Tag: Middle East

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Trump heckled as he tells Israeli parliament peace deal marks “historic dawn of a new Middle East”

Donald Trump was heckled by left-wing politicians as he told Israel’s parliament the Gaza peace deal marks “the historic dawn of a new Middle East”.

Addressing the Knesset for more than an hour before signing the peace deal in Egypt on Monday afternoon, the US president said: “This is not only the end of a war.

“This is the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope, and of God.

“It’s the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region. I believe that so strongly. This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”

He added: “Against all odds, we have done the impossible, and brought our hostages home.”

The US president entered the Knesset to a two-minute standing ovation, before several members of the US and Israeli negotiating teams had their names read out to cheers and applause.

There was a particularly enthusiastic reaction for America’s envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner who spearheaded the negotiations for the US president.

As Mr Trump heaped praise on Mr Witkoff, saying how he was a “great negotiator because he’s a great guy”, two left-wing Knesset members, Ayman Odeh and Ofer Kassif, heckled the president before being swiftly removed from the chamber.

Mr Trump said he has now stopped eight wars in eight months, claiming his personality “is all about stopping wars” – in reference to Hillary Clinton previously saying he has a personality that’s all about war.

The president called the peace deal, agreed on Thursday, an “incredible triumph” for Israel and the world to have so many nations working together for peace, and said the US joins Israel in “two everlasting vows – never forget, and never again”.

Mr Trump said “generations from now” this moment “will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, and change very much for the better”.

“From Gaza to Iran, those bitter hatreds have delivered nothing but misery, suffering and failure,” he said.

The “total focus” of Gazans must be on restoring the fundamentals of stability, safety, dignity and economic development, he said.

“At last, not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over, and as the dust settles, the smoke fades, the debris is removed and the ashes clear from the air,” he said.

During the lengthy speech, Mr Trump went off script, to much applause, as he called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is accused of corruption.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Trump simply said “yes” when asked by Israeli media if the war with Hamas was over.

In the Knesset gallery, a few people were wearing red hats that said: “Trump, The Peace President.”

Knesset speaker Amir Ohana announced he and US speaker of the house Mike Johnson will “rally speakers and presidents” from around the world to submit a nomination for Mr Trump for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize, to which the president smiled broadly.

Speaking ahead of the president, Mr Netanyahu said Mr Trump is “the greatest friend the state of Israel has had in the White House” and thanked him for the peace deal that returned all the remaining hostages.

He said the agreement “achieves all our objectives” and “opens the door to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond”.

Mr Netanyahu said he is “committed to this peace” as he admitted Israel has paid “a high price for this war”.

“But our enemies now understand just how powerful and just how determined Israel is,” the Israeli PM added.

“They understand that attacking Israel on October 7th was a catastrophic mistake. They understand that Israel is strong and that Israel is here to stay.”

Just before Mr Trump addressed the Knesset, the remaining 20 living hostages – all men – were released by Hamas to Red Cross officials, the Israeli military said.

The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although timings remained unclear.

Palestinians were also awaiting the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel as part of the peace agreement.

The peace deal comes two years after Hamas stormed Israel on October 7 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which the UN deems reliable, and a famine has been declared in parts of the area. (SkyNews)

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Israeli Cabinet approves ‘outline’ of deal to release all remaining hostages held by Hamas

 Israel’s Cabinet early Friday approved President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas, a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has destabilized the Middle East.

A brief statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the Cabinet approved the “outline” of a deal to release the hostages, without mentioning other aspects of the plan that are more controversial.

The broader ceasefire plan included many unanswered questions, such as whether and how Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza. But the sides appeared closer than they have been in months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, brought famine to parts of the territory and left dozens of hostages, living and dead, in Gaza.

The war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

Some 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led assault, and 251 were taken hostage. In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half of the deaths were women and children.

In the hours leading up to the Israeli Cabinet’s vote, Israeli strikes continued. Explosions were seen Thursday in northern Gaza, and a strike on a building in Gaza City killed at least two people and left more than 40 trapped under rubble, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense.

