Politics
Israel and Hamas at odds over cease-fire pact details as international pressure builds
The United Nations Security Council’s unanimous endorsement of a U.S. cease-fire proposal in Gaza has buoyed hopes that the devastating, eight-month-old war might come to an end.
On Tuesday, the militant group Hamas issued its long-awaited, formal response, presenting several amendments to Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
But despite intense urging from the U.S. and other world powers, both Israel and Hamas still seem at odds over what they are willing to agree to — differences that could doom the deal.
The plan — which is similar to one submitted by Hamas weeks ago and was presented by President Biden on May 31 as an Israeli proposal — comprises three phases.
The first phase includes a six-week cease-fire and the release of 33 Israeli hostages, including women, men over age 50 or those who are ill or wounded. For every hostage, Israel would release 30 to 50 Palestinian detainees.
Israeli troops would also withdraw from populated parts of the Gaza Strip, according to the U.N. Security Council resolution, and allow displaced civilians to return home, including to northern Gaza. Humanitarian aid, including food and medicine for Palestinians, would increase significantly.
While the first phase is being implemented, negotiations would continue for the second phase. That would see the full withdrawal of Israel’s military, including from the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt. More hostages and detainees would be exchanged. It would also lead to a permanent cease-fire.
In the third phase, the bodies of hostages who died in Gaza would be returned. A multiyear reconstruction plan for the enclave would commence.
The U.N. resolution rejects any demographic or territorial change in Gaza, “including any actions that reduce” the Palestinian territory. That has been the U.S. position as well. The language differs from a previous draft, which said that any buffer zones created in Gaza would be considered territorial change.
An important detail is that the cease-fire would remain in place between Phase 1 and Phase 2 while negotiations continue, even after the six weeks envisioned in the first phase are over.
Hamas said its proposed amendments were aimed at guaranteeing the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from all of Gaza. It also sought a firmer timeline for the cease-fire, including a permanent end to the fighting, which according to the U.S. plan is supposed to be implemented during Phase 2, after more negotiations.
Nevertheless, Hamas insisted both it and Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza, “voiced willingness to deal positively” with the negotiations “in order to reach an agreement.”
Hamas leaders remain suspicious that Israel will use an initial acceptance of the proposal to free Israeli hostages being held by the militants — a stipulation in the first phase of the deal — and then renege on the rest of the deal and resume its military campaign.
Despite U.S. assurances to the contrary, it remains unclear whether Israel has accepted the deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly endorsed it, repeatedly ruling out a permanent cease-fire or a withdrawal from Gaza until Israel’s goals — the destruction of Hamas, both militarily and as a governing entity — are fulfilled. Full withdrawal is a step that is supposed to be part of negotiations.
Netanyahu is also facing dissent within his government that could jeopardize the chances of a deal. His political fortunes became more tenuous this week after the Israeli centrist politician Benny Gantz left the government in protest over Netanyahu’s conduct of the war and refusal to publicly endorse the cease-fire plan.
The departure of Gantz, a former defense minister and one of the few members of Netanyahu’s government widely respected by the Biden administration, leaves the Israeli prime minister even more beholden to the most radical right-wing elements in his coalition: National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister.
The two have outsized sway over control of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Both favor annexation of land claimed by Palestinians, including Gaza, and the forced removal of some Palestinians. Gantz’s presence kept some of those moves at bay.
On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken criticized Hamas, saying that it took too long to respond and that some of the group’s “numerous changes” were “workable,” while others were not.
“Hamas could have answered with a single word: yes,” Blinken said in a news conference in the Qatari capital, Doha, with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani. “Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and requested numerous changes.”
“The time for decision is now,” Blinken said. “The longer this goes on, the more people will suffer.”
Blinken is making his eighth trip to the region since the war began, shuttling to capitals to push for the release of hostages, more humanitarian aid and a cease-fire, and in a largely unsuccessful attempt to urge Israel to minimize civilian casualties in its bombardments of Gaza.
More than 36,000 Gazans have been killed in the war, according to Palestinian figures. About 1,200 Israelis were killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel.
Mohammed, the Qatari prime minister, said that pressure would have to be exerted on both Hamas and Israel to accept the proposal.
