Israel expands military campaign in Gaza ahead of Netanyahu's US visit
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Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump urges 60-day Gaza ceasefire deal ahead of Netanyahu visit
US President Donald Trump urged Hamas on Tuesday to accept a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, saying that Israel had agreed to finalize such a deal, as its forces also stepped up operations in the Palestinian territory. Trump, in a post on social media, said his representatives had met with Israeli officials about the raging conflict, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington next week. 'Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,' Trump wrote. He said representatives of Qatar and Egypt, mediators in the conflict, would deliver 'this final proposal.' 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better—it will only get worse,' he added. Trump earlier on Tuesday said he would be 'very firm' with Netanyahu when they meet on July 7. The end of Israel's 12-day war with Iran—which followed a US bombing mission on Tehran's nuclear sites—has provided a window of opportunity for a deal, with Trump keen to add another peace agreement to a series of recent deals he has brokered. Israel's campaign meanwhile continued to rage on, with Gaza's civil defense agency reporting Israeli forces killed at least 26 people on Tuesday. In response to reports of deadly strikes in the north and south of the territory, the Israeli army told AFP it was 'operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities.' Separately, it said Tuesday morning that in recent days it had 'expanded its operations to additional areas within the Gaza Strip, eliminating dozens of terrorists and dismantling hundreds of terror infrastructure sites both above and below ground.' Raafat Halles, 39, from the Shujaiya district of Gaza City, said 'air strikes and shelling have intensified over the past week,' and tanks have been advancing. 'I believe that every time negotiations or a potential ceasefire are mentioned, the army escalates crimes and massacres on the ground,' he said. 'I don't know why.' AFP photographers saw Israeli tanks deploying at the Gaza border in southern Israel and children picking through the rubble of a destroyed home in Gaza City. Others photographed Palestinians mourning over the bodies of relatives in the city's al-Shifa hospital and the al-Aqsa hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza. The Red Cross warned that Gaza's few functioning medical facilities were overwhelmed, with nearly all public hospitals 'shut down or gutted by months of hostilities and restrictions' on supplies. 'The International Committee of the Red Cross is deeply alarmed by the intensifying hostilities in Gaza City and Jabaliya, which have reportedly caused dozens of deaths and injuries among civilians over the past 36 hours,' the ICRC said in a statement. Gaza's civil defense service said 16 people were killed near aid distribution sites in central and southern Gaza on Tuesday, in the latest in a spate of deadly attacks on those seeking food, with 10 others killed in other Israeli operations. Commenting on the incidents, the Israeli military told AFP its forces 'fired warning shots to distance suspects who approached the troops,' adding it was not aware of any injuries but would review the incidents. Referring to an incident in Rafah, it said the shots were fired 'hundreds of meters (yards) away from the aid distribution site,' which was 'not operating.' Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers. – Aid reform call – A group of 169 aid organizations called Monday for an end to Gaza's 'deadly' new US- and Israeli-backed aid distribution scheme which they said was leading to civilian deaths. They urged a return to the UN-led aid mechanism that existed until March, when Israel imposed a full blockade on humanitarian assistance entering Gaza during an impasse in truce talks with Hamas. The new scheme's administrator, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has distanced itself from reports of aid seekers being killed near its centers. Netanyahu announced he would visit Trump and senior US security officials next week, amid mounting pressure to end the devastating fighting in Gaza and bring the remaining hostages home. Trump, while visiting a migrant detention center in Florida, said Netanyahu 'wants to end it too.' Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP the group is 'ready to agree to any proposal if it will lead to an end to the war and a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of occupation forces.' 'So far, there has been no breakthrough.'
