&w=3840&q=100)
Trump asks Israel to 'finish the job' as he feels Hamas obstructs Gaza deal
His comments came amid heightened tensions as both US and Israeli negotiators withdrew from indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar. Trump said the group's unwillingness to release remaining hostages showed it had no real interest in peace, suggesting Israel would now be forced to escalate military efforts. 'They're gonna have to clean it up,' he added, expressing disappointment in the stalled negotiations.
Israel withdraws from talks, explores 'alternative' options
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed Trump's comments, saying Israel would now consider alternative options to bring hostages home and end Hamas control in Gaza. The fighting has already left Gaza in ruins, with most of the population homeless and severe hunger spreading.
Both the United States and Israel pulled out of the latest round of indirect ceasefire talks in Qatar after Hamas submitted its response to a truce plan. US' Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff also accused Hamas of acting in bad faith.
Macron recognises Palestine, Trump shrugs it off
As international concern grows over Gaza's humanitarian crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would officially recognise an independent Palestinian state. This makes France the first major Western nation to take the step.
Trump, however, dismissed Macron's move. 'What he says doesn't matter,' Trump told reporters. 'He's a good guy, I like him, but that statement doesn't carry weight.'
Proposed ceasefire terms and disagreements
The proposed ceasefire deal aimed to pause fighting for 60 days, allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, and free some of the 50 remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
However, disagreements over how far Israel should pull back its troops, and what would happen after the 60 days, prevented an agreement. Hamas said it had made serious proposals, but Israel remained unwilling to commit to a broader solution.
Far-right Israelis push for tougher action in Gaza
Within Israel, far-right leaders have welcomed the collapse of the talks. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for a total halt to aid and full military control of Gaza. He posted on social media demanding the 'total annihilation of Hamas' and even suggested encouraging Palestinian emigration from the location.
Little room for negotiations amid worsening conditions
Despite statements from Egypt, Qatar, and some Israeli officials that the talks had not fully collapsed, the public tone from both Trump and Netanyahu indicates little hope for immediate progress.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Mint
28 minutes ago
- Mint
Caught on camera: Donald Trump cheats at golf in Scotland; netizens say, ‘Of course!'
US President Donald Trump is currently in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the August 13 opening of a new golf course bearing his name in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire. The Aberdeen area is already home to another of his courses, Trump International Scotland. Trump said upon arrival on Friday evening that his son Eric Trump is 'gonna cut a ribbon' for the new course during his trip. However, there's one incident reportedly from a Trump course near Turnberry, that has trumped Trump's visit to his homeland and his love for golf this time – allegations of cheating at the game. A viral video on social media shows the staff at a golf course handling a golf ball near a sand trap, which the US President then putts. This sparked accusations of Trump cheating at his favourite sport. However, this is not the first time Trump has been accused of manipulating his golf game. Believe it or not, there is an actual book on it titled 'Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump' by Rick Reilly. Social media users weren't surprised by the viral video of Donald Trump allegedly cheating in a golf game, and the first of their reactions was a simple, 'Of course!' The netizens also joked about how he'd just blame it on former US President Barack Obama. 'Of course he did,' said an unsurprised user. 'Super on brand,' added another. A user claimed, 'Con man gonna con,' to which another added, 'Never not cheating – in golf, on wives, in business, on taxes, in elections.' 'That's not even cheating for him anymore… that's his everyday life,' said another. 'Another FLAWLESS game, Mr. President,' quipped a user. 'He can never play fair, not even at the sport he's supposed to excel,' added another. 'The only skill he got is LYING!' exclaimed a user. Another added, 'The only way he wins anything…CHEATING.' 'I wonder how much the guy gets paid for tossing the ball? Let's pay more to hear how it all went down. I'm sure it's a wonderful story!' a user joked. 'Must be one of those balls they just pops up and wow you hit pretty good, it would've been great if it was a live tournament and it happened on tv,' another added. A user joked, 'I'm sure he'll say Obama did it.' 'I'm sure he'll just blame Obama. And they'll believe it,' added another. Donald Trump will be in Scotland until Tuesday, July 29, and plans to talk trade with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The White House has brushed off questions about potential conflicts of interest, arguing that Trump's business success before he entered politics was a key to his appeal with voters. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called the Scotland swing a 'working trip." But she added Trump 'has built the best and most beautiful world-class golf courses anywhere in the world, which is why they continue to be used for prestigious tournaments and by the most elite players in the sport.'
