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☆ Israel and Hamas are pushing forward with tense cease-fire talks despite Israel's military incursion into Rafah
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Israel and Hamas are engaged in tense cease-fire talks despite fighting in Rafah. Israel wants to keep its right to conduct more operations in Gaza, an analyst told Al-Jazeera. AdvertisementCease-fire talks to end the fighting in Gaza are still taking place in the background, despite Israel's military incursion into Rafah. The IDF's ongoing military operation comes as Israel and Hamas are engaged in tense talks to broker a cease-fire deal. This could lead to Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, losing power and an investigation into how Hamas' October 7 terrorist attacks were allowed to happen on his watch, he said.

Persons: Netanyahu, —, Nadav Shoshani, Shoshani, Al Jazeera, Benjamin Netanyahu, didn't, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel, Mairav, Yossi Mekelberg, Israel's, Mekelberg Organizations: Al, Service, The New York Times, Israel Defense Forces, Business, Sky, Crisis Group, Chatham House's, North Africa, International Court of Locations: Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Cairo, Egypt, Qatar, East

☆ France Says It Built the Olympics Safely. Migrant Workers Don’t Count.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Sarah Hurtes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, promised to build the Summer Olympics safely, free of the construction hazards and migrant worker abuses that tarnished soccer’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar. “We are living up to the commitments we made,” Mr. Macron said in February. Government data shows fewer than 200 injuries at Olympics sites over a four-year construction blitz. But inspection records and other documents show that Olympics sites have been more dangerous than organizers have let on, with some projects failing to meet basic safety standards. When undocumented immigrants are hurt on the job, workers and officials say, the injuries are often handled off the books, all but guaranteeing that they will not show up in government statistics.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Mr, Macron Locations: Qatar, Paris

☆ Biden to call for a fight against antisemitism at a precarious moment in Israel’s war in Gaza and amid protests on campus
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Betsy Klein | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden on Tuesday aims to issue a clarion call to fight a swiftly rising tide of antisemitism amid a precarious moment in Israel’s war against Hamas and as protests have swept American college campuses, laying bare Biden’s trouble with some young voters. Biden’s longtime and stalwart support for Israel has come under intense pressure as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows. The president plans to address the long history of antisemitism and issue what one senior administration official familiar with the remarks described as a “call to action” on combatting antisemitism. The protests are not expected to be a major part of the speech, the official added. However, Biden does not intend to use his speech on Tuesday to delve into Middle East policy or the current situation in Israel or Gaza.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden’s, Israel, Biden, White, “ recommit, ” Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, ” Jonathan Greenblatt, John Kirby, Biden “, Benjamin Netanyahu, it’s, Jean, ”, “, Miguel Cardona, Doug Emhoff, Yom HaShoah, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Adolf Hitler “, CNN’s Dana Bash Organizations: Washington CNN, US, White, CNN, Defamation League, ADL, Hamas, National Security, Qatari, White House, Education’s, Civil, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Department’s Office, Institute of Politics, Harvard University’s Kennedy Locations: Israel, Gaza, Cairo, Doha, Qatar, Gazan, Rafah, America, Poland

☆ Live Updates: Israeli Tanks Enter Rafah and Take Control of Border Crossing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The officials said that the changes were made by Arab mediators in consultation with William J. Burns, the C.I.A. Qatari and Egyptian mediators spoke with him on Monday about the changes that Hamas was ready to accept, the two officials said. Hamas said that Arab mediators had put forward the changes, but one official said that Hamas had suggested them. Mr. Netanyahu said last week that he would carry out an offensive in Rafah “with or without” an agreement. More than one million Palestinians have sought shelter in Rafah as they fled other parts of Gaza under attack by Israel.

Persons: William J, Burns, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Adam Rasgon Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Qatar’s, Ministry, Qatari Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, Cairo, Rafah, Jerusalem

☆ Faisal Halim: Acid attack leaves Malaysia soccer star in ‘critical but stable condition,’ officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Heather Chen | Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A star player for Malaysia’s soccer team is in “critical but stable condition” after an acid attack that left him with fourth-degree burns, officials said late Tuesday. Malaysian soccer officials said Faisal Halim’s movement and speech had been affected and he would require more surgery. Halim, who plays as an attacker for Selangor Football Club as well as Malaysia’s national team, was taken to a nearby private hospital in the capital, while still conscious. He had suffered severe burns to his face, neck, shoulders, hands and chest, officials add. Specialist doctors on Tuesday concluded that Halim had suffered fourth-degree burns, not second-degree burns as previously thought, said officials from the Football Association of Selangor.

