Qatar says 'we will need time' for Gaza ceasefire
"I don't think that I can give any timeline at the moment, but I can say right now that we will need time for this," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said as indirect negotiations continued into a third day in Doha.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington, meanwhile, on his third visit to the White House since Trump returned to power.
Trump, who is pushing for a ceasefire, expressed confidence a deal could be reached, saying: "I don't think there is a hold-up. I think things are going along very well."
Qatar, a mediator along with the United States and Egypt, said the meetings in Doha were focused on a framework for the talks, while a Palestinian official close to the negotiations said no breakthrough had been achieved so far.
Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was set to join the talks in Doha this week.
On the ground, five Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in northern Gaza -- one of the deadliest days this year for Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory.
Gaza's civil defence meanwhile reported 29 killed in Israeli strikes on Tuesday.
Israel and Hamas began the latest round of negotiations on Sunday, with representatives seated in separate rooms within the same building.
At the White House, sitting across from Netanyahu, Trump said Hamas was willing to end the Gaza conflict, now in its 22nd month.
"They want to meet and they want to have that ceasefire," Trump said when asked if ongoing clashes would derail talks.
An Israeli official accompanying Netanyahu to Washington said the proposal under discussion was "80-90 percent of what Israel wanted."
"I believe that with military and political pressure, all the hostages can be returned," the official told Israeli media.
According to Ariel Kahana of Israel Hayom daily, "President Trump and his advisers are currently exerting considerable effort to reach an agreement that would lead to the release of the hostages and could even end the war in Gaza".
However, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir opposed negotiations with Hamas, saying that "there is no need to negotiate with those who murder our fighters; they must be torn to shreds".
Netanyahu described the loss of five soldiers in Gaza as a "difficult morning" and mourned "our heroic soldiers who risked their lives in the battle to defeat Hamas and free all our hostages".
Israeli military correspondents reported the deaths occurred due to improvised explosive devices near Beit Hanun in northern Gaza.
According to the Israeli military, 450 soldiers have been killed in the Gaza military campaign since the start of the ground offensive on October 27, 2023.
Gaza's civil defence agency reported 29 people killed in Israeli strikes across the territory, including three children.
Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the agency, said nine of those were killed in a drone strike on a camp for displaced people in southern Gaza.
"I was in front of my tent preparing breakfast for my four children -- beans and a bit of dry bread. Suddenly, there was an explosion," said Shaimaa Al-Shaer, 30, who lives in the camp.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military when contacted by AFP.
The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza's more than two million people.
While Israel has the full backing of the Trump administration, the US leader has increasingly pushed for an end to what he called the "hell" in Gaza and said on Sunday he believed there was a "good chance" of an agreement this coming week.
"The utmost priority for the president right now in the Middle East is to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
The US proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel, two Palestinian sources close to the discussions had earlier told AFP.
Hamas was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system, they said.