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
28 minutes ago
- First Post
Why illegal migrants are a bigger crisis for UK than US
Migrants becoming a hot button issue in the US has so engrossed the media space that similar crises in other Western countries, especially the UK, have almost escaped notice read more Britain has to face up to the fact that it is no longer an Empire with millions of acres of land at its disposal; it is a tiny island which is trying desperately to keep its faltering economy above the water. Representational image: REUTERS A photograph of anti-migrant protesters at London's Canary Wharf last week in an inside page of a major British daily this week included a Sikh waving a placard saying 'Stop calling us Far Right. Protect our women & children' and there was at least one other south Asian in the frame. But the overwhelming impression in the British media is that only gangs of white, Far-Right thugs are on the rampage to stop the influx of poor, starving, non-white asylum seekers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That is clearly not the correct picture, as a few candid photos show. It's not only the white nativists who are alarmed at the boatloads of 'asylum seekers' arriving on British shores to increase the burden on already inadequate public services—even as scores of more prosperous Britons flee to escape rising taxes. Britons with businesses struggling to survive or even those living in neighbourhoods where changing demographics have caused huge tensions are worried. Migrants becoming a hot button issue in the US—a country built by successive generations of emigration from Europe and elsewhere—has so engrossed the media space that similar crises in other Western countries, especially the UK, have almost escaped notice. And yet, given that the UK has such a large population of what is largely now third or fourth generation British-Indians, the warning signals should be heeded about rising public apprehensions about migrants. Many of those agitated on both sides of the migration issue are unable to understand that all migrants are not the same; nor are their intentions. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's parents, for instance, did not go to Britain from East Africa to live off welfare and create mini ethnic enclaves. They were hardworking professionals who contributed meaningfully to their adoptive country and assimilated even as they preserved their own cultural best practices. The waves of migrants who have arrived in Britain in the 21st century do not all fall into the Sunaks' category of new arrivals. Many of them have made little effort to support themselves financially and far too many of them have been unable to integrate with or even understand the society they are now part of. And the incomprehension is mutual because the newcomers are not very willing to let the locals into their close-knit social and even religious network. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The result is the latest phase of unrest and demonstrations at hotels in various English counties that have been mandated by the government to house migrants. And the catalyst—several recent violent incidents in the UK allegedly linked to migrants—make President Donald Trump's views on similar happenings in the US seem scarily prophetic. Except that Britain is far smaller and more densely populated than the US and therefore more vulnerable to rising tensions. It is germane to note that the people preemptively described as 'asylum seekers and refugees' arriving in the UK by boats across the English Channel from Europe are mostly Muslim and mostly from the Middle East, from Iran to Syria, though the two largest nationalities right now are Pakistani and Afghan. Ukrainians are another cohort. In 2024, a record 1.8 lakh asylum applications were made in the UK (the highest since 2002) and most of them were permitted to stay. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The trial and sentencing of an 18-year-old Somali-British national to 52 years in jail for killing three girls (aged 6 to 8, each was stabbed over 80 times) revealed that he had been flagged thrice in the five years before his murderous rampage, but investigators did not act on any of the complaints. The same reluctance to follow up cases of Pakistani-British men grooming and sexually exploiting white girls in northern England also showed institutional laxness. That has given rise to very justified fears among the public that their government is not willing to understand the ramifications of years of deference to multiculturalism, and that its institutions are chary of taking action for fear of being pulled up for racism. Protesters also believe if something is not done to regulate the flow of different kinds of migrants—winnowing out freeloaders and allowing in only those who can benefit the UK—there will be hell to pay. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Branding all anti-illegal-migrant protesters as 'Far Right' does not do any cause any favours. The key word is 'illegal' which is often deliberately omitted in reports to further the narrative that opposition to this ingress comes only from one quarter. There is also a big difference between migrants and asylum seekers. Migrants can be qualified professionals moving for career advancement, but the latter almost always implies that the state will have to look after them Lodging migrants, whether families or single men, in hotels situated in small communities pending processing is also an ill-thought measure, as integration there is even more difficult than in big cities. An Ethiopian asylum seeker arrested and charged this month with trying to forcibly kiss a local teenager in one such small community—to which he has registered a plea of not guilty—highlights the inherent danger of summarily accommodating migrants just anywhere. Opting to house asylum seekers in cities also draws flak as can be seen from the uproar over a four-star hotel in London's once glitzy Canary Wharf being kitted out with new mattresses, sanitaryware etc to house migrants. Instances of local police forces escorting 'pro-migrant' activists to places where the 'anti-migrant' camps are protesting—in the name of the democratic right to protest—only make matters worse as they increase the public's suspicion of official bias. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Britain has to face up to the fact that it is no longer an Empire with millions of acres of land at its disposal; it is a tiny island which is trying desperately to keep its faltering economy above the water. It may be flattering that so many refugees still consider the UK to be an attractive destination, but the fact is, there is no land to house them and no public willingness to accommodate them economically, socially or culturally. Seeing it as anything else is self-delusional. The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.


Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Ministers gather at UN for delayed meeting on Israel, Palestinians
Dozens of ministers will gather at the United Nations on Monday for a delayed conference to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, but the US and Israel are boycotting the event. The 193-member UN General Assembly decided in September last year that such a conference would be held in 2025. Hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, the conference was postponed in June after Israel attacked Iran. The conference aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told newspaper La Tribune Dimanche in an interview published on Sunday that he will also use the conference this week to push other countries to join France in recognizing a Palestinian state. France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said last week. 'We will launch an appeal in New York so that other countries join us to initiate an even more ambitious and demanding dynamic that will culminate on September 21,' Barrot said, adding that he expected Arab countries by then to condemn Palestinian militants Hamas and call for their disarmament. The conference comes as a 22-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza still rages. The war was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The US will not attend the conference at the United Nations, said a State Department spokesperson, describing it as 'a gift to Hamas, which continues to reject ceasefire proposals accepted by Israel that would lead to the release of hostages and bring calm in Gaza.' The State Department spokesperson added that Washington voted against the General Assembly last year calling for the conference and would 'not support actions that jeopardize the prospect for a long-term, peaceful resolution to the conflict.' Israel is also not taking part in the conference, 'which doesn't first urgently address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the remaining hostages,' said Jonathan Harounoff, international spokesperson at Israel's UN mission. The UN has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war with neighboring Arab states. The UN General Assembly in May last year overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council 'reconsider the matter favorably.' The resolution garnered 143 votes in favor and nine against. The General Assembly vote was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member – a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state – after the US vetoed it in the UN Security Council several weeks earlier.