DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Israel's Six-Week Drive to Hit Hamas in Rafah and Scale Back War
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +10 min

Gaza's ruling group can keep fighting and is prepared for a long war in Rafah and Gaza, said the official, who requested anonymity. A senior regional security official said Israel believed some Hamas commanders and hostages were in Rafah. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also told lawmakers that Britain and its allies "will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations". Yet for Netanyahu and many other Israeli officials, talk of a two-state solution amounts to a betrayal of the people killed on Oct. 7. "I say clearly to anyone still stuck in October 6: We will never lend a hand to the creation of a Palestinian state," Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar said on social media last month.

Persons: Samia Nakhoul, Jonathan Saul, Humeyra Pamuk, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Avi Melamed, Yoav Gallant, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Biden, Gaza's, hasn't, Israel . Fighting, Khan Younis, Emad Joudat, Gallant, Israel, Yahya Sinwar, Antony Blinken, Washington, David Cameron, Britain haven't, Miki Zohar, Dan Williams, Nidal Al Mughrabi, Andrew Hay, Jeff Mason, Pravin Char Organizations: Humeyra Pamuk DOHA, Reuters, Military, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Israeli, America, . Senior, Palestinian Authority, State Department, Israel, United Nations Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Washington, Qatar, RAFAH, Hamas, Khan, Gaza City, Egypt, Cairo, U.S, Palestinian, Britain, Palestine, Doha, London, Jerusalem

☆ Blinken Sees 'Extraordinary' Opportunity for Israel to Normalise Ties With Neighbors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Humeyra PamukMUNICH (Reuters) -There is "an extraordinary opportunity" in the coming months for Israel to normalise ties with its Arab neighbors, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday, while also emphasizing the need for the creation of a Palestinian state. The top U.S. diplomat said there were genuine efforts led by Arab countries to revitalize the Palestinian Authority so it can be more effecting in representing the Palestinians. "And there's also, I think the imperative, that's more urgent than ever, to proceed to a Palestinian state that also ensures the security of Israel," he added. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesThe Biden administration has been working to secure a mega-deal that will see ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel normalize. The Kingdom and other Arab countries are seeking the creation of a Palestinian state as part of the deal.

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Biden, Jan Harvey Organizations: Palestinian Authority, Security, West Bank Locations: Humeyra Pamuk MUNICH, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Kingdom, Washington

☆ US Reviewing Reports of Civilian Harm by Israel, State Dept Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"We do seek to thoroughly assess reports of civilian harm by authorized recipients of U.S.-provided defense articles around the world," Miller said at a press briefing, adding that a process under the State Department's Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance (CHIRG) was assessing incidents in the current conflict. Israel's ensuing assault on Gaza has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 68,000, according to Gaza health officials. The guidance sets out a process by which State Department officials investigate specific incidents where civilians may have been harmed by U.S. weapons. But a source familiar with the process said the department was looking at least 50 reported incidents of civilian harm. The process is separate from assessments the State Department sometimes undertakes to determine whether atrocities, including crimes against humanity or even genocide, have been committed in a conflict.

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis WASHINGTON, Israel, Matthew Miller, Biden, Miller, Joe Biden, Simon Lewis, Sandra Maler Organizations: State, U.S, State Department's, State Department, Department, Reuters, Washington, Defense Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, Washington

☆ Gaza Ceasefire Hopes Alive With More Talks Planned
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

"Continued military pressure is a necessary condition for the release of the hostages," Netanyahu said. Israel began its military offensive after Hamas militants from Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Netanyahu rejects a Palestinian state, which Saudi Arabia says is a requirement for the kingdom to normalise relations with Israel. But last week Israel said it would expand its campaign into Rafah, where about half the enclave's 2.3 million people are penned against the border with Egypt. On the ground in southern Gaza, residents said Israel stepped up its assault on Rafah in the early hours of Thursday.

