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
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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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