International
Israel’s delegation leaves Cairo after a new stalemate in the truce negotiations
The delegation of Israel led by the heads of the Mosad and Shin Bet left Cairo on Sunday after a day of indirect negotiations that has not brought results or progress to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip, sources close to the talks told EFE.
According to the informants, who asked not to be identified, the Israeli team – composed of the heads of the Mosad and Shin Bet, David Barnea and Ronen Bar, and Major General Nitzan Alon, who oversees the talks on behalf of the Army – will inform the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, of the status of the talks.
An Egyptian source indicated that an agreement can only be reached if Israel abandons its insistence on keeping its troops in the Philadelphia corridor, one of Cairo’s main demands since this axis separates the Strip with the Egyptian peninsula of Sinai.
However, he stated that Israel would have preliminarily approved the presence of employees of the Palestinian National Authority at the Rafah crossing, which connects with Egypt and has been closed since May, although it would not allow the Palestinian flag to be hoisted at the crossing.
Likewise, the source indicated that the Israeli team demanded that in the first phase of the truce eight of its military positions be maintained in the Philadelphia corridor.
The informants indicated that the Egyptian and Qatari mediators, supported by a delegation from the United States, demanded a truce in Gaza of between 5 and 7 days to bring urgent medical aid and vaccines to the punished population of the Palestinian enclave, where more than 40,000 people have died since last October 7.
On the other hand, the delegation of the Islamist group Hamas that moved to Cairo to participate in a process of consultations with the teams of Egypt and Qatar, also left the Egyptian capital after holding a series of meetings with the mediators and learning about the current state of the negotiations, according to a statement from the Palestinian movement.
Hamas reiterated its demands on the need for Israel to implement the draft it accepted on July 2, based on a proposal presented in May by U.S. President Joe Biden, which included the end of hostilities and the total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in a second phase.
In addition, he stated that “any agreement must include a permanent ceasefire” and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, something that Netanyahu opposes.
The Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip left at least 71 dead and 112 injured in the last 24 hours, according to the daily report of the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas, most of them in the area of Jan Yunis and Deir al Balah.
Since the beginning of the war in the devastated Palestinian enclave, more than 10 months ago, at least 40,405 people have died and more than 93,468 have been injured, according to the records of the hospitals of the Strip.
In addition, the health authorities estimate that the bodies of about 10,000 missing people are still buried under the rubble, without rescue teams being able to access them.
The Ministry also reported that the European hospital in Gaza, located south of Jan Yunis, began operating today, including the specialties of surgery, pediatrics and internal medicine, after being out of service for 50 days despite the lack of resources.
Meanwhile, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert accused the current president, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday of “torpedoing” the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip, which he said leads the country towards a comprehensive war in the region.
“Netanyahu does not want the hostages to return,” Olmert said, referring to the 105 who have been in the hands of Hamas for more than 10 months, – at least a third already dead – but to prolong negotiations and a war that could degenerate into an escalation of violence against the Shiite group Hizbulah and Iran.
Olmert, a very critical voice against the management of the current president, commanded the country between 2006 and 2009, years before entering prison for corruption due to previous actions during his time as mayor of Jerusalem (1993-2003).
International
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
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