The price of silver hit a multi-decade high on Thursday as investors kept flocking to safe havens amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty, while gold eased off a record run.Stock markets, meanwhile, were mixed as traders weighed a slew of issues: massive AI investments, corporate results, US interest rates, the US government shutdown, political turmoil in …
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Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, one of the main organizers of the international aid flotilla to Gaza, said Thursday that the movement to get life-saving relief to the devastated Palestinian enclave would continue, after a ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hamas.”There is nothing in the ceasefire agreements to indicate that the illegal blockade of Gaza by Israel, the United States, or any other nation will end,” he told reporters upon his return to Brazil.”As long as there is no justice for the Palestinian people, the flotilla will continue.”Avila was one of 13 Brazilians aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla of 45 vessels intercepted by Israel last week. Israel detained and deported more than 470 people aboard the boats, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.Israel has blocked several international aid flotillas in recent months from reaching Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has set in after two years of a devastating Israeli military offensive.Israel enforces a blockade on the territory, and has slashed the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into the enclave while the war has raged.Several activists on board the flotilla reported mistreatment in detention, which Israel denied.”Obviously, there were violations that will be the subject of complaints in international courts, but they are nothing compared to what the Palestinians are suffering,” said Avila.He reported cases of “physical violence” and “forced interrogations” of activists. “Diabetics have gone three days without access to insulin,” he said.Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed a ceasefire deal after more than two years of war sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has reduced much of Gaza to rubble — including schools, hospitals and basic infrastructure — and killed at least 67,194 people, according to the territory’s health ministry.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday that expanding Israeli settlements threatened a Palestinian state and US-led peace efforts, as France hosted Arab and European ministers to find ways to boost the Palestinians after a Gaza ceasefire deal was announced. Macron hailed the ceasefire deal as a “great hope” for the region, but said the “acceleration” of settlement construction in the occupied West Bank was an “existential threat” to a Palestinian state.It was “not only unacceptable and contrary to international law” but “fuels tensions, violence, and instability”, he said in opening remarks to the meeting in Paris. “It fundamentally contradicts the American plan and our collective ambition for a peaceful region.”Israel and Hamas earlier agreed a Gaza ceasefire deal to free the remaining living Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group. It is being seen as a major step towards ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe.The deal brokered through indirect talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh came two years after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, which triggered a relentless retaliatory assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza.While Europe has strongly supported the ceasefire efforts led by US President Donald Trump, Washington and several European countries are at odds over whether it is the right moment to recognise a Palestinian state.Macron, in a September 22 speech at the United Nations, recognised a Palestinian state on the heels of similar announcements by Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom.The Paris meeting brought together the top diplomats of five key Arab states — Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — with European counterparts from France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Turkey and the European Union were also represented.- ‘Unnecessary and harmful’ -“A ceasefire is not yet a lasting peace,” said French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot. “It is the first step on a long road to a political solution that will guarantee Israel’s security while recognising the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to a state.”France is hoping that backing up its recognition of a Palestinian state by discussing what happens the “day after” the war ends can boost the prospects of a two-state solution, which Paris still regards as the sole chance for long-term regional peace.The ministers discussed participating in the International Stabilisation Force evoked by Trump as part of his peace plan and support for the Palestinian Authority which runs the occupied West Bank.Before the ceasefire deal was announced, the Paris meeting had angered Israel, further straining French-Israeli relations in the wake of Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian state.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had in a message on X denounced the “unnecessary and harmful” meeting “concocted behind Israel’s back” at the sensitive moment of the negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed a ceasefire deal to free hostages held in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails.Here is what we know so far about the agreement, reached in indirect talks in Egypt:- Hostage, prisoner releases -Israel said the final draft of the first phase of a ceasefire deal had been signed by all parties, and included an agreement for the release of all hostages held in Gaza, both living and deceased.Of the 251 people abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which sparked the war in Gaza, militants still hold 47, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.In exchange, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners: 250 of whom are serving life sentences, and 1,700 others detained since the start of the war, a top Hamas official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.There has been no indication that Israel will disclose the names of those set for release.