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Tag: ceasefire talks ongoing

  • Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Al-Shifa hospital raid, ceasefire talks ongoing

    Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Al-Shifa hospital raid, ceasefire talks ongoing

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    During his address to the Senate Republican policy lunch Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sharply critical of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s comments calling for elections to form a new government in Israel.

    “Clearly, the prime minister was not happy with Sen. Schumer’s speech. Nor was he happy with President (Joe) Biden’s praise of Sen. Schumer’s speech. But I think the prime minster understands the politics of all of it,” Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy said afterward. 

    “We made it clear to the prime minister that in our judgment, the American people overwhelmingly support Israel’s war,” Kennedy said. “And he made clear he intends to prosecute the war against Hamas to the full extent of his power” 

    Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said Netanyahu was not critical of Biden.

    “He said he was grateful of the support he’s gotten from President Biden and he hopes that support continues,” Cruz said.  

    Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said Netanyahu was “candid” and “thorough” and said the Israeli leader gave a “pretty detailed update” of the war, answering questions about the prosecution of the war and explaining what Israel’s needs are from the US.   

    Hawley said Netanyahu was “very mindful” of concerns over civilian deaths and “talked about it at some length” and was “alert to the sensitives” over that issue, even talking about the estimated death toll of Palestinians.  

    “He wanted to project that the end is in sight,” Hawley said. “By far the greatest portion of this war is over.”  

    Netanyahu told the senators he does not envision US troops getting directly involved in combat. 

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed back on Republican criticism of his Israel speech, in which he called for the US ally to hold new elections.  Pool

    More on Schumer’s speech: Schumer pushed back on Republican criticism of his Israel speech, in which he called for the US ally to hold new elections. 

    “I gave this speech, out of a real love for Israel. And if you read the speech, we called only for there to be an election after the hostilities, declined after Hamas was defeated,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju, when asked about GOP critics saying that his remarks amounted to foreign election interference, and that there shouldn’t be any daylight between the US and an ally when they are at war.

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  • Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, ceasefire talks ongoing, Rafah offensive looms

    Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, ceasefire talks ongoing, Rafah offensive looms

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    Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, left, and Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. Getty Images

    One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest confidants, Ron Dermer, and Israel’s national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi will be heading to Washington, DC, to meet with US officials, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office obtained by CNN.

    The statement did not say which US officials the Israeli delegation will meet with or when the visit will happen. The White House said it expects the visit to happen early next week. 

    Dermer is currently a member of Israel’s war cabinet and a former ambassador to the United States.

    The US has been calling on Israel to explain how it intends to keep safe over 1 million Palestinians who are seeking refuge in southern Gaza, as Israel warns that it will soon launch a military offensive into Rafah. So far, US President Joe Biden’s administration says a plan has not been presented.

    US wants Rafah alternatives: On Monday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Biden had asked Netanyahu to send a team to Washington “to hear U.S. concerns about Israel’s current Rafah planning and to lay out an alternative approach that would target key Hamas elements in Rafah and secure the Egypt-Gaza border without a major ground invasion.”

    But the Israeli statement Tuesday said that Netanyahu “is determined to act in Rafah in order to finally eliminate the remaining Hamas battalions, while providing humanitarian solutions to the civilian population.” 

    The Israeli delegation will be accompanied by a representative — who was not named — for Israel’s Coordination of Government Actions in the Territories, the statement said.

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