Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel was eager to wrap up a U.S.-mediated deal for a cease-fire and release of hostages in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Netanyahu spoke during a visit with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, on the fifth day of a U.S. visit focused on the war. “I hope so,’’ Netanyahu told reporters there, when asked if his trip was making progress for a deal. “But I think time will tell. We’re certainly eager to have one. And we’re working on it.”
Quick Read
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel is eager to finalize a U.S.-mediated deal for a cease-fire and the release of hostages in the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
- Netanyahu made these comments during a visit with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
- He expressed optimism about progress being made for a deal, stating, “We’re certainly eager to have one. And we’re working on it.”
- At home, Netanyahu faces accusations of prolonging the conflict to prevent the collapse of his far-right government.
- The conflict has resulted in more than 39,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza since a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 killed about 1,200 people in Israel.
- Netanyahu announced that Israel would be sending a team to Rome for negotiations, likely at the start of next week.
- On the status of talks regarding the release of hostages held by Hamas, Netanyahu noted some movement due to military pressure and expressed hope for the completion of a deal.
- The U.N. agency assisting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, urged the Security Council to counter Israel’s calls to dismantle the agency.
- Antonia De Meo, UNRWA’s deputy commissioner, warned that proposed Israeli legislation designating the agency as a terrorist group would threaten staff and the entire U.N. system.
- Israel’s parliament is considering measures to label UNRWA a “terror group” and sever diplomatic ties.
- UNRWA operates essential services in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan and has been critical in providing aid during the Israel-Hamas war.
- The war has resulted in the deaths of 199 UNRWA staffers and 560 displaced people sheltering under the U.N. flag.
- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has long advocated for the dismantling of UNRWA, accusing it of perpetuating the Palestinian refugee crisis and collaborating with Hamas.
- Israel claimed that a dozen UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, prompting several countries to temporarily suspend contributions to the agency.
- UNRWA denies Israel’s accusations, maintaining that it adheres to U.N. standards of neutrality.
The Associated Press has the story:
Netanyahu: Israel is eager to reach a U.S.-mediated deal for a cease-fire
Newslooks- (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel was eager to wrap up a U.S.-mediated deal for a cease-fire and release of hostages in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Netanyahu spoke during a visit with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, on the fifth day of a U.S. visit focused on the war. “I hope so,’’ Netanyahu told reporters there, when asked if his trip was making progress for a deal. “But I think time will tell. We’re certainly eager to have one. And we’re working on it.”
At home in Israel, Netanyahu increasingly has been accused of prolonging the conflict to stave off the expected collapse of his far-right government when it ends. Israel’s offensive has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians in Gaza since a Hamas-led attack Oct. 7 killed about 1,200 people in Israel.
He said Israel would be sending a team to negotiations in Rome, probably at the start of next week. Asked about the status of talks on freeing hostages held by Hamas, Netanyahu said, “I think there’s been some movement because of the military pressure that we exerted. I hope that there will be sufficient movement to get the deal completed.”
U.N. agency pushes back against Israel’s calls to dismantle it
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees told the Security Council on Friday that the world body must “push against” Israel’s calls to dismantle the agency and raised alarms about proposed Israeli legislation that would designate the aid agency a terrorist group.
“We cannot afford this to become a new standard for future humanitarian operations in conflict zones across the world,” said Antonia De Meo, the deputy commissioner of the agency, known as UNRWA. She said the legislation, if passed, would threaten staff and the “entire U.N. system around the world.”
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, is weighing measures that would brand UNRWA a “terror group” and cut diplomatic ties between Israel and the agency. UNRWA operates schools, health clinics, infrastructure projects and aid programs in refugee camps in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. In Gaza, it has been the main supplier of food, water and shelter to civilians during the Israel-Hamas war.
Some 199 UNRWA staffers have been killed in the war, the vast majority with their families, and 560 displaced people have been killed “while sheltering under the U.N. flag,” De Meo said. She said 190 of the agency’s buildings have been hit, and many schools that were used as shelters were demolished.
Israel has long railed against UNRWA, accusing it of tolerating or even collaborating with Hamas and of perpetuating the 76-year-old Palestinian refugee crisis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said for years that the agency should be dismantled.
This winter, Israel claimed that a dozen UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that prompted Israel’s invasion of Gaza. The allegations prompted more than a dozen countries to suspend hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions to the agency, though the great majority have resumed their funding.
UNRWA denies Israel’s accusations, saying the agency adheres to U.N. standards of neutrality and hasn’t knowingly helped Hamas or any other militant group. Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan reiterated complaints Friday about the world body’s response to his country’s allegations of ties between UNRWA staff and Hamas.