- Prisoner lists -A key point in the negotiations was a list of Palestinian prisoners submitted by Hamas, whom it wants released from Israeli jails in the truce’s first phase.High-profile inmate Marwan Barghouti — from Hamas’s rival, the Fatah movement — is among those the group wanted to see released, according to Egyptian state-linked media.But Israel said Barghouti — a figure sometimes called the “Palestinian Mandela” by supporters, but considered a terrorist by Israel — would not be part of the exchange.- Aid -A daily minimum of 400 trucks of aid will enter the Gaza Strip for the first five days of the ceasefire, to be increased in following days, the Hamas source said.The Egyptian Red Crescent said an initial 153 trucks were headed into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.The World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said his agency was prepared to “scale up its work to meet the dire health needs of patients across Gaza, and to support rehabilitation of the destroyed health system”.The deal also provides for the “return of displaced persons from the south of the Gaza Strip to Gaza (City) and the north immediately”, the Hamas source said.- ‘Scheduled withdrawals’ -Israel said its military would redeploy to an agreed-upon “yellow line” within 24 hours.The deal stipulates “scheduled withdrawals” of Israeli troops, the Hamas official said, and includes “guarantees from President Trump and the mediators”.- Key questions remain -Trump’s 20-point peace plan, on which the indirect negotiations were based, calls for the disarmament of Hamas and for post-war Gaza to be ruled by a transitional authority headed by Trump himself.But these points are yet to be addressed.Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the Palestinian Islamist movement rejected the planned transitional authority.”No Palestinian would accept this. All the factions, including the Palestinian Authority, reject this,” Hamdan told Qatar-based broadcaster Al Araby.Trump said the issue of Hamas surrendering its weapons would be addressed in the second phase of the peace plan.”There will be disarming,” he told reporters, adding there would also be “pullbacks” by Israeli forces.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said he hoped the Gaza deal could lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.But Netanyahu and members of his cabinet have repeatedly vowed to prevent that from happening.- What next? -Israel’s security cabinet was due to discuss the plan Thursday at 1400 GMT, followed by a full government meeting an hour later.The ceasefire will take effect “within 24 hours” of the security cabinet meeting, Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told journalists.”All of our hostages, the living and the deceased, will be released 72 hours later, which will bring us to Monday,” she said.A Hamas official said negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire would begin “immediately”.Negotiations in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh have been taking place under lock and key in a conference centre.burs-bha-acc/jd/jhb/jsa
US President Donald Trump said he would try to go to Egypt for the signing of a Gaza ceasefire deal, adding that he expected Hamas to free hostages on Monday or Tuesday under the long-sought agreement.Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump said the agreement between Israel and Palestinian militant group had “ended the war in Gaza” and would lead to broader Middle East peace.”We secured the release of all of the remaining hostages, and they should be released on Monday or Tuesday,” Trump told his assembled cabinet secretaries at the White House.But Trump said that the bodies of some of the dead hostages would be “hard to find.” Trump announced plans to travel to the Middle East even before he unveiled the first phase of the peace deal on Wednesday, but said arrangements were still being made for a possible stop in Egypt.”I’m going to try and make a trip over. We’re going to try and get over there, and we’re working on the timing, the exact timing,” Trump said Thursday.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said earlier that he had invited his US counterpart to take part in a “celebration to be held in Egypt” for the agreement for the first phase of a ceasefire.Trump said he also expected to visit Israel, adding that he had been invited to address the Israeli parliament.”They asked me to speak at the Knesset and… I’ve agreed to, if they would like me to, I will do it,” Trump said in response to a question from a reporter.Trump falsely claimed that he would be the first president to do so. The Knesset website lists US presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter among foreign leaders who have addressed the parliament in the past.- ‘Extraordinary phone calls’ -The Republican gave few details about the second phase of the peace deal and the future of Gaza.Trump said “there will be disarming, there will be pullbacks,” in apparent reference to Israel’s demand that Hamas disarm and calls by the Palestinian militant group for Israel to withdraw its forces, but did not elaborate.He added that Gaza would be “slowly redone” and indicated that Arab states with “tremendous wealth” would help it rebuild, as well as possibly taking part in peacekeeping efforts.Trump did not comment on whether he now expected to achieve his long-held dream of winning the Nobel Peace Prize.But his cabinet officials lined up to praise him, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had on Wednesday handed the US president a note during an event saying a deal was imminent.”Frankly, I don’t know of any American president in the modern era that could have made this possible,” Rubio said.Rubio also hinted at the tough negotiations that led to the agreement, which saw Trump pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rally Arab and Muslim states to lean on Hamas.”One day, perhaps the entire story will be told,” Rubio said.”The president had some extraordinary phone calls and meetings that required a high degree of intensity and commitment and made this happen.”
