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☆ U.S. Officials Return to Mideast to Push for Cease-Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Adam Rasgon | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Top NewsImage William J. Burns, the director of the C.I.A., was expected to arrive in Doha, Qatar, this week for talks about achieving a cease-fire in Gaza. But statements by Israeli and Hamas officials in recent days suggested that a breakthrough was still elusive. One of the biggest gaps between Israel and Hamas has been over whether a cease-fire deal would lead to a lasting truce. Mr. Biden said Israel’s proposal would ultimately lead to the “cessation of hostilities permanently,” comments that were welcomed by Hamas. Israel, Mr. Hamdan said, was interested in only a temporary cease-fire to free hostages, and would then resume the war.

Persons: William J, Burns, Nathan Posner, Brett McGurk, Biden, Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Majed al, Ansari, Osama Hamdan, Hamdan Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, U.S, Qatari Locations: Doha, Qatar, Gaza . Credit, Gaza, Cairo, U.S, Israel

Even as the Biden administration renewed its push for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel threatened “very intense”military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon. “Whoever thinks he can hurt us and we will respond by sitting on our hands is making a big mistake,” he said, according to the Israeli government. “We are prepared for very intense action in the north.”Against the backdrop of escalating tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border, the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, met on Wednesday with top Qatari and Egyptian officials in the latest effort to broker a deal to end the fighting in Gaza and free the hostages taken captive during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Mr. Burns met in Doha with the Qatari prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the chief of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, according to an official briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door encounter.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, ”, William J, Burns, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Abbas Kamel Organizations: Qatari, Egypt’s General Intelligence Service Locations: Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, ”, Doha, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

William J. Burns, the C.I.A. This month, frustration boiled over between officials from Hamas and Israel, and the countries mediating — the United States, Qatar and Egypt — put the talks on hold. Israeli officials were upset with what they saw as shifting negotiating stances by Hamas, including the number of hostages to be released in a first phase. Hamas was upset by Israel’s operations in Rafah, the southern Gazan city, which have been progressing since. But core to the dispute were disagreements over how to define a cessation of hostilities between Hamas and Israel, and how different stages of the cease-fire would be put into effect.

Persons: William J, Burns, Egypt — Organizations: U.S Locations: Gaza, Europe, Israel, United States, Qatar, Egypt, Rafah, Gazan

☆ Sources say they were ‘duped’ by Egypt changing ceasefire terms for Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The ceasefire agreement that Hamas ended up announcing on May 6 was not what the Qataris or the Americans believed had been submitted to Hamas for a potential final review, the sources said. “We were all duped,” one of those sources told CNN. More of Hamas’ demands were inserted into the original framework that Israel had tacitly agreed to in order to secure Hamas’ approval, the source said. After discovering the Egyptian freelancing, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani informed Israel’s intelligence service Mossad that Egypt had acted alone, two of the sources told CNN. The day before Hamas made their May 6 public announcement agreeing to the proposal, an Egyptian source told CNN that Egypt had received Hamas’ response and relayed it to the Israeli side.

Persons: Israel, Bill Burns, Burns, ”, Ahmed Abdel Khalek, Abdel Khalek, Abbas Kamel, ’, Abdel Kareem Hana, Antony Blinken, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Bill Burns Bill Clark, Biden, Yahya Sinwar doesn’t, Critics of Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, US, Biden, Military Locations: Gaza, Qatar, Israel, Egypt, Al Thani, Cairo, Washington, Rafah

☆ 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

☆ Officials Describe Pact Hamas Has Embraced as U.S.-Israel Proposal With Small Changes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Edward Wong | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The officials said that the changes were made by Arab mediators in consultation with William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, and that the new version keeps a key phrase, the eventual enactment of a “sustainable calm,” wording that all sides had said earlier they could accept. The two officials said the response from Hamas was a serious one, and that it was now up to Israel to decide whether to enter into an agreement. In the second phase, the two sides would work toward reaching a “sustainable calm,” which would involve the release of more hostages, the officials said. The officials said that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was expected to push back against that definition.

Persons: William J, Burns, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Hamas Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Old, unused, and 'twisty' — meet the obscure NY election-conspiracy law that just might get Trump convicted
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Attorneys specializing in state election law believe the statute has never been prosecuted. Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty ImagesTwo highly respected law professors specializing in New York election law said the same. "I think it's very smart of prosecutors to use this state law, whether it's been used before or not," said Jeffrey M. Wice, who teaches state election law at New York Law School. Related storiesThese same three "underlying crimes" — using state election law, federal election law, and state tax law — were again given equal prominence here in a February 15 decision by Merchan. "You're having an underlying crime within an underlying crime to get to that felony," Connor told BI.

