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The Age
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
‘Everything will turn to dust': As Gaza crumbles, its fate lies knotted to that of one man
And there are. In securing US involvement in last month's strikes on Iran, Israel has managed to further weaken and isolate Hamas, an Iranian proxy, beyond the wrecked cities and towns of Gaza. 'This has to be the window to use the leverage that's been created to drive towards the end of the war and getting all the hostages home,' former US Pentagon official and ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro told the Israeli journalist Neria Kraus on Tuesday. 'Iran is weaker than it's ever been, exposed in ways it has never been before – that should be leveraged, and I think can be leveraged, to get Hamas to be more flexible on the terms of the hostage deals.' That same day Trump issued another social media declaration, saying that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War'. Hamas confirmed it was considering the proposal. Tellingly, though, in its statement the terrorist group emphasised that it wants a US commitment that the ceasefire would lead to a permanent end to the war. This position has been a sticking point in previous rounds of negotiations, with Israel determined that the war should not end before it achieves what it views as a complete victory. This would include a return of all remaining hostages and the removal of Hamas from Gaza. 'There will not be a Hamas,' said Netanyahu at a public meeting on Wednesday. 'There will not be a Hamastan. We're not going back to that. It's over. We will free all our hostages.' Observers within Israel note that there is more in play than the competing demands of Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu is also concerned with his own political future and the personal legal threats he faces. Rhynold believes Netanhayu sees the maintenance of power not only as goal in its own right, but as a shield against prosecution, and that this will have an impact on peace negotiations. To maintain power Netanyahu must balance the demands of the parliamentary coalition he has stitched together, which includes not only his own right-wing Likud party, but members of far right and Orthodox parties. 'I don't think he can distinguish between what's good for him and what's good for the state of Israel. He just thinks whatever's good for him is good for the state of Israel.' Rhynold believes that even if Netanyahu could secure a comprehensive enough victory in Gaza to allow him to consider a peace deal, supported by the majority of voters, he might still perceive a political threat within his coalition. This could be an incentive for him to draw out negotiations. There is an irony here. As Rhynold notes Netanyahu built a strategy of tacitly supporting Hamas before the war in order to divide Palestinian power blocs. As the politics plays out the carnage in Gaza has only intensified. In January Israel banned the United Nations' lead relief agency for Palestinians, UNWRA, from operating and between March and May it blocked all food aid to Gaza in an effort to force Hamas to negotiate, driving more than 2 million people towards starvation. Last month the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private organisation backed by the US and Israel took over food relief operations. GHF is now led by the American evangelical leader and businessman Johnnie Moore Jr, who once praised Trump's proposal to take over the Gaza Strip, saying, 'The USA will take full responsibility for [the] future of Gaza, giving everyone hope and a future.' GHF has limited distribution to four sites, rather than the hundreds the UN had used. Those sites soon became killing zones, with the IDF firing machine guns and mortars at starving civilians gathering at the sites before they opened. According to a report by Haartz last Friday, which quotes multiple unnamed IDF soldiers, some senior offices gave orders to shoot. One soldier described how civilians were shot as they approached the distribution centres in the pre-dawn darkness, and when they sought to flee. Netanyahu has denied the report. 'These are malicious falsehoods designed to defame the IDF [Israel Defence Forces], the most moral military in the world,' he said. AP has reported that American contractors guarding aid distribution sites are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food. 'There are innocent people being hurt. Badly. Needlessly,' a contractor said. According to the UN over 410 people were killed at GHF food distribution sites by June 24, while local health authorities say 600 have now been killed and more than 4000 wounded. Israeli airstrikes and shootings killed 94 Palestinians in Gaza late on Wednesday and on Thursday, including 45 who were seeking humanitarian aid, hospitals and the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday according to a Washington Post report. It describes families weeping over the bodies from a strike that hit a tent camp during the night as displaced people slept in southern Gaza. At least 13 members of a single family were killed, including at least six children under 12, reports the Post. 'My children, my children … my beloved,' wailed Intisar Abu Assi, sobbing over the bodies of her son and daughters and their young children, says the report. Loading Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington, DC, on Monday as part of Trump's intensifying efforts to secure a ceasefire, though his government appears determined to maintain its assaults in Gaza as a potential peace deal nears. 'We'll do to Gaza City and the central camps what we did to Rafah. Everything will turn to dust,' a senior Israeli official told Axios. 'It's not our preferred option, but if there's no movement towards a hostage deal, we won't have any other choice.'
