Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s prayer leader, said today that according to his interpretation of Islamic law, President Trump and Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu should be executed.
Israeli forces reportedly staged a prolonged incursion into Syrian territory overnight Friday, according to the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network and Syrian sources. Three IDF helicopters are said to have landed at a facility once tied to the presidential guard of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in the Yafour area, roughly 10 kilometers west of Damascus. The Israeli troops allegedly held their position for nearly five hours before withdrawing. Simultaneously, three IDF armored vehicles reportedly crossed into Syrian territory near the Lebanese border, entering the village of Rakhla under the cover of night.
HY’D: The IDF has announced the death of Sergeant Assaf Zamir, z”l, who was killed during combat in Gaza. Two other soldiers from the 53rd Battalion of the 188th “Barak” Armored Brigade were seriously injured in the same incident and evacuated to the hospital. Their families have been notified.
Orange no-entry signs posted by the U.S. military in English and Spanish dot the New Mexico desert, where a border wall cuts past onion fields and parched ranches with tufts of tall grass growing amidst wiry brush and yucca trees. The Army has posted thousands of the warnings in New Mexico and western Texas, declaring a “restricted area by authority of the commander.” It’s part of a major shift that has thrust the military into border enforcement with Mexico like never before. The move places long stretches of the border under the supervision of nearby military bases, empowering U.S. troops to detain people who enter the country illegally and sidestep a law prohibiting military involvement in civilian law enforcement. It is done under the authority of the national emergency on the border declared by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. U.S. authorities say the zones are needed to close gaps in border enforcement and help in the wider fight against human smuggling networks and brutal drug cartels. The militarization is being challenged in court, and has been criticized by civil rights advocates, humanitarian aid groups and outdoor enthusiasts who object to being blocked from public lands while troops have free rein. Abbey Carpenter, a leader of a search-and-rescue group for missing migrants, said public access is being denied across sweltering stretches of desert where migrant deaths have surged. “Maybe there are more deaths, but we don’t know,” she said. Military expansion Two militarized zones form a buffer along 230 miles (370 kilometers) of border, from Fort Hancock, Texas, through El Paso and westward across vast New Mexico ranchlands. The Defense Department added an additional 250-mile (400-kilometer) zone last week in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley and plans another near Yuma, Arizona. Combined, the zones will cover nearly one-third of the U.S. border with Mexico. They are patrolled by at least 7,600 members of the armed forces, vastly expanding the U.S. government presence on the border. Reaction to the military buffer has been mixed among residents of New Mexico’s rural Luna County, where a strong culture of individual liberty is tempered by the desire to squelch networks bringing migrants and contraband across the border. “We as a family have always been very supportive of the mission, and very supportive of border security,” said James Johnson, a fourth-generation farmer overseeing seasonal laborers as they filled giant plastic crates with onions, earning $22 per container. Military deployments under prior presidents put “eyes and ears” on the border, Johnson said. This version is “trying to give some teeth.” But some hunters and hikers fear they’re being locked out of a rugged and cherished landscape. “I don’t want to go down there with my hunting rifle and all of a sudden somebody rolls up on me and says that I’m in a military zone,” said Ray Trejo, a coordinator for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and a Luna County commissioner. “I don’t know if these folks have been taught to deescalate situations.” A former public school teacher of English as a second language, Trejo said military trespassing charges seem inhumane in an economy built on immigrant farm labor. “If the Army, Border Patrol, law enforcement in general are detaining people for reasons of transporting, of human smuggling, I don’t have a problem,” he said. “But people are coming into our country to […]
Joe Biden stepped back into the public eye on Thursday to sharply criticize President Donald Trump’s major legislative achievement, taking to X shortly after the House approved the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
“The Republican budget bill is not only reckless — it’s cruel,” Biden wrote. “It slashes Medicaid and takes away health care from millions of Americans. It closes rural hospitals and cuts food assistance for our veterans and seniors. It jacks up energy bills. And it could trigger deep cuts to Medicare while driving up the deficit by $4 trillion. All of this to give a massive tax break to billionaires. Working people deserve better.”
The legislation, which passed by a narrow 218-214 vote, delivers on many of President Trump’s central campaign pledges and locks in major parts of his policy platform. It spans a broad spectrum of issues, from immigration enforcement and tax relief to dismantling regulations, making it one of the most consequential bills of Trump’s presidency.
