Trump says he will discuss Gaza and Iran during Netanyahu visit
"We hope [a ceasefire] is going to happen and we're looking for it to happen sometime next week," he said on Tuesday. "We want to get our hostages back."
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Middle East Eye
37 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
'Major hurdles' remain in Gaza truce talks despite claims of progress
Major obstacles remain in the Gaza ceasefire talks, despite recent optimism from Israeli officials and US President Donald Trump, according to media reports. Trump said on Tuesday that Israel "agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day ceasefire". The US president, who is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week, added that during the nearly two-month truce, parties will work on ending the war. "The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal." Despite reports in Israeli media suggesting progress in truce negotiations, other accounts hint at serious challenges hampering the process. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Speaking to The Times of Israel, two Arab diplomats said that "major hurdles remain", particularly around the recently established US-Israeli aid distribution system operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Hamas has demanded a return to the previous UN-run aid delivery mechanism. The controversial GHF, which began operations in late May after a three-month complete blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces, has been sharply criticised. More than 580 Palestinians have been killed and over 4,200 wounded by Israeli troops while attempting to access food and aid supplies. Hamas's concerns have been echoed by international organisations. On Tuesday, over 170 NGOs jointly called for an end to what they described as the 'deadly' US- and Israeli-backed GHF system, urging a return to United Nations-led aid coordination. While some Israeli media outlets have reported signs of Netanyahu's willingness to resume negotiations, others paint a different picture. Channel 13, for instance, quoted Netanyahu taking a hardline stance during a recent security cabinet meeting, reportedly stating: 'We need to kill every person that holds a weapon. Nothing less than this.' As for mediation efforts, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari stated on Monday that 'it is too early to talk about a timeframe for a ceasefire agreement', noting that current efforts are focused on restarting talks. A phone call on Tuesday between the foreign ministers of Egypt and Qatar affirmed both countries' commitment to a joint effort aimed at ending the bloodshed in Gaza, securing the release of prisoners and detainees, and facilitating the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. Though Hamas has yet to release an official statement, senior official Taher al-Nunu told Palestinian media that the movement is 'ready and serious about reaching an agreement' and is open to 'any proposal that clearly meets the requirements for ending the war or leads to its complete end'. Captive exchange and aid increase According to Israel's Kan 11 news outlet, two diplomatic sources say the current ceasefire proposal includes a 60-day truce, during which eight living Israeli captives would be released. Two additional hostages would be released on the 50th day of the ceasefire, alongside the return of 18 Israeli bodies held in Gaza. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid tells Netanyahu to accept Gaza truce deal Read More » Meanwhile, Qatar's version of the proposal includes a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Morag axis and an increase in humanitarian aid entering the besieged territory. The Morag axis, primarily agricultural land, runs between Khan Younis and Rafah, stretching east to west across southern Gaza. It also includes areas previously designated by the Israeli army as a "humanitarian zone", where displaced Palestinians had been instructed to seek refuge. An Israeli source speaking to Haaretz claimed that while Israel has shown "flexibility" on several issues, it remains firm on troop withdrawal boundaries, refusing to pull back beyond the line defined in the last ceasefire agreement. The source also noted that the current draft does not provide detailed provisions on aid distribution but includes broad language allowing for large-scale humanitarian relief, echoing clauses from previous agreements. On the Palestinian side, a source stated that Hamas has not officially responded to Trump's recent comments, citing the absence of a formal, detailed proposal. The source added that the key point of disagreement lies in what happens after the 60-day truce. Normalisation push The same source told Haaretz that while the latest proposal does not explicitly guarantee an end to the war in Gaza, it includes "very strong assurances" on the matter. One clause, for example, states that if no agreement is reached within the 60-day ceasefire, mediators will be responsible for continuing negotiations 'under certain conditions. Trump lifts bulk of US sanctions against Syria Read More » "These are not just words, this is also the general atmosphere that allows Hamas to see how much the Americans want and can take Israel there," the source added. An Arab official believes that Hamas would only agree to the current draft of the proposal if there is a document or oral promise from Washington that the truce would lead to an end to the war. According to a number of sources speaking to Haaretz, the current truce draft could include "diplomatic compensation" for Israel, including normalisation and establishing relations with several Arab states. The sources in Israel, the US and Gulf countries said the achievements are likely to include a resumption in establishing relations with Saudi Arabia and an end to hostilities with Syria, as well as normalisation with Oman. Such moves aim to soften the approach of far-right ministers under Netanyahu's government, many of whom are against ending the war.
