was 'hopeful' on Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliation has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, Gaza's health ministry says, and reduced much of Gaza to rubble.
The two sides have had two ceasefires — one in November 2023 and another in January 2025 — since the fighting started.
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
How protracted conflicts from Gaza to DRC are leaving deep scars on children's lives
LONDON: For children trapped in the world's conflict zones, 2024 was a year of unprecedented suffering. The UN verified 41,370 grave violations against children — a record-shattering 25 percent increase over the previous year — devastating countless young lives. From Gaza to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, children are among the most vulnerable victims of war. The consequences go far beyond immediate physical danger, shaping the course of their lives for years to come. According to the UN Security Council's June 17 report on children and armed conflict, at least 22,495 were maimed, killed, recruited, or denied life-saving aid — robbed of the safety and innocence that should define childhood. 'The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball, but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings, should keep all of us awake at night,' Virginia Gamba, special representative of the UN secretary-general for children and armed conflict, said in the report. 'This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return.' The report, the most damning since the UN began collecting data in 1996, also noted a surge in children suffering multiple violations. In 2024, some 3,137 children were subjected to overlapping abuses such as abduction, forced recruitment, and sexual violence — up from 2,684 the year before. Months before the report's release, the UN children's fund, UNICEF, warned of a crisis beyond precedent. In December, the agency declared 2024 the worst year in its history for children caught in war. 'By almost every measure, 2024 has been one of the worst years on record for children in conflict in UNICEF's history — both in terms of the number of children affected and the level of impact on their lives,' Catherine Russell, the agency's executive director, said in a statement. These children are more likely to be malnourished, displaced, or out of school than those in peaceful regions — a reality she insisted 'must not be the new normal.' 'We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage to the world's unchecked wars,' Russell added. Beyond the physical toll of conflict, psychological wounds are also profound and enduring, often outlasting conflicts themselves. 'What the recent UN report shows is that children caught in conflict zones are facing unimaginable levels of harm,' Dr. Jeeda Alhakim, a specialist counseling psychologist at City St George's, University of London, told Arab News. 'This kind of violence doesn't end when the event is over. It stays with them.' Alhakim explained that prolonged exposure to danger alters a child's perception of safety and can even reshape their biology. 'When the body is constantly in survival mode, it becomes harder to sleep, concentrate, or feel calm,' she said. Over time, this toxic stress can disrupt brain development, especially in neural regions responsible for memory, decision making, and emotional regulation. 'Trauma doesn't just live in the mind,' Alhakim said. 'It becomes embedded in the nervous system.' (Source: UN, 2024) There are 'disruptions in the brain's stress regulation systems,' she added, 'especially in areas like the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, which are central to managing emotions, remembering things, and making sense of what's happening around them.' She emphasized that trauma is not always visible. 'Some children appear fine on the outside but are struggling internally. Others show signs of distress more openly. It depends on their experiences, the support they have, and what they've lost. 'When children struggle with focus, learning, or emotional outbursts, it's not simply behavioral — it's a sign that their brains are adapting to survive.' Regardless of how it manifests, the consequences are deeply human. 'Many children carry a profound sense of loss — of a parent, a home, or a future they once believed in,' she added. Among the hardest-hit regions, the Palestinian territories ranked highest in the UN's report, with 8,554 verified violations. More than 4,856 occurred in the Gaza Strip alone. The UN confirmed the deaths of 1,259 Palestinian children in Gaza, while it continues to verify reports of another 4,470 killed in 2024. The report also documented 22 cases of Palestinian boys used as human shields in Gaza and five more in the West Bank. Since Israel's military operation in Gaza began in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, children in the Palestinian enclave have faced bombardment, deprivation, and the collapse of essential services. Conditions further deteriorated in March when Israeli forces resumed bombing raids and tightened their blockade, triggering catastrophic levels of displacement and the near-total breakdown of healthcare and education. 'Under our watch, Gaza has become the graveyard of children (and) starving people,' Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, posted on X on July 11. 'Their choice is between two deaths: starvation or being shot at. The most cruel (and) machiavellian scheme to kill, in total impunity.' His remarks followed the killing of 15 people, including nine children and four women, who were waiting in line for nutritional supplements in Deir Al-Balah on July 10. The Israel Defense Forces have consistently denied targeting civilians. The UN has nevertheless kept Israel on its blacklist of parties committing grave violations against children for a second consecutive year. Gaza's ruling Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad also remain on the list. Outside the Palestinian territories, other regions also witnessed surging violence. In 2024, the UN recorded more than 4,000 violations in the DRC, some 2,500 in Somalia, nearly 2,500 in Nigeria, and more than 2,200 in Haiti. Among the most alarming trends was a sharp rise in sexual violence. The UN documented a 35 percent increase in such cases last year, with a notable spike in gang rapes, underscoring the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. 