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☆ Blinken to travel to Saudi Arabia amid stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia next week to meet with regional partners as talks between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked, the State Department announced Saturday. Hamas said Saturday it had received a response from Israel over its position on the ceasefire talks. “The movement will study this proposal, and upon completion of its study, it will submit its response,” it said in a statement. Blinken’s trip, set for Monday and Tuesday, comes after he met with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month in Jeddah to discuss efforts to release the hostages held by Hamas. CNN’s Simone McCarthy, Jeremy Diamond, Eugenia Yosef, Alex Marquardt and Mostafa Salem contributed to this report.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Matthew Miller, ”, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ” Blinken, Kylie Atwood, there’s, CNN’s Simone McCarthy, Jeremy Diamond, Eugenia Yosef, Alex Marquardt, Mostafa Salem Organizations: CNN, State Department, ”, Israel, Saudi Arabian Crown Locations: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Egypt, Jeddah, American

CNN —An Egyptian delegation is in Israel in an effort to advance stalled negotiations aimed at releasing hostages and implementing a ceasefire in Gaza, Egyptian and Israeli officials told CNN on Friday. The delegation is also set to continue discussions with Israeli officials on security coordination around a potential Israeli operation in Rafah, another Israeli official said. Despite months of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel have failed to reach an agreement over differences on key demands. Abed Rahim Khatib/picture-alliance/dpa/APAnother sticking point in the negotiations is the number of Israeli hostages set for release in the first phase of the agreement. A senior Hamas official criticized the statement as a show of “ironic international politics” and called for the signatory countries to put pressure on Israel to accept a deal.

Persons: Al Jazeera, Khalil Al, Hayya, –, Israel –, “, ”, Abed Rahim Khatib, Basem Naim, Hersh Goldberg, Polin, ” Goldberg, ” Matthew Hollingworth Organizations: CNN, US, UN, Al, Hamas, Food Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Qatar, United States, Tel Aviv

Sitting together last month, Graham and MBS spoke with Trump for roughly five minutes, two people familiar with the call told CNN. The call encapsulates how Trump looms over an agreement that US, Israeli and Saudi officials all see as vital to achieving lasting stability in the Middle East. Graham informed Biden officials of the call between MBS and Trump and says they understand why he wants to keep Trump in the loop. With the election looming and the region engulfed by turmoil over Israel’s war in Gaza, the window of opportunity is rapidly shrinking, people involved in the negotiations told CNN. “I think President Trump understands this is building on what he did,” Graham told CNN.

Persons: South Carolina Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham, Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, — Donald Trump, Graham, Joe Biden, Salman, Biden’s, Trump, Abraham, Biden, Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Evan Vucci, ”, ” Trump, “ They’re, That’s, “, ” Graham, Jamal Khashoggi, Sen, X.com Graham, Bibi Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Jake Sullivan, Amos Hochstein, Antony Blinken, Jake, ” CNN’s Alex Marquardt Organizations: CNN, South Carolina Republican, Biden Administration, Trump, Saudi, Abraham Accords, Saudi Crown, White, MBS, New York Times, Biden, Republican, Graham, Saudi Press Agency, Israel, President’s National, US Locations: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Saudi, Palestine, Bahrain, UAE, Washington, Gaza, Riyadh, NATO, Palestinian

☆ New US military aid package to Ukraine expected to be worth around $1 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration is preparing a new aid package for Ukraine that is expected to be worth around $1 billion, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN, and is set to be approved by President Joe Biden after the Senate passes a new foreign aid funding bill as soon as Tuesday afternoon. In briefings to Congress in recent weeks, administration officials have indicated that the US will likely send Ukraine long-range ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile Systems, for the first time as part of the new aid package, three of the sources said. Ukrainian officials have been asking the US both in private and in public for the long-range missile to target deeper behind Russian lines. Broadly, Russia has maintained a “significant quantitative advantage” over Ukraine in terms of munitions, manpower and equipment, a NATO official said earlier this month. The military aid will be sourced from the US’ own stockpiles through a funding mechanism known as presidential drawdown authority, or PDA, and will be the first PDA package for Ukraine since March.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Joe Biden, Bill Burns, Chris Cavoli, Sen, Mark Warner, we’ve, ” Warner, Bradley, ” Celeste Wallander Organizations: CNN, Senate, Army Tactical Missile Systems, US, CIA, NATO, Senate Intelligence, CBS, Pentagon, White, Command Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, Russia