Persons: Nidal, Humeyra Pamuk, Antony Blinken, Khalil Al, Hayya, Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken, Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar, Israel, Washington, Khan Younis, Nidal al, Andrew Mills, Bassam Massoud, Cynthia Osterman, Howard Goller Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Israeli, Hamas, NBC News, Israel Democracy Institute, Nakhoul Locations: Humeyra Pamuk DOHA, TEL AVIV, U.S, Qatar, Egypt, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Saudi Arabia, ISRAEL, RAFAH Israel, Gaza's, Rafah, Tel Al, Doha

☆ Top US Diplomat Blinken Arrives in Saudi, First Stop on Mideast Trip
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, his first stop in a wider tour of the Middle East as Washington tries to advance negotiations on a normalization deal between the Kingdom and Israel as well as make progress on talks for the governance of postwar Gaza. The top U.S. diplomat’s fifth trip to the region since Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack comes at a perilous moment and amid retaliatory U.S. strikes on Iran-backed militia across Syria, Iraq and Yemen in response to a drone strike last week in Jordan that killed three American troops and wounded dozens. Blinken is also set to visit Egypt, Qatar and Israel later this week and push to advance the Egyptian- and Qatari-mediated conversations with Hamas to achieve a hostage deal. In Riyadh, Blinken was expected to meet with the Kingdom’s de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as his Saudi counterpart, foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 Images(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Humeyra Pamuk, Doina Chiacu Organizations: WASHINGTON, Washington, Saudi Locations: Saudi Arabia, East, Kingdom, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Riyadh

☆ Some Palestinian Americans Decline Invite to Meet Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Kanishka Singh and Humeyra PamukWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some members of the Palestinian American community who received an invite to meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday declined the invitation over their frustration with Washington's policy toward the conflict and crisis in Gaza. "A meeting of this nature at this moment in time is insulting and performative," a group of Palestinian American community members said in a statement, adding they represented a majority of those invited. Israel launched its offensive in Hamas-governed Gaza following the Palestinian Islamist group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. We will not be attending this discussion which can only amount to a box-ticking exercise," the Palestinian American group said on Thursday, adding it saw Washington as complicit in Israeli actions. A U.S. State Department spokesperson on Thursday told reporters Blinken met with a "number of leaders" from the Palestinian American community, without specifying how many attended.

Persons: Kanishka Singh, Humeyra Pamuk, Antony Blinken, Israel, Joe Biden, Blinken, Stephen Coates Organizations: Palestinian American, U.S, United Nations, ., U.S . State, White, Biden Locations: Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, Gaza, Palestinian, United States, Israel, Washington, U.S, New York City, Los Angeles, Michigan

☆ State Dept Says US Actively Pursuing the Creation of a Palestinian State
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Simon Lewis and Humeyra PamukWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in the region, the State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday. "We are actively pursuing the establishment as an independent Palestinian state, with real security guarantees for Israel, because we do believe that is the best way to bring about lasting peace and security for Israel, for Palestinians and for the region," Miller said. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 ImagesAxios reported earlier on Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had asked the State Department to conduct a review and present policy options on possible U.S. and international recognition of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also told a group of UK lawmakers that the UK government and its allies "will look at the issue of recognizing a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations," the BBC reported on Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at odds with the Biden administration over the creation of an independent Palestinian state, saying at the weekend that he would not compromise on "full Israeli security control of all territory west of the Jordan River".

Persons: Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Matthew Miller, Joe Biden's, Miller, Antony Blinken, David Cameron, . Washington, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Israel, State Department, United, United Nations, BBC, U.S Locations: Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, United States, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Gaza . British, ., Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Davos, Israeli

☆ Exclusive-US Sets up Channel With Israel Seeking Answers on Civilian Casualties
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

The existence of this initiative has not been previously reported and the U.S. officials requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive details around it. The United States set up the process to drive accountability for Israel, one of the officials said. It was not clear what action, if any, Washington would take against Israel as a result of what it learns. The United States provides Israel $3.8 billion in annual military assistance. Israel unleashed its war to eradicate Hamas after militants from Gaza launched a shock incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing around 240 hostages.

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Washington, Biden, Joe Biden's, David Satterfield, Israel, Vedant Patel, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, Reuters, Israeli, U.S, Hamas, Israel, State Department, State Department's, United Nations, Washington, . State Department, Urgent Locations: Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, United States, Israel, Gaza, Washington, U.S, Jerusalem, Ukraine, Sudan, American

☆ US Says It Is Looking Forward to Turkey Finalizing Sweden's NATO Process
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Humeyra PamukWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday welcomed the Turkish parliament's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership bid this week and urged Ankara to formally finalize the process. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told a briefing that Washington was looking forward to Hungary, which has yet to approve Sweden's NATO bid, moving along in the process. Turkey's ratification of Sweden's NATO bid and the U.S. sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey have become linked over the past years. The Biden administration has said it supports the sale but kept urging Ankara to approve Sweden's NATO bid saying Congress might be connecting the two issues. When asked on Wednesday if the State Department would send the formal notification for the jets once Sweden's NATO process is fully formalized, Patel did not commit to a timeline.

