As negotiations between the Palestinian-armed group and Israel loom before them, the United States is in direct contact with Hamas.
There are American lives at stake, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday, confirming a report from Axios media outlet that talks were taking place between the two parties. “These are ongoing discussions and discussions, I’m not going to detail them here,” Leavitt said.
The president has demonstrated that doing what is in the best interest of the American people is a good faith, effort, and effort, according to Leavitt, “Look, dialogue, and talking to people around the world to do what’s in the best interest of the American people.”
The direct discussions with Hamas took place through Adam Boehler, Trump’s choice for special envoy for hostage affairs.
The negotiations regarding Israeli-US hostages in Gaza were confirmed by a Hamas official cited by the AFP news agency.
Since defining them as a “terrorist” organization in 1997, the US had previously publicly withdrawn direct contact from them.
Israel claimed the US had consulted on the direct talks.
According to Israeli officials, at least 35 bodies are thought to be still being held in Gaza, along with 24 living captives, including American national Edan Alexander, who is also reportedly a prisoner.
According to Hamdah Salhut, a journalist from Jordan for Al Jazeera, the two parties discussed captives being held in Gaza.
We are aware that the retrieval of the bodies of two Israeli-American prisoners who are still being held in Gaza and one Israeli captive who is reportedly still alive is a prerequisite for our efforts.
She said, “The Americans are saying that their envoys have the power to negotiate with anyone, and it’s not just over the captives who hold American citizenship, but it’s also for the end of the war.”
Fragile pact
The ceasefire’s first phase was extended, but Hamas insists on moving forward with the second phase of the agreement, which was reached in January. Israel is now pressuring for an extension.
In exchange for Israel’s release of more than 2, 000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, Hamas released 33 hostages during the first stage.
Israel claims that Steve Witkoff, the US envoy for the Middle East, wrote the proposal to extend the first phase of the truce.
In exchange for a ceasefire extension and a commitment to strike a long-lasting truce, Hamas would be required to release the majority of its prisoners. A crucial component of the first phase was not made any mention of the release of additional Palestinian prisoners.
aide obstructed
As the government attempts to pressure Hamas to accept the new terms, Israel suspended humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza on Sunday after the first phase had ended, which the Palestinian organization criticized as a breach of the original agreement.
On Wednesday, France, the UK, and Germany issued a warning to Israel against using aid as a “political tool” to ensure the Palestinian enclave’s unhinged delivery of humanitarian aid.
The nations’ joint statement read, “We call on the government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure full, quick, safe, and unhinged provision of humanitarian assistance to the population of Gaza.”
They claimed that a halt in the flow of goods and supplies into Gaza, similar to the one that the Israeli government announced, “could run the risk of violating international humanitarian law.” Humanitarian aid should never be a condition for a ceasefire or to be used as a tool for political gain.
A catastrophic hunger crisis in Sudan, where millions of people are at risk of dying from malnutrition-related illnesses, is beingexacerbated by the US’s decision to suspend foreign aid.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has suspended nearly all of the global projects it funds, and its administration took leave of the majority of its employees since taking office in January.
USAID contributed $44.4 million to Sudan’s $1 last year. Despite the UN’s recommendation, there was an $8 billion humanitarian response.
A portion of this money went toward funding Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), neighborhood relief organizations that help run hundreds of “community kitchens” across the nation.
When USAID stopped providing any funding, about 80% of the 1,460 community kitchens in Sudan were shut down, according to Hajooj Kuka, the state’s ERRs’ spokesperson.
In Omdurman, Sudan, on July 27, 2024, Sudanese women from community kitchens run by local volunteers provide meals to those who are at risk of experiencing extreme hunger and conflict.
bridging the void
Local and international relief workers claim that communal kitchens have kept hundreds of thousands of people alive in areas where UN agencies and global relief organizations are unable to reach due to the wilful obstruction of aid by the warring parties since a power conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into civil war in April 2023.
More than 600,000 people in Sudan are currently experiencing famine levels, and eight million are in danger of going into famine, according to the UN Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global hunger monitor.
The current pause in USAID funding could only make the situation worse.
Some organizations have been granted waivers from the US government to continue providing life-saving services, according to Iyad Agha, the humanitarian coordinator for international nongovernmental organizations in Sudan.
However, many of these services were ultimately discontinued after the US determined that they were insufficient to provide for life. Days later, the Trump administration reinstated some terminations and made certain services resume.
Agha claimed that Washington’s choices are “completely random.”
In the midst of the chaos and confusion, NGOs are paralyzed and unsure of how to proceed, and the Sudanese people who need aid are the most affected, he told Al Jazeera.
There is a “large gap” to close, Agha added, if some other donors want to step in [for the lack of USAID].
Finding alternative funding has become a priority for ERRs.
In order to continue serving beleaguered civilians during the holy month of Ramadan, which officially began earlier in March, Kwaka claimed that community kitchens have gotten funding from the Sudanese diaspora and smaller charitable organizations.
Despite their efforts, 63 percent of community kitchens have been shut down since the US government stopped the majority of foreign aid, according to Kuka.
There are only certain things we can do. He claimed that there simply isn’t enough food for everyone.