While detractors have voiced concern over the bill’s cost and scope, Trump supporters say its passage gives the president a crucial political win. With Congress now aligned behind him, Trump has greater authority to push ahead with further reforms — and the momentum to ensure they take hold.
In spite of unified Democratic opposition, Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is set to be signed into law during a White House ceremony on Friday.
{Matzav.com}
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate vying for the mayoralty of New York City, marked “Black or African American” on his 2009 application to Columbia University, despite now saying he doesn’t consider himself Black, according to a Thursday report in The New York Times.
The revelation comes from leaked Columbia admissions data, which surfaced after a cyberattack on the Ivy League university exposed archived applications and internal records.
At the time, Mamdani was a senior in high school. On the application, he also selected “Asian” and handwrote “Ugandan” in a section that allowed applicants to elaborate on their heritage. Although his father teaches at Columbia, Mamdani was ultimately not admitted.
Now 33, Mamdani explained to The Times that his decision to mark multiple categories was an attempt to represent his nuanced personal history, not a strategy to benefit from racial preferences in admissions. “I identify as an American who was born in Africa,” he said, describing the checkboxes as a reflection of his “complex background.”
Back in 2009, Columbia—like many top-tier universities—considered applicants’ race as part of its admissions process. That practice was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2023.
“Even though these boxes are constraining,” Mamdani said, “I wanted my college application to reflect who I was.”
Speaking to the paper, Mamdani said he doesn’t recall ever identifying as Black or African American beyond that specific application.
His family is ethnically Indian. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a Columbia professor whose ancestors have lived in East Africa for generations. Zohran noted that despite the family’s African residence, there was no history of intermarriage with native African populations.
On the campaign trail, Mamdani has emphasized his South Asian roots and Muslim identity. He also highlights his African birthplace. While addressing Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in June, Mamdani said: “I was born in Kampala, Uganda… I was given my middle name, Kwame, by my father, who named me after the first Prime Minister of Ghana.”
During a rally on Wednesday, President Donald Trump referenced Mamdani and issued a pointed warning about his potential policies. “If he interferes with immigration laws ‘we’ll have to arrest him.'”
“Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over them very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump added.
Mamdani, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, brushed off the remarks and accused Trump of attempting to instill fear. “An attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.”
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Alarmed by the policies of President Donald Trump, millions turned out last month for protests around the United States and overseas. Mindful of next year’s 250th anniversary of American independence, organizers called the movement “No Kings.” Had the same kind of rallies been called for in the summer of 1775, the response likely would have been more cautious. “It (‘No Kings’) was probably a minority opinion in July 1775,” says H.W. Brands, a prize-winning scholar and chair of the history department at the University of Texas at Austin. “There was a lot of passion for revolution in New England, but that was different from the rest of the country,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph Ellis. “There were still people who don’t want to drawn into what they feared was an unnecessary war.” This month marks the 250th anniversary — the semiquincentennial — of a document enacted almost exactly a year before the Declaration of Independence: “The Olive Branch Petition,” ratified July 5, 1775 by the Continental Congress. Its primary author was John Dickinson, a Pennsylvanian whose writing skills led some to call him the “Penman of the Revolution,” and would stand as a final, desperate plea to reconcile with Britain. They put forth a pre-revolutionary argument The notion of “No Kings” is a foundation of democracy. But over the first half of 1775 Dickinson and others still hoped that King George III could be reasoned with and would undo the tax hikes and other alleged abuses they blamed on the British Parliament and other officials. Ellis calls it the “Awkward Interval,” when Americans had fought the British in Lexington and Concord and around Bunker Hill, while holding off from a full separation. “Public opinion is changing during this time, but it still would have been premature to issue a declaration of independence,” says Ellis, whose books include “Founding Brothers,” “The Cause” and the upcoming “The Great Contradiction.” The Continental Congress projected unity in its official statements. But privately, like the colonies overall, members differed. Jack Rakove, a professor of history at Stanford University and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Original Meanings,” noted that delegates to Congress ranged from “radicals” such as Samuel Adams who were avid for independence to such “moderates” as Dickinson and New York’s John Jay. The Olive Branch resolution balanced references to “the delusive pretences, fruitless terrors, and unavailing severities” administered by British officials with dutiful tributes to shared ties and to the king’s “royal magnanimity and benevolence.” “(N)otwithstanding the sufferings of your loyal Colonists during the course of this present controversy, our Breasts retain too tender a regard for the Kingdom from which we derive our Origin to request such a Reconciliation as might in any manner be inconsistent with her Dignity or her welfare,” the sometimes obsequious petition reads in part. The American Revolution didn’t arise at a single moment but through years of anguished steps away from the “mother” country — a kind of weaning that at times suggested a coming of age, a young person’s final departure from home. In letters and diaries written in the months before July 1775, American leaders often referred to themselves as children, the British as parents and the conflict a family argument. Edmund Pendleton, a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress, urged “a reconciliation with Our mother Country.” Jay, who would […]