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Vedant Patel, Washington, Tayyip, Erdogan, Patel, Biden, Blinken, I'm, Jasper Ward, Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, Alistair Bell Organizations: Wednesday, NATO, State Department, Finland's Locations: Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, United States, Ankara, Hungary, Washington, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, U.S, NATO, Turkey's, Jasper

☆ US Determined to Remain Strong Security Partner for Nigeria -Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said the United States is determined to remain a strong security partner for Nigeria, whose military is backed by the U.S., Britain and other allies in a long war against Islamist insurgents. "The United States is determined to be and remain a strong security partner for Nigeria," Blinken told reporters. Blinken added that he discussed how it is vitally important there be a focus on ensuring civilians are protected and humanitarian considerations. The coup in Niger was one of a series of military takeovers or attempted power grabs that occurred in West and Central Africa over the past three years. So far, about $2 billion of the backlog across sectors such as manufacturing, aviation, and petroleum have been paid, CBN spokesperson Hakama Sidi Ali said in a statement.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Bola Tinubu, Mohamed Bazoum, Hakama Sidi Ali, Chijioke Ohuocha, Felix Onuah, Daphne Psaledakis, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, Ismail Shakil, Mark Porter, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Islamist, European Union, France, Central Bank of Nigeria Locations: ABUJA, WASHINGTON, United States, Nigeria, U.S, Britain, Niger, West, Central Africa, Abuja, Africa, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Angola, Jan, Africa's, Washington

☆ US Relists Houthis as Terrorists in Response to Red Sea Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Officials said the "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT) designation, which hits the Iran-aligned group with harsh sanctions, was aimed at cutting off funding and weapons the Houthis have used to attack or hijack ships in vital Red Sea shipping lanes. The Houthis' campaign has disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. "These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism," said one of three administration officials who briefed reporters ahead of the announcement on condition of anonymity. The U.S. military on Tuesday carried out its latest strike against four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles, two U.S. officials told Reuters. The Houthi militia movement, which says the attacks on commercial ships are aimed at supporting the Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza, has threatened a "strong and effective response."

Persons: Simon Lewis, Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Biden, stoked, Trump, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk, Michael Perry Organizations: Wednesday, Officials, British, Reuters, Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations Locations: Yemen, Washington, Iran, Israel, The U.S, Gaza, Lebanon, U.S, Saudi Arabia

Israel largely captured the northern half of Gaza in November, and since a week-long truce collapsed on Friday they have swiftly pushed deep into the southern half. The Israeli military said the central road out of Khan Younis to the north "constitutes a battlefield" and was now shut. Desperate Gazans in Khan Younis packed their belongings and headed towards Rafah. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Washington expected Israel to avoid attacking areas identified as "no-strike" zones in Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of putting civilians in danger by operating from civilian areas, including in tunnels which can only be destroyed by large bombs.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Stephane Dujarric, Khan Younis, Antonio Guterres, Philippe Lazzarini, Lazzarini, Israel, Gazans, Jake Sullivan, Mohammed Salem, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Maggie Fick, Andrew Mills, Humeyra Pamuk, Stephen Coates, Rosalba O'Brien, Lincoln Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, United Nations, Islamic, State Department, U.S . National, Street, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Israel, Palestinian, Israel's, Gaza, Khan, Khan Younis GAZA, United States, Gaza's, Rafah, Washington, U.S, Jerusalem, Beirut, Doha

[1/2] Israeli soldiers stand in order, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near Israel's border with Gaza, in southern Israel, December 4, 2023. The U.S. official spoke after three days of resumed aerial bombardments of southern Gaza left residents pulling the bodies of children and adults from the rubble. But the U.S. official said reducing military support to Israel would carry major risks. On Friday, Israel's military began posting grid-based maps online ordering Palestinians to leave parts of southern Gaza, directing them towards the Mediterranean coast and Rafah, near the Egyptian border. Residents and journalists on the ground said intense Israeli airstrikes hit southern Gaza on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel's, Biden, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ophir Falk, Seth Binder, Binder, Eylon Levy, Jake Sullivan, Omar Shakir, Humeyra Pamuk, Jonathan Saul, Maggie Fick, James Mackenzie, Steve Holland, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, U.S, Health Ministry, Washington, United, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, East Democracy, Biden, Democratic, Israel, . National, Palestine, Human Rights, Amnesty, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Israel's, Gaza, LONDON, BEIRUT, U.S, United States, East, Gaza City, Rafah, Jerusalem, Washington