“It is frustrating, lots of times. We have seen the behavior from both parties on different occasions being counterproductive to the efforts,” he said, emphasizing that the primary aim was for a permanent solution, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
“What we are aiming for is one specific goal is to end the war, to end the suffering of the people, to get the hostages back. And then we will think about the day after.”
Bulos reported from Amman and Wilkinson from Washington.
When President-elect Donald J. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Saturday to pressure him on a cease-fire deal in Gaza, there was someone on the speakerphone: Brett H. McGurk, President Biden’s longtime Mideast negotiator.
It was a vivid example of cooperation between two men representing bitter political rivals whose relationship has been best described as poisonous. Rarely if ever have teams of current and new presidents of different parties worked together at such a high-stakes moment, with the fate of American lives and the future of a devastating war hanging in the balance.
Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden publicly claimed credit for the breakthrough.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November,” Mr. Trump wrote on his social media site even before the deal was formally announced in the Middle East.
At the White House, Mr. Biden told reporters that his administration had worked tirelessly for months to convince the two sides to halt the fighting. He called it “one of the toughest negotiations I’ve ever experienced” and gave credit to “an extraordinary team of American diplomats who have worked nonstop for months to get this done.”
As he left the room, a reporter asked Mr. Biden, “Who gets credit for this, Mr. President, you or Trump?” Mr. Biden stopped, turned around and smiled.
“Is that a joke?” he asked.
But despite the tension between the current president and the next one, their representatives in the Middle East described a cooperative working relationship in the weeks since Election Day.
“Brett is in the lead,” Mr. Witkoff said last week at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s club in Florida, describing the working relationship. That description was accurate by all accounts, even if it did not match what Mr. Trump had said moments before in one of several statements describing his negotiators as critical players.
In fact, Mr. Trump’s threat that “all hell” would break loose if no deal was reached before his inauguration on Monday might have helped motivate Hamas’s leadership to make final decisions. But people familiar with the negotiations said the announcement on Wednesday of a deal to temporarily end hostilities in Gaza was the result of months of work by Mr. McGurk in the Middle East, capped off by several weeks of carefully coordinated efforts by Mr. Witkoff.
Mr. Witkoff, 67, a blunt real estate investor from the Bronx, has largely planted himself in Qatar for the negotiations, knowing that whatever Mr. McGurk negotiated, he would have to execute. In fact, the 33 hostages who will be released under the cease-fire deal may not see freedom until Inauguration Day or after. The cease-fire would expire six weeks later, unless Phase 2 of the agreement kicks in.
By design, the goal was to send a unified message that the fighting must end and the hostages held by Hamas must be released. One person familiar with the negotiations, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the discussions, said Mr. McGurk was more involved in hammering out details of the agreement, while Mr. Witkoff’s role was to make clear that Mr. Trump wanted a deal by the time he is inaugurated.
The president-elect has also been setting some early parameters in his dealings with Mr. Netanyahu — who, for all his support of Mr. Trump in the election, was perceived by the Trump camp as dragging his feet on a deal. Mr. Witkoff flew to to Israel from Doha on Saturday — despite the Sabbath — to underscore the message that Mr. Netanyahu had to get on board.
Mr. Witkoff’s work, including the meeting with Mr. Netanyahu, helped Mr. McGurk and the Biden administration to put pressure on both sides during the negotiation, according to the person familiar with the talks.
It was not at all clear that such an arrangement would work in the days immediately after Mr. Trump won a second term.
He and Mr. Biden have barely talked in recent weeks, their already acrimonious relationship weighed down by the Trump team’s determination to clean out the White House career staff and the Biden team issuing last-minute orders to box in the new administration.
In his remarks on Wednesday, Mr. Biden acknowledged some level of cooperation and respect between their aides.
“This deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but its terms will be implemented for the most part by the next administration,” Mr. Biden told reporters. “In these past few days, we’ve been speaking as one team.”
But he did not give any more credit to Mr. Trump for helping the effort. For his part, the president-elect said he was “thrilled” that the American hostages would be released, but he did not mention Mr. Biden or the work of the current administration.
“We have achieved so much without even being in the White House,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!”
Both leaders left it to staff members to describe the way they had worked together on the Gaza negotiations.