At least 11 dead Palestinians and another 49 who were wounded arrived at hospitals over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

An Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines said Israel was hitting targets that posed a threat to its troops as they reposition. Hamas blasted Israel over the strike, saying Netanyahu was trying to “shuffle the cards and confuse” efforts by mediators to end the war in Gaza.

A senior Hamas official and lead negotiator made a speech Thursday laying out what he says are the core elements of the ceasefire deal: Israel releasing around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, opening the border crossing with Egypt, allowing aid to flow and withdrawing from Gaza.

Khalil al-Hayya said all women and children held in Israeli jails will also be freed. He did not offer details on the extent of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Al-Hayya said the Trump administration and mediators had given assurances that the war is over, and that Hamas and other Palestinian factions will now focus on achieving self-determination and establishing a Palestinian state.

“We declare today that we have reached an agreement to end the war and the aggression against our people,” Al-Hayya said in a televised speech Thursday evening.

In other developments, U.S. officials announced that they would send about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a broader, international team. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not authorized for release.

In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, reactions to the announcement of a ceasefire were relatively muted and often colored by grief.

“I am happy and unhappy. We have lost a lot of people and lost loved ones, friends and family. We lost our homes,” said Mohammad Al-Farra. “Despite our happiness, we cannot help but think of what is to come. … The areas we are going back to, or intending to return to, are uninhabitable.”

In Tel Aviv, families of the remaining hostages popped champagne and cried tears of joy after Trump announced the deal.

In Jerusalem on Thursday, Sharon Canot celebrated with some others.

“We are so excited this morning. We cried all morning,” she said. “It’s been two years that we are in horror.”

Under the terms, Hamas intends to release all living hostages in a matter of days, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of an agreement that has not fully been made public. Some 20 of the 48 hostages still in captivity are believed to be alive.

In a short video posted by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Trump was seen speaking by phone to a group of elated hostage families.

“They are all coming back on Monday,” said Trump, who is expected to visit the region in the coming days.

Tom Fletcher, the U.N. humanitarian chief, told reporters Thursday that officials have 170,000 metric tons of medicine, aid and other supplies at ready for transport into Gaza when they are given a green light.

The deal, which was expected to be signed in Egypt, will include a list of prisoners to be released and maps for the first phase of an Israeli withdrawal to new positions in Gaza, according to two Egyptian officials briefed on the talks, a Hamas official and another official.

Israel will publish the list of the prisoners, and victims of their attacks will have 24 hours to lodge objections.

The withdrawal could start as soon as Thursday evening, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named speaking about the negotiations. The hostage and prisoner releases are expected to begin Monday, the officials from Egypt and Hamas said, though the other official said they could occur as early as Sunday night.

Five border crossings would reopen, including the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the Egyptian and Hamas officials said.

The Trump plan calls for Israel to maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel. An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside Gaza. The U.S. would lead a massive internationally funded reconstruction effort.

The plan also envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority — something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years.

The Trump plan is even more vague about a future Palestinian state, which Netanyahu firmly rejects. (PBS)

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PM killed in Israeli strike, say Yemen’s Huthis

The prime minister of Yemen’s Huthis was killed in an Israeli airstrike along with other officials earlier this week, the Iran-backed rebels announced on Saturday.

Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi, who was appointed last year, is the most senior official known to have been killed in a series of Israeli strikes during the war in Gaza.

“We announce the martyrdom of the fighter Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi… along with several of his ministerial colleagues, as they were targeted by the treacherous Israeli criminal enemy,” a Huthi statement said.

“Others among their companions were injured with moderate to serious wounds and are receiving medical care since Thursday afternoon,” it added.

The Israeli military struck in the area of Sanaa, the Huthi-held capital, on Thursday. The Huthis, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians, have frequently fired missiles and drones at Israel during the Gaza war.

Israeli forces “struck a Huthi terrorist regime military target”, the Israeli military said at the time.

The Huthis have also targeted shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which they claim is linked to Israel during the Gaza war.

The rebel group controls large parts of Yemen, which has been gripped by war since 2014, and is part of Iran’s anti-Israel alliance alongside militant groups across much of the Middle East. (Punch)