Persons: Alvin Bragg's, Trump, —, Donald Trump's, Donald Trump, Law Trump, Stormy Daniels, Joshua Steinglass, Juan Merchan, Steinglass, I've, Sen, Martin Connor, Joseph T, Burns, that's, it's, Jeffrey M, Wice, — Merchan, Alvin K, Trump's, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Cohen, Connor, Prosecutors, Jerry H, he's, Goldfeder, Cozen O'Connor Organizations: Service, Manhattan, New York, Court, New, Republican, Democratic NY, Erie, Erie County Republican, New York Law School, Attorney, National Enquirer, Trump, Fordham Law, Democracy Locations: Manhattan, New York, Brooklyn, Erie County, Buffalo , New York

☆ Inside the White House’s monthslong push for Ukraine aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Arlette Saenz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Sullivan followed up four days later with a call to Johnson to highlight the measures in place to track aid in Ukraine. They spoke often with Johnson’s staff, including meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, Ricchetti and Goff spoke with Schumer and Jeffries and their staff almost daily to strategize on how to push Ukraine aid forward. Biden and Johnson spoke by phone the next day as the speaker briefed him on his plan to move the aid package forward. “We discussed the contents of the next US military aid package,” Zelensky said.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Johnson –, speakership, Biden, Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Jake Sullivan, Shalanda Young, Sullivan, Taiwan –, Hamas, Putin, ” Biden, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, “, ”, Steve Ricchetti, Richetti, Shuwanza Goff, Ricchetti, Goff, Jeff Zients, Schumer, Jeffries, Young, McConnell, Michael McCaul, Intelligence Michael Turner, Bill Burns, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Chip Roy, Texas, Ralph Norman of, Biden’s, Anita Dunn, Jon, Lloyd Austin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Donald Trump’s, Burns, ” Zelensky Organizations: Washington CNN, Ukraine, White House, GOP, Management, Senate, Biden, Russia, House Democratic, White, Capitol, House Foreign, Intelligence, CIA, Republican, The Defense Department, House Republicans, National Intelligence, Democratic, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Israel, Taiwan, Ricchetti, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Washington ,, Johnson’s

☆ How Mike Johnson Got to ‘Yes’ on Aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For weeks after the Senate passed a sprawling aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, Speaker Mike Johnson agonized over whether and how the House would take up funding legislation that would almost certainly infuriate the right wing of his party and could cost him his job. He huddled with top national security officials, including William J. Burns, the C.I.A. He met repeatedly with broad factions of Republicans in both swing and deep red districts, and considered their voters’ attitudes toward funding Ukraine. And finally, when his plan to work with Democrats to clear the way for aiding Ukraine met with an outpouring of venom from ultraconservatives already threatening to depose him, Mr. Johnson, an evangelical Christian, knelt and prayed for guidance. “I want to be on the right side of history,” Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, recalled the speaker telling him.

Persons: Mike Johnson agonized, William J, Burns, Johnson, “, Michael McCaul of Organizations: Senate, U.S . Naval Academy, Ukraine, Foreign Affairs Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Michael McCaul of Texas

☆ C.I.A. Director Blames Hamas for Stalled Peace Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Negotiations for a cease-fire and the release of Israeli hostages have stalled because Hamas rejected the latest proposal put forth by Israel, Qatar and Egypt, the C.I.A. director said Thursday, putting the blame for a lack of progress in talks squarely on the group that led the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. director and lead American negotiator, traveled to Cairo and pushed what he called “a far-reaching proposal” that Egyptian and Qatari negotiators took to Hamas. While Mr. Burns did not describe the details of that proposal, he said that so far Hamas has not accepted it. “It was a deep disappointment to get a negative reaction from Hamas,” said Mr. Burns, speaking at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.