Gulf Today
an hour ago
- Gulf Today
Humanitarian groups seek end to Israeli-backed aid system in Gaza
Over 150 international charities and humanitarian groups called Tuesday for disbanding a controversial Israeli- and US-backed system to distribute aid in Gaza because of chaos and deadly violence against Palestinians seeking food at its sites. The bodies of 116 people killed by Israeli strikes were brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Tuesday afternoon. The joint statement by groups including Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty International came as at least 10 Palestinians were killed while seeking desperately needed food, witnesses and health officials said. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 37 in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital. "Tents, tents they are hitting with two missiles?' asked Um Seif Abu Leda, whose son was killed in the strikes. Mourners threw flowers on the body bags. In other developments, Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, warned that his country would respond forcefully to the firing of a missile the military said originated from Yemen. Sirens sounded across parts of Israel, alerting residents to the attack and the launch of two projectiles from Gaza. All were intercepted by Israeli defense systems. Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. AP The missile launch marked the first attack by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels since the end of the 12-day war initiated by Israel with Iran. Katz said Yemen could face the same fate as Tehran. Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, vowed on social media that Yemen will not "stop its support for Gaza ... unless the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza is lifted.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he planned to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump next week in Washington. Trump has signaled that he is ready for Israel and Hamas to wind down the war in Gaza. Speaking to his Cabinet, Netanyahu did not elaborate on plans for the visit, except to say he will discuss a trade deal. Iran is also expected to be a main topic of discussion in Washington after Trump brokered a ceasefire between it and Israel. Mourners carry a body during the funeral of Palestinians, who were killed in an Israeli air strike, in Gaza. Reuters More than 165 major international charities and non-governmental organizations called for an immediate end to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which the U.S. and Israel have backed to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. "Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,' the group said. Their call was the latest sign of trouble for the GHF, a secretive initiative headed by an evangelical leader who is a close ally of Trump. The GHF started distributing aid on May 26, following a nearly three-month Israeli blockade that pushed Gaza's population of more than 2 million to the brink of famine. The GHF has called for Israel's military to investigate allegations from Gaza's Health Ministry that more than 500 Palestinians have been killed at or near its distribution centers over the past month. Last month, the organization said there has been no violence in or around its centers and that its personnel have not opened fire. In a statement Tuesday, the organization said it has delivered more than 52 million meals. "Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza,' it said. A girl receives treatment for her wounds, sustained in an Israeli strike on a camp housing displaced Palestinians, at Khan Yunis' Nasser hospital in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. AFP Israel's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The GHF is the linchpin of a new aid system that wrested distribution away from aid groups led by the U.N. The new arrangement limits food distribution to a small number of hubs guarded by armed contractors. Four hubs are set up, all close to Israeli military positions. Palestinians often must travel long distances to them. Israel demanded the alternative plan because it accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid. The U.N. and aid groups deny there is significant diversion. They reject the new mechanism, saying it allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates humanitarian principles and is not effective. Israel's military said it recently took steps to improve organization in the area. Israel says it only targets fighters and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, accusing the Palestinian group Hamas of hiding among civilians because they operate in populated areas. At least 10 Palestinians were killed in Gaza on Tuesday while seeking aid, hospitals said. Seven of the deaths occurred in Khan Younis. Three others occurred near the Netzarim corridor that separates northern and southern Gaza. Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians who, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, were killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier in the day, in Deir Al Balah. Reuters Dozens more were wounded, according to the Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp and the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, which received the casualties. Thousands of starved Palestinians gather at night to take aid from passing trucks in the area of the Netzarim route. Israel's military late Tuesday warned residents to evacuate an additional area of Khan Younis, pushing them into an increasingly confined zone along the coast. The war in Gaza has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than half of the dead have been women and children. The war was sparked by the October 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 others taken hostage. Some 50 hostages remain, many of them thought to be dead. Elsewhere, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the occupied West Bank said Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in the territory, including a 15-year-old, in separate events. Israel's military said it was reviewing the shooting of the teen, saying it appeared to happen when people threw rocks toward soldiers. In the other death, military officials said a "suspicious individual' was seen trying to cross into Israel from the southern West Bank, prompting soldiers to open fire. Associated Press
Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Israeli strikes kill over 40 Palestinians in Gaza
More than 40 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes since dawn, according to Al Jazeera. The report said that there has been a very significant expansion of ground operations in border towns and villages, specifically in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoon and the eastern part of Gaza City. Mourners pray during the funeral of Palestinians, who were killed in an overnight Israeli strike on a tent, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 2 July, 2025. (Reuters) Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians, who were killed in an overnight Israeli strike on a tent, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 2 July, 2025. (Reuters)