President Joe Biden and other senior U.S. officials have warned repeatedly that Israel must act to stop violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, which has increased since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. “We have underscored to the Israeli government the need to do more to hold accountable extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank,” Blinken said. Any Israeli with an existing U.S. visa who was targeted would be notified that their visa was revoked, Miller said. Since a 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state. A senior State Department official said last week the U.S. wants Israel to prosecute individuals responsible for the West Bank violence but had yet to see such a step.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Joe Biden, “, ” Blinken, Washington, Matthew Miller, Miller, Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, Humeyra Pamuk, Rami Ayyub, Doina Chiacu, Franklin Paul, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . State Department, West Bank, State Department, Palestinian Authority, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Washington

☆ U.S. to impose visa bans soon on Israeli extremist settlers for West Bank violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has informed Israel that Washington will impose visa bans in the next few weeks on Israeli extremist settlers engaged in violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, a senior State Department official said. The West Bank, among the territories where Palestinians seek statehood, has experienced a surge of violence in recent months amid expanding Jewish settlements and a nearly decade-old impasse in U.S.-sponsored peacemaking. The United States has repeatedly expressed its concern over the rising violence in the West Bank, saying it must stop. "I have been emphatic with Israel’s leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable. The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank," Biden wrote.

Persons: Joe Biden, Eisenhower, Evelyn Hockstein, Biden, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel hurtled, Eylon Levy, Israel, Washington, Humeyra Pamuk, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, West Bank, State Department, Israeli, The West Bank, United, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Israel, Washington, United States, Gaza, U.S, Israel's

Media affiliated to Hamas said explosions and gunfire could be head in the northern part of the Gaza Strip ahead of the truce deadline. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report and there was no immediate comment from Israel or Hamas. Mark Regev, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel was open to continuing the ceasefire if Hamas committed to further hostage releases. Israel had previously set the release of 10 hostages a day as the minimum it would accept to pause its assault. [1/5]A helicopter carrying hostages released amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel arrives at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv district, Israel, December 1, 2023.

Persons: Israel's Kan, Israel, Mark Regev, Benjamin Netanyahu, we're, Athit, Qatar's, Abdullah Al Sulaiti, I've, Mia Schem, Schem, Aisha al, BLINKEN, Jordan's King Abdullah, U.N, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Netanyahu, Nidal al, Mohammed Salem, Humeyra Pamuk, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Andrew Mills, Cynthia Osterman, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Gaza Hamas, Hamas, Media, Street, CNN, United Nations, Sheba Medical, REUTERS, Reuters, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Gaza GAZA, TEL AVIV, Qatari, Palestinian, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv district, ISRAEL, Amman, United States, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Jerusalem, Doha

According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020. He declined to offer details when asked whether those plans had been raised with international partners, including Arab states. A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said Israel had "floated" the buffer zone idea without saying to whom. The regional sources compared the Gaza buffer zone plan to the "security zone" Israel once had in south Lebanon. "The buffer zone could make (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's forces a target also in the zone," he said.

Persons: Ronen, Israel, Abu Dhabi, Ophir Falk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Lebanon's, it's, Mohammad Dahlan, Benjamin, Netanyahu's, Samia Nakhoul, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Jonathan Saul, Dan Williams, Aidan Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Edmund Blair, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Saudi, Reuters, U.S, Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Palestinian Fatah, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Gaza Israel, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, U.S, DUBAI, CAIRO, LONDON, Israel, Riyadh, Arab Turkey, Qatar, Qatari, Turkish, Palestinian, Cairo, Lebanon, PLO, Dubai, London, Jerusalem, Washington