Persons: Faisal Halim’s, Halim, “ Faisal, Mokhtar, “, ” Mokhtar, –, Akhyar Rashid, Anwar Ibrahim, Anwar, ” Halim Organizations: CNN, Malaysian, Selangor Football Club, Football Association of Selangor, Motive, Football Association of Malaysia, Malaysia’s, AFC Asian, Qatar —, South, Kyrgyzstan, Selangor, Malaysia, Liga Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian, Malaysia, Halim, Qatar, South Korea

☆ Israel's attack on Rafah shows the troubling limits of Biden's influence
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewEarly on Tuesday, Israeli tanks seized control of the vital Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. But throughout its eight-month war, Israel has shown that it is willing to reject and ignore the advice of its most important international ally, the US. Israel on Monday warned civilians in eastern Rafah to evacuate, indicating that an attack may be imminent. His coalition is fragile, and he relies on the support of far-right lawmakers who are demanding an attack on Rafah. AdvertisementThe Gaza war has repeatedly threatened to spill into a wider regional conflict, and scenes of new civilian suffering in Rafah could intensify that threat.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Matt Duss, Biden, John Kirby, Netanyahu, Israel Biden, Israel, JIM WATSON, He's, Aaron David Miller, Dave Harden Organizations: Service, Hamas, Israeli, Business, Washington, Center for International, House, Monday, Biden, Getty, US, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Wall Street, New York Times, US Agency for International Development, West Bank, BBC Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Rafah, Ukraine, Israel —, Qatar, New York City, Palestinian, Saudi Arabia

☆ Nigerian artist Dotun Popoola’s stunning metal sculpture shows ‘the beauty of Black women all over the world’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Leah Collins | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Celebrating the beauty of Blackness and protesting “environmental decadence” for a cleaner, waste-free future: that’s the vision of award-winning Nigerian metal sculptor and visual artist Dotun Popoola. Popoola’s most recent sculpture is a 12-foot-tall, 882-pound piece depicting the decorated head and neck of an African woman, inspired by his wife. “The work showcases the beauty of Black women all over the world,” Popoola said of the piece, which he began in 2022. “The amount of support shown by women all over the world made me shed tears of joy in my studio. If you keep doing what you do, one day you’ll be in the spotlight and the world will be watching.”

Persons: Dotun Popoola, ” Popoola, “, ” Dotun Popoola, ”, Adeola, Popoola, Naomi Campbell, I’d, Tera DuVernay, Ava DuVernay, “ Tera, “ I’ve, Wynton Marsalis, Bryan Stevenson, Irinkemi Asake, “ Mr, ” It’s, Popoola’s, I’m Organizations: CNN, Popoola Studios, Legacy Museum, Equal, Initiative, Obafemi Awolowo University, Art Locations: Nigeria, Lagos, Montgomery , Alabama, America, Alabama, Dubai, Qatar, India, Americas, South Dakota, Africa, Osun State, Southwest Nigeria

☆ Hamas says it accepts cease-fire proposal from Egyptian, Qatari mediators, as U.S. and Israel review details of plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hamas said it told Egyptian and Qatari negotiators that it has approved a cease-fire proposal to halt the war in Gaza. Israel is examining the proposal that Hamas approved and has not confirmed whether it would accept or reject it, an Israeli official told NBC News. Hostage release negotiations intensified over the weekend, with facilitation from U.S. CIA Director William Burns, alongside mediators from Egypt and Qatar. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned Israel against an offensive in Rafah, where millions of civilians have taken refuge. President Joe Biden reiterated that stance on a half-hour Monday call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took place before Hamas had announced its approval of a cease-fire proposal.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Ashraf Amra, Daniel Hagari, Matthew Miller, William Burns, Burns, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Hamas, Anadolu, Egyptian, Qatari, NBC, Israel Defense Forces, Department, NBC News, CIA, Israeli Locations: Palestinian, Sakura, Istanbul, Turkiye, Gaza, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Arab, Gaza's, Rafah

