Board of Peace envoy says Gaza plan needs quick progress, Hamas talks ‘not easy’

Board of Peace envoy says Gaza plan needs quick progress, Hamas talks ‘not easy’

Reuters

The Board of Peace’s lead envoy for Gaza tells Reuters that he was “fairly optimistic” a plan for disarmament of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza can be reached, but cautioned that it will still take time.

“We’ve had some very serious discussions with Hamas over the last few weeks. They’re not easy,” Nickolay Mladenov says in an interview during a visit to Brussels.

“I’m fairly optimistic that we will be able to come up with an arrangement that works for all sides and, most importantly, works for the people in Gaza,” he says.

Mladenov says work is underway on an implementation plan that would include disarmament, new governance in Gaza, and provisions for an Israeli withdrawal.

“It obviously will take time, but we’re trying to make sure that the arrangements for the implementation of the plan are agreed to as quickly as possible,” Mladenov, a former UN Middle East envoy and Bulgarian politician, says.

Asked about when an agreement could be reached on implementation, Mladenov said: “We have a matter of days, maximum, a couple of weeks. That is my assessment, because otherwise we will lose the momentum of what we have, and then every decision will become even more difficult.”

While declining to comment on the details of ongoing negotiations, the envoy says he believes there is “a good way forward that is being discussed with both sides.”

One of the issues under discussion was the “yellow line” demarcating the territory Israel has occupied since the October ceasefire, Mladenov said. Reuters has reported that Israel has moved the “yellow line” deeper into Gaza.

“There’s a whole set of issues that need to be handled on the ground, including the yellow line,” Mladenov says, adding that matters such as access for aid and medicine are also under discussion with Israel.

He also points to some changes on the ground.

“We’ve been able to, over the last few days, gradually and very carefully increase the number of people that are allowed to cross through the Rafah Crossing. We’re looking at increasing the number of trucks of goods that are going into Gaza,” he says. The Rafah Crossing connects Gaza to Egypt.

There is also a need to build trust, Mladenov says.

“It’s a very complicated process,” he says. “But it is a process that is taking a lot of small steps to get us ultimately to an agreement on the full implementation of the plan”.

Japan on high alert for 'huge' second quake after issuing tsunami warning

Japan on high alert for large second quake after earthquake triggers tsunami warnings

Maia Davies

Japan remains on high alert for aftershocks after its meteorological agency warned of an increased risk of a large earthquake - measuring 8.0 or higher - in the next week. 

It comes after thousands of people were urged to seek higher ground in the earthquake-prone country on Monday after a 7.7 magnitude quake struck off its north-east coast.

The undersea activity off the Iwate prefecture triggered a string of tsunami warnings in the region and tremors as far away as the capital Tokyo, some 530km (330 miles) south.

One resident said “everyone ran” after the earthquake alert sounded.

The tsunami warnings were soon downgraded to advisories - the lowest level - but people are still warned to remain away from the coast. 

Waves reached heights of 80cm and no injuries or major damage were immediately reported.

The UN’s nuclear watchdog said it had been informed by Japanese officials that no abnormalities occurred at the country’s nuclear facilities. 

We're ending our live coverage here, but you can read more in our news story.

Western Policy Aimed at Deterring Russia, China Threatens International Peace - Moscow

Western Policy Aimed at Deterring Russia, China Threatens International Peace - Moscow

The policy of the West, which is aimed at deterring Russia and China, poses a threat to international peace and security, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Evgeniy Ivanov said on Monday. 

"If we talk about the external perimeter, then the main threat to international peace and security, in our opinion, is the policy of the West aimed at containing Russia, China and other centers of the emerging multipolar world," Ivanov said at the All-Russian Municipal Forum. 

The West is obsessed with the idea of war with Russia and hinders various agreements, he added.

Moscow remains committed to the understandings reached at a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska, Ivanov said.

"Russia remains committed to the understandings reached at the highest level during the Russian-American summit in Alaska," Ivanov said.

Russia welcomes all mediation efforts on the situation in the Middle East, as Moscow has the same goals, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Evgeniy Ivanov said on Monday.

"We welcome all mediation efforts aimed at advancing the settlement process. The Russian initiative to resume dialogue on the creation of a collective security system in the Persian Gulf zone with the participation of all interested regional states with the support of international mediators is also aimed at solving this problem," Ivanov said.

Russia opposes the recurrence of aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran and Lebanon, the diplomat added.

"We categorically oppose the recurrence of aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as Israel against Lebanon. The unjustified use of military force against civilian and infrastructural facilities has no justification," Ivanov said.

Israel, Iran and The Big Picture:

Iran Is Learning The Hard Way… Nothing Can Thwart God’s Promises To The Nation Of Israel

Tom Gilbreath

A little over ten years ago, then–Secretary of State John Kerry said out loud what much of the media had kept remarkably quiet. He said that Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim terror group that had dominated the nation of Lebanon for decades, possessed an arsenal of 80,000 rockets and ballistic missiles, mostly supplied by Iran.

By then, Israeli intelligence estimated that Hezbollah actually had 100,000 missiles — all aimed at Israel. During the years that followed, Iran upgraded Hezbollah’s missile cache both in quantity and quality. By the time of the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, Hezbollah’s stockpile of missiles and rockets exceeded 150,000. That’s more ballistic missiles than any NATO nation in Europe has in its arsenal. 