☆ Sketches from US animation studios found on North Korean computer server
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The revelation comes from a trove of documents recently discovered by US researchers inside a computer server housed in North Korea. Logs from the North Korean computer server showed multiple visits from internet connections in northeast China, the US cybersecurity firm Mandiant told CNN. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects an artillery firing drill of the Korean People's Army on March 7, 2024. Barnhart, the Mandiant researcher, said any company that hires a North Korean IT worker runs the risk of being targeted by North Korean hackers because of the close relationship between the two. Heinz Insu Fenkl, an expert in North Korean comics, said that animation and comics have been prominent in North Korean society since the country’s founding in 1948.

Persons: “, Nick Roy, Roy, Mandiant, Michael Barnhart, ”, Max ., Hannah Cosgrove, ” Cosgrove, Max, Lion Forge, Martyn Williams, Williams, ” Williams, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Barnhart, ” Barnhart, CNN wouldn’t, Heinz Insu Fenkl, ” Fenkl, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Mike Conte Organizations: CNN, North, US, Amazon Prime, Max, Warner Bros ., Korean, Stimson, FBI, Treasury, North Korean, Entertainment, Amazon, ”, Skybound, YouNeek Studios, Forge Entertainment, Lion Forge Entertainment, South Korean, South, US Treasury Department, Treasury Department, Korean People's Army, State, United Nations, North Korean Embassy Locations: North Korea, Korean, Boston, Washington, State, North Korean, China, CNN , California, Maryland, South Korea, Koreans, Pyongyang, Korea, California, New York, London, cybercrime

☆ China's latest supersonic spy drone looks a lot like the Lockheed D-21 that crashed there in 1971
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The aircraft, shaped like a dart and painted black, was a D-21 supersonic reconnaissance drone. Ultimately unsuccessful, the drone would be relegated to the annals of aviation history if not for the appearance of a strikingly similar Chinese drone unveiled at a recent military parade. AdvertisementThis is what we know about the high-flying Chinese spy drone and the D-21 upon which it could be based. High altitude, high speedLockheed's solution was to create an unmanned high-altitude high-speed reconnaissance aircraft with similar capabilities as the A-12, but much smaller. A WZ-8 reconnaissance drone is on display at the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition on September 28, 2021 in Zhuhai, China.

Persons: —, Francis Gary Powers, Dwight Eisenhower, Marquardt, Bill, Ray Torrick, Chen Xiao, Benjamin Brimelow Organizations: Service, Air Force, 4200th Support Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Business, Lockheed Corporation, Soviet, White House, CIA, Central Intelligence Agency, Lockheed's, Works, Redesignated, Navy, US Air Force, Chinese Aviation Museum, Davis, Monthan Air Force Base, 13th China International Aviation, Aerospace, US National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, 29th Air Regiment, People's Liberation Army Air Force's 10th Bomber, Global Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, Diplomacy, Modern, Institute Locations: Guam, China, Soviet Union, Soviet, Yunnan, Beijing, Tucson , Arizona, United States, Zhuhai, People's Republic of China, Liuan, Korean, Taiwan, Pacific, West