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
US won't send some weapons pledged to Ukraine following a Pentagon review of military assistance
WASHINGTON: The US is halting some shipments of weapons to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much, officials said Tuesday. The munitions were previously promised to Ukraine for use during its ongoing war with Russia under the Biden administration. But the pause reflects a new set of priorities under President Donald Trump. 'This decision was made to put America's interests first following a (Defense Department) review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. 'The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran.' That was a reference to Trump recently ordering US missile strikes against nuclear sites in Iran. The Pentagon review determined that stocks were too low on some items previously pledged, so pending shipments of some items won't be sent, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide information that has not yet been made public. To date, the US has provided Ukraine more than $66 billion worth of weapons and military assistance since Russia invaded in February 2022. Over the course of the war, the US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defense systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia. The halt of some weapons comes after Russia launched its biggest combined aerial attack against Ukraine over the weekend, Ukrainian officials said, in an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in peace efforts championed by Trump. The US stoppage was first reported by Politico. Trump met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit last week and had left open the possibility of sending Kyiv more US-made Patriot air defense missile systems, acknowledging they would help the Ukrainian cause. 'They do want to have the antimissile missiles, OK, as they call them, the Patriots,' Trump said then. 'And we're going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We're supplying them to Israel, and they're very effective, 100 percent effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing.' Those comments reflect a change of thinking about providing weapons to Ukraine across the administration in recent months. In opening remarks at a Senate defense appropriations subcommittee hearing in June, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he has moved quickly to quash wasteful programs and redirect funding to Trump's top objectives. Hegseth said a negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine, which has been promoted for months by Trump, makes America look strong, even though Moscow is the aggressor in the conflict. He also said the budget includes hard choices and 'reflects the reality that Europe needs to step up more for the defense of its own continent. And President Trump deserves the credit for that.' The defense secretary said during that testimony that some US security spending for Ukraine is still in the pipeline, but provided no details. Hegseth also acknowledged that funding for Ukraine military assistance — which has been robust for the past two years — would be reduced. 'This administration takes a very different view of that conflict,' Hegseth said. 'We believe that a negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation's interests.' Last month, Hegseth skipped a meeting of an international group to coordinate military aid to Ukraine that the US created three years ago. Hegseth's predecessor, Lloyd Austin, formed the group after Russia attacked Ukraine, and Hegseth's absence was the first time the US defense secretary wasn't in attendance. Under Austin's leadership, the US served as chair of the group, and he and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff attended monthly meetings, which were both in person and by video. Hegseth had previously stepped away from a leadership role of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — turning that over to Germany and the United Kingdom — before abandoning the gathering altogether.
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
‘Lucrative' Business Deals Help Sustain Israel's Gaza Campaign, UN Expert Says
A UN expert has named over 60 companies, including major arms manufacturers and technology firms, in a report alleging their involvement in supporting Israeli settlements and military actions in Gaza, which she called a "genocidal campaign." Italian human rights lawyer Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, compiled the report based on over 200 submissions from states, human rights defenders, companies, and academics. The report, published late Monday, calls for companies to cease dealings with Israel and for legal accountability for executives implicated in alleged violations of international law. "While life in Gaza is being obliterated and the West Bank is under escalating assault, this report shows why Israel's genocide continues: because it is lucrative for many," Albanese wrote in the 27-page document. She accused corporate entities of being "financially bound to Israel's apartheid and militarism." Israel's mission in Geneva said the report was "legally groundless, defamatory and a flagrant abuse of her office". The Israeli prime minister's office and the foreign office did not immediately return requests for comment. The US mission to the United Nations in New York called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to condemn Albanese and call for her removal, adding that "the lack of such action to date has enabled Ms. Albanese to pursue her campaign of economic warfare targeting entities across the world." Israel has rejected accusations of genocide in Gaza, citing its right to self-defense following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. The subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 56,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and reduced the enclave to rubble. ARMS FIRMS NAMED IN REPORT The report groups the companies by sector, for example military or technology, and does not always make clear if they are linked to settlements or the Gaza campaign. It said around 15 companies responded directly to Albanese's office but did not publish their replies. It names arms firms such as Lockheed Martin and Leonardo, alleging their weaponry has been used in Gaza. It also lists heavy machinery suppliers Caterpillar Inc and HD Hyundai, claiming their equipment has contributed to property destruction in Palestinian territories. "Foreign military sales are government-to-government transactions. Discussions about those sales are best addressed by the US government," said a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin. None of the other companies immediately responded to Reuters' requests for comment. Caterpillar has previously stated it expects its products to be used in line with international humanitarian law. Technology giants Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM were named as "central to Israel's surveillance apparatus and the ongoing Gaza destruction." Alphabet has previously defended its $1.2 billion cloud services contract with the Israeli government, stating it is not directed at military or intelligence operations. Palantir Technologies was also mentioned for providing AI tools to the Israeli military, though specifics on their use were not included. The report expands on a previous UN database of firms linked to Israeli settlements, last updated in June 2023, adding new companies and detailing alleged ties to the ongoing Gaza conflict. It will be presented to the 47-member UN Human Rights Council on Thursday. Although the Council lacks legally binding powers, cases documented by UN investigations have occasionally informed international prosecutions. Israel and the United States disengaged from the Council earlier this year, citing bias against Israel.
