International
Netanyahu says he is prepared for a “partial agreement” with Hamas but “not to stop the war” in Gaza
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has assured that he is “prepared for a partial agreement” with Hamas to achieve the return of part of the hostages who continue to be kidnapped in Gaza, but insisted that he will not end the war until he destroys the Islamist group.
“We are obliged to continue fighting after a pause to achieve our goal of destroying Hamas,” he defended last night on the program “Los patriotas”, of the right-wing channel Channel 14, in his first interview in a Hebrew media since October 7.
Shortly after its broadcast, the Prime Minister’s Office sent a statement clarifying that “it is Hamas who opposes the agreement, not Israel,” in the face of the criticisms of Netanyahu for his statements.
“The prime minister has made it clear that we will not leave Gaza until the return of the 120 hostages, alive and dead,” the statement said.
In response, Hamas published a text insisting that any agreement must include “a clear statement of a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip” as an “inevitability to block Netanyahu’s attempts to evade, deceive and perpetuate aggression.”
The Islamist organization assured that Netanyahu’s statements “are a clear confirmation of his rejection of the recent Security Council resolution and President Biden’s proposals.”
The resolution, approved on June 10, supported the proposed truce of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, on which Israel and Hamas are negotiating in recent weeks under the mediation of the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
This draft American agreement raises, in its first phase, a temporary ceasefire in which there would be a partial exchange of hostages (women, elderly and wounded), in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
However, Hamas and Israel always clash on the same red line: the definitive ceasefire, an indispensable condition for Islamists and something unacceptable for Netanyahu, whose war objectives first go through the destruction of their military and government capabilities.
About the course of the offensive, the prime minister said in the interview that “the high-intensity scenario of the war will end” and will occur “very soon.”
The relatives of the hostages reacted on Monday to the statements in favor of Netanyahu’s partial exchange, criticizing that “ending the fight in Gaza without releasing the hostages would be a national failure and a distancing from the war objectives.”
In addition, the Israeli anti-government movement of the Black Flags called a march in Jerusalem on Thursday at 19:00 (16:00 GMT) against the prime minister, who is blamed for financing Hamas, provoking October 7 and not taking the hostages out of Gaza.
This same group blocked an entrance road to Tel Aviv this morning, justifying that “the hostages are abandoned in Gaza, the north on fire and another war about to begin” while Netanyahu’s Executive “abandons” the citizenry.
Another group, Changing Direction, protested on Monday in front of the headquarters of Hitadrut, the Federal Labor Generation of Israel, to call for early elections and a general strike in the country.
Of the 251 kidnapped on October 7, 116 captives remain in the enclave, at least 40 of them dead according to Israel – more than 70 according to Hamas -; while there are four other hostages for years, two of them dead.
Since the war began, Israel and Hamas only achieved a one-week truce agreement at the end of November, which allowed 105 hostages to be released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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