Sydney Morning Herald
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Everything will turn to dust': As Gaza crumbles, its fate lies knotted to that of one man
And there are. In securing US involvement in last month's strikes on Iran, Israel has managed to further weaken and isolate Hamas, an Iranian proxy, beyond the wrecked cities and towns of Gaza. 'This has to be the window to use the leverage that's been created to drive towards the end of the war and getting all the hostages home,' former US Pentagon official and ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro told the Israeli journalist Neria Kraus on Tuesday. 'Iran is weaker than it's ever been, exposed in ways it has never been before – that should be leveraged, and I think can be leveraged, to get Hamas to be more flexible on the terms of the hostage deals.' That same day Trump issued another social media declaration, saying that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War'. Hamas confirmed it was considering the proposal. Tellingly, though, in its statement the terrorist group emphasised that it wants a US commitment that the ceasefire would lead to a permanent end to the war. This position has been a sticking point in previous rounds of negotiations, with Israel determined that the war should not end before it achieves what it views as a complete victory. This would include a return of all remaining hostages and the removal of Hamas from Gaza. 'There will not be a Hamas,' said Netanyahu at a public meeting on Wednesday. 'There will not be a Hamastan. We're not going back to that. It's over. We will free all our hostages.' Observers within Israel note that there is more in play than the competing demands of Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu is also concerned with his own political future and the personal legal threats he faces. Rhynold believes Netanhayu sees the maintenance of power not only as goal in its own right, but as a shield against prosecution, and that this will have an impact on peace negotiations. To maintain power Netanyahu must balance the demands of the parliamentary coalition he has stitched together, which includes not only his own right-wing Likud party, but members of far right and Orthodox parties. 'I don't think he can distinguish between what's good for him and what's good for the state of Israel. He just thinks whatever's good for him is good for the state of Israel.' Rhynold believes that even if Netanyahu could secure a comprehensive enough victory in Gaza to allow him to consider a peace deal, supported by the majority of voters, he might still perceive a political threat within his coalition. This could be an incentive for him to draw out negotiations. There is an irony here. As Rhynold notes Netanyahu built a strategy of tacitly supporting Hamas before the war in order to divide Palestinian power blocs. As the politics plays out the carnage in Gaza has only intensified. In January Israel banned the United Nations' lead relief agency for Palestinians, UNWRA, from operating and between March and May it blocked all food aid to Gaza in an effort to force Hamas to negotiate, driving more than 2 million people towards starvation. Last month the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private organisation backed by the US and Israel took over food relief operations. GHF is now led by the American evangelical leader and businessman Johnnie Moore Jr, who once praised Trump's proposal to take over the Gaza Strip, saying, 'The USA will take full responsibility for [the] future of Gaza, giving everyone hope and a future.' GHF has limited distribution to four sites, rather than the hundreds the UN had used. Those sites soon became killing zones, with the IDF firing machine guns and mortars at starving civilians gathering at the sites before they opened. According to a report by Haartz last Friday, which quotes multiple unnamed IDF soldiers, some senior offices gave orders to shoot. One soldier described how civilians were shot as they approached the distribution centres in the pre-dawn darkness, and when they sought to flee. Netanyahu has denied the report. 'These are malicious falsehoods designed to defame the IDF [Israel Defence Forces], the most moral military in the world,' he said. AP has reported that American contractors guarding aid distribution sites are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food. 'There are innocent people being hurt. Badly. Needlessly,' a contractor said. According to the UN over 410 people were killed at GHF food distribution sites by June 24, while local health authorities say 600 have now been killed and more than 4000 wounded. Israeli airstrikes and shootings killed 94 Palestinians in Gaza late on Wednesday and on Thursday, including 45 who were seeking humanitarian aid, hospitals and the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday according to a Washington Post report. It describes families weeping over the bodies from a strike that hit a tent camp during the night as displaced people slept in southern Gaza. At least 13 members of a single family were killed, including at least six children under 12, reports the Post. 'My children, my children … my beloved,' wailed Intisar Abu Assi, sobbing over the bodies of her son and daughters and their young children, says the report. Loading Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington, DC, on Monday as part of Trump's intensifying efforts to secure a ceasefire, though his government appears determined to maintain its assaults in Gaza as a potential peace deal nears. 'We'll do to Gaza City and the central camps what we did to Rafah. Everything will turn to dust,' a senior Israeli official told Axios. 'It's not our preferred option, but if there's no movement towards a hostage deal, we won't have any other choice.'