The World Food Programme (WFP) will support distribution of aid from the pier following weeks of diplomatic wrangling, the organization said Saturday. The US role in the effort has been complex, with the military carrying out a high-stakes construction mission in a warzone and diplomats helping to organize a dangerous and highly politicized aid distribution operation. US military and commercial ships will be able to transport aid to the US military pier, a defense official said, but only the US military will be allowed access to the causeway. “Everyone is wary of being too close to the IDF” for both security and political reasons, one humanitarian official told CNN. Fogbow is willing to use the US military pier to get aid onto shore, the sources said, but also won’t need to use it in order to carry out its operations.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, CNN –, ”, Joe Biden, “, Bashar al Masri, Masri, Scott Paul, ” Paul, Kerem Shalom, ” Fogbow, Cameron Hume, Fogbow, Paul Organizations: CNN, UN, Food Programme, US, Israel Defense Forces, WFP, United Nations, Food, Palestinian, Palestine Development, Investment Company, IDF, Oxfam, Maritime Humanitarian Aid Foundation, Qatari, Fogbow Locations: Gaza, American, Israel, Cyprus, Israel’s, Palestinian, Rafah, Kerem, Geneva, Algeria, South Africa, Indonesia, Qatar, Gaza’s

☆ Washington wrestles with ‘new equation’ of direct attacks between Iran and Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Throughout the week, US officials had urged Israel not to retaliate for Iran’s unprecedented attack five days prior, when hundreds of missiles and drones were fired from inside Iran at Israel. US intelligence has long assessed that neither Iran nor Israel has any appetite for an outright war. Iranian officials have stated publicly that Iran’s policy toward Israel has changed. Then, on April 1, an Israeli strike on what Iran claims was an embassy in Syria killed seven officials, including two senior Iranian commanders. “Israel and Iran are going to be starting higher on the escalatory ladder for every future moment of conflict and that is incredibly dangerous,” said Panikoff.

Persons: Biden, ”, Hossein, Israel’s, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Israel, Bill Burns, George W, “, Frank McKenzie, ” McKenzie, Maher Al Mounes, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Jonathan Panikoff, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Karim Sadjadpour, Qassem Soleimani, Iran —, Iran messaged, Donald Trump, stridently, —, McKenzie Organizations: CNN, Israel, Iran, US, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, CIA, Bush Presidential Center, Iranian, US Central Command, Getty, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iran’s, Carnegie Endowmernt Locations: Washington, Israel, Iran, Tehran, ” Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Dallas, Syria, Syria's, Damascus, AFP, Lebanese, Iran’s, Iraq

☆ Biden administration officials believe Netanyahu’s claim a Rafah invasion date has been set is bluster
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Mj Lee | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Biden administration is dismissing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pronouncement that a date has been set for a ground offensive into Rafah as bluster that is in no small part fueled by the Israeli prime minister’s tenuous political standing at home, senior administration officials told CNN. Privately, multiple senior administration officials chalked up Netanyahu’s pronouncement – which was followed Tuesday by a declaration that that“no force in the world” will stop Israeli troops from entering Rafah – to bravado. Israeli officials argue that four Hamas battalions remain in Rafah that must be taken out. Israeli officials did not provide comprehensive answers to the questions in the meeting, the sources said. Hamas would rebuild from the remaining battalions there, the officials told their US counterparts.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu’s, Israel, chalked, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, ”, Joe Biden’s, Jake Sullivan, Defense Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, –, ” Biden, Ron Dermer, Tzachi Hanegbi, Blinken, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Biden, Defense, “, Israel Defense Forces, US Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Washington

☆ CIA director presented new proposal for Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli officials, along with Burns, were in Cairo over the weekend for the negotiations. So far, Israel has rejected the Hamas demands an unrestricted return of Gazans to the north and the redeployment of IDF troops away from central Gaza. Israel has insisted on inspections of Palestinians moving north, a diplomat familiar with the talks told CNN. Mediators have been trying for months to seal an agreement between Hamas and Israel for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Ansari said mediators are waiting for replies from Hamas and Israel over proposals from different parties, including the United States.