However, we’ve started an online donation drive, and during Ramadan, people typically donate more during this time, he continued.
Looting and obstacles
Local and international relief workers claim that the hunger crisis was brought on by both sides of Sudan’s civil war.
Some relief workers cite the fact that UN agencies recognize the Sudanese army as the de facto ruling body.
The army has the authority to approve or reject aid shipments coming from neighboring nations like Chad and South Sudan, which the army does not control. Prior to joining forces with the relevant authorities in each area of Sudan, critics have previously advised humanitarians to do so in order to reach as many needy people as possible.
Additionally, UN organizations that view the army as the de facto government are required to conduct all humanitarian operations from Port Sudan, which makes it logistically challenging to reach remote areas like the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan and Darfur.
In Omdurman, Sudan, a banner of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), reads, ‘the people are with you,’ [Sara Creta/EPA]
Additionally, the army is accused of imposing bureaucratic restrictions that prevent and slow aid shipments.
The army’s procedures are cumbersome, according to the article. The World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson, Leni Kinzli, described the process as being “a mountain of paperwork.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Intelligence Services, the Humanitarian Aid Commission, and the National Intelligence Services are just a few of the organizations we work with.
We need a stamp from all of those organizations, she told Al Jazeera, essentially, for any [aid truck to move].
Additionally, the SAF is accused of preventing aid to areas under the control of RSF by humanitarian workers and analysts. However, Nabil Abdullah, a spokesman for the army, has repeatedly refuted this claim and criticized the RSF for starving civilians.
The ERR’s spokesperson in Sharq el-Nile, a sprawling Khartoum district, claimed that the RSF had made the hunger crisis worse.
She claimed that the group had attacked all of Khartoum’s main markets ahead of Ramadan, and that many residents were hesitant to leave their neighborhoods because they were concerned that civilians might be targeted at RSF checkpoints.
People run away because the RSF frequently robs people of their phones and money, she told Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera reached the RSF’s press office to inquire about reports that its fighters are looting markets and robbing civilians at gunpoint, but the organization did not respond before it was published.
hunger and insecurities
Local relief organizations and aid organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to reach beleaguered civilians as the conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army grows.
When the RSF shelled the camp on February 10 and 11, the WFP was forced to halt aid operations in the Zamzam displacement camp, where more than 500,000 people are residing and struggling to survive a famine.
Through a regional organization, World Food Programme (WFP) was offering food vouchers to about 60,000 Zamzam residents.
Our ground partners had to resign. Due to RSF shelling, they were forced to flee for their lives, which is why we had to halt assistance, according to Kinzli, the organization’s spokesperson.
The few remaining communal kitchens are attempting to feed the countless new arrivals, but the conflict for Khartoum also causes significant displacement throughout Sharq el-Nile.
Kuka claims that many people try to find fish in the Nile or grow vegetables in their gardens, but the amount of food they can eat is hardly sufficient.
He stated that ERRs are contacting UN agencies and the European Union to try to close the USAID gap left behind. Kuka warned that hundreds of thousands of people will starve and die from malnutrition-related diseases if no one takes action.
We are discussing a number one. 8 million people use these kitchens. What does it mean for them to no longer receive food? Kuka remarked.
“People are already enthralled,” We are merely making our best efforts to prevent Sudan from becoming a total famine. However, the country will experience more and more pockets of famine if this [food shortage] persists. ”
According to the White House, President Donald Trump will exempt automakers from his severing 25-percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a month as long as they adhere to the terms of an existing free trade agreement.
Following a meeting with Trump’s top executives from Ford, GM, and Stellantis, Trump made the announcement on Wednesday.
On the news, Ford and General Motors both increased by 4.1 percent and by 5.3 percent, respectively.
The president’s press secretary stated on Wednesday that the president is open to hearing about additional exemptions, but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not willing to impose any tariffs on Canada if Trump imposes any, according to an official from the senior government who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Automobile manufacturers, which manufacture goods in all three countries and frequently ship parts across North American borders multiple times as they are incorporated into systems and finished goods, are facing significant challenges due to Trump’s tariffs.
Prior to the US and Canada’s assembly lines starting to close, Ontario’s premier Doug Ford previously told The Associated Press that the auto industry would last for approximately 10 days.
He predicted that “people will lose their jobs.”
According to Trump, a one-month exemption for cars and trucks that adhere to the complex content regulations of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement would benefit Ford, GM, and Stellantis because they do so in accordance with the complex regulations that require that all vehicles have at least 75 percent of North American content to be eligible for duty-free entry to the US market.
According to a list of “core parts,” which include engines, transmissions, body panels, and chassis components, the regulations also mandate that 40% of a passenger car’s components be produced in the US or Canada. Pick-up truck acceptance is limited to 45%.
Two industry sources told Reuters news agency that while they want certainty about tariff laws and vehicle emissions regulations, automakers want to see significant changes being made.
Trump might also impose a 10% tariff on imported Canadian energy, including crude oil and gasoline, that adheres to the USMCA’s rules of origin, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.
Trade tensions
The country sends the US a third of its exports and receives from it a third of all imports, which could derail Canada’s burgeoning economic recovery.