Of the 251 hostages taken by the group during the October 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the war, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. - AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Trump to attend Club World Cup final, FIFA opens office in Trump Tower
U.S. President Donald Trump holds the key to the FIFA Club World Cup trophy in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 7, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo WASHINGTON/EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump will attend Sunday's Club World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, he said at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, as world soccer's ruling body FIFA announced it had opened an office in New York's Trump Tower. The expanded tournament featuring many of the world's best club teams has been widely seen as a dry run for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico with a record 48 national teams taking part. Sunday's Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium will be a preview of next year's championship match, with the home of the NFL's New York Jets and Giants also hosting the 2026 finale. "I'll be going to the game," Trump told reporters. The news came a day after FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the opening of a representative office at Trump Tower, where the Club World Cup trophy will be on display until the final. "We have received such a big support from the government and from the President with the White House Task Force for the FIFA Club World Cup (now) and for the FIFA World Cup next year," Infantino said. Trump has not shied away from sport's super-sized spotlight during his second term, becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl in February, and in May announcing D.C. as the host for the 2027 NFL Draft from the Oval Office. His immigration crackdown and travel ban on 12 countries have prompted concerns ahead of the 2026 World Cup, however, even as Infantino offered assurances that the world will be welcomed in the U.S. for the quadrennial global showpiece event. A memo obtained by Reuters last month showed that the Trump administration was considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the U.S. (Reporting by Amy Tennery in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Andrea Shalal in Washington, editing by Ed Osmond)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Analysis-Trump's tariff deadline delay brings hope, confusion to trade partners, businesses
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff delay provided some hope to major trade partners Japan, South Korea and the European Union that deals to ease duties could still be reached, while bewildering some smaller exporters such as South Africa and leaving companies with no clarity on the path forward. Trump's form letters to 14 countries informing them of planned tariff rates of 25% to 40% provided what he called a final warning on his "reciprocal" tariffs, while pushing back Wednesday's previous deadline to August 1, a date he said on Tuesday was final, declaring: "No extensions will be granted." The move reflects Trump's frustration with trade negotiations that are proving lengthier and more complicated than the "90 deals in 90 days" that he expected, trade experts and administration officials say. The president, who announced on Tuesday a 50% tariff on imported copper and said long-threatened levies on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals were coming soon,said he has long favored simple tariffs over tedious trade talks that often involve red lines for some countries and their own requests for U.S. concessions. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba focused on the positive, saying his government would press ahead with negotiations toward a deal that "benefits both countries, while protecting Japan's national interest." Facing a 25% general U.S. tariff, Japan wants relief for its export-dependent auto industry from Trump's separate 25% automotive tariffs. It also has resisted demands for increased purchases of American rice. Japan, once viewed as an early favorite for a deal, faces an upper house election on July 20 and too many concessions could put Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party at risk. "These countries are not folding. They're not giving him what he wants, so he's added another threat," said William Reinsch, a former U.S. Commerce Department official who is a senior trade adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "He's put a new number to it and extended the deadline." South Korea, where President Lee Jae Myung has been in office less than a month, also pledged to intensify talks for "a mutually beneficial result" while analysts warned he would not be "a pushover" for Trump or put South Korea at a disadvantage to Japan. Stephen Miran, chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, told Fox News on Tuesday more deals were possible even before the end of this week, as long as countries made concessions deemed worthy by Trump. India, in particular, looked close to a deal, but prospects were less clear for smaller countries such as South Africa, Thailand and Malaysia, which face tariffs of 30%, 36% and 25%, respectively. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed back on Trump's 30% tariff rate, calling it out of sync with an average 7.6% South African tariff rate. But he instructed his negotiators to "urgently engage" with Trump's team on a framework first submitted by the South African side on May 20. The Trump administration's negotiating time may be eaten up with larger partners, such as the EU, which did not get a warning letter or a change to its prescribed 20% tariff rate, double the 10% baseline. Sources familiar with the EU talks have told Reuters a deal could involve carve-outs for aircraft and parts, medical equipment and alcoholic spirits. They say the EU also wants certain automakers to export to the U.S. at rates below the 25% auto tariff. Such a deal would be similar to a framework agreement with the United Kingdom that had carve-outs for autos, steel and aircraft engines. FINAL SQUEEZE After announcing his global "Liberation Day" tariffs of 11%-50% in early April, Trump quickly dialed them back to 10% for most countries amid bond market turmoil to buy time for negotiations to lower foreign tariffs and trade barriers. Ryan