Within the course of mere days, hopes for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip have been raised, dashed and raised again, with no clear explanation. Thursday, May 2A Hamas leader said that the group would soon send a delegation to Cairo to “complete ongoing discussions” on a cease-fire deal. Sunday, May 5The talks — which are held indirectly, through mediators — hit an impasse, and Hamas said its delegation had left Cairo. An Israeli official described the negotiations as in “crisis.”Late in the day, Hamas launched rockets at a border crossing between Gaza and Israel, killing four Israeli soldiers. Then it said would send a working-level delegation back to the talks in Cairo anyway.

Persons: Israel —, —, Israel Organizations: Hamas Locations: Gaza, Gazan, Rafah, Cairo, “, Israel, Egypt, Qatar

☆ Hamas just agreed to a cease-fire deal, but Israel is still a question mark
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Hamas said in a statement Monday that it's accepted a cease-fire proposal from Qatar and Egypt in the war with Israel, according to multiple reports. AdvertisementIt's unclear if Israel has accepted the terms of the Qatari and Egyptian cease-fire plan. The militant group's leadership announced it had agreed to the deal, Reuters reports. Hours earlier, Israel had dropped leaflets on the Gaza city of Rafah, warning citizens to evacuate ahead of military operations. Please check back for updates.

Persons: it's, Israel Organizations: Qatari Locations: Qatar, Egypt, Israel, Egyptian, Gaza, Rafah

Israeli warplanes pounded targets in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Monday as the military told about 110,000 people sheltering there to evacuate. Many people began to leave, fearing that Israel was moving ahead with its long-planned invasion of Rafah, despite stiff international pressure. A military spokesman would not say when troops might enter the crowded city, but described the evacuation as part of Israel’s plans to dismantle Hamas and to free hostages taken on Oct. 7. Hours after the evacuation order, the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, issued a statement that the group had accepted a new cease-fire proposal from Qatar and Egypt, which have acted as intermediaries in peace talks. The group and Israeli officials said it was not referring to the proposal that Israel recently agreed to, leaving the conflict unresolved.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, “, Ismail Haniyeh Organizations: Hamas Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Qatar, Egypt, Israel

CNN —Hamas says it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza. It’s unclear whether Hamas has agreed to the most recent ceasefire proposal, as outlined last week, or a revised version of it. Palestinians in Rafah celebrate news that Hamas has accepted a ceasefire proposal, May 6, 2024. More than 1 million Palestinians have fled to Rafah, where Hamas is believed to have regrouped after Israel’s destruction of much of the north of Gaza. IDF operations ongoingAsked whether Hamas’ acceptance of a deal could change Israel’s plans for Rafah, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the military would continue to operate in Gaza.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, William Burns, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Matthew Miller, “, ”, Daniel Hagari, ” Netanyahu, ” Itamar Ben Gvir, Netanyahu, ” Benny Gantz Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, Qatari, Getty, Israel Defense Forces, Families Forum Locations: Egypt, Qatar, Israel, Gaza, Doha, Qatar’s, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al, United States, Deir al, Gaza City, Rafah, AFP, Orit, Tel Aviv

☆ Hamas has proposed a ceasefire deal. Here’s why that won’t bring an immediate end to the war in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —When Hamas declared on Monday evening that it has “agreed” to a ceasefire deal, it caught many off guard. But US officials have pushed back on Hamas’ claim that it had “agreed” to a ceasefire deal, instead characterizing the response as a counterproposal with changes. The Hamas proposal calls for an end to the war, which is a red line for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior American official told CNN. “Both sides only want a ceasefire deal that ensures their political survival,” Lowenstein said. It is not a list of individuals who can be killed or infrastructure and equipment that can be destroyed,” Ibish told CNN.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Israel, Bill Burns, Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Matan Golan, Frank Lowenstein, Barack Obama, ” Lowenstein, Netanyahu — “, Netanyahu, Barak Ravid, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Hamas’s, Biden, doesn’t, Lowenstein, “ Bibi, he’s, Khan Younis, “, that’s, Bibi, it’s, ” Hussein Ibish, Ibish, ” Ibish, “ Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, Qatari, Israeli, Palestinian, Israel, AFP, Getty, Gulf States Institute Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Cairo, Israel, “, American, Tel Aviv, Washington ,, Qatar

