IDF Moves Into Deir Al-Balah Where 'Hostages Are Held', Families Blast Israel's "Aimless" Gaza War
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Trump says Hamas 'didn't want' Gaza deal as talks break down
U.S. President Donald Trump accused Hamas on Friday (July 25, 2025) of not wanting to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza as Israel said it would explore "alternative options" to rescue hostages after negotiations collapsed. An Israeli official meanwhile told AFP air drops of aid would resume soon over the Gaza Strip, where aid groups warned of surging numbers of malnourished children after more than 21 months of war. After U.S. and Israeli negotiators quit indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar, Mr. Trump said that "it was was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die." The U.S. President argued that the Palestinian militant group was not ready to hand over the remaining captives in Gaza because "they know what happens after you get the final hostages". His special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not "acting in good faith" in the negotiations that ended on Thursday (July 24, 2025). Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim in turn accused Mr. Witkoff of distorting the reality of the talks and walking back on agreements that had been reached between the parties. Mr. Witkoff was looking to "serve the Israeli position", Naim told AFP. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "together with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's terror rule, and secure lasting peace." Mr. Witkoff similarly said Washington would "consider alternative options" on Gaza, without elaborating on what they could entail. Mr. Netanyahu's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called to reinstate a complete aid blockade, occupy the entirety of Gaza, "encourage" its people to leave and re-establish Israeli settlements there. Mediators Qatar and Egypt said the talks could still resume, vowing to carry on with "intensive efforts" to secure an elusive breakthrough.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 hours ago
- First Post
Gaza, Ukraine and beyond: Is Trump's bid to be a global peacemaker falling apart?
The United States cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks this week plunges one of President Donald Trump's pushes to solve global conflicts into new uncertainty. read more The United States' decision to withdraw from Gaza ceasefire negotiations this week has cast fresh doubt over President Donald Trump's attempts to resolve some of the world's most intractable conflicts. The faltering of talks aimed at ending the 21-month war between Israel and Hamas marks another setback for Trump whose efforts to broker international peace agreements have stalled across multiple fronts. Though back in office for only six months, the Republican president has sought to position himself as a global peacemaker. Some of his aims, such as ending the Ukraine war before taking office, have yet to materialise. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While Trump has cited humanitarian motives for his diplomatic pursuits, he has also been vocal about his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Several allies have nominated him for the honour. Ceasefire efforts in Gaza: No major progress Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced Thursday that the U.S. was recalling its negotiating team from Qatar. Talks there had failed to yield a breakthrough. Witkoff accused Hamas of not engaging in 'good faith', though he did not elaborate. Despite a visit to Washington earlier this month by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the negotiations have produced little progress. Witkoff said the U.S. would now 'consider alternative options to bring the hostages home', but officials declined to provide further details. Asked about the issue on Friday, Trump told reporters that Hamas was uninterested in a deal and added, 'I think what's going to happen is they're going to be hunted down.' Ukraine war: Stalemate persists Trump previously vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of assuming office, but the war continues with no sign of resolution. Despite increasing criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump has not supported a bipartisan U.S. sanctions bill. Instead, he gave Russia 50 days to accept a peace plan, delaying punitive measures. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This delay has allowed Moscow to intensify its military offensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his willingness to hold direct talks with Putin, but Russia has rejected the offer. Lower-level negotiations held in Istanbul on Wednesday ended without progress. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from four regions it annexed in 2022 and abandon its NATO ambitions, terms Kyiv and its Western backers have rejected. Iran conflict: Ceasefire but no nuclear deal The US and Israel recently carried out joint strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, leading to a fragile ceasefire. However, Washington has not yet reached any agreement with Tehran over its nuclear programme. An Iranian diplomat said this week that Tehran is open to talks with the US but only if steps are taken to rebuild trust. Meanwhile, Iran is also exploring a separate negotiation path with Britain, France and Germany—three parties to the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from during his previous term. Foreign ministers from the four countries met Friday in Istanbul, warning that sanctions could be reinstated if there is no movement on a new deal by August. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Progress on some fronts Despite the setbacks, Trump has managed to broker certain regional agreements. In June, the US facilitated a peace accord between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, ending years of tension. The agreement includes commitments to cease hostilities, respect each other's sovereignty and grant US access to critical minerals. In May, the Trump administration claimed to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan following cross-border strikes. However, India denied any international interference. Earlier in July, US special envoy Tom Barrack announced a limited ceasefire between Israel and Syria following Israeli intervention in the latter's internal conflict. While the ceasefire was hailed as a success, the episode disrupted efforts to normalise relations between the two nations. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Move a launchpad to annihilate Israel: Bibi
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Pic credit: AP) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemned France's decision, saying such a move 'rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.' In a post on X, he added, 'A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launchpad to annihilate Israel... Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel. ' Defence minister Israel Katz called the move 'a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism.' (This is a Reuters's story)