Persons: William J, Burns, C.I.A, ”, George W, “ Organizations: Hamas, Qatari, Bush Presidential Center, Sunday Locations: Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Dallas, Gaza

☆ Jamie Dimon says the future of the world depends on whether the US can sort out its relationship with China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewHow the US handles its shaky relationship with China will affect the future of the world, says JPMorgan chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon. "It's the thread from Ukraine, oil and gas, food, migration, all our relationships, the most important one being China," Dimon told Bloomberg's Emily Chang in an interview that aired Wednesday. Related storyDimon's fresh remarks on China come as the world's second-largest economy finds itself in a fraught relationship with the US. And in January, CIA chief William J. Burns said China is a far bigger threat to the US than Russia. But while Dimon did single out China as a significant risk to the world, he told Chang that he is optimistic that the US could manage them.

Persons: —, Jamie Dimon, Dimon, Emily Chang, Chang, William J, Burns, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, They've, they're, America's Organizations: Service, Business, JPMorgan Global China Summit, Reuters, CIA, Affairs, Wednesday Locations: China, Ukraine, Russia, Shanghai, Pennsylvania

☆ The Masters: Scottie Scheffler is flying, but will leave tournament ‘at a moment’s notice’ if wife goes into labor
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —In his current form, it almost feels like nothing can stop Scottie Scheffler from clinching his second Masters crown – yet the world No. Speaking after his historic win, Scheffler dished out special praise to his support system at home in Dallas. Scheffler kisses his wife Meredith after clinching his first major title at Augusta National in 2021. David J. Phillip/APBurns joins Scheffler on baby watchScheffler isn’t the only player on baby alert – so too is friend and this week’s roommate Sam Burns. Phil Mickelson’s caddie Jim Mackay carried a beeper around all 72 holes of the 1999 US Open in case the golfer’s wife Amy went into labor.

Persons: CNN —, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Scheffler, ”, Meredith, ” Scheffler, Sara caddied, “, Arnold Palmer, Mike Ehrmann, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, David J, Phillip, AP Burns, Sam Burns, Burns, Caroline, “ It’s, ” Burns, Jamie Squire, Phil Mickelson’s caddie Jim Mackay, Amy, Mickelson agonizingly, Payne Stewart, Mickelson –, – Organizations: CNN, Augusta National, Arnold Palmer Invitational Locations: Augusta, Dallas

☆ In Threatening Israel, Biden Hopes to Avoid a Rupture
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By the time President Biden hung up the phone, he had finally delivered the threat he had refused to make for months: Israel had to change course, he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or the United States would take action. But as the conversation ended on Thursday, aides to Mr. Biden said, the president had reason to hope that the message had gotten through and that he would not have to carry out his threat after all. During the call, Mr. Biden outlined several specific commitments he wanted Israel to make to avoid losing his support for the war against Hamas. Rather than pushing back, according to people informed about the call, Mr. Netanyahu promised that he would announce more humanitarian aid for Gaza within hours and signaled that he would respond to Mr. Biden’s other demands in days to come. director, and Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries in Cairo to try again to broker a temporary cease-fire.

Persons: Biden, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, William J, Burns Organizations: White Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, Cairo

☆ DJ Burns Jr.: March Madness star is leading a surprising Final Four run and earns praise from Nikola Jokić
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

11 NC State to the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA men’s tournament, beating a host of highly-seeded teams on the way to a semifinal spot. The NC State star grew up around people from different backgrounds, with his grandmother running a foster home and his parents taking in other children from unstable homes. But, with Burns at center and the team’s underdog mentality, they have shocked the college basketball scene. “I was raised in a happy environment,” the NC State told reporters. While becoming an internet sensation throughout March Madness, Burns' competitve nature has helped NC State to some impressive victories.

Persons: DJ Burns Jr, it’s, – Burns, Duke, Burns, Nikola Jokić –, Burns –, ” Jokić, “, That’d, ” It’s, Jim Nagy, Peter Schrager, Robert Jennings, Tim Nwachukwu, Burns wasn’t, Takela, ”, Dwight Sr, ” Burns, ” Takela, Andy Hancock, Marquette, Duke –, Carmen Mandato, “ He’s, Joe Sargent Organizations: CNN, State, NCAA, NFL, Senior Bowl, Fox Sports, Texas Tech Red Raiders, North, York Preparatory Academy, WRAL, NC State, Rock, Rock Hill Herald, University of Tennessee, Winthrop University, Big South, NC, Wolfpack, Texas Tech, Oakland, Duke, CBS Sports, Getty, Devils, Purdue Locations: North America, Hill , South Carolina, South Carolina, York County, Rock Hill, Oakland

☆ C.I.A. Director Is Heading to Cairo for New Truce Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