☆ Hamas’s announcement adds to the uncertainty of the cease-fire talks.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The announcement by Hamas on Monday that it had accepted terms of a cease-fire added to the uncertainty that began over the weekend, when officials said that the armed group and Israel had reached an impasse after months of talks. As if to underscore that the fighting would continue, Hamas militants on Sunday launched rockets from Rafah, their last stronghold in Gaza, killing four Israeli soldiers. The terms Hamas had agreed to were not immediately clear, but a senior Israeli official quickly said that the terms were not those that Israel had agreed to. Hamas wants a permanent cease-fire. Israel wants a temporary truce.

Persons: Israel, Ismail Haniyeh Organizations: Sunday, Hamas Locations: Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Qatar, Israeli, United States

☆ Tom Brady told Jeff Ross off during his Netflix roast for making a massage joke about Patriots owner Robert Kraft
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of Jeff Ross' jokes during Tom Brady's Netflix roast didn't land well with the NFL champion. The joke referenced a 2019 prostitution scandal involving New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. AdvertisementHe then blew a kiss towards Kraft, pointed at him, and said, "I love Robert Kraft." I love what you do for the Jews, Robert Kraft. "The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady" aired as part of the Netflix Is A Joke, the streamer's 12-day-long live comedy festival taking place in LA.

Persons: Jeff Ross, Tom Brady's, Robert Kraft, Brady, Ross, —, Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Tom, Robert Kraft's, Kraft, Donald Trump, Jon Bon Jovi, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Bert Kreischer, Tom Segura, Nikki Glaser, Andrew Schulz, Tony Hinchcliffe, Sam Jay Organizations: NFL, New England Patriots, Service, Netflix, Famer, Hamptons Locations: England, New England, Florida, Qatar, LA

☆ Israel to close Al Jazeera news network in the country
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Michael Schwartz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the operations of Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera will be closed in the country. Netanyahu said on X in early April that he intended “to act immediately in accordance with the new law” to stop the outlet’s activity in the country. Netanyahu’s government has long complained about Al Jazeera’s operations, alleging anti-Israeli bias. The move comes as negotiators met in Cairo on Saturday, in a bid to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal. Qatar has played a key role in ceasefire negotiations in the on-going war.

Persons: CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ”, Al, Al Jazeera, Gaza –, “ Organizations: CNN, CNN — Israel’s, Al, Human Rights Watch, Protect Journalists Locations: Qatar, Israel, Gaza, Cairo

☆ Netanyahu's Cabinet votes to close Al Jazeera offices in Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wael Al-Dahdouh, Al Jazeera bureau chief in Gaza, center, comforts relatives at the funeral of his son, Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Dahdouh, killed in an Israeli airstrike, in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his government has voted unanimously to shut down the local offices of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera. Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias against it. Israel accuses Al Jazeera of collaborating with Hamas. Al Jazeera, the Doha-based broadcaster funded by Qatar's government, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Wael Al, Al, Hamza Dahdouh, Antony Blinken, Ahmad Salem, Benjamin Netanyahu, Al Jazeera, Netanyahu, Israel, Al Jazeera's, Saddam Hussein Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty Images, Al Locations: Al Jazeera, Gaza, Rafah, Qatar, Doha, Israel, Al, East Jerusalem, Iraq

☆ Israeli Cabinet Votes to Shut Down Al Jazeera’s Operations in the Country
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Liam Stack | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Image Employees working at the offices of Al Jazeera in Jerusalem. Mr. Netanyahu, who made the announcement on social media, had previously called Al Jazeera a “Hamas mouthpiece” and said he would close it. Israeli lawmakers passed a bill last month allowing the government to temporarily close foreign media outlets that Mr. Netanyahu determined were undermining the country’s national security. “The government under my leadership has decided unanimously: The incitement channel Al Jazeera will be shut down in Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu said on X, formerly Twitter. In January, his eldest son was killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to the authorities in Gaza.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Shlomo Karhi, Al, Mr, Netanyahu, ”, Avraham Hasson, Hasson, Al Jazeera, “, ” Mr, Wael al Organizations: Al, Reuters, Journalism, Hamas, West Bank Locations: Al Jazeera, Jerusalem ., Qatar, Gaza, Israel, Al Jazeera’s, Qatari