The US may already be harmed by trade tensions. With uncertainty surrounding Trump’s policies a likely factor, new data released on Wednesday revealed slower payroll growth, as well as lower wage growth for employees who leave jobs. US stock indices have fallen steadily this week, and the dollar hit  is at three-month lows on Wednesday. Since February 20, the Nasdaq has fallen 9%.
Additionally, Trump has added ten percent to the price of Chinese goods.
Some foreign carmakers with significant US production footprints, including Honda and Toyota, would gain from an exemption, but competitors who don’t would be subject to the full 25-percent US tariffs.
Days after protesters demanded political accountability, the government’s opposition parties in Greece have moved to a no-confidence vote against it.
On Friday, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of the nation to demand justice for the victims of the crash. The disaster claimed the lives of 57 people, mainly students.
The socialist PASOK party’s leader, Nikos Androulakis, claimed on Wednesday that the motion was filed because of the government’s “criminal incompetence.”
Syriza, New Left, and Course of Freedom were the only left-wing organizations that backed the decision. On Friday, there will be a vote.
It would threaten the country’s political stability, according to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose government currently holds 156 of the 300 seats in parliament.
Greece’s parliament is surrounded by protesters who are holding signs that read “Greece kills its children” [Photo: Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters]
In this uncertain environment, Mitsotakis told the legislature, “I have an obligation to keep the country steady and safe.”
He claimed that the opposition was spreading “storms of misinformation.”
According to Mitsotakis, “there never was a cover-up,” referring to the claims as a “colourful collection of myths, fantasies, and lies.”
A freight train traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki collided with a train near Larissa on February 28, 2023, causing a rail accident.
Without sounding an alarm, the two trains had traveled miles on the same track toward one another. The accident was caused by human error and malfunctioning equipment.
Opposition parties claimed that Greece’s railways were underfunded and accident-prone because the government had ignored repeated warnings and signs.
The government has also been criticized by the relatives of the crash victims for failing to launch or support an investigation into political responsibility.
The Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority (HARISA) reported last week that chronic safety issues that needed to be fixed to stop the crash from occurring again.
Parliament approved on Tuesday to launch an investigation into whether senior official Christos Triantopoulos, who arrived at the scene of the accident after the accident, was responsible for the site’s bulldozing, which resulted in the destruction of significant evidence.
Triantopoulos, who resigned on Tuesday, denied any of the allegations and claimed to be in charge of helping people.
Opponents in the country claim that the government tried to conceal evidence despite the government refuting these claims. However, opinion polls indicate that the majority of Greeks believe this.
In light of the lingering uncertainty surrounding the Gaza ceasefire, former tank commander Eyal Zamir has been sworn in as Israel’s new military chief.
Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who was previously the defense ministry’s director, resigned in January after admitting to having broken his duty.
Zamir stated at his swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday at the military’s Tel Aviv headquarters that he was prepared for the difficulties that lie ahead, noting that “Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow… it has not yet been defeated.” The goal hasn’t been met yet.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a statement before Zamir that Israel was “determined” to win the conflict.
Since January, fighting in Gaza has been halted as part of a multistage truce between Qatar and Egypt, which has allowed the exchange of about 2, 000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees for 33 Israeli prisoners and 5 Thai prisoners.
However, some Israeli ministers have warned that if there isn’t agreement on releasing the 59 prisoners, their forces could resume fighting.
Although Israeli troops have withdrawn from some of their positions in Gaza, negotiations have not yet begun that would lead to an agreement on a second phase of the truce, which would result in the release of the remaining living prisoners and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces before the war is over.
Hamas has urged sticking to the promise made in January, which calls for talks on a permanent end to the war, before agreeing to any additional releases, while Israel has demanded that the first phase cease-fire be extended until April to allow the release of the remaining captives.
Inquiries
As a result of a number of official inquiries looking into Israel’s failures to stop the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Zamir’s swearing-in comes as a number of official inquiries have begun. In one of Israel’s biggest military and security disasters in its history, at least 1, 139 people were killed in the attack, and roughly 250 others were taken captive.
More than 48, 000 Palestinians have been killed and the majority of the territory has been destroyed, leaving the majority of the population sleeping in tents or bombed-out buildings as a result of Halevi’s leadership of the military.
He made the announcement in January that he would step down from his position of authority in January, accepting responsibility for the military’s response to the September 7 attack, shortly after the ceasefire agreement was reached.
He demanded a more thorough examination of the failures on October 7, 2023 on Wednesday as he handed over his command.
He claimed that “the establishment of a state commission of inquiry is essential because it is not only necessary to place blame but also to first and foremost understand the causes of the problems and make adjustments.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far refrained from conducting a more comprehensive inquiry that would examine the responsibility of his government. Both the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency have acknowledged that their failures allowed the attack to occur.
The new commander will also have to respond to claims made by Israeli troops during the Gaza campaign against international law, including the UN.
Israel refutes those accusations, but it has indicted a number of reservist soldiers for alleged severe detainee abuse.
According to US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, the US “had taken a step back” when sharing intelligence with Ukraine. The two nations were also in discussions to advance a minerals deal.