A person familiar with that effort said a close partnership between Mr. McGurk and Mr. Witkoff was part of an “incredibly effective” process by which the Biden administration finalized a deal that the Trump administration would have to oversee.
That cooperation began soon after Mr. Trump won the election and named Mr. Witkoff to be his envoy to the region. Biden administration officials have said they believe the momentum for a deal began before that, when Mr. Biden helped broker a separate agreement to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. That isolated Hamas and helped persuade the group that a cease-fire was in its interests, according to Biden officials.
Politics
Stephen Miller preps House Republicans for Trump's immigration overhaul in closed-door meeting
President-elect Trump’s top aide on immigration and the border spoke with House Republicans during a roughly hour-long meeting Wednesday.
Lawmakers who left the room hailed Stephen Miller, who was tapped to be U.S. Homeland Security adviser in the new Trump administration, as a brilliant policy mind.
Two sources present for the discussions told Fox News Digital Miller talked about the need to scale up the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) workforce, which is noteworthy given Trump’s promise to execute mass deportations when he returns to office.
Miller also discussed ways to cut federal funds going toward sanctuary cities and states, a cash flow that Republicans had previously promised to target if they were to control the levers of power in Washington.
COLORADO MAYOR SPEAKS OUT AFTER VIDEO OF ARMED VENEZUELAN GANG IN APARTMENT GOES VIRAL: ‘FAILED POLICY’
Trump adviser Stephen Miller addressed a group of House Republicans Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Getty Images)
The strategy meeting comes as congressional Republicans are preparing for a massive conservative policy overhaul through the budget reconciliation process. By lowering the threshold for passage in the Senate from 60 votes to 51, reconciliation allows the party controlling Congress and the White House to pass broad policy changes — provided they deal with budgetary and other fiscal matters.
The sources told Fox News Digital Miller’s portion of the meeting partly focused on what border and immigration policies could go into a reconciliation package and what kind of funding Congress would need to appropriate.
1.4 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN US HAVE BEEN ORDERED DEPORTED, BUT HAVE YET TO BE REMOVED: OFFICIAL
The sources said Miller told Republicans the incoming Trump administration understood the president-elect’s border and immigration goals were “probably not going to get a lot” of Democratic votes and that “those more controversial things would need to be in reconciliation.” More bipartisan initiatives could be passed during the regular process, the sources added.
A House GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital of an understanding that Congress would follow Trump’s lead.
“I think we’re going to see a slew of executive orders early, and that is going to be helpful to separate from what we have to do legislatively,” the lawmaker said.
One source in the room said Miller emphasized the importance of messaging, adding that “nothing matters if we don’t get our message out to the American people.”
President-elect Trump has promised to carry out mass deportations. (Donald Trump/Truth Social)
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital Miller discussed “low-hanging fruit” that Trump could tackle by executive order, mentioning “deportation” as a possibility.
“Tax stuff, that’s going to take some time,” Norman said.
Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., declined to go into specifics about the meeting but told Fox News Digital the discussion focused on “illegal immigration and how that’s going to be curbed … to bring commonsense solutions to the program.”
HOUSE DOGE CAUCUS EYES FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS IN NEW GOAL-SETTING MEMO
“I had a couple of questions about the cost to American taxpayers if we don’t repatriate some 12 million illegal aliens who the Biden administration has let into our country,” Alford said.
Miller declined to answer reporters’ questions when he left the room.
He was invited to address the Republican Study Committee led by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, the House GOP’s largest caucus, which acts as a conservative think tank of sorts for the rest of the House Republican Conference.
House GOP leaders like Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., were not in attendance, nor were they expected.
Rep. Mark Alford said he asked about the cost to taxpayers to keep millions of illegal immigrants in the country. (Getty Images)
Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., the group’s previous chairman, said there was “nothing new” said during the meeting, adding it was an opportunity for Trump’s aides to address the House GOP.
Trump and his aides have already paid heavy attention to congressional Republicans.
Several of his incoming White House aides are in regular contact with top GOP lawmakers. Trump personally invited several groups of House Republicans to Mar-a-Lago last weekend.