During a 30-minute call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Biden went further than ever in pressing for change in the military operation. Credit... Fatima Shbair/Associated PressBy the middle of the night in Jerusalem, Israel made its first gestures to Mr. Biden. The reported agreement came as American officials held out the prospect of consequences if Mr. Netanyahu resisted. But Mr. Kirby would not outline specific metrics for judging Israel’s response or what Mr. Biden would do if not satisfied. Mr. Biden called himself “outraged and heartbroken” over the incident and made a point of calling Mr. Andrés to express his condolences.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, President Biden, Biden, Biden’s, “, Netanyahu, ”, Fatima Shbair, Mr, Antony J, Blinken, ” Mr, Chris Coons, Coons, Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan, Biden “, William J, Burns, Mohammed Saber, John F, Kirby, emboldening, John Hannah, José Andrés, Andrés, Zomi Frankcom, Damian Soból, Barack Obama, Bibi, ” Ben Rhodes, Obama, ” Jon Favreau, doesn’t, ‘, ’, aggravation, Jill Biden, Joe, ” Julian E, Barnes, Katie Rogers, David E, Sanger, Lara Jakes Organizations: Israel, Hamas, Credit, Associated, U.S . National Security Council, NATO, Democratic, CNN, Republican, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Iran, Central Kitchen, Shutterstock, Jewish Institute for National Security of America, Biden, Mr, Israel Defense Forces, White Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Jerusalem, Ashdod, Jordan, Brussels, Michigan, Washington, Delaware, Iran, Syria, United States, Cairo, “ Hamas, Haiti, Cyprus, U.S, “

☆ 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

☆ Middle East Crisis Hezbollah and Israel Trade Fire Across Lebanon Border
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | Hwaida Saad | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Remarks by Mr. Gallant and Mr. Austin before the meeting underscored the divide. Image People recovering items from their homes after Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, Gaza, on Tuesday. Speaking with reporters after his meeting with Mr. Austin, Mr. Gallant said Israel would not be deterred in its war aims. And Mr. Gallant said he and Mr. Austin talked about the urgency of efforts to recover more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas and the increasingly dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “We discussed the humanitarian efforts in Gaza — not only in terms of bringing the aid in but the real issue of distribution,” Mr. Gallant said.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Lloyd J, Austin III, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gallant, Austin, Mr, ”, Mohammed Salem, Israel, Gallant —, William J, Burns, —, Netanyahu, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Angela Weiss, Burns — Organizations: U.S ., Pentagon, ., Reuters, senior Defense Department, Biden, Apache, Hamas, Mr, . Security, Agence France Locations: Gaza, Rafah, U.S, Washington, Egypt, Israel, ”

CNN —Israel agreed to a US proposal on a prisoner-hostage exchange that would release around 700 Palestinian prisoners, among them 100 serving life sentences for killing Israeli nationals, in exchange for the release of 40 Israeli hostages, CNN affiliate Kan News reported Sunday, citing a senior Israeli official. Earlier in the weekend, CNN analyst Barak Ravid, citing an unnamed Israeli official, tweeted that Israel agreed to a US “bridging proposal” on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released for every hostage held by Hamas. Israel agreed to the proposal put forth by CIA Director Bill Burns, according to Ravid. Burns was in Doha, Qatar, where Hamas and Israel are engaged in talks through mediators. The latest proposal by Hamas this month demanded that some 700 to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners be released.

Persons: CNN — Israel, Barak Ravid, Israel, Bill Burns, Burns, Ravid, ” Kan, David Barnea, CNN’s Abel Alvarado Organizations: CNN, Kan News, Hamas, CIA, ” Kan News, Doha Locations: Doha, Qatar, Israel, Gaza, ”

☆ Middle East Crisis U.N. Trucks Get Food Aid Directly Into Northern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Lars Dolder | Adam Rasgon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

“We are not near a deal, meaning that we are not seeing both sides converging on language that can resolve the current disagreements,” Mr. al-Ansari said, without going into detail. Hamas has demanded a comprehensive cease-fire and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Mr. Mardawi said Hamas also wanted a “just deal” that would result in the exchange of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons for hostages held by militants in Gaza. The Israeli government has said it must wipe out Hamas’s military and administrative capabilities in Gaza before agreeing to end the war. “If not, Hamas will regroup, rearm and reconquer Gaza, and then we’re back to square one.