"Hell on Earth has returned to Gaza," said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office in Geneva. Israeli assaults since have laid waste much of Gaza, which Hamas has ruled since 2007. Sirens blared across southern Israel as militants fired rockets from the coastal enclave into towns. U.S. AND HAMAS TRADE ACCUSATIONSThe United States blamed Hamas for the renewed fighting, saying it had failed to produce a new list of hostages to release. The United States is working on a plan with Israel to minimize harm to civilians in any military operation in southern Gaza, a senior U.S. official said.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Jens Laerke, Martin Griffiths, Israel, Antony Blinken, Mark Warner, Washington, Crescent, Gazans, Khan, Mohammed Abu, Suhaib, Nidal, Mohammed Salem, Humeyra Pamuk, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Andrew Mills, David Brunnstrom, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Hamas, Tel, Hezbollah, Reuters, Democratic U.S, Senate Intelligence, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, GAZA, Geneva, QATAR, Qatar, Radwan, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, Iran, Lebanese, States, Jerusalem, Washington, United States, Israeli, Rafah, Egypt, U.S, Khan Younis, Khan, Suhaib Salem, Cairo, Doha

☆ Blinken says truce between Israel, Hamas is producing results
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks from his airplane upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on November 30, 2023. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTEL AVIV, Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said a temporary truce between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas had produced results and the United States hoped it would continue. The truce has brought the first respite to Gaza in seven weeks during which Israel bombed the territory heavily in response to the Oct. 7 rampage. "I look forward to detailed conversations with the government of Israel about the way ahead in Gaza," Blinken said. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken disembarks, SAUL LOEB, Antony Blinken, Isaac Herzog, Blinken, Washington, Israel, Herzog, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Mahmoud Abbas, Washington's, Humeyra Pamuk, Ali Sawafta, Howard Goller Organizations: Ben Gurion, REUTERS Acquire, Hamas, U.S, Israel, West Bank, Health, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, Palestinian, United States, Gaza, Jerusalem, The U.S, Ramallah

[1/3] Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov disembarks from a plane upon his arrival at an airport ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Skopje, North Macedonia, November 30, 2023. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told reporters on Wednesday in Brussels where he attended a NATO meeting. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he understood unease about Lavrov attending the meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia. But he said it was a chance for Lavrov to hear broad condemnation of Russia's war in Ukraine. I think that is simply wrong," said Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov disembarks, Russia's Sergei Lavrov, Margus Tsahkna, Lavrov, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Dimitar Kovacevski, OSCE Michael Carpenter, Antony Blinken, Helga Schmid, Krisjanis Karins, Humeyra Pamuk, Aleksandar Vasovic, Ronald Popeski, Francois Murphy, William Maclean, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Organisation for Security, Cooperation, Russian Foreign Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Organization for Security, Baltic, OSCE, Soviet, NATO, Tass, Russian, North Macedonia's, Kremlin, AS, Ukraine, United, U.S, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: Europe, Skopje, North Macedonia, BRUSSELS, VIENNA, Ukraine, U.S, Russia, Estonian, Brussels, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Belarus, United States, Moscow, West, New York, Latvian

☆ OSCE Meeting Causes Rift Over Whether to Share Stage With Russia's Lavrov
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The United States and its allies are seeking to simultaneously keep the OSCE alive and hold Russia to account over its invasion of Ukraine. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told reporters at a meeting with his counterparts from other NATO member states. Estonia had been due to take over the annually rotating OSCE chairmanship but Russia spent months blocking it. A last-minute deal for neutral Malta to take over the chairmanship must also be formally approved at Thursday and Friday's OSCE meeting in Skopje, hosted by the current chair North Macedonia. I think that is simply wrong," Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins told reporters at the NATO meeting.

Persons: Andrew Gray, Francois Murphy, Ingrid Melander, Russia's Sergei Lavrov, Margus Tsahkna, Lavrov, Tsahkna, OSCE Michael Carpenter, Antony Blinken, Vladimir Putin, Helga Schmid, Krisjanis Karins, Humeyra Pamuk, William Maclean Organizations: Organization, Security, Cooperation, OSCE, Central Asia, Ukrainian Foreign, AS, United, U.S, Macedonian, United Nations General Assembly, NATO Locations: Ingrid Melander BRUSSELS, VIENNA, Baltic, Ukraine, Russia, Balkans, Central, United States, Estonian, Estonia, Malta, Skopje, Macedonia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moscow, West, New York, Latvian

☆ US top diplomat Blinken visits Israel to discuss Gaza truce, aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks from his airplane upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on November 30, 2023. Washington's top diplomat is also expected to discuss Israel's looming offensive into southern Gaza. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza. On Wednesday, 16 more hostages were released by Hamas on the final day of a two-day truce extension. Following Israel, Blinken will visit the United Arab Emirates to attend a regional meeting and attend the U.N. COP28 climate summit.

