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US President Donald Trump on Monday told the Israeli parliament that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial in three separate corruption cases, should be pardoned.Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused in one case of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours.”Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” Trump joked, declaring his ally Netanyahu’s one of Israel’s greatest wartime leaders.”Hey, I have an idea, Mr President,” Trump said, addressing his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog, “Why don’t you give him a pardon?” “By the way, that was not in the speech, as you probably know. But I happen to like this gentleman right over here,” he added, indicating Netanyahu.The Israeli prime minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the three court cases, and his supporters have dismissed the long-running trials as politically motivated.Besides the gifts affair, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage from two Israeli media outlets in two other cases. During his current term, which started in late 2022, Netanyahu has proposed far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say sought to weaken the courts.Those prompted massive protests that were only curtailed after the onset of the Gaza war.Last month, Herzog indicated that he could grant Netanyahu a pardon, saying in an interview that the prime minister’s case “weighs heavily on Israeli society”.The Israeli premier is also subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on suspicion of ordering war crimes in his government’s assault on Hamas militants in Gaza.Trump, a frequent vocal defender of Netanyahu, did not address the international case in his Knesset speech, but Washington has previously condemned the warrant and imposed sanctions on some ICC staff. In a post published on his social media network Truth Social in June, Trump called Netanyahu’s trials a “political witch hunt” that was “very similar to the witch hunt that I was forced to endure”. Trump himself has long accused his political opponents of using the Justice Department to target him during his time out of office. 

Israel said the last 20 surviving hostages returned home on Monday after two years in captivity in Gaza, as US President Donald Trump received a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers after brokering a ceasefire with Hamas.Trump’s lightning visit to Israel came ahead of a summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh co-chaired by the American president, who has declared the war in Gaza “over”.In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd which gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke of the first hostage releases, though the pain for the loss of those who had not survived was palpable.Under the ceasefire deal, Israel is due to release nearly 2,000 prisoners held in its jails.In the Palestinian city of Ramallah, huge crowds gathered to welcome home the first buses carrying prisoners, with some chanting “Allahu akbar”, or God is the greatest, in celebration.”Welcome home,” Israel’s foreign ministry said in a series of posts on X, hailing the return of the hostages.On Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, Noga shared her pain and joy.”I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” she said.Israel has said it does not expect all of the dead hostages to be returned on Monday.Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is also due to return the bodies of the 27 hostages who died or were killed in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza conflict. Among those Israel was due to release in exchange are 250 security detainees, including many convicted of killing Israelis, while about 1,700 were detained by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war.- ‘Nothing looked the same’ -On October 7, 2023, militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians.All but 47 of those hostages were freed in earlier truces, with the families of those who have remained in captivity leading lives of constant pain and worry for their loved ones.In Gaza, too, the ceasefire has brought relief, but with much of the territory flattened by war, the road to recovery remains long.”I returned to Sheikh Radwan with my heart trembling,” 38-year-old Fatima Salem told AFP after she returned to her neighbourhood in Gaza City. “My eyes kept searching for landmarks I had lost — nothing looked the same, even the neighbours’ houses were gone. “Despite the exhaustion and fear, I felt like I was coming back to my safe place. I missed the smell of my home, even if it’s now just rubble. We will pitch a tent next to it and wait for reconstruction.”- ‘War is over. Okay?’ -Trump’s visit to the Middle East aims to celebrate his role in brokering last week’s ceasefire and hostage release deal — but comes at a precarious time as Israel and Hamas negotiate what comes next.Speaking to reporters on Air Force One at the start of the “very special” visit, Trump brushed off concerns about whether the ceasefire would endure.”I think it’s going to hold. I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries,” he said of the fighting. “The war is over. Okay? You understand that?” the US president added.In Israel, Trump was due to meet the families of hostages, before addressing the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem. – Final details -Trump announced in late September a 20-point plan for Gaza, which helped bring about the ceasefire.Negotiators were still wrangling late Sunday over the final arrangements for the exchanges, with two Hamas sources telling AFP the group was insisting that Israel include seven senior Palestinian leaders on the list of those to be released.Israel has previously rejected at least one of those names.After visiting Israel, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will co-host a summit of world leaders to back his plan to end the Gaza war and promote Middle East peace.While Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is due at the summit, Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli premier will not attend due to the start of a religious holiday.In Egypt, Trump will be looking to resolve some of the huge uncertainty around the next phases of the peace plan — including Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s failure to pledge a full withdrawal from the devastated territory.Trump insisted he had “guarantees” from both sides and other key regional players about the initial phase of the deal, and the future stages.A new governing body for devastated Gaza — which Trump himself would head under his own plan — would be established “very quickly,” he added.Under the plan, as Israel conducts a partial withdrawal from Gaza, it will be replaced by a multi-national force coordinated by a US-led command centre in Israel.Hamas on Monday urged Trump and the mediators of the Gaza deal to ensure Israel does not resume operations in Gaza.”We call on all mediators and international parties to continue monitoring Israel’s conduct and to ensure it does not resume its aggression against our people in Gaza,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said.Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,869 people, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers credible.The data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicates that more than half of the dead are women and children.

Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi has announced to AFP that he had reached a “preliminary agreement” with Damascus on the integration of his troops into Syria’s military and security forces.Abdi, who heads the powerful Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), had met Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus last week, along with US envoy Tom Barrack and US commander Brad Cooper.While the Kurdish forces — who control large swathes of Syria’s oil-rich northeast — had signed an agreement with the new Syrian authorities in March to merge their civil and military institutions, the deal’s terms were not implemented.”What is new in our recent talks in Damascus is the shared determination and strong will to accelerate the implementation of the terms” of the agreement, Abdi told AFP in an interview at a military base in the northeastern city of Hasakeh on Sunday. “The most important point is having reached a preliminary agreement regarding the mechanism for integrating the SDF and the (Kurdish) Internal Security Forces within the framework of defence and interior ministries,” he added.The Washington-backed SDF and Kurdish security forces consist of around 100,000 male and female members, according to them.The SDF played a vital role in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, which ultimately led to the jihadist organisation’s territorial defeat in the country in 2019.Abdi said that military and security delegations from his forces are currently in Damascus to discuss the mechanism for their integration.- Disagreements -After the fall of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December, Sharaa announced the dissolution of all armed groups, to be absorbed by state institutions.Abdi explained that “the SDF will be restructured through its integration into the defence ministry”, as part of several formations.However, some disagreements remain.”We demand a decentralised system in Syria… we have not agreed on it,” he added, as they are “still discussing finding a common formula acceptable to all”.He stressed that they “agree on the territorial integrity of Syria, the unity of national symbols, the independence of political decision-making in the country, and the fight against terrorism”.”We all agree that Syria should not return to the era of war, and that there should be stability and security. I believe these factors are sufficient for us to reach a permanent agreement.”During the last meeting with Sharaa, Abdi said he had called for “modifying or adding some clauses to the existing constitutional declaration” announced in March, particularly those related to “guaranteeing the rights of the Kurdish people in the constitution”. “There was a positive response to this matter, and we hope this will happen soon,” he added.Abdi also expressed his gratitude to the United States and France for facilitating negotiations with Damascus.Asked about Damascus’s main backer Turkey, which has always been hostile to the SDF, Abdi said “any success of the negotiations will certainly depend on Turkey’s role”, expressing hope that it will play a “supportive and contributing role in the ongoing negotiation process”.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the SDF on Wednesday to “keep their word” and “complete their integration with Syria”.When questioned on the region’s fossil fuel reserves, Abdi noted they “have not yet discussed the oil issue, but it will certainly be addressed in upcoming meetings”.”Oil and other underground resources in northeastern Syria to belong to all Syrians, and their revenues and revenues must be distributed fairly across all Syrian provinces”.