'Sexual violence is especially devastating,' Alhakim said. 'It harms children physically, but also emotionally and socially. It can leave them feeling ashamed, isolated, and deeply confused, especially when used deliberately as a weapon of war.' While the UN verified more than 2,000 cases in 2024, the real number is likely far higher. The report stressed that sexual violence remains vastly underreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, social norms, lack of access to services, and impunity. 'Children are often too afraid or unable to speak out,' said Alhakim. 'In some communities, the stigma surrounding sexual violence adds an extra layer of suffering and silence.' Save the Children revealed in a June report that at least 1,938 children were subjected to catastrophic sexual violence in 2024 — the highest number of verified cases since records began. The figure marks a staggering 50 percent increase since 2020. 'To normalize this level of violence against children is to accept the dismantling of our collective humanity,' Helen Pattinson, CEO of War Child UK, said in a statement. 'The level of alarm is unprecedented. Governments must act immediately to turn the tide of grief, trauma and loss borne by children.' For millions of children growing up under siege, survival alone is no longer enough. What they need is safety, justice, and a chance to dream again. 'No child should have to carry the weight of mass violence,' said Alhakim. 'And yet far too many are.'
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump confirms Patriot systems for Ukraine amid Gaza ceasefire push
In this episode of Global News Today, presented by Tom Burges Watson, we bring you the latest from two of the world's most urgent conflicts. In Gaza, hopes for a ceasefire remain uncertain as the humanitarian crisis deepens and diplomatic efforts intensify. On Ukraine, US President Donald Trump confirms that Washington will send Patriot missile defense systems to Kyiv. We examine what this means for the war with Russia and share reactions from both Washington and Europe. Guests: Rosalia Bollen – Spokesperson for UNICEF Jim Townsend – Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for NATO policy at the Pentagon Sir Gerald Howarth – Former UK defense minister
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Senate democrats say trump's policies are hurting america's ability to compete with china
President Donald Trump's foreign aid cuts, tariffs on allies, and restrictions on international students have deeply undermined America's ability to compete with China, Senate Democrats say. In a report released Monday, Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee called for congressional action toward restoring the country's global reputation and influence to ensure the US will not be unseated by China as the world's leading power. America's retreat from the world will have real and lasting consequences for the American people, the report says. And a retreat from the system that we helped build following the Second World War – based on democracy, economic interdependence, and American values – means China is increasingly able to set the global agenda at the expense of US interests. The report comes about six months after Trump returned to the White House and began taking drastic measures that his administration says will improve government efficiency and protect US interests, triggering condemnation from Democrats that the moves could amount to ceding global influence to China. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the US is strong again under Trump and that his foreign policy is effective because of his willingness to look anyone in the eye to get better deals for the American people. His strategy is paying off as evidenced by the recent trade deal that created a path toward open market access for Americans and China's actions to control the spread of deadly fentanyl, she said. In the report, the Democrats criticized the Trump administration's gutting of the US Agency for International Development, which was a key way of distributing foreign assistance, and the US Agency for Global Media – both tools to extend US soft power and counter Beijing's influence. While Trump's cuts to USAGM, whose outlets deliver uncensored information to parts of the world under authoritarian rule and often without a free press of their own, has resulted in the loss of 54 frequencies by Radio Free Asia and millions of users, Chinese state-run media outlets have added 80 new radio frequencies and multiple languages to their programming, the report said. The administration's cuts to foreign aid programs also has allowed China to surpass the US as the largest bilateral assistance partner for more than 40 countries, according to the report. 'China is building influence, expanding relationships, and reshaping the global order to its advantage,' said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In a call with reporters, Shaheen said some Republicans, while unwilling to join the Democrats in the report, share the same concerns over the threat posed by Beijing. The office of committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, declined to comment. The report criticized Trump's tariffs on allies and partners including the European Union, Mexico, Canada, and Japan. 'Blanket tariffs are not just wrecking economic havoc at home, they are also eroding longstanding US alliances, including making it even more difficult to increase defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product,' the report said. That's the new goal agreed to by NATO allies. The administration's proposals to cut funding for scientific research and crack down on top US universities and foreign students could lead to a brain drain, the report warned, noting China is jumping at the opportunity to lure talent.
