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☆ Billionaire FBI informant Peter Thiel dished about two Kremlin invites to private Putin meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | Hans-Martin Tillack | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

It was Angermayer who introduced Bisslinger to Thiel at the party, Thiel would later tell the FBI. After some small talk, Bisslinger made a pitch to Thiel: Thiel should travel to Russia to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. If Thiel chose to attend, Bisslinger said, Bisslinger would arrange for him to meet privately with Putin. "Even if Mr. Angermayer did introduce Mr. Thiel and Mr. Bisslinger," the lawyers wrote in another letter, "Mr. Angermayer is not—and cannot be—responsible for whatever Mr. Bisslinger and Mr. Thiel may or may not have discussed." At his 40th birthday, he connected Peter Thiel with a Russian diplomat, Thiel later told the FBI.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Christian Angermayer, Thiel, Daniil Bisslinger, Bisslinger, Vladimir Putin's, Angermayer, Putin, Maksim Konstantinov, —, Frank Figliuzzi, Vladimir Putin, — Charles Johnson —, Johnathan Buma, Johnson, Welt, Dmitry Peskov, John Lamparski, Donald Trump, — Thiel, Der Spiegel, he'd, Elon Musk, Musk, Thiel —, he's, Palantir, He's, Uma Thurman, Robbie Williams, Queen Latifah, Paul Kagame, Dan McCrum, John Kerry, Richard Grenell, Kerry, Sensei Biotherapeutics, Trump, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Maureen Dowd, Alexander Schütz, Eva Schütz, Schütz, — Heinz, Christian Strache, Markus Braun, Jan Marsalek, Marsalek, Caroline Haskins, Katherine Long, Jack Newsham, Mattathias Schwartz, Hans, Martin Tillack Organizations: Kremlin, Tech, Pentagon, CIA, Facebook, SpaceX, Kremlin's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Embassy, Thiel, St ., Economic, Getty, FBI, Atlantic, Bisslinger, Germany, Elon, Russia, NSA, US Special Operations Command, National Health Service, Apeiron Investment, Munich Security, intel, Trump, State Department, Angermayer's, PayPal, Nasdaq, Sciences, The New York Times, Deutsche Bank, Welt Locations: Silicon Valley, Schloss Neuwaldegg, Vienna, Silicon, Moscow, Russian, Berlin, Russia, St, St . Petersburg, Petersburg, Ukraine, Europe, Germany, NATO, Crimea, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Palantir, Washington, Rwanda, Baltic, Belarus, Iran, Angermayer's Malta, Munich, China, China's, Austrian, Austria, Exxpress, Wirecard, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ Blinken denounces civilian toll in Gaza, says ‘far too many Palestinians have been killed’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

However, he still has not condemned the Israeli government offensive and has continually voiced support for its right to defend itself. “Far too many Palestinians have been killed. No use of Gaza as a platform for launching terrorism or other attacks against Israel. No diminution of the territory in Gaza and a commitment to Palestinian land governance for Gaza and the West Bank and in a unified way,” Blinken said Friday. Blinken reiterated Friday that the US “will continue to focus relentlessly on getting our hostages home” and stopping the conflict from expanding.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Israel, ” Blinken, Jordan, ”, “, we’ll, we’ve, “ it’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Israel, Ministers, ” Locations: New Delhi, Gaza, Northern Gaza, Israel, Turkey, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Tokyo, India, Tel Aviv, Jordan

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he arrives ahead of meetings in Seoul, at Osan Air Base, South Korea, November 8, 2023. Blinken arrived in South Korea late on Wednesday after attending a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Tokyo. They will discuss a response to the growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow and North Korea's suspected supply of arms to Russia for use against Ukraine. North Korea is preparing to launch a spy satellite after having failed twice this year to put one in orbit. South Korea's spy agency said last week North Korea was in the final stages of preparations for the launch after apparently receiving technical assistance from Russia.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jonathan Ernst, Blinken, Yoon Suk, Jin, Jack Kim, Soo, Choi, Ed Davies, Lincoln Organizations: Osan Air Base, REUTERS, Rights, South, Foreign, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, Russia, Israel, Gaza, Tokyo, Blinken's, Asia, India, East . Washington, U.S, Pyongyang, Moscow, North, United States, Japan, Russia's, Washington, Ukraine, Korea, South

☆ China urges G7 to stop 'inciting confrontation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A two-day G7 foreign minister meeting held in Tokyo ended on Wednesday and mainly called for humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas war to allow in aid and help the release of hostages. "China will resolutely counter any smear campaigns from external forces," the embassy said, adding it strongly protested against other countries' intentions to curb China with regards to Taiwan. President Tsai Ing-wen, of the democratically governed Taiwan island, said she would continue to work with G7 members toward a free and open Indo Pacific. Critical comments on Taiwan and Hong Kong have long riled Beijing, which considers such criticism as outside interference in its domestic affairs. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China considers as part of its territory, is the most sensitive issue.