Persons: Bill Burns, Burns, Cairo “, Benjamin Netanyahu, he’d, ” Netanyahu, “, Majed Al, Ansari, hasn’t, ” Ansari Organizations: CNN, CIA, Israel, Egypt’s Intelligence Service, US, “, Hamas, BBC Locations: Israel, Gaza, Cairo, Egypt, Rafah, United States

“Continuing his tradition of honoring the Muslim community during Ramadan, President Biden will host a meeting with Muslim community leaders to discuss issues of importance to the community,” a White House official said. Vice President Kamala Harris, senior Muslim administration officials, senior members of Biden’s national security team and fewer than a dozen invited guests are expected to attend the meeting, per a senior administration official. White House officials have held several meetings with prominent Arab American and Muslim leaders in various cities. Last month, senior White House officials met with Arab, Muslim and Palestinian American community leaders in Chicago. Tom Perez, the White House director of intergovernmental affairs, and Steve Benjamin, director of public engagement, participated in the meeting, among others.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ”, “, Eid, Kamala Harris, Ramadan, Tom Perez, Steve Benjamin Organizations: Washington CNN, White, CNN, “, White House, American, Democratic Locations: Israel, Gaza, Northern Gaza, ”, White, Palestinian American, Chicago, Michigan

☆ Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks are ‘stuck but ongoing,’ sources tell CNN
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Talks over a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas have reached another stalemate but are not over, according to three people familiar with the negotiations. Burns put forward a proposal that was accepted by Israel and sent back to Hamas, the second person and an Israeli official told CNN. “The negotiations are not only centric around the prisoner exchange deal,” Hamas senior official Basem Naeim told CNN on Monday. Those releases would take place during the first phase of a ceasefire, which would be expected to last around six weeks. The senior US officials and Gallant did not reach any agreements on how Israel will move forward with an operation in Rafah in southern Gaza, US and Israeli officials told CNN.

Persons: “, ”, Bill Burns, Burns, Israel, David Barnea, Basem Naeim, “ Israel, Amir Levy, Yahya Sinwar, Matthew Miller, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, William Burns, Anna Moneymaker, ” Miller, Biden, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: Hamas, CIA, Doha, Qatari, CNN, Hamas didn’t, National Security, United Nations Security, Central Intelligence Agency, House Intelligence, Cannon, US, Biden Locations: Gaza, Israel, Doha, Qatar, Tel Aviv, Washington , DC, Rafah, Washington, US

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has agreed to reschedule a planned meeting with US and Israeli officials to discuss a possible operation in Rafah, the White House confirmed Wednesday, just days after Netanyahu canceled the delegation. “The Prime Minister’s Office has agreed to reschedule the meeting dedicated to Rafah,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. During Wednesday’s briefing, the press secretary declined to say when the administration is hoping to reschedule the meeting, but emphasized it’s an “urgent” priority. Netanyahu canceled the delegation’s planned trip this week over objections to the US abstaining from a UN Security Council vote calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. An Israeli official told CNN they are in the process of rescheduling the visit to DC to hear US ideas for how to target Hamas in Rafah.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, Karine Jean, Pierre said, we’re, Jake Sullivan, Tony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Bill Burns, ”, CNN’s Jennifer Hansler Organizations: White House, CNN, UN Security, US Locations: Rafah, Gaza, “ Rafah

☆ Israel defense minister’s meeting with Lloyd Austin comes at a delicate moment in push for US weaponry
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Gallant will be told that the various cases of weapons sales are being worked on, a senior administration official told CNN. “There is scrutiny, but no policy decision to deny” the provision of additional weapons to Israel, the official told CNN. But the defense secretary’s position on providing weapons to Israel has not shifted much since the war began, officials said. “If there is one, that would be something we would want to hear,” said the senior administration official who added that consequences for ignoring US urgings are increasingly being considered. Austin also told Gallant last week that Israel needs “to consider alternatives to a major ground operation in Rafah,” according to a Pentagon readout of their call.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Lloyd Austin, Gallant, —, Joe Biden’s, Austin, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, We’re, John Kirby, Israel, “, Patrick Ryder, ”, ” Gallant, Biden, Netanyahu, ” Kirby, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, ” CNN’s Oren Liebermann Organizations: US, Israel, Pentagon, UN, ” National Security, CNN, Austin, Israel Defense Forces, Foreign, State Department, Congress, Democratic Locations: Gaza, Israeli, Washington, Rafah, Israel, Lebanon, ”