President Donald Trump stunned observers Thursday night by reviving an anti-Jewish slur while taking a victory lap over his newly passed spending bill — then veering into a tirade against congressional Democrats, declaring bluntly, “I hate them.” Speaking before cheering supporters in Des Moines, Trump boasted about pushing through a massive spending package that extends his 2017 tax cuts while slashing Medicaid and SNAP. In private meetings with GOP lawmakers the day before, Trump had reportedly been unaware of nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts buried in the bill. In his rally speech, Trump praised the bill’s elimination of the estate tax, telling the crowd: “No death tax, no estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from — in some cases — a fine banker, in some cases, shylocks and bad people.” The term shylock — drawn from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice — has long been recognized as a deeply antisemitic trope for portraying Jews as greedy, predatory moneylenders. Trump continued, saying these “shylocks and bad people” had “destroyed a lot of families” before pivoting to a scorched-earth attack on Democrats, who unanimously opposed the spending bill. “Not one Democrat voted for us,” Trump fumed. “We’re gonna use it in the campaign that’s coming up, the midterm, because we’ve gotta beat them. But all of the things that we’ve given, and they wouldn’t vote, only because they hate Trump. But I hate them too. You know that? I really do. I hate them. I cannot stand them because I really believe they hate our country.” President Donald Trump says he didn’t know the term “shylock” is considered antisemitic when he used it. “No, I’ve never heard it that way. To me, a shylock is somebody that’s a money lender at high rates. I’ve never heard it that way. You view it differently than me. I’ve never heard that,” Trump said. The Anti-Defamation League, which works to combat antisemitism, said in a statement that the term “evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous. President Trump’s use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible.” Democrat Joe Biden, while vice president, said in 2014 that he had made a “poor choice” of words a day after he used the term in remarks to a legal aid group. Trump’s administration has made cracking down on antisemitism a priority. His administration said it is screening for antisemitic activity when granting immigration benefits and its fight with Harvard University has centered on allegations from the White House that the school has tolerated antisemitism. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is the early favorite in New York City’s general mayoral election, but new polling suggests his lead could crumble if opposition voters rally behind a single rival. The American Pulse survey, released Thursday, shows Mamdani drawing support from 35% of voters, with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo trailing at 29%. Republican Curtis Sliwa garners 16%, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams languishes at 14%. Long-shot independent Jim Walden polls at just 1%. “Mamdani has an early lead and a clear message, but deeper scrutiny may erode enthusiasm among general election voters,” said Dustin Olson, American Pulse’s pollster. “There are warning signs flashing all around.” Mamdani, 33, rocketed to national attention after decisively beating Cuomo in the Democratic primary, 56% to 44%. But a citywide contest could prove a steeper climb, as voters confront his sweeping left-wing proposals — including $9 billion in new taxes on the wealthy and businesses, free buses and child care, government-run grocery stores, and shifting property tax burdens to what he calls “richer and whiter” neighborhoods. His refusal to denounce the antisemitic slogan “Globalize the Intifada” and his support for the BDS movement against Israel could also alienate a broader electorate. Even so, Mamdani may benefit from a fractured field. Cuomo, Adams, and Sliwa could split opposition votes, paving the way for the democratic socialist to win with a plurality. Cuomo, 67, remains under pressure from allies to suspend his general-election bid under the “Fight & Deliver” ballot line after his primary defeat. Civil rights leader Al Sharpton has called on Cuomo to bow out, while unions that backed him in the primary have shifted support to Mamdani or are eyeing Adams. Nevertheless, Cuomo’s campaign sees a path forward, touting the same poll showing him as Mamdani’s strongest opponent. Olson, however, suggested Adams’ campaign is essentially finished, citing stagnant core support: “Mayor Adams’ core support is somewhere between 10% and 13%, so he may not know it yet, but his path is closed,” he explained. Adams, seeking re-election as an Independent on the EndAntiSemitism and Safe&Affordable ballot lines, remains dogged by scandal and dismal favorability ratings — 62% of voters view him unfavorably, compared to 52% for Cuomo. Mamdani’s numbers held steady after voters were reminded of his controversial policy positions, polling at 34.4% to Cuomo’s 29.5%. But when voters were asked more generally if they would vote for Mamdani or “anyone else,” the electorate split, 48% for Mamdani and 46% for “anyone else.” When told of his positions, Mamdani’s support dipped to 44%, with 50% preferring any other candidate. Still, Mamdani maintains a slightly positive favorability rating, 47% favorable to 42% unfavorable — a slim advantage that could prove decisive if his rivals remain divided. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, opposition leader Yair Lapid asserted that the horrific events of October 7, carried out by Hamas, would have been avoided had he remained in charge of the Israeli government.