Persons: Josep Borrell, James, Annalena Baerbock, Antony Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Melanie Joly, Tsai Ing, Hong Kong, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Ben Blanchard, Bernadette Baum Organizations: European Union for Foreign Affairs, German, Canadian, France's, Hong, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, BEIJING, China, Japan, Tokyo, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing, Hong

Smoke rises as displaced Palestinians take shelter at Al Shifa hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, November 8, 2023. International institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Gaza, such as Doctors Without Borders, are also due to attend. There will be a discussion to set up a maritime corridor to use sea lanes to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza and see how ships could be used to help evacuate the wounded. Without buy-in from Israel or Hamas for a pause there is little prospect of things moving quickly. "This is a first rate humanitarian issue and the international community has to discuss this topic as part of a humanitarian discussion on Gaza."

Persons: Doaa, Israel, John Irish, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Gaza, Israel, Islamists, Palestinian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Al Shifa, Israel, Gaza City, Paris, PARIS, Gaza, France, Egypt, Jordan, Russia

☆ Blinken Lays Out Possible Endgame in Gaza Under Palestinian Authority
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Michael D. Shear | More About Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

But increasingly, the United States and Israel are showing signs that their interests are diverging. The remarks by Mr. Blinken on Wednesday reflect a deep anxiety on the part of Mr. Biden and his aides inside the White House as the conflict enters its second month. On Wednesday, Mr. Blinken said there must be “affirmative elements to get to a sustained peace.”“These must include the Palestinian people’s voices and aspirations at the center of post-crisis governance in Gaza,” he said. But restoring the Palestinian Authority — which administers parts of the West Bank — to power in Gaza would not be easy even if Israel managed to end Hamas’s rule. Mr. Biden has also come under pressure from some in the Democratic Party, which is deeply split on the conflict.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, Mr, ”, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, John F, Kirby, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, National Security Council, CNN, White, Democratic Party, Democratic, Veterans Locations: Gaza, United, Israel, Tokyo, United States, Palestinian

The statement gave no details of options being discussed if the Hamas militant group is ousted from Gaza as the result of an ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave. Israel has so far been vague about its long-term plans for Gaza. Diplomats in Washington, the United Nations, the Middle East and beyond have also started weighing the options. The statement will present the G7's "united stance" on the Middle East situation, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday. The G7 group of wealthy, industrialised nations is made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, with the European Union also participating in the talks.

Persons: Josep Borrell, James, Annalena Baerbock, Antony Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Eli Cohen, Hirokazu Matsuno, Netanyahu, John Geddie, Sakura Murakami, Satoshi Sugiyama, Lincoln, Gerry Doyle Organizations: European Union for Foreign Affairs, German, Foreign, Group, Wall Street Journal, Union, Gaza, Diplomats, United Nations, Reuters, European Union, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, TOKYO, Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, Israel, Ukraine, China, Washington, Palestinian, United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy

☆ Britain's Foreign Secretary to Meet Middle East Foreign Ministers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

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Organizations: U.S . News, U.S News

Blinken described all of these as “a work in progress” and acknowledged deep divisions over the pause concept. There has also been resistance to discussing Gaza's future, with the Arab states insisting that the immediate humanitarian crisis must be addressed first. Securing agreement from G7 members, none of which border or are directly involved in the conflict, may be a slightly less daunting challenge for Blinken. Despite some fraying around the edges, the group has preserved a unified front in condemning and opposing Russia’s war. Yet the Gaza crisis has inflamed international public opinion and democracies are not immune from intense passions that have manifested themselves in massive pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations in G7 capitals and elsewhere.