The reason for the reports of a deteriorating service in Ukraine are unclear, and Starlink, SpaceX and Musk declined to comment. Even with the Starlink devices that are firmly in the Ukrainian military’s control, there is a concern among Ukrainian officials that Russians may hijack their communications or hack them. Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service claimed last year that Russian military hackers were trying to steal battlefield communications sent from Ukrainian soldiers’ mobile devices to Starlink terminals. She promised 30 at a later date, and also posted images of a stack of 20 apparent donated Starlink units. Ukrainian units have also been posting footage of multiple drone strikes against Russian trenches where Starlink terminals have been spotted.

Persons: Elon Musk, SpaceX, Misha, “, ”, John Moore, Anton, Oleg Kutkov, Jeff Jurgensen, Musk, Starlink, crowdfunders, Katya Valya, CedarWoods Organizations: CNN, Elon, SpaceX, 65th Mechanised Brigade, Russian, Pentagon, Ukraine, CedarWoods Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine, Donbas, “, Kyiv, Poland, Russia, Moscow

☆ Israel slams Hamas’ latest Gaza ceasefire proposal as ‘ridiculous’ but says it will send negotiators to latest talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The response from Hamas was long-awaited after discussions over a proposed six-week pause in the fighting appeared to stall. Hamas communicated their latest proposal via mediators Qatar and Egypt on Thursday, two sources familiar with the negotiations told CNN. On Friday, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Hamas is continuing to hold to unrealistic demands” but announced that an Israeli team would soon be traveling to Doha to further talks. The Hamas proposal included 100 prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli prisons, the diplomat said. Even if both Hamas and Israel are participating in the talks, the two sides would not be in the same room.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ”, Antony Blinken, Israel, ” Blinken, Bill Burns, David Barnea, John Kirby, we’ve, ” Kirby, CNN’s MJ Lee, Ireland’s, Biden nodded, ” Basem Naim, CNN’s Amir Tal, MJ Lee, Betsy Klein, Abeer Salman Organizations: CNN, Qatar, Hamas, Reuters, CIA, Biden, National Security, White House Locations: CNN — Israel, Gaza, Israel, Egypt, Israeli, Doha, Rafah, Qatar, Jordan

☆ Senior Hamas official says he ‘cannot reassure anyone’ that hostages in Gaza are safe
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | Abeer Salman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

During the interview, Naim rejected defining Hamas’ attacks as terrorism, falsely claiming that his organization does not target civilians. Hamas has denied international organizations any access to those hostages still in captivity to assess their wellbeing. While Naim denied the allegations of sexual violence, he said Hamas was unable to account for the wellbeing of the hostages because of the continued bombardment of Gaza. In recent weeks, many civilians in Gaza have increasingly blamed Hamas for the mounting starvation. This year, it comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza, Israeli crackdowns on Palestinian militant groups in the occupied West Bank and Hamas’ calls for more attacks.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, “, ”, Basem Naim, Naim, Israel, Pramila Patten, ” Naim, hasn’t, ” Patten’s, Netanyahu’s, West Bank “, Ramadan, CNN’s Alex Marquardt Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, CNN, United, Hamas, Israel, United Nations, UN, Hamas ’, Reuters, “, Gaza, West Bank Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, United Nations, Istanbul, Turkey, Israel, Hamas, Doha, Qatar, Aqsa

