International
Preliminary positive confirmation from Hamas on ceasefire proposal with Israel, according to Qatar
Hamas has given a “preliminary positive confirmation” to a ceasefire and hostage release proposal already approved by Israel, said Qatar on Thursday, which is mediating to achieve a pause in the war that has been devastating the Gaza Strip for almost four months.
“The path ahead of us is still very difficult. But we are optimistic because both parties have accepted the premises that would lead to a pause [in the fighting]. We hope to be able to announce good news in this regard in the next two weeks,” said Majed al Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry.
Representatives from the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Israel formulated a ceasefire and hostage exchange proposal over the weekend in Paris, aiming to negotiate with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
“This proposal was approved by the Israeli side, and now we have a preliminary positive confirmation from Hamas,” stated the Qatari spokesperson, Majed al Ansari.
However, a Hamas source told AFP that there is “no agreement yet on the implementation” of the proposal and that “Qatar’s statement was hasty and not true.”
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, in exile in Qatar, was expected to arrive in Egypt on Thursday or Friday, where he is likely to address this proposal.
A Hamas source had previously indicated that the Islamist movement, in power in Gaza since 2007, was examining a three-phase agreement proposal.
The first phase would include a six-week ceasefire during which Israel would release between 200 and 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 35 to 40 hostages. Additionally, between 200 and 300 trucks of humanitarian aid could enter Gaza each day.
On October 7, Hamas fighters entered southern Israel and killed around 1,163 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped about 250, according to the latest AFP tally based on Israeli official data.
In response to the attack, Israel launched an aerial and ground offensive to “annihilate” Hamas, classified as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, resulting in more than 27,000 deaths, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas health ministry.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed that “Hamas has 10,000 dead terrorists and 10,000 who were taken out of action.”
US Sanctions Israeli Settlers
The United States imposed sanctions on a group of Jewish settlers accused of violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank.
The violence by Jewish settlers has reached “unacceptable levels,” wrote US President Joe Biden in his executive order.
The Israeli government rejected these sanctions, stating that there is “no room for exceptional measures” against West Bank settlers.
“The vast majority of settlers in Judea and Samaria [West Bank] are law-abiding citizens, and many are currently fighting for the defense of Israel. Israel acts against all those who violate the law everywhere,” said a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli settlers killed at least 10 Palestinians and set fire to dozens of homes in the occupied West Bank in 2023, according to the human rights group Yesh Din.
“Uninhabitable” Territory
In Gaza, witnesses reported Israeli airstrikes near Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis on Thursday night, the major city in the southern part of the enclave where, according to Israel, some Hamas leaders operate.
Over 30,000 displaced people are taking refuge in this partially destroyed town, lacking food, water, and medicine due to Israel’s total siege, according to the Hamas health ministry.
The population is “dying of hunger,” warned Michael Ryan, director of the World Health Organization’s emergency health program, on Wednesday.
According to the UN, the war forced 1.7 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants to flee their homes.
The situation risks worsening due to the suspension of donations from several countries to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after Israel accused 12 of its employees of being involved in the Hamas attack on October 7.
The agency, which stated that it might be forced to cease its operations “at the end of February,” was nominated on Thursday by a Norwegian politician for the Nobel Peace Prize “for its work in providing vital support to Palestine and the region.”
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