Persons: Antony Blinken, we’re, ” Blinken, Jordan, Turkey — Blinken, we’ve, ”, Blinken Organizations: TOKYO, West Bank Locations: East, U.S, Israel, Asia, Japan, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Ankara, Turkey, Tokyo, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Cyprus, Iraq, United States, Korea, China

[1/8] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands at the prime minister's official residence Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. "Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies," Japan's foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa told a press conference. The G7 is due to hold an online meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday. Since the war erupted, the G7 has issued just one joint statement on the conflict, amounting to a few sentences. G7 foreign ministers are preparing "some sort of statement" to be issued following the Tokyo talks, Kamikawa said declining to comment on its contents.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Antony Blinken, Eugene Hoshiko, Yoko Kamikawa, Kamikawa, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Minoru Kihara, Blinken, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Tom Hogue, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ukraine, Kyiv, The, European Union, Russia, Ukraine's Foreign, Mitsui & Co, Health, Japanese, British, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Moscow, Hiroshima, May, ISRAEL, GAZA, Iran

☆ Blinken says progress made on Middle East trip despite few tangible results
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ankara, Turkey CNN —Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday asserted he made progress on the goals he set for a whirlwind Middle East trip as he departed with few tangible results to show for a flurry of meetings with leaders about the Israel-Hamas war. Meanwhile, the civilian death toll in the war-torn Gaza Strip is mounting, and concerns about regional conflagration loom large. There have been no further releases of any hostages held by Hamas since Israel escalated its offensive in Gaza. But we also believe that a pause could help advance that proposition as well,” Blinken said Monday. Throughout the trip, Blinken repeatedly spoke of the need to discuss the “day of” but also the “day after” for the region and Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jordan, we’ve, ” Blinken, “, Majed Al, Ansari, –, we’re, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Netanyahu “, “ We’ve, Saudi Arabia –, ”, Mahmoud Abbas, Ayman Safadi Organizations: Turkey CNN —, West Bank, Tokyo, CNN, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Department, United Arab, Palestine Liberation Organization, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian, West Bank . Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Qatari, Qatar, Washington, Amman, Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordanian

Israeli airstrikes hit two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing scores of people, health officials said. The strikes came as the U.S. keeps urging Israel to take a humanitarian pause from its relentless bombardment of Gaza and rising civilian deaths. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Ramallah in the West Bank for a previously unannounced meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Political Cartoons View All 1234 ImagesCurrently:— Gaza has lost telecom contact again, while Israel’s military announces it has surrounded Gaza City. — A U.N. official says the average Palestinian in Gaza is living on two pieces of bread a day.

Persons: Israel, Antony Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, evacuee Sara El, Masry, –, JORDAN, Jordan, King Abdullah II, ”, Michael Hertzog, ” Hertzog, OBAMA, Barack Obama, “, he’s, ” Obama, I’ve, Alp Toker, Juliette Touma, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, IRNA, Khamenei, Haniyeh, JERUSALEM —, Jacob Lew, Biden, ” Lew, Isaac Herzog, Lew, Antony Blinken’s Organizations: West Bank, Iraqi, Hamas, Ministry, WHO, GAZA, SYDNEY AIRPORT SYDNEY, Nine, Sydney Airport, Australian, United Arab Emirates, Mideast, Central Command, FIRE, NATIONS, Inter, Agency, UNRWA, United Nations, Jordanian, Twitter, ISRAEL, CBS, JERUSALEM, Paltel, Associated Press, Hezbollah, U.S, Israel, Embassy, . Riot Locations: Gaza, Ramallah, Baghdad, Jordan, Israel, United States, Egypt, Qatar, Gaza City, —, U.S, Berlin, israel, Sydney, Rafah, DUBAI, United Arab, Suez, ., Ohio, America's, Iran, UN, Palestinian Territory, GAZA AMMAN, Jordanian, GAZA, Palestinian, IRAN, TEHRAN, Lebanon, GAZA JERUSALEM, Beit Hanoun, TURKEY, ISTANBUL –, Ankara, Turkish

GAZA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Having rebuffed calls for a ceasefire, Israel was set to come under sustained pressure on Monday to avoid civilian casualties during its assault on Gaza, while a U.S. diplomatic blitz in the region sought to reduce risks of the conflict escalating. But after Blinken repeated U.S. concerns that a ceasefire could aid Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled that out unless hostages held by Hamas were released. "We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately," Abbas told Blinken, urging an "immediate ceasefire" from Israel. "Stop in the name of God," he said, calling for humanitarian aid and help for the injured to ease the "very grave" situation in Gaza. Instead, the U.S. wants localized pauses in fighting to allow in humanitarian aid and for people to leave Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, WAFA, we're, Jonathan Conricus, Conricus, William Burns, Burns, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, Kamala Harris, King Abdullah, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Jonathan Ernst, Saeed al, Abbas, Israel, Mohammed al, Pope Francis, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Simon Lewis, Dan Williams, Costas Pitas, David Lawder, Lincoln, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Sunday, West Bank, Palestinian, Israeli, Hamas, Paltel, CNN, U.S, CIA, Israel, New York Times, Times, Reuters, . Defense, Pentagon, U.S . Central Command, Baghdad International, REUTERS, Israel Defense Forces, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: GAZA, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Ankara, Turkey, Gaza City, Palestinian, Jordanian, Ohio, Iran, Baghdad, Iraq, LEBANON, Lebanon, Kiryat Shmona, Qatar, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan, Amman, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, Washington