It began with a hastily written note and a whisper. It ended with a Gaza deal long sought by Donald Trump.Something was obviously going on when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made an unexpected appearance during a roundtable at the White House on the left-wing Antifa movement on Wednesday.”By the way, we have Marco Rubio. Marco, come on up here please,” Trump said, beckoning him over to his side of the White House’s State Dining Room. “Anything we should know about the Middle East?”There was. But the scrupulously low-key Rubio was not about to do it in public. “That’s what we’re hoping to talk to you about Mr President, once they leave,” said Rubio, pointing to journalists and eliciting a laugh from the 79-year-old Trump.What followed next was history playing out in real time — an extraordinary moment even for a reality TV star-turned-president with a flair for showmanship.With reporters watching carefully for signs about the progress of the Israel-Hamas peace talks in Egypt, Rubio took a seat vacated by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and briefly gave Trump the thumbs up.The top US diplomat then reached over and took a pen and a White House notepad from Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to his right.While Trump answered a question about “cutting the head off the snake” of Antifa, Rubio scribbled for nearly a minute as Miller leaned over to look.- ‘Very close’ -Rubio then showed the note to Miller, and leaned over to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, seated on Miller’s right. The three of them consulted briefly together before Rubio tore off a sheet of paper.Seconds later, Rubio reached behind the back of US Attorney General Pam Bondi as she answered another reporter’s question, and handed Trump the piece of paper.As the cameras rolled, Trump sat back in his chair and read the note for 10 seconds, with an approving nod.Rubio then got up and went over to Trump and whispered in his ear, with his hand covering his mouth.It was perhaps the most notable presidential whisper since George W. Bush’s chief of staff Andy Card interrupted him during an event at a Florida school to tell him that a second plane had hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.”Ok,” said Trump as Rubio went back to his seat, motioning for reporters to be quiet as they shouted questions. “I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East and they’re going to need me pretty quickly, so we’ll take a couple more questions.” Reporters could not immediately see what the note said. But photographs, including an AFP picture, later revealed the contents of Rubio’s history-making note to the president.”Very close. We need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first,” it said, referring to Trump’s social network.The words “very close” were underlined twice.- ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ -At the end, Rubio stood waiting for Trump, who shook hands with the roundtable attendees on his way out as the clock ticked.Images later shared by the White House showed the urgency of the moment.Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Rubio and Wiles strode purposefully through the Rose Garden colonnade towards the Oval Office as they made the final preparations to announce the deal, in a video posted on social media by Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino.Almost exactly two hours after Rubio’s intervention, Trump’s Truth Social finally went out. “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!” it proclaimed.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday that expanding Israeli settlements threatened a Palestinian state and US-led peace efforts, as France hosted Arab and European ministers hours after a Gaza ceasefire deal was announced. Macron hailed the ceasefire deal as a “great hope” for the region, but said ramped up settlement construction in the occupied West Bank was an “existential threat” to a Palestinian state.It was “not only unacceptable and contrary to international law” but “fuels tensions, violence, and instability”, he said as he presided over the meeting in Paris. “It fundamentally contradicts the American plan and our collective ambition for a peaceful region.”Israel and Hamas earlier agreed a Gaza ceasefire deal to free the remaining living Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group. It is being seen as a major step towards ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe.The deal brokered through indirect talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh came two years after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, which triggered a relentless retaliatory assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza.While Europe has strongly supported the ceasefire efforts led by US President Donald Trump, Washington and several European countries are at odds over whether it is the right moment to recognise a Palestinian state.Macron, in a September 22 speech at the United Nations, recognised a Palestinian state on the heels of similar announcements by Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom.The Paris meeting brought together the top diplomats of five key Arab states — Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — with European counterparts from France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Turkey and the European Union were also represented.- ‘Unnecessary and harmful’ -Before the ceasefire deal was announced, the Paris meeting had angered Israel, further straining French-Israeli relations in the wake of Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian state.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had in a message on X denounced the “unnecessary and harmful” meeting “concocted behind Israel’s back” at the sensitive moment of the negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh.But France is hoping that backing up its recognition of a Palestinian state can boost the prospects of a two-state solution, which Paris still regards as the sole prospect for long-term regional peace.The agenda at the meeting includes the International Stabilisation Force evoked by Trump as part of his peace plan and support for the Palestinian Authority which runs the occupied West Bank, a French diplomatic source said this week, asking not to be named.”It is essential to act together and get down to work,” said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.Berlin has repeatedly said it disagrees with the move by France and other European countries to recognise a Palestinian state now.