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First Post
01-07-2025
- Business
- First Post
Why this meeting of the Quad squad is not its usual one
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as the Quad, brings together India, Japan, Australia and the United States to discuss strategic and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region read more US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at Quad foreign ministers' meeting in Washington DC. (Photo: X/S Jaishankar) In an unusual turn of events, US Senator Marco Rubio will be hosting a meeting with foreign ministers from India, Japan and Australia ahead of a planned Quad leaders' summit in New Delhi later this year. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as the Quad, brings together the four countries to discuss strategic and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. However, this latest meeting departed from the norm, both in tone and in substance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD One point of difference is the host. Senator Rubio, currently acting as both Secretary of State and National Security Adviser, is an unconventional choice to lead a high-level diplomatic engagement, and his dual role has raised questions among the visiting ministers about the continuity and direction of US foreign policy. Underlying tensions among the Quad members further complicated the gathering. India is irked by President Donald Trump's claim that he had offered to he had offered to mediate the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, a highly sensitive and longstanding issue. New Delhi has rejected any suggestion of third-party involvement, maintaining that Kashmir is a bilateral matter to be resolved solely between India and Pakistan. Australia, meanwhile, is concerned about US Pentagon's ongoing review of the AUKUS agreement, which could affect plans for nuclear-powered submarines. Japan is increasingly uncomfortable with American pressure to raise its defence spending. While Tokyo has already committed to a major military expansion, the largest since the Second World War, Washington is urging even faster increases. All three guests also share concerns over the United States' threat of sweeping tariffs, which could strain trade relations and further complicate multilateral cooperation. While the ministers reiterated their commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, the atmosphere surrounding this meeting revealed growing unease within the Quad. As preparations continue for the summit in New Delhi, the group's unity and confidence in US leadership may face further tests in the months ahead. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The Star
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Philippines says military leaders working to set-up 'one-theatre' approach in East, South China seas
MANILA (Reuters): Military leaders are working to enforce a "one-theatre" concept in both the East and South China seas, the Philippines' defence minister said on Monday, adding that the South-East Asian country faces threats in disputed waters that are similar to Japan's. Japanese newspaper Asahi reported in April that Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani made a proposal to US Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth to consider the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas as a single "theatre", referring to a military area of operation. Gilberto Teodoro, the Philippines' Secretary of National Defense, said it was "reasonable" to treat both the East and South China seas as a single area of operation, saying both are maritime areas with no land borders involved. However, he said the area should exclude the Korean Peninsula. "That will involve synergy in operations, synergy in domain awareness, in intelligence exchange, and in mutually reinforcing our strengths to work doubly real-time," he said at a briefing during the visit of his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene. Japan and China have repeatedly faced off over uninhabited Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu. The Philippines and China, meanwhile, have clashed frequently in the South China Sea around disputed shoals and atolls that fall inside Manila's exclusive economic zone. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Japan's Joint Operations Command is operationalising the single-theatre concept, and the "Squad" grouping that includes the defense ministers of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States will establish a coordinating centre in December to enforce it, Teodoro said. "So it is already an operating concept. It does not need any other agreement," Teodoro said. Japan and the Philippines last year signed a military agreement that could allow their soldiers on each other's soil. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines has extended its arc of alliances beyond the United States, its traditional ally, signing defence deals with Japan and New Zealand, and negotiating for similar agreements with Canada and France. On Monday, the Philippines and Lithuania signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen defence cooperation in areas like cyber security, maritime security and munitions production. "The interesting thing is that we're facing absolutely similar threats and our hostile neighbours are using absolutely similar approach," Lithuanian defence minister Dovile Sakaliene said in the joint briefing with Teodoro. (Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by David Stanway) - Reuters
Sky News AU
15-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to tell Donald Trump Australia lifting its weight on defence spending amid AUKUS uncertainty
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will tell Donald Trump that Australia is doing its part on defence spending, as he prepares for his first meeting with the United States President. Mr Albanese will meet President Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada amid growing uncertainty about the future of the AUKUS pact. The Trump administration has announced a review of the more than $350 billion pact after calling on Australia to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Mr Albanese will seek to reassure Mr Trump that Australia is contributing meaningfully to the alliance and the regional security architecture. '(We'll focus on) what Australia contributes - the potential that AUKUS has to allow for a range of benefits to the US,' Mr Albanese said at a press conference on Sunday. 'Australia has already contributed $500 million (to AUKUS). We have currently over 100 personnel in Hawaii working on maintenance, working on skills. 'This is about making a contribution … AUKUS Pillar I is very much in Australia's national interest, but it's also in the interests of the United States.' The White House recently asked Australia to lift defence spending from two per cent of GDP to 3.5 per cent. While the Albanese government has committed to a target of 2.3 per cent, Mr Albanese pushed back on suggestions that Australia isn't pulling its weight. 'We have doubled defence spending over a recent period of time,' Mr Albanese told reporters in Seattle ahead of his meeting with President Trump. 'We have $57 billion of additional defence investment over the next 10 years, and we have more than $10 billion of additional investment in defence over the forward estimates. 'We will give whatever capability Australia needs to defend our national interest.' Former prime minister Scott Morrison, who brokered the AUKUS pact, has urged calm in response to the US Pentagon's AUKUS review. 'No, I'm not (concerned),' Mr Morrison told Sky News on Thursday. 'It's totally within their remit … Like with any arrangement, you've always got to keep making the case.' Defence Minister Richard Marles also downplayed alarm, noting that Canberra had been made aware of the review and was engaged in the process. 'We've known about the review for some time, we welcome it and we will engage with it,' Mr Marles said.