“If I were Prime Minister, I don’t think something like October 7 would have happened. I would have worked to replace the regime in Gaza. When I was Prime Minister, the border was quiet,” said Lapid.
Lapid used the interview as a chance to deliver a broader appeal to the Arab world, urging regional players to take action against Hamas and emphasizing the importance of humanitarian concern for Gazans.
“This is an opportunity to speak to the Arab world, to anyone with influence – to every Arab country and every country in the region. They must do everything in their power to pressure Hamas to accept the agreement. This is in the interest of Gaza’s residents, Israel’s residents, the hostages, and the entire region,” he stated.
He emphasized that Israel’s military campaign is squarely aimed at Hamas, not at Gaza’s population, and reiterated that the ongoing violence serves no one’s benefit.
“We are fighting Hamas, not the civilians of Gaza. A war in the Gaza Strip benefits no one, and we feel compassion for its residents,” Lapid added.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli forces reportedly staged a prolonged incursion into Syrian territory overnight Friday, according to the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network and Syrian sources. Three IDF helicopters are said to have landed at a facility once tied to the presidential guard of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in the Yafour area, roughly 10 kilometers west of Damascus. The Israeli troops allegedly held their position for nearly five hours before withdrawing. Simultaneously, three IDF armored vehicles reportedly crossed into Syrian territory near the Lebanese border, entering the village of Rakhla under the cover of night. The purpose of the operation remains shrouded in secrecy, but the presence of Israeli forces so close to the Syrian capital — and for such an extended period — marks an extraordinary escalation in Israel’s long-running shadow war against Iranian entrenchment and Hezbollah activity inside Syria. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In a stunning about-face, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is drafting legislation to allow undocumented migrant workers to remain in the United States — a move likely to ignite fierce backlash among immigration hardliners in his own base. Speaking before a rally crowd in Des Moines, Trump said farmers and hospitality businesses cannot afford to lose long-serving undocumented workers and should be given responsibility for overseeing their status. “Farmers know better,” Trump declared. “They work with these people for years. You had cases where people worked 14, 15 years on a farm and got thrown out viciously, and we can’t do it.” Trump, who built much of his political brand on harsh immigration enforcement, told supporters he had ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to halt workplace raids at farms, restaurants, and hotels last month after an outcry from agricultural leaders who warned they were being crippled by labor shortages. “Let the farmers be responsible, and if they don’t do a good job, we’ll throw them… out of the country,” he added. “We’ll let the illegals stay and we’ll throw the farmer… out, okay? Get ready, farmer!” Trump’s remarks came as he turned to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who he credited with raising the issue. “Brooke Rollins brought it up and said, ‘So we have a little problem. The farmers are losing a lot of people,’ and we figured it out,” Trump said. While he acknowledged that the “serious radical right” might be unhappy with his pivot, Trump insisted, “They’ll understand.” In a Truth Social post, Trump repeated his justification, arguing that aggressive deportations were stripping critical industries of essential, long-tenured labor: “Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace.” The plan, still being written, would place the burden of screening for violent criminals on farmers and hospitality employers, according to Trump — a dramatic rethinking of the federal government’s traditional immigration enforcement role. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Israel’s coalition government is weighing a proposed change to one of the state’s most foundational laws — the Law of Return — that would dramatically alter the criteria for who may claim citizenship as a Jew, JTA reports.