☆ US not anticipating Israeli forces to enter Rafah at the start of Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Mj Lee | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration is not anticipating that Israeli forces will imminently expand their military operations into Rafah, two US officials told CNN, with the holy month of Ramadan set to begin Monday for most Muslims. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that regardless of a deal, he plans to send the military into Rafah. “Once we begin the intense action of eradicating the Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah, it’s a matter of weeks, if not months. Families are already living with severe shortages of food, water, medicine and shelter, and the daily risk of being killed. CIA Director Bill Burns, who has led US efforts, was back in the Middle East last week meeting with Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli counterparts.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Benny Gantz, Ramadan, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ We’ll, We’re, ” Netanyahu, Axel Springer, “, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Netanyahu, ”, Bill Burns, –, John Kirby, CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey, Michelle Shen Organizations: CNN, Hamas, MSNBC, Politico, United Nations, CIA, Biden White, National Security, House Locations: Rafah, Washington, Gaza, “, it’s, Israel

Ryder also said the construction of the pier and causeway will likely require as many as 1,000 US military personnel to complete. The initiative will aim to augment a maritime corridor that the US, the European Commission, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, and the UK, have been working to open to deliver assistance directly. The pier will allow ships to offload aid, which will then be transported across a causeway into Gaza that will also be constructed by the US military, officials said. “We are committed to supporting the maritime corridor which is planned by Fogbow,” the official said. The US president and vice president each said Israel had “no excuses” not to ramp up the aid allowed into Gaza.

Persons: Patrick Ryder, Ryder, Biden, Joe Biden, Sigrid Kaag, “ We’re, ” Ryder, Fogbow, “ I’m, ” Biden, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ” Kaag, ” Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, European Commission, United Arab, US, United Nations, United States Air Force, UN, Navy, Army, military’s, 7th Transportation Brigade Expeditionary, Base Langley, USAID, CIA, Blue, Qatari, European Union, Administration, “ Locations: Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, United, Base Langley Eustis, Virginia, American, Qatar, Israel

☆ Russian oligarch went to Moscow in effort to broker complex prisoner exchange that included Navalny, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Sebastian Shukla | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —A multi-country prisoner exchange that might have freed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was being discussed and progressing when he died last month, multiple sources have told CNN, and included the direct involvement of a Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich. However, a source close to Navalny’s team told CNN that on the evening of February 15 they had received word that a message had been delivered to Putin. Clinton “initially passed on the message” to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Grozev told CNN. “We had to find a way to package the German asset [Krasikov] into an American negotiation,” the source close to the Navalny team said. Getting the message to Putin was one of the greatest challenges, the individual close to the Navalny team told CNN.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Roman Abramovich, Navalny, Abramovich, Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Maria Pevchikh, “, ”, Dmitry Peskov, it’s, Christo Grozev, Clinton, Grozev, Biden, Viktor Bout, Brittney Griner, Clinton “, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Pevchikh, Vadim Krasikov, Krasikov, Tucker Carlson, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Whelan, Gershkovich, Whelan –, Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, ” Abramovich Organizations: CNN, United Arab, Kremlin, IK, Aspen Ideas, FSB, US National, National Security, Wall Street, Krasikov, Navalny, US Department of Justice Locations: Russian, Moscow, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Siberia, Western, Russia, Aspen, Colorado, Berlin, Chechen, Europe, Germans, Brazil

CNN —The Israelis have “basically accepted” a six-week ceasefire proposal in Gaza, a senior Biden administration official told reporters Saturday. On Thursday, a Hamas official warned, however, that the negotiations could be affected. Negotiators from the US, Israel, Egypt and Hamas are expected to attend, a diplomatic source familiar with the discussions said. Discussions between Israel and Hamas would be indirect, in separate rooms. Israel has asked Hamas for a list of the hostages, including who is living and who is dead.

