Truce Talks grind on, Israel hammers Gaza
'We are hopeful that by the end of this week, we will have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire,' Steve Witkoff said during a meeting of Trump's Cabinet members.
Witkoff said the deal would include Hamas releasing 10 living hostages. Efforts to secure a temporary ceasefire have been stalled for months but the mediators in Doha recently presented another proposal, which reports say provides for the cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip for at least 60 days, the staggered release of 10 Israeli hostages, and the return of the remains of dead hostages.
In return, a large number of Palestinian prisoners would be released from Israeli prisons.
During the ceasefire, the two sides would attempt to negotiate a permanent end to the war.
Israel's military chief also said 'conditions have been created' for the advancement of a hostage release deal in Gaza, as indirect negotiations were under way between Israel and Hamas.
'We have achieved many significant results, we have caused great damage to the governance and military capabilities of Hamas,' armed forces chief Eyal Zamir said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his meeting with President Donald Trump had focused on freeing hostages held in Gaza, as Israel continued to pound the Palestinian territory amid efforts to reach a ceasefire.
Trump met Netanyahu on Tuesday for the second time in two days to discuss the situation in Gaza. Hamas official Taher al Nono said they were engaged in a 'difficult round' of negotiations.
The top issue for the group's negotiators was the free flow of aid into Gaza as well as the location of withdrawal lines of Israeli forces. — Agencies
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
2 hours ago
- Observer
Will Syria Normalise Relations with Israel?
The possibility of peace between Syria and Israel has returned to the surface after many years of silence. The two countries have been enemies for more than seven decades and their relationship has always been full of conflict, mistrust and political disputes. But after the fall of Bashar al Assad's government and the formation of a new government in Damascus, there are now signs that Syria might be ready to change direction and open a new page with Israel. Since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Syria and Israel have fought in several major wars, especially in 1967 and 1973. Syria never recognised Israel and both countries have no diplomatic relations. One of the biggest problems between them is the Golan Heights, a mountainous area that Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed in 1981. Most countries around the world did not recognise this annexation. Peace talks were attempted in the 1990s but failed mainly because of disagreement on the future of the Golan Heights. In December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed. A new transitional government led by Ahmed al Sharaa came to power. Al Sharaa has shown a more practical and flexible approach than his predecessor. He has spoken about rebuilding the country, improving foreign relations and even considering dialogue with Israel. According to media reports, Syria and Israel have started direct talks. The US supports this new development. Some American officials believe that Syria could join the Abraham Accords, the same agreement that helped Israel to normalise relations with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. It is reported that US President Donald Trump encouraged Syria to take this step during his visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this year. However, many difficulties stand in the way. The Golan Heights remains the biggest obstacle. Some Israeli news reports have suggested that Syria might be ready to quietly accept the loss of the Golan in exchange for other benefits. But such a decision could create a lot of anger inside Syria and in the wider Arab world. For its part, Israel says it will not return the Golan under any condition. Another big issue is Iran. Israel wants all Iranian forces and militias like Hezbollah to leave Syria. This is an important condition for Israel. On the other hand, Iran has had a strong presence in Syria for years, especially during the civil war. Even if the new Syrian leadership wants to move away from Iran, doing so completely will not be easy. There is also concern about Türkiye. After Assad's fall, Türkiye increased its military presence in northern Syria. There are reports that Türkiye is working on a defence agreement with the new Syrian government. Israel is not happy with this and has increased its air strikes in Syria to stop any Turkish military expansion near its borders. Meanwhile, Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are following the situation closely. Saudi Arabia may see Syrian-Israeli talks as a positive signal for its own possible future steps with Israel. The UAE is already playing an active role in supporting the talks. Inside Syria, things are more complicated. The country is still weak and recovering from many years of war. The new leadership is not yet strong or fully in control of all parts of Syria. Many Syrians have been raised with anti-Israel views and normalisation could face strong public opposition. Because of all this, a full peace treaty is unlikely in the near future. However, smaller steps may be possible. For example, Syria and Israel could sign a security agreement or a non-aggression deal. This could include Israeli demands to stop the presence of Iran and Türkiye in southern Syria, while Syria would want Israel to stop its air strikes. Even if full normalisation is still far away, the recent talks show that both countries are at least willing to communicate. This is a new development after so many years of silence. The road to peace is still long and full of challenges. But the change in Syrian leadership, the interest of regional powers and international support are giving hope that something new might happen.