As October 7, 2023 dawned, Iran had Israel surrounded. Iran controlled Hezbollah, and Hezbollah controlled Lebanon on Israel’s north. Iran directed Syria on Israel’s northeast. Iran gave arms to, and held the loyalty of, Iraq’s massive Shiite militias to Israel’s east. Yemen’s Houthi rebels were over a thousand miles to Israel’s south, but with sophisticated Iranian missiles and drones, they made their presence felt. Palestinian terrorists carried out an ongoing campaign against Israel from Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank). Hamas controlled Gaza to Israel’s west. As Sunni Muslims, Hamas did not hold religious loyalty to Shiite Iran, but it shared Iran’s goal of annihilating Israel and Jews from the face of the earth. Also, Hamas liked Iran’s money and weapons.

Iran, the puppet master, stood a thousand miles away — directing it all. It supplied money, training, intelligence, and strategic direction. They chanted, “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.” These were not mere political slogans, but expressions of religious creed. Most people in the West do not know how powerful religious devotion can be, but they should know it can be deadly on a vast scale when it centers on hate.

Iran had oil and oil money. It had the nuclear powers of Russia, China, and North Korea for strategic partners. And Iran had a religious zeal to build its own nuclear weapons, along with the missiles to deliver them anywhere in the world. In the US, successive presidents threatened to use force against Iran. But they did not solve the problem and, in some cases, made the situation much worse.

It’s difficult to grasp how dramatically everything has changed since Hamas crossed the border into Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas still exists and might rise again, but, for now, it is a shell of its former self. Hezbollah keeps finding and firing remnants of its old missile arsenal, but it has nothing like the stockpile it had just 2½ years ago. The new regime in Syria is wicked and dangerous, but it is not linked to Iran as the old Assad regime had been. The Houthis, the Shiite militias in Iraq, and other enemies of Israel still exist. But the Iranian regime that once fed and directed them has been shattered. 

Much of the world cheered the attacks of October 7. They thought it was the beginning of the end for Israel. Yet, the opposite happened. It reminds me of a line from James Weldon Johnson’s classic poem, “The Prodigal Son,” from his famous book, God’s Trombones. The preacher in the poem begins his sermon with some of the most profound words ever spoken: “Young man — Young man — Your arm’s too short to box with God.”

That’s a good word for people, young and old. And it applies to nations.

Isaiah 45:9 warns, “Woe to him who strives with his Maker!” Isaiah 14:27 says, “For the Lord of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?” God made certain unconditional promises to Israel — not because they deserve it, but because He willed it. Nothing will prevent those promises from being fulfilled.

Trump Says Talks to Take Place Tuesday, Iran Says It Has 'No Plans' To Attend

Trump says talks to take place Tuesday, as Iran says it has ‘no plans’ to attend

Lazar Berman

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that talks with Iran on extending the ceasefire would resume on Tuesday, while the Islamic Republic indicated it was not planning to send a delegation and was pessimistic about the prospects of the talks.

Trump told Fox News that White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would be heading to the Pakistani capital Islamabad for the negotiations, and if Tehran does not agree to a deal, the whole of Iran would be “blown up.”

He told the outlet that bridges and power plants in Iran would be targeted, repeating his threat to target civilian infrastructure — plans that appeared to have been halted after the ceasefire was reached nearly two weeks ago. The break in the fighting is set to expire on Wednesday if an extension is not agreed upon.

Trump told Fox he is demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz and give up its highly enriched uranium, a demand Tehran has not agreed to.

Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However, it enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities, all while repeatedly threatening over the years to annihilate Israel.

Contrary to Trump’s claim, Iranian state media reported on Sunday night that Tehran was not planning to take part in new talks.

“There are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks,” state broadcaster IRIB said, citing Iranian sources.

Earlier on Sunday, Iranian news outlet IRNA had pointed to Washington’s “maximalism and unreasonable and unrealistic demands, frequent changes of positions, constant contradictions, and the continuation of the so-called naval blockade,” adding that “in these circumstances, there is no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations.”

The Fars and Tasnim news agencies, quoting anonymous sources, said Tehran has yet to decide whether it will participate and that “the overall atmosphere cannot be assessed as very positive,” with Fars citing one source as saying the lifting of a US blockade on Iranian ports is a precondition for talks. The blockade was imposed in response to Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

After Sunday’s interview, Trump emphasized his threats on Truth Social, writing: “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran.”

“NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” he wrote.

He said that the bridges and plants will “come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.”

“IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!” he concluded.

“The concept of the deal is done. I think we have a very good chance to get it completed,” Trump said.

However, according to the same report, Trump did not talk about an impending deal with Iran during a meeting with his top advisers on Saturday, which could be an indication that the US is gearing up for a return to fighting. The report added that Iran’s leadership seems suspicious that Trump’s upbeat talk of a deal could be intended to create cover for a surprise US attack on Iranian targets.

At the same time, an unnamed US official told the outlet that Trump is serious about reaching an agreement with Iran during talks this week in Pakistan.

If talks do collapse, Channel 12 reported, Israel has prepared a series of Iranian targets to hit. Though Trump threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure if a deal is not reached, Israel’s targets are not necessarily infrastructure sites.

As such, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the US-Israeli effort against Iran is “not over yet,” in an address alongside Argentinian President Javier Milei on Sunday.

“Any moment could bring us new developments,” said Netanyahu. “Who knows what tomorrow or the day after tomorrow will bring.”

Netanyahu said the US and Israel “shall achieve our objectives and achieve more hope, more light for the free peoples of the world.”