International
Biden manages to get Netanyahu to promise to take a step in Gaza and reiterates his position on Rafah
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, managed to get the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, to promise to open the humanitarian aid passage of Kerem Shalom, closed after an attack by Hamas, and reiterated his “clear position” regarding an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
As reported by the White House in a statement, “the prime minister agreed to ensure that Kerem Shalom’s passage is open to humanitarian assistance from those in need.”
The Kerem Shalom crossing, one of the main crossings used to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, was closed on Sunday after a Hamas attack killed four Israeli soldiers and injured ten others.
In addition, Biden “reiterated his clear position on Rafah,” according to the White House statement, which does not add more details about that part of the conversation.
The Biden government has repeatedly asked Israel to present a concrete and effective plan before invading Rafah to prevent the death of civilians in that city, located on the border with Egypt and where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are crammed, who have taken refuge there from Israeli operations in the rest of the enclave.
Netanyahu has been reiterating his intention to invade Rafah for months to eliminate Hamas militiamen who he claims are hiding there and, just a few hours ago, the Israeli Army ordered the evacuation of about 100,000 residents of Rafah.
On the other hand, the two leaders also talked about the negotiations to agree on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages held in the enclave by Hamas and the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli prisons.
The negotiations are at a crucial moment after the apparent failure of the last round held this weekend in Cairo. However, Washington seeks to revive them, so yesterday, Sunday, the director of the CIA, William Burns, arrived in Doha to continue the talks.
Biden referred specifically to that point and updated Netanyahu “on the efforts to reach an agreement on hostages,” including Monday’s talks in Doha, which has hosted the political office of Hamas for more than a decade.
The United States has been acting for months as a mediator in those negotiations with Egypt and Qatar.
Finally, both leaders also spoke about the commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is celebrated this Monday.
Specifically, they talked about the “commitment” shared by the US and Israel to remember the six million Jews systematically persecuted and killed in the Holocaust, one of the “darkest chapters in history,” and agreed to “act forcefully against anti-Semitism and all forms of hate-motivated violence.”
International
German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz
The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.
Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.
“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”
The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.
The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.
Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.
“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”
Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”
International
Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation
Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.
The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.
“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.
He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.
For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.
The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.
Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.
International
Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.
Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.
“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.
Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”
Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.
The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.
German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz
Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation
Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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