Persons: ” Israel, Majed al, Ansari, “, ” Mr, Mahmoud Mardawi, Mr, Mardawi, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, William J, Burns, ” Organizations: Qatari, United, Hamas, The New York Times, CNN, Senate Locations: Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Egypt, United States, Gazan, Rafah, rearm

☆ Intelligence Officials Warn of Losses for Ukraine Without More U.S. Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( David E. Sanger | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Senior intelligence officials warned on Monday that without additional American aid, Ukraine faced the prospect of continued battlefield losses as Russia relies on a network of critical arms suppliers and drastically increases its supply of technology from China. In public testimony during the annual survey of worldwide threats facing the United States, the officials predicted that any continued delay of U.S. aid to Ukraine would lead to additional territorial gains by Russia over the next year, the consequences of which would be felt not only in Europe but also in the Pacific. “If we’re seen to be walking away from support for Ukraine, not only is that going to feed doubts amongst our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific; it’s going to stoke the ambitions of the Chinese leadership in contingencies ranging from Taiwan to the South China Sea,” William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, told Congress. The assessment marked a sharp turn from just a year ago, when Ukraine’s military appeared on the march and the Russians seemed to be in retreat.

Persons: ” William J, Burns Organizations: stoke Locations: Ukraine, Russia, China, United States, Europe, Taiwan, South China

☆ Nuclear War: The Rising Risk, and How We Stop It - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( W.J. Hennigan | W.J. Hennigan Writes About National Security For Opinion. | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The United States estimates Russia has a stockpile of up to 2,000 tactical nuclear warheads, some small enough they fit in an artillery shell. But the detonation of any tactical nuclear weapon would be an unprecedented test of the dogma of deterrence, a theory that has underwritten America’s military policy for the past 70 years. Possessing nuclear weapons isn’t about winning a nuclear war, the theory goes; it’s about preventing one. If Mr. Putin dropped a nuclear weapon on Ukraine — a nonnuclear nation that’s not covered by anyone’s nuclear umbrella — what then? Many in the administration believed the Kremlin’s dirty bomb ploy posed the greatest risk of nuclear war since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.

Persons: Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Lloyd Austin, Russia Sergei Shoigu, Britain Ben Wallace, Defense Turkey Hulusi Akar, Sebastien Lecornu, General Austin, Mark Milley, Biden, Putin’s, William J, Burns Organizations: United, of American, NATO, Defense, State, Defense Turkey, National Defense, Defense Minister American, Russian, Biden, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Moscow, White House, State Department, The Energy Department, Strategic Command, ’, Pentagon, Unmute Defense, Central Intelligence Agency Locations: Washington, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Kharkiv, Kherson, Russian, U.S, Crimean, Moscow, Poland, China, India, Turkey

☆ A Doctor’s Lifelong Quest to Solve One of Pediatric Medicine’s Greatest Mysteries
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Emily Baumgaertner | Ariana Drehsler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This one was from the heart of a 20-year-old jujitsu fighter who was last seen at the gym and was found dead in his bed two days later. The blood vessel tissue on the slide looked abnormal. Dr. Burns turned to the examiner: “I think this was likely one of mine.”Dr. Burns is an expert in a rare childhood illness called Kawasaki disease, which is the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children worldwide. It is also one of pediatric medicine’s greatest mysteries: No one knows what causes it. And Dr. Burns, who leads the investigations at the University of California San Diego’s Kawasaki Disease Research Center, has devoted her life to solving that mystery.

Persons: Dr, Jane Burns, Burns Organizations: CSI, University of California San, Kawasaki Disease Research Locations: San Diego County

☆ 2 years into the war, Ukrainian soldiers urge allies to keep supporting them or Europe will be next
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Two Ukrainians fighting for their country urged Ukraine's allies to keep supporting it, two years after the bloody conflict began in earnest. Despite this, the war shows no sign of ending, and war fatigue is notable in some Ukrainian allies. AdvertisementAnother soldier, callsign Local, told BI that "it's very important to help Ukraine and support Ukraine because Ukraine is like a first step to Europe. He said supporting Ukraine gives the US big returns in weakening Russia for a modest investment. AdvertisementMeanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers have warned they are low on critical ammunition and weaponry, resulting in rationing, losses, and deaths.

Persons: Ukraine's, Artem, —, it's, William J, Burns Organizations: Business, Republicans, Local, Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, NATO, EU, CIA, US Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Europe, Poland, Ukraine's, England, Lithuania —, Russia, Avdiivka

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