Iran Strikes Set Back Nuke Program by Up to Two Years, US Says
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said allies share the US sentiment about the degradation of Iran's nuclear abilities 'and the fact that we have degraded their program by one to two years — at least the intel assessments inside the department assess that.'
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Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hamas says it delivered 'positive response' on Gaza ceasefire plan
Hamas says it has delivered a "positive response" to mediators on the latest proposal for a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal put forward by the US. It added in a statement that it was "seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations". It has not confirmed if it will accept the proposals yet. Earlier on Friday Donald Trump said he expected a Hamas response within a day. He said earlier this week that Israel had accepted the conditions necessary for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the 20-month war. The proposal is believed to include the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. One of Hamas's key demands is the resumption of unrestricted food and medical aid into Gaza, and the proposal reportedly says sufficient quantities would enter the territory immediately with the involvement of the United Nations and Red Cross. It is said the plan would also include a phased Israeli military withdrawal from parts of Gaza. Above all, Hamas wants a guarantee that Israeli air and ground operations will not resume after the end of the 60-day ceasefire. The proposal is believed to say that negotiations on an end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages would begin on day one. A positive Hamas response would then lead to the resumption of formal, indirect, talks ahead of a planned visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington next week. Meanwhile, the Israeli military is continuing to bomb targets across the Gaza Strip. On Friday officials from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said Israeli attacks had killed at least 138 Palestinians over the previous 24 hours. Overnight, at least 15 Palestinians were killed in strikes on two tents housing displaced people in the southern Khan Younis area, the local Nasser hospital said. Thirteen-year-old Mayar al-Farr's brother, Mahmoud, was among those killed. "The ceasefire will come, and I have lost my brother? There should have been a ceasefire long ago before I lost my brother," she told Reuters news agency at his funeral. Adlar Mouamar, whose nephew Ashraf was also killed, said: "Our hearts are broken... We want them to end the bloodshed. We want them to stop this war." The Israeli military has not yet commented on the strikes, but did say its forces were "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities". Later on Friday the Red Cross said a staff member at the organisation's field hospital in Rafah, in southern Gaza, had been hit by a stray bullet. His condition was stable after the "unacceptable" incident, the Red Cross said. Meanwhile medical charity MSF said a former colleague had been killed the previous day when, it said, Israeli forces fired on people waiting for aid trucks in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. At least 16 people were killed in the incident, MSF quoted teams at Nasser hospital in the city as saying. The IDF has not yet commented. "The systemic and deliberate starvation of Palestinians for over 100 days is pushing people in Gaza to breaking point," said Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, MSF's emergency coordinator in Gaza. "This carnage must stop now." Gaza aid contractor tells BBC he saw colleagues fire on hungry Palestinians Dozens killed in Gaza as Israel intensifies bombardment, rescuers say In the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, only 60km (40 miles) from Gaza, the families of the remaining hostages and their supporters held a rally outside the US embassy branch office, urging Trump to "make the deal" that would see them all released. On the nearby beachfront, they laid out a giant banner featuring the US flag and the words "liberty for all". Among those who addressed the event was Ruby Chen, the father of Israeli-American Itay Chen. The 19-year-old soldier was killed during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 which triggered the war, and his body was taken back to Gaza as a hostage. "I urge you Prime Minister Netanyahu to go to the US next week and bring back a deal that brings all the hostages home," Mr Chen said. "There has to be a final, detailed agreement between Israel and Hamas." Keith Siegel, an Israeli American who was released in February during the last ceasefire after 484 days in captivity, also spoke. "Many of my friends from Kibbutz Kfar Aza remain in captivity," he said. "Only a comprehensive deal can bring them all home and create a better future for the Middle East." The primary concern for most Israelis is the fate of the remaining hostages and what might happen to them if the ceasefire does not happen and Netanyahu orders the Israeli military to step up its air strikes on Gaza. There are plenty of reasons to hope, for these families, that the two sides can agree to a deal and achieve a lasting peace. But there is also anxiety, after the failure of previous efforts, that it might not happen. On Thursday, Netanyahu promised to secure the release of all the remaining hostages during a visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community near the Israel-Gaza border where a total of 76 residents were abducted on 7 October 2023. "I feel a deep commitment, first of all, to ensure the return of all of our hostages, all of them," he said. "We will bring them all back." He did not, however, commit to ending the war. He has insisted that will not happen until the hostages are freed and Hamas's military and governing capabilities are destroyed. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. At least 57,130 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump says he had ‘never heard' Shylock as an anti-semitic term after using it at rally
President Donald Trump said early Friday that he wasn't aware that some people view the word 'Shylock' as antisemitic after using the term during a rally to decry amoral money lenders. 'I've never heard it that way. To me, Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates,' Trump told reporters after getting off Air Force One. 'I've never heard it that way, you view it differently than me. I've never heard that.' Trump was arriving back in Washington after an event in Iowa marking the kick-off to nationwide celebrations marking the country's 250th anniversary next year. In his speech, he used the word when touting aspects of the major domestic policy bill that had been approved by Congress a few hours earlier. 'Think of that: no death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowings from in some cases a fine banker. And in some cases, Shylocks and bad people,' he said during his event in Des Moines. 'They took away a lot of, a lot of family. They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite.' The name 'Shylock' derives from the name of the antagonist in William Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice.' Shylock, a Jew, was a ruthless moneylender in the play, and he's remembered for demanding a 'pound of flesh' from the merchant Antonio if he failed to repay a loan. The Anti-Defamation League condemned Trump's use of the word Friday morning. 'The term 'Shylock' evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous. President Trump's use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible,' the organization wrote in a statement on X. 'It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States.' Then-Vice President Joe Biden apologized for using the word in 2014 after the ADL's national director at the time issued a mild rebuke of his use of the word, saying Biden 'should have been more careful.' Biden made the reference in a speech while recalling anecdotes from his son's experience serving in Iraq and meeting members of the military who were in need of legal help because of problems back at home. 'I mean these Shylocks who took advantage of, um, these women and men while overseas,' he said. Some Democrats were quick to criticize Trump's use of the word on Thursday. 'This is blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows exactly what he's doing,' Rep. Daniel Goldman of New York wrote on social media. 'Anyone who truly opposes antisemitism calls it out wherever it occurs — on both extremes — as I do.' Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said on social media: 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes. This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it's deeply dangerous.'
Bloomberg
24 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Hamas Says It's Ready to Negotiate Ceasefire Proposal, More Talks Needed
DEIR al-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas said Friday it has given a 'positive' response to the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza but said further talks were needed on implementation. It was not clear if Hamas' statement meant it had accepted the proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump for a 60-day ceasefire. Hamas has been seeking guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war, now nearly 21 months old. Trump has been pushing hard for a deal to be reached, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to visit the White House next week to discuss a deal.
