Netanyahu prepares to meet with Trump as future of Middle East remains uncertain
The visit comes as Israel will send a ceasefire negotiating team to Qatar.
The talks will likely surround a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza and the future of relations with Iran.
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ABC News
31 minutes ago
- ABC News
Donald Trump says trade deals close, with tariffs due to take effect August 1
The United States is close to finalising several trade agreements in the coming days and will notify other countries of higher tariff rates by July 9, US President Donald Trump says, with the higher rates scheduled to take effect on August 1. Mr Trump and other top officials had flagged the August 1 date earlier, but it was unclear if all tariffs would increase then. Asked to clarify, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters the higher tariffs would take effect on August 1, but Mr Trump was "setting the rates and the deals right now". Mr Trump in April announced a 10 per cent base tariff rate on most countries and additional duties ranging up to 50 per cent, although he later delayed the effective date for all but 10 per cent until July 9. The new date offers countries a three-week reprieve. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN's State of the Union earlier on Sunday (US time) that several big announcements of trade agreements could come in the next days, noting the European Union had made good progress in its talks. He said Mr Trump would also send out letters to 100 smaller countries with whom the US does not have much trade, notifying them that they would face higher tariff rates first set on April 2 and then suspended until July 9. "President Trump's going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that if you don't move things along, then on August 1 you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level," Mr Bessent told CNN. Since taking office, Mr Trump has set off a global trade war that has roiled financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to guard their economies, including through deals with the US and other countries. White House economic council head Kevin Hassett told CBS's Face the Nation program there might be wiggle room for countries engaged in earnest negotiations. "There are deadlines, and there are things that are close, and so maybe things will push back past the deadline," he said, adding that Mr Trump would decide if that could happen. White House Council of Economic Advisers chairman Stephen Miran told ABC America that countries needed to make concessions to get lower tariff rates. "I hear good things about the talks with Europe. I hear good things about the talks with India," Mr Miran said. "And so I would expect that a number of countries that are in the process of making those concessions … might see their date rolled." Mr Bessent told CNN the Trump administration was focused on 18 important trading partners that account for 95 per cent of the US trade deficit. But he said there had been "a lot of foot-dragging" among countries in finalising trade deals. Mr Trump has repeatedly said India is close to signing a deal and expressed hope that an agreement could be reached with the European Union, while casting doubt on a deal with Japan. Thailand, keen to avert a 36 per cent tariff, is now offering greater market access for US farm and industrial goods and more purchases of US energy and Boeing jets, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira told Bloomberg News. India and the United States are likely to make a final decision on a mini trade deal in the next 24 to 48 hours, local Indian news channel CNBC-TV18 reported on Sunday, with average tariffs on Indian goods shipped to the US to be 10per cent, it said. Mr Hassett told CBS News that framework agreements already reached with Britain and Vietnam offered guidelines for other countries seeking trade deals. He said Mr Trump's pressure was prompting countries to move production to the United States. Mr Miran called the Vietnam deal "fantastic". "It's extremely one-sided. We get to apply a significant tariff to Vietnamese exports," he said. "They're opening their markets to ours, applying zero tariff to our exports." Reuters
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Gaza buffer zone plan outlined ahead of key Netanyahu-Trump meeting
As in previous ceasefire agreements, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli facilities would be released in exchange for the hostages, but the number is not yet agreed upon. The proposal stops short of guaranteeing a permanent end to the war – a condition demanded by Hamas – but says negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would take place during the 60 days. During that time, 'President [Donald] Trump guarantees Israel's adherence' to halting military operations, the document says, adding that Trump 'will personally announce the ceasefire agreement'. The personal guarantee by Trump appeared to be an attempt to reassure Hamas that Israel would not unilaterally resume fighting as it did in March during a previous ceasefire, when talks to extend it appeared to stall. Trump said last week that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire, but it was unclear if the terms were those in the document reviewed by AP. Hamas has requested some changes, but has not specified them. Separately, an Israeli official said the security cabinet late on Saturday approved sending aid into northern Gaza, where civilians suffer from acute food shortages. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the decision with media, declined to give more details. Northern Gaza has seen just a trickle of aid enter since Israel ended the latest ceasefire in March. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's closest distribution site is near the Netzarim corridor, south of Gaza City, that separates the territory's north and south. Israel hits 130 targets across Gaza In Gaza, hospital officials said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 38 Palestinians on Sunday. Israeli strikes hit two houses in Gaza City, killing 20 Palestinians and wounding 25 others, said Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Shifa Hospital, which serves the area. Israel's military said it had struck several Hamas fighters in two locations in the area of Gaza City. In southern Gaza, Israeli strikes killed 18 Palestinians in Mawasi, on the Mediterranean coast, where thousands of displaced people live in tents, said officials at Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis. It said two families were among the dead. 