WASHINGTON — Thanks to the internet and smartphones, children today have instant access to vast amounts of online pornography, much of it graphic, violent and degrading, Texas state attorneys told the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
They urged justices to restore the rules of an earlier era, when X-rated theaters and bookstores had an adults-only policy.
Last year, Texas enacted an age-verification law that requires pornographic websites to confirm their users are 18 or older.
Lawyers for 23 other Republican-led states joined in support of Texas, saying they have or plan to adopt similar measures.
The court’s conservative justices signaled they are prepared to uphold these new laws.
They noted that age-verification rules are now common for online gambling and for buying alcohol or tobacco online.
But more importantly, they pointed to the dramatic change in technology and the easy availability of hardcore pornography.
We are “in an entirely different era,” said Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. “The technological access to pornography has exploded.”
He said that warrants reconsidering rulings from decades past that invoked the 1st Amendment to strike down anti-pornography measures.
In one such ruling, the court in 2004 said parents and librarians could use filtering software to protect children from pornography.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett said parents have long known that “filtering” software is not effective in protecting children. “Kids can get online porn through gaming systems, tablets, phones and computers,” she said. “I can say from personal experience … content filtering isn’t working.”
In the past, she said the court had no problem upholding laws that prevent bookstores from selling sexually explicit books or magazine to children or teens.
She questioned why online porn should be treated differently.
Washington attorney Derek Shaffer, who represented the adult entertainment industry that challenged the Texas law on 1st Amendment grounds, argued the Texas law could have a “chilling effect” on adult customers who may be leery of providing personal information needed to verify age and identity.
Texas state solicitor Aaron Nielsen said the new age-verification systems allow customers to confirm their age online without directly contacting a particular website.
“Age verification is simple, safe and common,” he said.
The justices and the attorneys spent most of their time on what free speech standard should apply to such a law.
In the past, the court said anti-pornography laws must be viewed with “strict scrutiny.” Usually, that resulted in narrowing or striking down such laws.
By contrast, the 5th Circuit Court allowed the Texas law to take effect because it was a “rational” means of protecting children.
Several of the justices said they would vote to uphold the Texas law, but they may also agree to send it back to the 5th Circuit Court for a second hearing.
Republican-led states pointed to a growing pornography problem.
“The average child is exposed to internet pornography while still in elementary school,” wrote state attorneys for Ohio and Indiana. “Pornography websites receive more traffic in the U.S. than social media platforms Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, and Pinterest combined.”
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: Championship history and stats
How to watch Texas vs. Oklahoma basketball: Free live stream
How To Watch Oregon Ducks vs. Purdue Women’s Basketball: Preview, Prediction, TV Channel
Suspect in killing of woman in Pa. motel in custody in N.J., cops say
Rubio aligns himself with Trump in confirmation hearing • Rhode Island Current
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Takeaways From Marco Rubio’s Senate Hearing
Stephen Miller preps House Republicans for Trump's immigration overhaul in closed-door meeting
NATO Chief Mark Rutte calls for 'shift to a wartime mindset'
LA fires are still raging, but forecasters expect calmer winds in the coming days
Pilots Battling L.A Fires Face Heat, Turbulence, and High-Pressure Risks
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25822586/STK169_ZUCKERBERG_MAGA_STKS491_CVIRGINIA_A.jpg "Meta is highlighting a splintering global approach to online speech")
Technology6 days agoMeta is highlighting a splintering global approach to online speech
-
Science4 days agoMetro will offer free rides in L.A. through Sunday due to fires
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25821992/videoframe_720397.png "Las Vegas police release ChatGPT logs from the suspect in the Cybertruck explosion")
Technology1 week agoLas Vegas police release ChatGPT logs from the suspect in the Cybertruck explosion
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ Review: Thai Oscar Entry Is a Disarmingly Sentimental Tear-Jerker
-
Health1 week agoMichael J. Fox honored with Presidential Medal of Freedom for Parkinson’s research efforts
-
Movie Reviews1 week agoMovie Review: Millennials try to buy-in or opt-out of the “American Meltdown”
-
News1 week agoPhotos: Pacific Palisades Wildfire Engulfs Homes in an L.A. Neighborhood
-
World1 week agoTrial Starts for Nicolas Sarkozy in Libya Election Case