Persons: Antony Blinken disembarks, SAUL LOEB, Antony Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Washington's, Israel, we’ll, Blinken, Humeyra Pamuk, Ali Sawafta, Rami Ayyub, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Ben Gurion, REUTERS Acquire, West Bank, U.S, Israel, Health, United, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, Gaza, The U.S, Brussels, U.S, United Arab Emirates, Ramallah

☆ Putin won't make peace in Ukraine before 2024 US election -US official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Residents watch tank cars set ablaze following recent shelling at a railway junction in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, October 31, 2023. Trump, who is seeking reelection in 2024 and is the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has been sharply critical of U.S. support for Kyiv. A senior official briefing reporters after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels said the alliance reiterated its support for Ukraine knowing that a peace agreement in the next year is unlikely. "My expectation is that Putin won't make a peace or a meaningful peace before he sees the result of our election," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the outcomes of the meeting. "That was the context in which the allies all expressed strong support for Ukraine" in the NATO meeting on Tuesday, the official added, without mentioning Trump by name or explicitly saying how the election result would affect support for Ukraine.

Persons: Stringer, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Trump, Putin, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . State Department, Kyiv, Republican, ., NATO, Trump, Democrat, Representatives, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Rights BRUSSELS, U.S, Brussels, Kyiv

☆ Blinken to visit Israel, West Bank, UAE this week to continue Gaza diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Blinken will travel to Belgium, North Macedonia, Israel, the West Bank, and the UAE from Monday to Saturday, the department said in a statement. Blinken will discuss what Washington wants to see in Gaza if Israel is able to eliminate Hamas, a State Department official said earlier. Blinken will also discuss the need for an independent Palestinian state as well as attend the UN COP28 climate summit in Dubai, according to the State Department. Some hostages have been freed in recent days in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel in a deal mediated by Qatar and Egypt and agreed by Israel, Hamas and the United States. The top U.S. diplomat "will also discuss the principles he outlined in Tokyo on November 8, (and) tangible steps to further the creation of a future Palestinian state," the State Department said.

Persons: Antony Blinken disembarks, SAUL LOEB, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, Kanishka Singh, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Brussels, NATO, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, West Bank, United, U.S . State Department, UAE, State Department, Hamas, Organization for Security, Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Washington, Gaza, North Macedonia, Dubai, Qatar, Egypt, United States, Japan, Tokyo, Europe, Skopje

"The released hostages are on their way to hospitals in Israel, where they will re-unite with their families," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. Israel released 39 Palestinians - six women and 33 minors - from two prisons, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said. Saturday's swap follows the previous day's initial release of 13 Israeli hostages, including children and the elderly, by Hamas in return for the release of 39 Palestinian women and young people from Israeli prisons. On Friday Hamas also released a Philippine national and 10 Thai farm workers. Israel has said the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continued to release at least 10 hostages a day.

Persons: Israel, WAFA, Srettha Thavisin, Thais, Thongkoon Onkaew, Natthaporn Onkaew, Joe Biden, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al, Osama Hamdan, Majed Al, Ansari, Maya Regev, Emily Hand, Hila Rotem, Emily, Raya Rotem, Shorouk Dwayyat, Emily Rose, Bassam Masoud, James Mackenzie, Maayan Lubell, Emma Farge, Aidan Lewis, Adam Makary, Nidal, Moaz Abd, Ali Sawafta, Sybille de La Hamaide, Jeff Mason, Humeyra Pamuk, Leslie Adler, Clarence Fernandez, William Mallard Organizations: Sunday, International Committee, Israel Defense Forces, West Bank, Hamas, Reuters, Brigades, IDF, United Nations, CNN, Al, Thomson Locations: Israel Egypt, Qatar, West Bank GAZA, JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Palestinian, Rafah, Al, Bireh, Ramallah, Philippine, U.S, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Al Jazeera, Nantucket , Massachusetts

Search resuls for: "Humeyra Pamuk"

25 mentions found