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News24
10 minutes ago
- News24
Hamas says it's discussing proposals after Trump Gaza ceasefire push
Hamas is discussing a ceasefire proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with support from Donald Trump, to address the Gaza conflict. Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continue to kill civilians, including children, amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the region. Trump stated that Israel supports a 60-day ceasefire and urged Hamas to finalise the deal to end the war. Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Wednesday it was discussing proposals for a Gaza ceasefire received from mediators, after US President Donald Trump said Israel backed a 60-day ceasefire in the war-ravaged territory. Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations against Hamas militants. The civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 33 people on Wednesday. Trump urged Hamas on Tuesday to accept a 60-day ceasefire, saying Israel had agreed to finalise such a deal. The Israeli government has not commented on that claim. Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday it was "conducting national consultations to discuss what we received from the proposals of the... mediators". READ | Israel steps up campaign in Gaza ahead of Netanyahu's US visit It said it aimed "to reach an agreement that guarantees ending the aggression, achieving the withdrawal (of Israel from Gaza) and urgently aiding our people in the Gaza Strip". Without directly mentioning Trump's remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that "a large majority within the government and the population is in favour" of a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. "If the opportunity arises, it must not be missed!" Saar wrote on X. Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during Hamas' 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images On the ground in southern Gaza, civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five members of the same family were killed in an Israeli air strike on Wednesday that hit a tent housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area. Despite being declared a safe zone by Israel in December 2023, Al-Mawasi has been hit by repeated Israeli strikes. Children covered in blood AFP footage from the area showed makeshift tents blown apart as Palestinians picked through the wreckage, trying to salvage what was left of their belongings. One man held a pack of nappies, asking: "Is this a weapon?" Another resident, Maha Abu Rizq, against a backdrop of destruction, said: They came here thinking it was a safe area and they were killed... What did they do? AFP footage from nearby Khan Yunis city showed infants covered in blood being rushed into Nasser Hospital. One man carrying a child whose face was smeared with blood screamed: "Children, children!" Some appeared terrified while others lay still on hospital beds in bloodied bandages and clothes as medics treated them. Further north, Bassal said four people from the same family were killed in a pre-dawn Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City, and another five in a drone strike on a house in the central Deir el-Balah area. Bassal later reported seven killed in a strike in Gaza City, five more killed by Israeli army fire near an aid distribution site close to the southern city of Rafah, and a further death following Israeli fire near an aid site in the centre of the territory. They are the latest in a string of deadly incidents that have hit people waiting for food. Bassal said a further four people were killed in an air strike on a tent for displaced people southwest of Gaza City and two in an air strike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City's Zeitun neighbourhood. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it "is operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities" in line with "international law, and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm". On Tuesday, the military said that in recent days its forces had expanded operations across Gaza. Ceasefire push After months of stalled mediation efforts to bring an end to the war, Trump said on social media on Tuesday that a new ceasefire push has Israel's support. "Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War," Trump said. He added that Qatari and Egyptian mediators, who have been in direct contact with Hamas throughout the war, 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. Trump is due to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week. Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas' 7 October 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1 219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57 012 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tesla sales fell sharply in Q2 as Musk backlash and competition chipped away at company's dominance
NEW YORK (AP) — Sales of Tesla electric cars fell sharply in the last three months as boycotts over Elon Musk's political views continue to keep buyers away, a significant development given expectations that anger with the company's billionaire CEO would have faded by now. The company reported a 13% plunge in sales on Wednesday in another sign that Musk's embrace of U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right politicians in Europe has had a deep and enduring hit to Tesla's brand appeal. The new figures also suggest that Tesla could disappoint when it announces second quarter earnings later this month. In the first three months of this year, net income fell 71%. Sales fell to 384,122 in April through June, down from 443,956 in the same period last year. During this period, Musk formally left the Trump administration as a cost-cutting czar and hopes rose that sales would recover. Sales of the Models 3 and Y totaled 373,728, above the estimate of 356,000 from Wall Street analysts. Tesla shares rose about 1.5% in early trading. Tesla is also facing stiff competition from other electric makers, especially in Europe where China's BYD has taken a bite out of its market share. Musk has acknowledged that his work as head of the Department of Government Efficiency and his embrace of European far-right candidates have hurt the company. But he attributed much of the sales plunge to customers holding off while they waited for new versions of Tesla's best selling Model Y, and recently predicted a major turnaround in sales. The new figures come as the company is focusing less on coming out with new models and more on robots, self-driving technology and robotaxis ferrying passengers around without anyone behind the wheel. Tesla is in the midst of a test run of robotaxis in Austin, Texas, that seems to have gone smoothly for the most part. But it also has drawn the scrutiny of federal car safety regulators because of a few mishaps, including one case in which a Tesla cab was shown on a widely shared video heading down an opposing lane. Bernard Condon, The Associated Press
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump says US has struck a trade deal with Vietnam
US President Donald Trump says the United States has struck a trade deal with Vietnam, after months of negotiations, that imposes a 20 per cent tariff rate on many imports from the Asian country. The rate is lower than an initial 46 per cent levy Trump announced in April on goods from Vietnam, largely as a result of its big trade surplus with Washington. "It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after speaking with To Lam, the Highly Respected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam," Trump said on Truth Social. 🚨 — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 2, 2025 Trump said that goods from Vietnam would face a 20 per cent tariff and that any trans-shipments from third countries would face a 40 per cent levy. Vietnam would also provide the United States with more market access, with US exports to the country facing no tariffs, he said. "It is my opinion that the SUV or, as it is sometimes referred to, Large Engine Vehicle, which does so well in the United States, will be a wonderful addition to the various product lines within Vietnam," Trump said. The White House and the Vietnamese trade ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