The legislation seeks to abolish the clause that currently allows individuals with at least one Jewish grandparent to immigrate to Israel, even if they are not considered Jewish by halacha. Since 1970, that clause has enabled roughly half a million people to move to Israel, but it has also sparked growing internal debate and international concern, particularly among Jewish communities abroad.
The proposed legislation is set to be discussed Sunday by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, a key body that determines whether government support will be granted for a bill’s advancement in the Knesset. If the committee gives the green light, it signals that Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s administration is likely to endorse the law as it moves forward.
Avi Maoz, leader of the right-wing Noam faction and the bill’s sponsor, left the coalition earlier this year, accusing the government of failing to pursue a robust religious-nationalist agenda. On the docket alongside his Law of Return amendment is another controversial Maoz bill that would prohibit the teaching of LGBTQ-related content in Israeli schools.
Maoz and like-minded legislators argue that allowing immigration under the current rules weakens Israel’s Jewish identity.
“In its current form, the Law of Return allows even the grandson of a Jew to receive immigrant status and rights, even if he himself, and sometimes even his parents, are no longer Jewish,” says an explanatory note attached to Maoz’s bill. “This situation means that the law is being exploited by many who have severed all ties with the Jewish people and its traditions, and in effect empties the law of its original intention, which was to open the country’s gates to the Jews of the Diaspora.”
This proposal echoes similar efforts made in the past by other members of the Netanyahu coalition, such as Likud MK Shlomo Karhi, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and far-right legislator Simcha Rothman, all of whom have previously called for ending the “grandparent clause.” Ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition have also long opposed it, viewing it as inconsistent with traditional religious standards.
Backers of the current version of the law argue that it reflects Israel’s purpose as a haven for all those with Jewish roots, including individuals who don’t meet Orthodox standards but still feel a strong sense of Jewish identity. The provision was added in 1970, in part as a response to the Nuremberg Laws, which defined Jews by ancestry and subjected anyone with a single Jewish grandparent to persecution.
Supporters also point out that the clause has been critical in enabling Jewish immigration from the former Soviet Union. Due to decades of religious repression, many immigrants from that region could not prove maternal Jewish lineage, but nevertheless retained a powerful connection to Jewish culture and heritage.
According to traditional Jewish law, a person is only considered Jewish if their mother is Jewish or they undergo a recognized conversion process. Religious political parties in Israel have long pushed to keep the authority over conversions in the hands of Orthodox rabbis.
Stuart Weinblatt, a well-known Conservative rabbi and head of the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition, noted that Jewish communities abroad overwhelmingly support keeping the grandparent clause in place.
“I believe very strongly that issues such as security and borders should be decided by the sovereign democratically elected government of Israel, but there are other issues, which have an impact on Jewish peoplehood, which is worldwide, and it’s important to consider the wider consequences,” Weinblatt said.
He urged lawmakers to view immigrants with partial Jewish ancestry not as a challenge but as an opportunity, encouraging a more inclusive approach rooted in unity rather than exclusion.
“There are people who have this connection to Judaism and the Jewish people, and instead of looking at closing the door, we should be welcoming them back into the fold, capitalizing on their desire to make their future in the homeland of the Jewish people,” he said.
{Matzav.com}
The IDF on Friday announced the death of Sergeant Yair Eliyahou, 19, who was killed during operational activity in the northern Gaza Strip. Sgt. Eliyahou, a resident of Ezer in southern Israel, served as a combat engineer. According to the IDF, he died after his vehicle overturned while participating in the demolition of buildings in a combat zone. The incident occurred when a heavy machinery operator, for reasons still under investigation, struck another vehicle that Eliyahou was operating nearby. Officials said it is not yet clear if the vehicle overturned due to a sharp maneuver, limited visibility, or changes in the terrain. Sgt. Eliyahou was posthumously promoted from Corporal to Sergeant. His death raises the total number of IDF soldiers killed on or since October 7, 2023, to 882, including 438 troops who have fallen since the start of the IDF’s ground operation in Gaza on October 27. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Fourth of July holiday, also known as Independence Day, celebrates the Second Continental Congress’ unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. A year later, according to the Library of Congress, a spontaneous celebration in Philadelphia marked the anniversary of American independence. But observations weren’t commonplace until after the War of 1812, when they quickly took off. Congress was late to the party, finally passing a law making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870. Here’s what is open and closed this year on the Fourth of July: Government buildings Government offices, post offices, courts and schools are closed. Banks and the stock market U.S. stock markets and banks are closed Friday. Most FedEx and UPS pickup and delivery services will also not be available. Retailers Warehouse membership club Costco is closed on July Fourth. Most other major national retailers such as Target and Walmart will be open, with some offering promotional sales to lure customers. Most grocery stores are also open. Hours may vary by location, so check your local store. Travel Millions of Americans are expected to hit the road, taking advantage of the Fourth of July falling on a Friday this year. Spokeswoman Adrienne Woodland said AAA is forecasting that a record 72.2 million Americans will travel domestically between June 28 and July 6, an increase of 1.7 million over last year and 7 million more than in 2019. AAA estimates 61.6 million Americans will drive and 5.8 million travelers will fly. Woodland recommended that anyone traveling over the holiday should consider taking precautions, including a pre-trip inspection of their vehicle to avoid issues such as dead batteries, flat tires and empty gas tanks. (AP)
The Trump administration is deploying 200 Marines to Florida in support of ongoing ICE deportation operations throughout the state, military officials confirmed on Thursday.
