International

Netanyahu works “in full cooperation” with Trump, included in a possible resumption of the Gaza war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday after meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that he works “in full cooperation” with that country’s President Donald Trump, including those related to resuming the war in Gaza if the hostages are not released.

“Contrary to what is published, President (American Donald) Trump and I are working in full cooperation and coordination,” Netanyahu said in a joint statement to the press after his meeting with Rubio in Jerusalem.

“We have a shared strategy that is not always possible to detail to the public, including when the gates of hell will open,” he added, which he said will happen if Hamas does not return “to the last” of the hostages.

In addition, Netanyahu spoke of the common threat of Iran, and assured that both Israel and the United States agree that “the ayatollahs should not be allowed to have nuclear weapons,” according to statements collected by the Hebrew press, and that “Iran’s aggression in the region must be reversed.”

For his part, Rubio said that “Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force” within the Gaza Strip and that “it must be eradicated,” in line with the war objectives repeated today by Netanyahu.

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The new head of US diplomacy arrived in Israel last night after participating in the Munich Security Conference and as part of a tour that will also take him to Saudi Arabia, where he is scheduled to meet with Russian officials to start negotiations and end the war in Ukraine, CNN reported.

Rubio also met with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, who said in a statement that he had addressed with the American how to strengthen and establish relations with the countries of the Abraham Agreements, thanks to which in 2020 Israel normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and then Morocco, and has been wanting to do the same with Saudi Arabia for some time.

In addition, Saar said that they also talked about the transfer of more embassies to Jerusalem – a gesture that Trump already materialized with the American in his first term -, in addition to the “legal fight against Israel” in the International Criminal Court and how to stop anti-Semitism.

The Israeli president, for his part, said yesterday that he will gather his security cabinet “as soon as possible” to decide the future of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and last night he held consultations with senior Defense officials and officials, according to the Hebrew press.

US President Donald Trump said he would support any decision by Israel on the ceasefire, and according to public radio Kan, Netanyahu again opposed the entry of prefabricated houses and heavy machinery to unclea Gaza, despite the fact that it was stipulated in the first phase of the agreement.

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Negotiations on phase II have not begun, Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, confirmed today to EFE: “This is a very serious violation that demonstrates the bad intentions (of Israel) regarding the future of the agreement,” Naim added.

The Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, said on Saturday that Israel is preparing “offensive plans” in Gaza while making “huge efforts” to bring back the hostages. Halevi will travel to the United States tonight until the 20th to meet with his counterpart, the commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and other senior US military officials.

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.