☆ Israel's Cabinet Shuts Down Al Jazeera Operations in Country: Gaza War Live Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Netanyahu, who made the announcement on social media, had previously called Al Jazeera a “Hamas mouthpiece” and said he would close it. Israeli lawmakers passed a bill last month allowing the government to temporarily close foreign media outlets that Mr. Netanyahu determined were undermining the country’s national security. “The government under my leadership has decided unanimously: The incitement channel Al Jazeera will be shut down in Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu said on X, formerly Twitter. Al Jazeera “will no longer broadcast here in Israel and its equipment will be confiscated,” Israel’s communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, said in a video statement. Much of Al Jazeera’s reporting in Gaza has focused on the suffering of Palestinian civilians during the war, some of it involving its own staff and their families.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, ”, ” Mr, Al Jazeera, Shlomo Karhi, Al Jazeera’s, Wael al, Al Organizations: Al, Reuters, Journalism, Qatari, Hamas, West Bank Locations: Jazeera, Jerusalem ., Al Jazeera, Qatar, Israel, Gaza

☆ Thousands of Ukrainians have been sent to Russian prisons. Ukraine says they’re being held as bargaining chips
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

The Ukrainian government says there are thousands of people like Dima, civilians arrested by Russia who have been held in arbitrary detention for years. In the early weeks of the war, Russian troops took over their home, parking their tank in the garden and stealing anything of value. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia opened a second pre-trial detention facility in Simferopol, SIZO No. Detained civilians, however, are stuck in limbo. Mariana Checheliuk's photos were among those displayed by relatives of detained civilians at a recent protest in Kyiv.

Persons: Ukraine CNN — “, ”, Vasyl Khyliuk, Dmytro Khyliuk, Dima, –, Ivana Kottasova, Dmytro Lubinets, Lubinets, ” Achille Després, Cross, it’s, Vasyl, ” Vasyl, Halyna, “, Dmytro Khyliuk’s, Russia —, Khyliuk, Anastasiia, MIHR, Pantielieieva, CNN “ We’ve, ” Pantielieieva, Yulia Khrypun, Serhii, ’, Serhii Khrypun, Yulia, ” Yulia, Mariana Checheliuk, Mariana, Natalia Checheliuk, ” Natalia, ’ ” Natalia, Alexander Ermochenko, Mariana –, Mila, Natalia, Volodymyr, Zelensky, Mariana Checheliuk's Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Ukrainian Independent, Agency, Kyiv, CNN, Russian Federation, International Committee, Ukrainian, Organization for Security, Getty, Media Initiative, Human Rights, Penal, Russian Investigative Committee, Russian Prison Service, ICRC, Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Russian Federal Security Service, Russian National Guard, Directorate, General Staff, Serhii, Crimean Human Rights, Maxar Technologies, Volunteers, Russia, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Security Service of Ukraine, Ukraine’s, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Information Bureau, Ministry, “, Headquarters Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Dima, Ukrainian, Kozarovychi, Russia, Geneva, Europe, Novozybkov, Russia’s Bryansk, Russia’s Vladimir, Mordovia, Russian, Moscow, Bryansk, Nove, Tokmak, Melitopol, Olenivka, Kursk, Crimea, Kamensk, Russia’s Rostov, Yulia Khrypun Russia, Chonhar, Kherson, Crimean, Crimean Tatars, Simferopol, SIZO, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, ‘, Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia, Bezimenne, Donetsk People’s Republic, Azovstal, Donetsk, Taganrog, Kamyshin, Russia’s Volgograd, Qatar

☆ Hamas says latest cease-fire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after "in-depth and serious discussions," the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected. The defense minister claimed Hamas wasn't serious about a deal and warned of "a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza." The Israeli military reported 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its fighter jets later struck the source. Hamas would start by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing it of embedding in residential and public areas.