The announcement, made by U.S. Northern Command, follows a formal request from the Department of Homeland Security in May for assistance from the armed forces.
According to a statement released by Northern Command, the Marines will assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement with its “interior immigration enforcement mission.”
Officials added that similar deployments are anticipated in other states, including Louisiana and Texas.
Northern Command made clear that the Marines will not be allowed to have any “direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involved in any aspect of the custody chain.”
This latest deployment follows a previous operation in California, where 700 Marines were sent to Los Angeles last month to bolster the National Guard during widespread anti-ICE demonstrations in the city.
California Governor Gavin Newsom denounced the military’s involvement, accusing President Trump of deliberately intensifying the conflict.
Earlier reporting by The New York Times revealed that the Department of Homeland Security had asked for over 20,000 National Guard troops in May to assist in carrying out President Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.
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As Israel braces for a critical reply from Hamas on a long-negotiated ceasefire and hostage deal, reports emerged Friday that President Donald Trump is prepared to personally guarantee efforts to end the Gaza war, in a dramatic bid to bridge final gaps and lock in an agreement ahead of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s high-stakes White House visit next week. According to a Hebrew-language Channel 12 report, Trump is expected to pledge to Hamas that “negotiations over the terms for ending the war will continue even after a temporary ceasefire, and that I will do everything in my power to help the parties reach an agreement on the terms of a permanent ceasefire.” The message, reportedly crafted as part of the so-called Witkoff framework, would offer Hamas a lifeline: if it agrees to release 10 living hostages in two phases, plus 18 bodies of slain captives over three phases within a 60-day truce, the U.S. will remain fully engaged to ensure that talks on a final cessation of hostilities continue. Israel is facing fierce pressure from Washington to finalize a deal before Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump on Monday. Mediators believe a positive answer from Hamas could trigger proximity talks within days in Doha, where negotiators will hammer out the final sticking points — including the pullback of Israeli troops from Gaza during the pause. Israel insists on retaining the option to resume its offensive if negotiations collapse, while Hamas is demanding a guarantee that the fighting will end for good. Trump’s direct involvement is seen as a last-ditch bid to break the impasse. Under the emerging outline, Channel 13 reported, the first exchange would see eight living hostages freed on day one, with staged releases of bodies and two more live captives over the coming weeks. Israel would free Palestinian prisoners and permit more humanitarian aid into the Strip. Senior Israeli officials indicated that a negotiating team is on standby to fly to Qatar at a moment’s notice if Hamas gives the green light, and a full security cabinet vote is scheduled for tomorrow night. Should a deal advance, the ceasefire could even take effect while Netanyahu is in Washington. Meanwhile, political and military leaders are locked in tense deliberations over the order in which hostages would be released, weighing medical and humanitarian considerations. Israeli sources said that details will only be finalized if proximity talks with Hamas begin. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, speaking to Israeli media Thursday, expressed hope that a deal was “a done deal” but made clear Hamas would bear responsibility if it collapsed. “Let’s hope they understand it’s time for this to end,” Huckabee said, adding pointedly that “Hamas has no future in Gaza.” (YWN World Headquarters = NYC)
During a press briefing on Thursday, President Donald Trump was asked whether he still supports the idea of the United States taking control of Gaza, a concept he introduced several months ago. In response, he emphasized concern for the local population, saying, “I want to see the people of Gaza safe, they have been through hell.”
