International

Separate negotiators and last-minute details, this is how the ceasefire in Gaza was negotiated

After eight months of negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, discussions to reach a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Gaza continued until a few hours before the announcement, with intermediaries walking through corridors and resolving the last fringes of a crucial truce for the hostages captured in the Strip and for the Palestinian civilian population, affected by an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

Senior US officials revealed on Wednesday details of negotiations that had not been resolved for months due to suspicions and positions that were difficult to reconcile between Israel and representatives of the Palestinian group in Hamas.

“The fact that we have such a detailed agreement is that, for example, we were working last night until three in the morning, solving every last detail, leaving little to improvisation and making sure that expectations were very clear for both parties,” said in a call to the press one of the officials of the Joe Biden Administration present in these months of intense talks in Doha (Qatar).

According to officials present in the last great diplomatic achievement of the only presidential mandate of an outgoing Biden, these weeks work was done on what they define as “proximity conversations,” with representatives of Israel and Hamas, declared mortal enemies, dialoguing through Qatari and Egyptian intermediaries who acted as messengers between rooms on different floors of the same building.

Another element that has led one of the participants to define this ceasefire agreement in Gaza as “unprecedented” and “with much at stake for everyone”, is the “historic” collaboration between Biden’s teams and President-elect Donald Trump, whose impetus and pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nentanyahu, without forcing a total change in the initial White House plan, was key.

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Trump’s envoy in the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, worked side by side in recent days with CIA director Bill Burns, or Brett McGurk, Biden’s envoy for Middle East issues, while the team of Qatar’s Foreign Minister, Mohamed bin Abderrahmán, approached positions just five days after the change of tenant at the White House.

“They exchanged roles. While McGurk was negotiating in Doha, we thought that Steve could have a conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu and he went to do it himself in person (this weekend),” said the senior Washington official.

The Qatari foreign minister finally announced this afternoon, Washington time, the agreement from Doha, something that according to US sources was not entirely clear until “after noon.”

That transition between Biden and Trump, which will take place on January 20, created, according to the mediators, a deadline that has served to force the parties to give in in positions that were entrenceded in the summer and that lived a before and after with the death at the hands of Israeli soldiers and unexpectedly of the leader of Hamas, Yahya al Sinwar.

The agreement, which consists of three phases, will reach its central part with the exchange of a number of Palestinian prisoners for each Hamas hostage released and delivered to the Israelis, while establishing the conditions for a permanent ceasefire, after 1,200 dead in the attack of October 7, 2023 of the Islamist militia in Israel and more than 46,000 dead in Gaza, according to health sources in the Strip.

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Biden had a marathon of calls last week with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Israel. “Qatar and Egypt have had their teams working hard for months. In the end, we have come to know each other very well,” said an American mediator.

According to the same source, the death of Sinwar and the leader of Hezbulah, Hassan Nasralá, at the end of September – something to which Washington attributes to Israel’s indisputable military power in the region – were key to getting Hamas to accept the terms of the agreement that must now be implemented for six weeks in a first phase that must address the ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from Gaza and release of hostages and prisoners.

International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.