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: People hold a rally to protest against Israel's attack on Gaza near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo, Japan October 16, 2023. From the beginning of the conflict, Japan has sought a "balanced" response, in part due to its diverse diplomatic interests in the region and its dependency on the Middle East for oil. A spokesperson for Japan's foreign ministry said it was expected that countries have different positions, but denied that G7 members were struggling to find common ground. A statement issued by G7 trade ministers from a meeting in Osaka late last month did not mention the war. Other group members have issued joint statements.

Persons: Issei Kato, Thomas Gomart, Koichiro Tanaka, Hideaki Shinoda, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, It's, Kunihiko Miyake, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Andreas Rinke, David Brunstromm, Steve Scherer, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Japan, European Union, French Institute of International Relations, Israel, Health, Hamas, Tokyo's Keio University, United Nations, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Canon Institute for Global Studies, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United, Israel, United States, Osaka, Russia, Ukraine, China, Iran, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Washington, Ottawa

Aside from pleasantries, neither man spoke as they greeted each other in front of cameras and the meeting ended without any public comment. It was not immediately clear if the lack of words indicated the meeting had gone poorly. Blinken had visited Israel and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday before decamping to Jordan for meetings with senior Arab officials on Saturday. U.S. officials believe that Netanyahu may soften his opposition if he can be convinced that it is in Israel’s strategic interests to ease the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Blinken and other U.S. officials are offering a vague outline that it might include a combination of a revitalized Palestinian Authority along with international organizations and potentially a peacekeeping force.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Matthew Miller, Abbas, Miller, –, Benjamin Netanyahu, decamping, Netanyahu, United Arab Emirates –, ”, Israel, Ayman al Organizations: West Bank, —, State Department, Authority, Israeli, U.S, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: RAMALLAH, West, Israel, Gaza, Ramallah, Jordan, Washington, Berlin, Amman –, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab, U.S, Jordanian, Palestinian

☆ Blinken says Palestinian voices key to Gaza future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Blinken passed through Israeli checkpoints to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, and then traveled on to Iraq. Palestinian views, voices and aspirations need to be “at the center” of conversations about the future of Gaza, Blinken told reporters in Baghdad. Blinken had some "good ideas" about the future he said, but "now is the time to ....stop the murder of civilians"Abbas told Blinken there should be an immediate ceasefire and that aid should be allowed into Gaza, according to spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh. While Hamas tightly controls besieged Gaza, the West Bank is a complex patchwork of hillside cities, Israeli settlements and army checkpoints that split Palestinian communities. Blinken credited Abbas for tamping down tension in the West Bank and told him he had pressed Israeli officials for accountability, the senior State Department official said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel, Abbas, WAFA, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Matthew Miller, Miller, Jordan, Simon Lewis, Ali Sawafta, Doina Chiacu, Ted Hesson, Hugh Lawson, Alexander Smith, Heather Timmons Organizations: U.S, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian, West Bank, Hamas, CBS, United Nations, senior State Department, Thomson Locations: RAMALLAH, BAGHDAD, Gaza, Ramallah, Iraq, Israel, Baghdad, Iran, United States, East Jerusalem, Palestinian, U.S, United Kingdom, Egypt, Washington

☆ Blinken visits West Bank to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Blinken told Abbas that the Palestinian Authority should play a central role in what comes next in the Gaza Strip, a senior State Department official told Reuters. Abbas told Blinken there should be an immediate ceasefire and that aid should be allowed into Gaza, according to spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh. Abbas' Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has seen its popularity shrivel amid allegations of graft, incompetence and widely hated security cooperation arrangements with Israel. The meeting was Blinken’s second with Abbas since the conflict began, but the first to take place in the West Bank. Blinken and Abbas "discussed efforts to restore calm and stability in the West Bank, including the need to stop extremist violence against Palestinians and hold those accountable responsible," Miller said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, General Hussein al, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Israel, Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Matthew Miller, Miller, Jordan, Simon Lewis, Ali Sawafta, Hugh Lawson, Alexander Smith Organizations: PLO, Hamas, West Bank, Sunday, Palestinian Authority, State Department, Reuters, Palestinian, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Ramallah, RAMALLAH, Gaza, United States, Egypt

