Netanyahu says ‘victory' over Iran opens windows to peace
Victory over Iran presents new opportunities for peace agreements which Israel must not waste, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
In a statement, he said: 'This victory presents an opportunity for a dramatic widening of peace agreements. We are working on this with enthusiasm.
'Alongside the freeing of hostages and defeat of Hamas, there is a window of opportunity that must not be missed. We cannot waste even a single day.'
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
At least 34 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer
DEIR AL BALAH/GAZA STRIP: At least 34 people were killed across Gaza by Israeli strikes, health staff say, as Palestinians face a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ceasefire prospects inch closer. The strikes began late Friday and continued into Saturday morning, among others killing 12 people at the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more living in apartments, according to staff at Shifa hospital where the bodies were brought. Six others were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi, according to the hospital. The strikes come as US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office Friday, the president said, 'we're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.' An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israel's Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, will arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Talks have been on again off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the Strip's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half of them believed to still be alive. They were part of some 250 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the 21-month-long war. The war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and children. There is hope among hostage families that Trump's involvement in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran might exert more pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, and he could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose. Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu says he will only end the war once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected. Meanwhile hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for 2 1/2 months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. Efforts by the United Nations to distribute the food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. Palestinians have also been shot and wounded while on their way to get food at newly formed aid sites, run by the American and Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to Gaza's health officials and witnesses. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Israel's military said it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Breaking: Mediator Qatar sees ‘window of opportunity' for Gaza truce: Spokesman
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Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syria, Jordan Seek to Restart Historic Hejaz Railway Line
Cooperation between Syria and Jordan in the fields of economy, trade, and transport has taken a significant leap forward since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime late last year, with the latest development marked by an agreement to hold a meeting aimed at reviving the historic Hejaz railway line. The joint Syrian-Jordanian technical committee on land transport concluded a two-day meeting in Amman on Wednesday, focusing on boosting bilateral relations, particularly in land transport, a vital sector supporting trade and people's movement, Syria's state news agency SANA reported. A key topic was linking Damascus and Amman by rail. Both sides agreed to hold a soon-to-be-scheduled technical meeting with relevant authorities to explore the feasibility of reopening the Hejaz railway line, initially for freight transport. The committee also agreed to reduce and unify transit fees to 2 percent in both countries, down from Jordan's previous 5 percent charge. The Jordanian delegation underscored the importance of facilitating the passage of transit trucks across both territories and pledged to remove any technical or procedural obstacles to enhance trade flow and regional economic integration. This renewed cooperation follows years of suspension due to the former Syrian regime's policies. Meanwhile, Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Borders announced on Wednesday it had reached an agreement with Jordanian authorities to cancel the $115 diesel tax previously imposed on Syrian trucks entering Jordanian territory, making the measure reciprocal. In April, Zahi Khalil, Director-General of the Jordanian Hejaz Railway Foundation, announced plans to launch tourist train trips from Jordan to Syria, passing through historic stations along the border. The proposed route would start at Amman's Hejaz station, pass through Zarqa and Mafraq, cross into Syria via the Jaber border, and terminate at Damascus' Al-Qadam station, the last stop on the Hejaz line. Khalil noted that Syrian counterparts would handle maintenance within Syria, while technical and security challenges, especially line interruptions inside Syria, are still being addressed. The Hejaz railway, built during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, is a 1,050- mm-wide gauge rail connecting Damascus to Madinah. Constructed between 1900 and 1908 to serve Muslim pilgrims and consolidate Ottoman control, it was operational until World War I, with construction costs initially estimated at 3.5 million Ottoman lira, supplemented by donations from within the empire and other Islamic countries. The line's route follows the traditional pilgrimage path from Syria's Hauran region through Daraa into Jordan, continuing to Madinah, shortening pilgrimage travel time from 40 days by camel to just five days by rail. The surge in Syria-Jordan cooperation in economic, trade, and transport sectors reflects a broader effort to reshape bilateral relations on economic grounds, aiming for sustained long-term collaboration after Assad's fall. In late May, Damascus and Amman inaugurated the 'Higher Coordination Council' following a visit by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to Syria, where he met with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shabaan. This came after Jordan's Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply announced on February 27 the resumption of operations at the Syria-Jordan joint free zone. In early June, Amman's chambers of commerce president Khalil al-Haj al-Tawfiq reported a sharp rise in trade exchange with Syria, driven by economic openness and reconstruction efforts, describing trade figures as unprecedented. Between mid-December 2024 and late May 2025, 55,566 trucks entered Jordan through the Jaber border crossing, including 30,154 Jordanian, 5,768 Syrian, and 19,644 foreign trucks. Outbound trucks totaled 59,788, comprising 21,574 exports and 36,805 transit trucks from other centers, with 1,409 empty trucks. These developments follow a long period of border tension under the previous Syrian regime, when border areas became hubs for smuggling drugs, weapons, and militants. Such activities have declined since the regime's downfall. Abed Fadliya, an economics professor at Damascus University, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Syrian-Jordanian economic and trade ties have noticeably improved over recent months thanks to joint government efforts. 'Geographically, Jordan is one of Syria's most important neighbors due to its openness and its role as a gateway for Syrian goods and people to most Arab countries, especially the Gulf states with which Syria maintains close cooperation across several sectors, particularly trade and investment,' Fadliya said. He added that Jordan is among the key Arab countries that have distinguished relations with Syria, alongside Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, emphasizing the need for sustained government efforts to cement these ties on a stable political foundation framed by bilateral agreements.