'My brother, his wife, his four children, my cousin's son and his daughter ... Eight people are gone,' said Saqer Abu Al-Kheir as people gathered on the sand for prayers and burials. Israel's military had no immediate comment on those strikes but said it had struck 130 targets across Gaza in the past 24 hours, including Hamas command and control structures, storage facilities, weapons and launchers, and that they had killed a number of militants. Separately, Israel attacked Houthi targets in three Yemeni ports and a power plant, the Israeli military said on Monday, marking the first Israeli attack on Yemen in almost a month. Residents told Reuters the Israeli strikes on the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah put the main power station out of service, leaving the city in darkness. The Houthi military spokesperson said air defences confronted the Israeli attack 'by using a large number of domestically produced surface-to-air missiles'. Rift over ending the war Ahead of the indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar, Netanyahu's office asserted that the militant group was seeking 'unacceptable' changes to the ceasefire proposal. Hamas gave a 'positive' response late on Friday to the latest proposal. The militant group has sought guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas' demands for guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the group's destruction. Loading The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Most have been released in earlier ceasefires. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, says Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The UN and other international organisations consider their figures to be the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Gaza buffer zone plan outlined ahead of key Netanyahu-Trump meeting
As in previous ceasefire agreements, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli facilities would be released in exchange for the hostages, but the number is not yet agreed upon. The proposal stops short of guaranteeing a permanent end to the war – a condition demanded by Hamas – but says negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would take place during the 60 days. During that time, 'President [Donald] Trump guarantees Israel's adherence' to halting military operations, the document says, adding that Trump 'will personally announce the ceasefire agreement'. The personal guarantee by Trump appeared to be an attempt to reassure Hamas that Israel would not unilaterally resume fighting as it did in March during a previous ceasefire, when talks to extend it appeared to stall. Trump said last week that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire, but it was unclear if the terms were those in the document reviewed by AP. Hamas has requested some changes, but has not specified them. Separately, an Israeli official said the security cabinet late on Saturday approved sending aid into northern Gaza, where civilians suffer from acute food shortages. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the decision with media, declined to give more details. Northern Gaza has seen just a trickle of aid enter since Israel ended the latest ceasefire in March. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's closest distribution site is near the Netzarim corridor, south of Gaza City, that separates the territory's north and south. Israel hits 130 targets across Gaza In Gaza, hospital officials said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 38 Palestinians on Sunday. Israeli strikes hit two houses in Gaza City, killing 20 Palestinians and wounding 25 others, said Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Shifa Hospital, which serves the area. Israel's military said it had struck several Hamas fighters in two locations in the area of Gaza City. In southern Gaza, Israeli strikes killed 18 Palestinians in Mawasi, on the Mediterranean coast, where thousands of displaced people live in tents, said officials at Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis. It said two families were among the dead. 'My brother, his wife, his four children, my cousin's son and his daughter ... Eight people are gone,' said Saqer Abu Al-Kheir as people gathered on the sand for prayers and burials. Israel's military had no immediate comment on those strikes but said it had struck 130 targets across Gaza in the past 24 hours, including Hamas command and control structures, storage facilities, weapons and launchers, and that they had killed a number of militants. Separately, Israel attacked Houthi targets in three Yemeni ports and a power plant, the Israeli military said on Monday, marking the first Israeli attack on Yemen in almost a month. Residents told Reuters the Israeli strikes on the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah put the main power station out of service, leaving the city in darkness. The Houthi military spokesperson said air defences confronted the Israeli attack 'by using a large number of domestically produced surface-to-air missiles'. Rift over ending the war Ahead of the indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar, Netanyahu's office asserted that the militant group was seeking 'unacceptable' changes to the ceasefire proposal. Hamas gave a 'positive' response late on Friday to the latest proposal. The militant group has sought guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas' demands for guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the group's destruction. Loading The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Most have been released in earlier ceasefires. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, says Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The UN and other international organisations consider their figures to be the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