☆ Israel's Netanyahu Says No Gaza Ceasefire Until Hostages Returned
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected growing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza until all of the more than 240 hostages captured by militant Palestinian group Hamas during its Oct. 7 attacks are returned. "There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. This should be completely removed from the lexicon," Netanyahu told crews at the Ramon air force base in southern Israel, reiterating the government's long-standing position. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, for his part, demanded an immediate ceasefire earlier when he met Blinken during the U.S. secretary's unannounced visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Blinken, in the region for a second time in less than a month as part of U.S. efforts to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from spreading, has rejected ceasefire calls.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Maytaal Angel, Alexander Smith, Giles Elgood Organizations: Sunday, Hamas, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, U.S, West Bank, Blinken Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, Qatar, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan, U.S, Amman , Jordan

☆ Israel's Netanyahu says no Gaza ceasefire until hostages returned
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz (not pictured) in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023. ABIR SULTAN POOL/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected growing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza until all of the more than 240 hostages captured by militant Palestinian group Hamas during its Oct. 7 attacks are returned. "There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. This should be completely removed from the lexicon," Netanyahu told crews at the Ramon air force base in southern Israel, reiterating the government's long-standing position. Blinken, in the region for a second time in less than a month as part of U.S. efforts to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from spreading, has rejected ceasefire calls.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Maytaal Angel, Alexander Smith, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Sunday, Hamas, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, U.S, West Bank, Blinken, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, ABIR, Gaza, Palestinian, Qatar, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan, U.S, Amman , Jordan

A spokesman for the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Israeli forces had struck the camp overnight, killing at least 47 people. In a separate attack, 21 Palestinians from one family, including women and children, were killed in strikes overnight, the health ministry said. 'NO WORDS'"We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately," Abbas told Blinken, urging an "immediate ceasefire" from Israel. The Palestinian health ministry said three Palestinians were killed in the incident, which it described as clashes with Israeli forces. Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Hebron, the ministry said.

Persons: Gazans, Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, Jonathan, Saeed al, Abbas, Blinken, WAFA, Israel, Pope Francis, Matthew Miller, Mohammed Salem, Benjamin Netanyahu, Crescent, Gaza's Tal Al, David Satterfield, Cindy McCain, Mc Cain, Abu Dis, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Simon Lewis, Dan Williams, Yusri Mohamed, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Clauda Tanos, Michael Perry, Ingrid Melander, William Mallard, Alexander Smith, Conor Humphries Organizations: U.S, West Bank, Israel, U.S . State Department, Gaza, Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Hamas, REUTERS, Palestinian, Food, Thomson Locations: GAZA, RAMALLAH, Egypt, Ramallah, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, U.S, Qatar, Saudi, Jordan, Amman, United States, Palestinian, Al, Quds, Gaza's, Gaza City, Jerusalem, Hebron, Ismailia, Cairo

Blinken met first with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose economically and politically ravaged country is home to Hezbollah — an Iranian-backed force hostile to Israel. Blinken also discussed U.S. efforts to secure humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza, Miller said.. Neither Blinken nor Mikati spoke to reporters at the top of their meeting in an Amman hotel. Blinken was then to meet with the head of the United Nations agency in charge of assisting Palestinian refugees. All parties have denounced Israel’s tactics against Hamas, which they say constitutes unlawful collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken, Najib Mikati, Hassan Nasrallah, Mikati, ”, Matthew Miller, Miller, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Ayman al, Israel Organizations: —, Hamas, Department, United Nations, UNRWA, United Arab, PLO, Jordanian, Palestinian Authority Locations: AMMAN, Jordan, Gaza, Israel, Amman, Jordanian, Iranian, The U.S, Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, U.S, Palestinian