The president also addressed the topic of Iran, expressing a willingness to reengage diplomatically. “Iran does want to speak and I think they’d like to speak to me and it’s time that they do,” Trump said. He made clear that the United States is not seeking confrontation, stating that he hopes Iran can “be a country again,” and remarked, “Iran had been beat up really bad.”
These remarks come as diplomatic efforts intensify around a potential agreement between Israel and Hamas. On Thursday night, media sources in Gaza reported that Hamas had given Qatar a favorable reply regarding the proposed framework for a ceasefire and hostage exchange.
According to these reports, Hamas is expected to release an official announcement in the near future outlining its position on the deal.
Earlier in the day, Reuters cited an Israeli official who said preparations were being made to greenlight a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The official noted that Israel anticipates a formal response from Hamas by Friday. Should that response be affirmative, an Israeli delegation is prepared to engage in indirect negotiations to finalize the arrangement.
Fresh insights into the details of the proposed deal emerged on Wednesday. A report by The New York Times, quoting an Israeli defense official and a source close to Hamas, indicated that the agreement would include the release of ten living hostages along with the repatriation of the remains of eighteen others. Both sources, who were briefed on the plan but not authorized to speak publicly, shared the information on condition of anonymity.
One of the more notable changes in the revised proposal is the pace of the releases. Unlike the previous U.S.-backed plan from May, which called for all hostages to be released by day seven of a truce, the new plan outlines a phased approach spanning five separate rounds over a 60-day period.
In addition, the new terms reportedly contain a clause prohibiting Hamas from staging televised transfer ceremonies for hostages, a controversial practice that took place during the two-month truce earlier this year and drew widespread international criticism.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump campaigned on keeping the United States out of foreign wars, but it didn’t take long to convince him to come to the direct aid of Israel, hitting Iranian nuclear targets with bunker-buster bombs dropped by B-2 stealth bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from a submarine. Beyond the attack’s immediate impact on helping bring the 12-day war to a close, experts say Trump’s decision to use force against another country also will certainly be reverberating in the Asia-Pacific, Washington’s priority theater. “Trump’s strikes on Iran show that he’s not afraid to use military force — this would send a clear message to North Korea, and even to China and Russia, about Trump’s style,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security based in Seoul, South Korea. “Before the strikes, Pyongyang and Beijing might have assumed that Trump is risk averse, particularly based on his behavior his first presidency despite some tough talk,” Kim said. China, North Korea and Russia all condemn US strike Ten days into the war between Israel and Iran, Trump made the risky decision to step in, hitting three nuclear sites with American firepower on June 22 in a bid to destroy the country’s nuclear program at a time while negotiations between Washington and Tehran were still ongoing. The attacks prompted a pro forma Iranian retaliatory strike the following day on a U.S. base in nearby Qatar, which caused no casualties, and both Iran and Israel then agreed to a ceasefire on June 24. North Korea, China and Russia all were quick to condemn the American attack, with Russian President Vladimir Putin calling it “unprovoked aggression,” China’s Foreign Ministry saying it violated international law and “exacerbated tensions in the Middle East,” and North Korea’s Foreign Ministry maintaining it “trampled down the territorial integrity and security interests of a sovereign state.” While the strikes were a clear tactical success, the jury is still out on whether they will have a more broad strategic benefit to Washington’s goals in the Middle East or convince Iran it needs to work harder than ever to develop a nuclear deterrent, possibly pulling the U.S. back into a longer-term conflict. US allies could see attack as positive sign for deterrence If the attack remains a one-off strike, U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific region likely will see the decision to become involved as a positive sign from Trump’s administration, said Euan Graham, a senior defense analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. “The U.S. strike on Iran will be regarded as net plus by Pacific allies if it is seen to reinforce red lines, restore deterrence and is of limited duration, so as not to pull the administration off-course from its stated priorities in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “China will take note that Trump is prepared to use force, at least opportunistically.” In China, many who have seen Trump as having a “no-war mentality” will reassess that in the wake of the attacks, which were partially aimed at forcing Iran’s hand in nuclear program negotiations, said Zhao Minghao, an international relations professor at China’s Fudan University in Shanghai. “The way the U.S. used power with its air attacks against Iran is something China needs to pay attention to,” he said. “How Trump used power to force negotiations has a significance for how China and the U.S. will […]
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