Persons: Israel, Israel didn't, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ismail Haniyeh, Kerem Shalom, Cindy McCain, Attar, Abu Youssef al Organizations: Hamas, Food, NBC, Najjar Locations: Deir Balah, Gaza, Israel, Cairo, Rafah, Egypt, Qatar, Qatar's Al Jazeera, U.S, Israeli, Lebanese

☆ Israel and Hamas Face Growing Pressure for a Cease-Fire Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, said in a text message that the group’s representatives were arriving in Cairo “with great positivity” toward the proposed deal. “If there is no agreement, it will be because of Netanyahu alone,” he said, referring to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. Mr. Sinwar is one of the presumed architects of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which left 1,200 dead and roughly 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. In Israel, Mr. Netanyahu faces substantial opposition within his own governing coalition to the proposed framework. Agreeing to the deal would be “humiliating surrender,” Bezalel Smotrich, the country’s finance minister, wrote on Facebook late last month.

Persons: Haitham Imad, United States —, Antony J, Blinken, ”, ” Mr, William J, Burns, Husam, Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar, Sinwar, ” Bezalel Smotrich, Biden, “ Organizations: United, McCain Institute, Central Intelligence Agency, Qatari, Hamas, Hamas’s, Facebook, Biden Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Shutterstock, Cairo, Palestinian, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, United States, Arizona, Cairo “, Washington

☆ I'm a Palestinian startup founder. I wanted to do my part for my home country, but now we have to leave.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Palestinian startup sceneOur business is based in Ramallah, where Raya lives. If starting a company in Ramallah could benefit the community by creating jobs and further building on the small startup scene there, we wanted to try. When "The Middle Frame" goes through a hard time in the future, we can look back at that screenshot. In the future, when our business is stable in a different market, we could maybe have a smaller operation in the Palestinian market. The Palestinian startup ecosystem needs more examples of successful startups in the wider region to support the startups in Palestine and more investment bodies to support the early-stage startups.

Persons: Mohammad Alnobani, Alnobani, —, We'd, Raya, creatives, We're, I'd, I've, We've, Raya's, we've, it's Organizations: West Bank, Hamas, Service, Young, Palestine, Israel, Getty, UAE Locations: Gaza, Alnobani, Ramallah, Palestinian Territories, Amman, Jordan, Jerusalem, Belfast, Palestinian, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Nablus, Qatar, London, Boston, East, North Africa, it's, Egypt, Europe, Ramallah —, Dubai, Jordanian, Iran, UAE, Palestine

☆ Hala Rharrit, US diplomat who quit over Biden administration’s Gaza policy, speaks out
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Hala Rharrit never expected that she would choose to leave her career as a US diplomat. About a year and a half ago, after mostly behind-the-scenes roles, Rharrit became an Arab language spokesperson for the State Department. But the US government’s policy on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza “unfortunately really, really changed that,” she said. Rharrit told CNN that she and her colleagues were “horrified” by the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, which triggered the war in Gaza. We just have not been able to say it.’”The State Department would not comment specifically on Rharrit’s case, citing personnel matters.

Persons: Hala Rharrit, Yemen —, Rharrit, “, ”, Josh Paul, Annelle, ” Rharrit, “ I’m, ‘ you’re, ’ ”, you’re, they’re, ‘, we’ve, Vedant Patel, ” “ You’ve Organizations: CNN, State Department, Biden, Israel, US, The State Department Locations: Yemen, Hong Kong, Qatar, South Africa, Arab, Israel, Gaza, United States, “

On a visit to Israel on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken put the onus squarely on Hamas to accept the proposal. But Israeli officials have said, consistently and emphatically, that the offensive will take place. The number of Palestinians Israel is offering to free in exchange is unclear. More than 100 were released in a weeklong cease-fire in November, and Israeli officials say they believe that more than 30 — possibly many more — are dead. Gazan health officials say that Israel’s subsequent bombing and invasion have killed more than 34,000 people, and injured far more.

Persons: Osama Hamdan, Al Manar, —, Antony J, Blinken, wouldn’t, ”, Yair Lapid, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Hamdan, Biden, Netanyahu’s, ” Mr, Netanyahu, Israel Organizations: Israel, Hezbollah, Hamas, United Nations Locations: Jerusalem, Washington, Gaza, Lebanese, Israel, United States, Qatar, Egypt, Rafah, masse

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