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Arab foreign ministers Saturday to find ways to ease Gaza’s growing humanitarian crisis. GAZA CITY FIGHTINGIsraeli troops have been tightening their encirclement of Gaza City, the main focus of the military's campaign to crush Hamas. The Israeli military said its aircraft hit an ambulance Friday that Hamas fighters were using to carry weapons. Al-Qidra said a convoy of ambulances left Shifa carrying wounded people to Rafah when a strike hit a vehicle on the edges of Gaza City. The overall toll is likely to rise dramatically as the assault on densely built-up Gaza City continues.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Antonio Guterres, Mattar, Khan Younis, ”, Blinken, Joe Biden’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jordan, Israel, Najib Mikati, King Abdullah II, Adly Abu Taha, Ashraf al, Qidra, Wael Abou Omar, ___ Magdy, Matthew Lee, ___ Organizations: —, Hamas, United Nations, United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority, GAZA CITY, Shifa, Health, Gaza's, Hospital, Shifa Hospital, Gaza Health Ministry Locations: RAFAH, Gaza, Israel, Gaza City, Tel Aviv, Amman, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, U.S, GAZA, Al, Quds, ”, Gaza's, Rafah, Cairo, Bangkok, israel

REUTERS/Jonathan... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreAMMAN, Nov 4 (Reuters) - U.S.-allied Arab states will press Secretary of State Antony Blinken for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at a meeting of foreign ministers in Amman on Saturday, as Washington tries to persuade Israel to agree to temporary pauses to allow in aid. Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 9,250 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since then. Blinken is in Amman for meetings with Arab officials after visiting Tel Aviv on Friday. After meeting Blinken on Friday, Netanyahu said Israel refused a temporary ceasefire that did not include the release of hostages. Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza during a meeting with Blinken in Jordan on Saturday, Mikati's office said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Philippe Lazzarini, Jonathan, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken, Matthew Miller, Netanyahu, Blinken's, David Satterfield, Satterfield, King Abdullah of Jordan, Olaf Scholz, Najib Mikati, Mikati, Miller, Tom Perry, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Hamas, REUTERS, Washington, United, Israeli, Health, Tel, NATO, Saudi, State Department, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: East, Israel, Palestinian, Amman, Jordan, AMMAN, Gaza, United States, Food, Tel Aviv, Turkey, Jordanian, U.S, Middle East, Rafah, Iraqi, Iran, Tehran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon

☆ Divides remain between US and Arab partners after Blinken meets counterparts in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Amman, Jordan CNN —Sharp divides persisted between the United States and its Arab partners on their response to Israel’s war against Hamas after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Middle Eastern counterparts in Amman, Jordan on Saturday. Blinken again called for Israel to “take every possible measure” to prevent civilian casualties – a message he had relayed in meetings in Tel Aviv on Friday. Still, following his meetings in Amman, Blinken sought to emphasize the points of common interest between the US and its regional partners. “I think we all share deep concern about the plight of civilians in Gaza – men, women and children,” he said. Although the US believes the current flow of 100 to 120 trucks a day into Gaza is sustainable, “it’s challenged by the environment on the ground in South Gaza,” Satterfield said.

Persons: Jordan CNN — Sharp, Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, Sameh Shoukry, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Blinken, “ We’ve, David Satterfield, Satterfield, it’s, ” Satterfield, “ That’s Organizations: Jordan CNN, Hamas, Saturday, Jordanian Foreign, United Arab, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Middle East Locations: Amman, Jordan, United States, Amman , Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, Wadi Gaza, Rafah, ”, South Gaza

☆ Arab World, US Split on Gaza Ceasefire as Israeli Offensive Presses On
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Israeli military said it was trying to stem violence and protect Palestinian civilians. The Israeli military said it would enable Palestinians to travel on a main Gaza highway, the Salah a-Din road, during a three-hour window on Saturday. Fighting was "fierce" near an Israeli outpost on the outskirts of Gaza City, CNN reported, saying Israeli soldiers were battling Hamas fighters hundreds of meters to the north and south. If we need to get inside Gaza house-by-house, it's exactly what's going to happen," one Israeli soldier told CNN.

Persons: Nidal, Simon Lewis, Suleiman, Khalidi, Antony Blinken, Israel, Blinken, WAFA, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Joe Biden, Biden, Ayman Safadi, Sameh Shoukry, David Satterfield, Salah, Nidal al, Suleiman Al, Dan Williams, Michael Martina, Jarrett Renshaw, Humeyra Pamuk, Paul Simao Organizations: Reuters, Israeli, Blinken, Israel Defence Forces, West Bank, Palestinian, Turkish, United Nations, Bank, CNN Locations: Al, Khalidi GAZA, AMMAN, United States, Gaza, Washington, Israel, Palestinian, Rehoboth Beach , Delaware, London, Berlin, Paris, Istanbul, Jordanian, Jabalia, Ankara, GAZA, Amman, Gaza City, Khalidi, Jerusalem

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