Majerus, another former U.S. Commerce official, said Trump's three-month pause had not produced the desired results, and now the president was seeking to maximize his negotiating leverage. "They're going to pressure-test things and see how far they can go, particularly for countries where there hasn't been any movement in the talks," said Majerus, who is a partner at Washington's King and Spalding law firm. Steadier markets and strong economic data give Trump some room to maneuver, but time is short and "the more granular you get in negotiating these things, the tougher the sledding gets," he added. The deadline extension provides no relief to companies that are trying to keep up with Trump's tariffs. Executives say the rapidly shifting tariff landscape has paralyzed decision-making as they try to adjust their supply chains and cost structures to avoid tariff-induced price hikes. "No company can really prepare for this," said Hubertus Breier, chief technology officer for Germany's Lapp Holdings, a family-owned maker of cables, wires and robotics for factories. "We are already incurring losses simply because of the uncertainty of the daily changing situation." Lapp has difficult choices - absorb additional costs or pass them on to customers. Assuming permanently higher prices and costs, however, could threaten its long-term existence, Breier added. DeMejico, a family business in Valencia, California with a plant in Mexico that builds traditional Spanish and Mexican-style furniture, is struggling to adapt to Trump's 50% tariffs on imported steel. Robert Luna, the company's president, said the firm is importing heavy steel latches, hinges and trim parts separately to simplify the tariff calculation process and installing them at its Los Angeles-area showroom. The tariffs and higher U.S. wage costs are already inflating prices, and DeMejico faces further cost increases on furniture if Trump hits Mexico with a reciprocal tariff, Luna said. "It's hard to do anything about this as a small business owner, so I just try to be stoic and see what happens," Luna said, adding: "My biggest worry is just keeping the company alive." Luna said he thought the Trump administration was "setting up the foundation to train people to pay tariffs." (Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal in Washington, Timothy Aeppel in New York and Max Schwarz and Tilman Blasshofer in Frankfurt; additional reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by David Lawder; Editing by Paul Simao)
Malaysia Sun
5 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
Trump Says New Tariff Deadline Not 100 Percent Firm
Trump sent letters to trading partners including key US allies Japan and South Korea, announcing that duties he had suspended in April would snap back even more steeply in three weeks, AFP reported. Tokyo and Seoul would be hit with 25 percent tariffs on their goods, he wrote. Countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia were slapped with duties ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent. But in a move that will cause fresh uncertainty in a global economy already unsettled by his tariffs, the 79-year-old once again left the countries room to negotiate a deal. I would say firm, but not 100 percent firm, Trump told reporters at a dinner with visiting Israeli regime prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked if August 1 deadline was firm. Pressed on whether the letters were his final offer, Trump replied: I would say final but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then well do it. The US president had unveiled sweeping tariffs on imports on what he called Liberation Day on April 2, including a baseline 10 percent tariff on all countries. But he quickly suspended all tariffs above 10 percent for 90 days following turmoil in the markets. They were due to kick back in on Wednesday and Trump sent the letters in advance of that deadline. Trumps near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders said he would impose 25 percent tariffs as their trading relationships with Washington were unfortunately, far from Reciprocal. He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies. But Trump on Monday also signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1. The new August date effectively marks a further delay and Trumps latest comments threaten to compound the uncertainty over when the deadline really is. According to letters posted to Trumps Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent. Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from rates threatened in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia saw notably lower levels. The Trump administration is under pressure to show results after promising 90 deals in 90 days. So far only two firm deals have emerged, with Britain and Vietnam, plus an agreement to dial back super-high tit-for-tat tariffs with China. Japans Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a cabinet meeting Monday that the announcement of the 25 percent tariffs is genuinely regrettable, local media reported. South Koreas National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac meanwhile met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, expressing hope that a bilateral summit could soon be held to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes across key pending issues. Asked why Trump opted to start with Japan and South Korea, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: Its the presidents prerogative, and those are the countries he chose. Thailands acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Tuesday he wanted a better deal than the 36 percent tariff Trump threatened to impose, adding: The most important thing is that we maintain good relations with the US. Malaysia said it was committed to continuing engagement with the US toward a balanced, mutually beneficial, and comprehensive trade agreement, its trade ministry said in a statement, after Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on the Southeast Asian nation. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours. Trump has also threatened an extra 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of Anti-American policies after they slammed his duties at a summit. But partners are still rushing to avert Trumps tariffs altogether. The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a good exchange with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.