Persons: “, Ramadan –, –, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Giorgia Meloni, It’s, Kamala Harris, Benny Gantz, Harris, Gantz, Jake Sullivan, Biden, there’d, it’s, CNN’s MJ Lee, Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Biden, Hamas, White, Italian, Gaza, Command Locations: Gaza, Israel, Gaza City, Paris, Doha, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Qatari

☆ Talks on an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal appear on track after killings at Gaza aid site, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN has reached out to several Hamas officials about the potential deal but has not gotten a response. In the immediate aftermath of the deaths of dozens of Palestinian civilians in Gaza on Thursday, US officials said the chaotic scenes injected added urgency into the hostage and ceasefire talks. On Thursday, Biden said the deaths at the aid site could make the ceasefire talks more difficult. Technical teams have been working on the key components of a potential deal this week in Doha, officials familiar with the talks say. During a truce, negotiations would take place over more sensitive topics like the release of Israeli soldiers who are hostages, Palestinian prisoners serving longer sentences, the withdrawal of IDF forces and bringing a permanent end to the war alongside the so-called “day after” issues.

Persons: Ramadan, Joe Biden, “, ” Biden, Giorgia Meloni, Ramadan –, Biden, Majed al, Ansari, ” It’s, Barak Ravid, Sameh Shukri, ” Organizations: CNN, Doha, Italian, Israel, CNN Foreign Affairs, Axios, Antalya Diplomacy, Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, Gaza City, Paris, Qatar, Egypt, Rafah, Doha, Antalya, Turkey

Smoke billows above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment on February 28. “We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months,” one senior Biden administration official said. An Israeli military operation is a distinct possibility.”The leadership of Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed paramilitary group, has expressed support for Palestinians and condemned Israel’s offensive in Gaza. There have been months of daily, deadly cross-border strikes by both Israel and Hezbollah that have displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli residents from their homes. That deal would likely postpone an Israeli incursion, US officials believe.

Persons: Bint Jbeil, Jalaa Marey, Biden, ”, “ Organizations: Getty, Biden, Hezbollah Locations: Lebanese, AFP, Israel, Lebanon, Israeli, Iran, Gaza

☆ Concern rising among Biden officials that Israel is planning incursion into Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months,” one senior Biden administration official said. That deal would likely postpone an Israeli incursion, US officials believe. “Some Israeli officials suggest that it is more of an effort at creating a threat that they can utilize. A second senior Biden administration official said there are elements inside the Israeli government and military in favor of an incursion. Benjamin Netanyahu Ariel Tagar/USA Today“Once the war is over, his expiration date arrives,” the first senior administration official said.

Persons: Biden, ”, “, let’s, Let’s, ’, Israel, Herzi, Amos Hochstein, Amos Hochstein Michael Brochstein, Amos, Hochstein, Yoav Gallant, It’s, ” Gallant, Ziv, Jalaa Marey, Benjamin Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu Ariel Tagar Organizations: CNN, Biden, “, Israel, US, Getty, Lebanese Armed Forces, United Nations, UNIFIL, Bibi Locations: Israel, Lebanon, Israeli, Gaza, “, Washington, The State, Beirut, Baalbek, Israel's, Safed, AFP, ” Israel, Golan

☆ Hamas has softened some demands as Gaza hostage and ceasefire negotiations progress, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Hamas’ requirements for the numbers of Palestinians [prisoners that] would have to be freed has declined,” the official added. A diplomatic source familiar with the discussions confirmed that Hamas softened its position ahead of an agreement on the first phase of a deal. “They have to come down to reality,” Netanyahu said of Hamas on Fox News. “And I think if that’s the case, we’ll be able to have a deal we certainly wanted, and I wanted. With or without a hostage deal, “We will do it anyway” Netanyahu told CBS News, because “total victory is our goal.”“We can’t leave the last Hamas stronghold without taking care of it,” Netanyahu said.

Persons: ”, Matt Miller, “, ” Miller, Miller, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, ” Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, we’ll, Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Biden, State, Doha, Israeli, Fox News, CBS Locations: Gaza, Paris, Rafah, Doha, Qatar, Egypt

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