Hamas handed over the first seven of 20 surviving Israeli hostages to Red Cross representatives in Gaza on Monday, with a convoy of the humanitarian organisation on its way to pick up a second group.In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke of the first releases, which came after two years of war in Gaza.Under a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, Hamas is due to release all surviving hostages on Monday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.The releases came as Trump arrived in Israel for a lightning visit ahead of a trip to Egypt for a peace summit, having declared the war “over”.”According to information provided by the Red Cross, seven hostages have been transferred into their custody, and are on their way to IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military and security service said. In a later statement, the army said a Red Cross convoy was on its way to pick up a second group of hostages.Among those gathered on Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Noga shared her pain and joy with AFP.”I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” she said.- ‘Nothing looked the same’ -On October 7, 2023, militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians. All but 47 of the hostages were freed in earlier truces, with the families of those who have remained in captivity leading lives of constant pain and worry for their loved ones.In Gaza, too, the ceasefire has brought relief, but with much of the territory flattened by war, the road to recovery remains long.”I returned to Sheikh Radwan with my heart trembling,” 38-year-old Fatima Salem told AFP after she returned to her neighbourhood in Gaza City. “My eyes kept searching for landmarks I had lost — nothing looked the same, even the neighbours’ houses were gone. “Despite the exhaustion and fear, I felt like I was coming back to my safe place. I missed the smell of my home, even if it’s now just rubble. We will pitch a tent next to it and wait for reconstruction.”- ‘War is over. Okay?’ -Trump’s visit to the Middle East aims to celebrate his role in brokering last week’s ceasefire and hostage release deal — but comes at a precarious time as Israel and Hamas negotiate what comes next.Under the US president’s proposed roadmap, once the Palestinian militants have handed over the surviving hostages, Israel will begin releasing around 2,000 detainees in exchange.Israel expects all 20 living hostages to be released to the Red Cross “early Monday morning”, according to a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.Speaking to reporters on Air Force One at the start of the “very special” visit, Trump brushed off concerns about whether the ceasefire would endure.”I think it’s going to hold. I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries,” he said of the fighting. “The war is over. Okay? You understand that?” the US president added.In Israel, Trump is due to meet the families of hostages, before addressing the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.- Final details -His trip is partly a victory lap over the Gaza deal he helped broker with a 20-point peace plan announced in late September.”Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time,” Trump said earlier as he prepared to board the plane at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.Negotiators were still wrangling late Sunday over the final arrangements for the exchanges, with two Hamas sources telling AFP the group was insisting that Israel include seven senior Palestinian leaders on the list of those to be released.Israel has previously rejected at least one of those names.The sources said the group and its allies had nevertheless “completed all preparations” for handing over to Israel all the living hostages.Israel does not expect all of the dead hostages to be returned on Monday.Under the plan, Hamas is to hand over the remaining 47 hostages, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza war. Among the prisoners to be released, 250 are security detainees, including many convicted of killing Israelis, while about 1,700 were detained by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war.- Peace summit -After visiting Israel, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will co-host a summit of more than 20 world leaders to back his plan to end the Gaza war and promote Middle East peace.Trump will be looking to resolve some of the huge uncertainty around the next phases of the peace plan — including Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s failure to pledge a full withdrawal from the devastated territory.Trump insisted he had “guarantees” from both sides and other key regional players about the initial phase of the deal, and the future stages.Trump also said he would be “proud” to visit Gaza itself, but did not say when such a difficult security challenge would be possible.A new governing body for devastated Gaza — which Trump himself would head under his own plan — would be established “very quickly,” he added.Under the plan, as Israel conducts a partial withdrawal from Gaza, it will be replaced by a multi-national force coordinated by a US-led command centre in Israel.Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,806 people, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers credible.The data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicates that more than half of the dead are women and children.

Hundreds of people gathered on Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke that Hamas had handed over the first hostages to be released on Monday after two years of captivity in Gaza.Many had come at sunrise, carrying pictures of the hostages and waving Israeli flags bearing a yellow ribbon, a symbol of the movement calling for the hostages’ release.Noga, who wore a badge that read “Last day”, shared her pain and joy with AFP.”I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” she says.Hamas and its militant allies took hostage 251 people hostage into Gaza during the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack.Many of them were released in earlier truces, but 47 people seized on October 7 remained in Gaza. Only 20 of them are alive.Since that day, Noga has worn a small badge each day, counting the days of their captivity.For the past two years, people have held frequent rallies and gatherings over the past two years on a Tel Aviv square that has become known as Hostages Square.Over the months it has become the nerve centre of the campaign to free the hostages.When the news broke that the first seven had been released, the square broke out in cheers and song.The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main organisation representing relatives of captives, had called on people to gather at the site — evoking the yellow ribbons.As the war in the Gaza Strip has dragged on, the ribbons became ubiquitous in public spaces in Israel, from roundabouts to car door handles and stroller grips.— ‘Very moved’ —”Our struggle is not over. It will not end until the last hostage is located and returned for proper burial. This is our moral obligation. Only then will the people of Israel be whole,” the forum said in a statement.Emilie Moatti, a former Labour MP and one of the founders of the forum, told AFP she was “very moved”, gesturing toward the crowd and struggling to hold back tears.On giant screens, Israeli television channels broadcast footage from previous rallies at this same spot.The song Habayta (“Homeward” in Hebrew), playing on a loop through the loudspeakers, resonated differently with the crowd on Monday, as for the first time in months wishes for the hostages’ return were about to come true.The song dates back to the 1980s and was originally dedicated to Israeli soldiers fighting in Lebanon.The return to Israel of the hostages marks the first step in the ceasefire plan brokered by US President Donald Trump.In exchange, Israel is due to free nearly 2,000 prisoners held in its jails, most of them Gazans detained since the start of the war.

China’s trade grew faster than expected last month, official data showed Monday, though fresh fears are rising of a major escalation in the tariff war between Beijing and Washington.The world’s second-largest economy has in recent years been mired in a persistent domestic spending slump just as pressure on its export-reliant manufacturing sector intensifies.Clouding the outlook, …

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