Muscat Daily
4 hours ago
- Muscat Daily
US: Worker reportedly dies after immigration raid on farm
California, US – A farm worker reportedly died on Friday from injuries sustained during raids by US immigration officers at a cannabis farm in California the day before. During the raid, approximately 200 undocumented migrants were arrested, the authorities said. The United Farm Workers labour union said in a post on X on Friday that the worker had 'died of injuries they sustained as a result of yesterday's immigration enforcement action'. Meanwhile, Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman, stated that the man who died had not been arrested. 'Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a green house and fell 30 feet (10 metres),' McLaughlin said. '(Customs and Border Patrol) immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible,' she added. Trump's latest crackdown on immigrants The raids are part of US President Donald Trump's latest efforts to deport immigrants living in the United States illegally. The events on a cannabis farm triggered protests and clashes with federal agents in rural Southern California on Thursday. Trump called the demonstrators involved in attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents 'slimeballs' and said they should be arrested. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was authorising law enforcement officers who are 'on the receiving end of thrown rocks, bricks, or any other form of assault, to stop their car, and arrest these SLIMEBALLS, using whatever means is necessary to do so'. Separately, a federal judge in California ordered the Trump administration to temporarily pause some of its most aggressive tactics to arrest undocumented immigrants. The judge issued two temporary restraining orders that blocked the administration from detaining immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally based on racial profiling, as well as from denying detained individuals the right to speak with a lawyer. DW
Muscat Daily
4 hours ago
- Muscat Daily
Trump visits Texas flood sites amid search for missing
Texas, US – United States President Donald Trump visited parts of Texas on Friday that were affected by deadly flash floods a week ago. At least 120 people, including many children, have died after a river overflowed on July 4. The flood swept away homes, cabins, vehicles, and people. Search teams are still looking for 170 people who are missing. Speaking in central Texas's Hill Country after he and First Lady Melania Trump had met with first responders, local officials, and victims' families, Trump said, 'this is a tough one'. 'I've never seen anything like this,' Trump said at a roundtable meeting in Kerrville, in Kerr County, the worst-affected by the floods. 'I've gone to a lot of hurricanes, a lot of tornadoes. I've never seen anything like this. This is a bad one,' Trump said. He also compared the rising floodwaters to a 'giant wave in the Pacific Ocean that the best surfers in the world would be afraid to surf'. Trump administration faces scrutiny over response to the disaster Trump, who has pledged to shrink or abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of his drive to drastically reduce the size of the federal government, praised the first responders in Texas, a Republican state. 'The search for the missing continues. The people that are doing it are unbelievable,' Trump said. 'You couldn't get better people, and they're doing the job like I don't think anybody else could, frankly.' The Republican leader has previously been critical of officials in Democrat-run states that were struck by natural disasters. He reacted with anger when a reporter said some families affected by the floods had expressed frustration that warnings did not go out sooner. 'I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances,' he said. 'I don't know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that.' Trump also discussed the flood victims from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 people, mostly children, were killed. 'They were there because they loved God. And, as we grieve this unthinkable tragedy, we take comfort in the knowledge that God has welcomed those little beautiful girls into his comforting arms in heaven,' he said. Fears death toll will rise With more than 170 people missing, including five girls who were attending a summer camp, more than eight days after the disaster struck, hopes are dwindling of finding more survivors. Trump has repeatedly faced questions from reporters about how his administration's severe cuts to a range of federal agencies, including FEMA, have affected the response to the floods, which the president has described as 'a 100-year catastrophe' which 'nobody expected'. Emergency evacuation messages to people along the Guadalupe River which flooded were reportedly delayed. Kristi Noem, who was with Trump on his trip to Texas, said on Thursday that the response to the flood was 'swift and efficient'. DW
