Hamas will never agree because this is how they win. the world always swallows propaganda after taking a few bites after tasting the truth and particularly is this so when Israel is the victim of Terrorism and decides to strike back etc. +++
Meanwhile:
Return of Palestinians to Gaza’s North Emerges as Key Issue in Cease-Fire Talks CIA director heads to Cairo to push Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement for hostage release By Michael R. Gordon, Summer Said and Gordon Lubold +++
WASHINGTON—The Biden administration is pressing Israel to permit limited numbers of civilians displaced in the six-month-old Gaza war to return to the northern part of the enclave, a key remaining point of contention in cease-fire and hostage talks, U.S., Israeli and Egyptian officials said.
The White House push to resolve one of the major disagreements between Hamas and Israel highlights the new weight the administration attaches to securing a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza since a deadly Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers on Monday.
According to Arab mediators involved in the talks, Israel is open to permitting returns to the north at a rate of 2,000 people a day, mainly women and children. A maximum of 60,000 Palestinians could return under a proposal deemed acceptable by Israel, but they would mostly exclude men between the ages of 18 and 50. The return of displaced Gazans could begin 10 days to two weeks after a six-week cease-fire is implemented, Arab officials said. They would have to pass through Israeli military checkpoints to prevent armed Hamas militants from re-infiltrating the north, where they could resume attacks on Israeli troops, said Israeli and Egyptian officials. But those terms haven’t been accepted by Hamas, which wants the checkpoints removed and is demanding that families returning to the north remain intact, to prevent Israel from turning away adult males. “They insist on completely returning to the north,” said an Israeli official familiar with the hostage negotiations. “They want free passage—everyone can go to the north of Gaza and that's it On Friday, Biden sent letters to leaders of Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks along with the U.S., urging them to secure a commitment from Hamas to agree to and honor a deal, a senior Biden administration official said. During a phone call Thursday, Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to work out the issue of returning Gazans to the north. He also called for an immediate cease-fire and for Netanyahu to empower his negotiators to reach a deal, according to U.S. officials.
For Biden, a cease-fire would help relieve domestic political pressure he is facing from within his own party to compel Israel to change its handling of the war, which has intensified since the drone strike on a World Central Kitchen aid convoy Monday.
A letter to Biden Friday signed by 40 House Democrats called on the administration to withhold offensive arms transfers to Israel until a full investigation into the deaths of the aid workers is completed and responsible parties are held accountable.
The Israeli military said Friday it had dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others involved in the mistaken attack, saying they lacked the evidence to order the attack and violated the military’s operating rules. But Israeli officials say a pause in fighting must be tied to a release of hostages. More than 120 hostages—among them many who are believed dead—remain in the captivity of Gaza militants, despite months of military operations and negotiations aimed at their release. On Saturday, the Israeli military said it returned to Israel the body of Elad Katzir, a hostage who was killed in captivity, in a special operation. Israel has so far retrieved the bodies of 12 hostages but has only successfully rescued three alive. Israel agreed to allow the use of the Ashdod port in southern Israel for the delivery of assistance for Gaza and to open the Erez border crossing, which has been closed since the Oct. 7 attacks, as a new route for aid to reach northern Gaza. Israel will also allow a significant increase in deliveries from Jordan into Gaza, the U.S. said. “Israel’s war objectives have not changed—destroy Hamas, free our hostages and ensure that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel and civilization in the future. We will accomplish our missions,” said an Israeli official, declining to comment directly on Netanyahu’s call with Biden.
For Hamas, an agreement that permits Palestinians to return to the north is a key political objective, one that would signal it can address the desire of Gazans to return home, despite the severe losses the organization has suffered, Israeli officials said.
U.S. officials said that a breakthrough in the stop-and-start talks would enable aid to Gaza’s beleaguered population to be greatly expanded. An agreement to permit civilians to return to the north could ease U.S. concerns about an Israeli offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have taken refuge along with Hamas militants. “As Israel pursues any military operations against Hamas, it has to prioritize the protection of civilians. It has to make that job number one,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday. Dov Lieber, Warren P. Strobel, Anat Peled and Carrie Keller-Lynn contributed to this article. +++ Dear Dick,
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that Hamas was presented with a “very serious offer” for a hostage deal but still refuses to accept an agreement.
"The ball is in Hamas’ court," he said. "The world is watching to see what it does."
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also put the onus squarely on Hamas. "There could be a ceasefire in place today that would extend for several weeks to be built upon longer if Hamas would be prepared to release some of those people...The world should say at this moment that ‘Hamas, it’s time. Let’s go. Let’s get that ceasefire.”
Notably, no member of Congress who has called for a ceasefire has said anything about Hamas' refusal to accept a deal or has echoed the Biden administration's demands of the terror group.
Secretary Blinken also condemned the international community for failing to blame Hamas.
"It is astounding to me that the world is almost deafeningly silent when it comes to Hamas. We wouldn’t be where we are today had Hamas not chosen to engage in one of the most horrific acts of terrorism on October 7, and had they, having done that, not refused this many months to stop hiding behind civilians, put down their arms, release hostages and surrender. Where is the outrage there?"
Israel's war cabinet convened today to discuss the latest U.S. proposal, which would see Hamas free the hostages in exchange for a pause in fighting.
Israel has repeatedly agreed to offers that would include the release of hundreds of convicted Palestinian terrorists, yet Hamas continues to reject an agreement.
AND:
Would Trump be wise enough to take this sound advice.
Stay tuned? +++ The Presidency, I’m Against It Trump could seek a legacy as the leader who constrained the executive branch. By Andy Kessler
Years ago, I met an author finishing a book about limiting the power of the executive branch. His catch phrase was: “The presidency. I’m against it.” I told him it would make a great title.
If you haven’t come to grips with Donald Trump pulling a Grover Cleveland to become our 45th and 47th president, know that denial ain’t just a river in Egypt. Last I checked, Mr. Trump is ahead in most polls, and leads in all battleground states except Wisconsin. Between the border and Hamas flops, President Biden seems to be doing everything he can to get Mr. Trump elected. If so, Mr. Trump has the opportunity of cementing a lasting presidential legacy for himself—by limiting presidential legacies.
Ignoring campaign rhetoric, the question is, what kind of president will Mr. Trump be this time? I don’t think there is a single way voters define the former president. I liken it to the Hindu parable of the blind men feeling an elephant.
Some see Mr. Trump as the leader of cosplaying Capitol stormers. Or of closing borders or crushing the woke movement. As xenophobic, even racist. As isolationist: America First. Protectionist: Tariff man. Comedic genius: His nicknames are “gold, Jerry, gold!” Some Trump supporters hint at libertarianism in the form of “leave me alone.” And to many, he is about driving the Trump train and running over smug East and West coast elite wannabes. To a tiny faction, he was a steward of low inflation, 3% economic growth and 3.5% unemployment, and they want those times back.
Maybe the most reported line is that Mr. Trump is a democracy-killing authoritarian. Check out this Washington Post opinion headline: “A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending.” But don’t we already have that with the Biden administration? Roughly $144 billion student loan forgiveness. Open borders. Net zero declarations. Phasing out gasoline-powered cars for EVs no one wants. All without a vote from Congress.
Expectations for a second Trump term include mass deportations, threats against allies, and huge tariffs on Chinese products. But what will be Mr. Trump’s legacy? Let’s face it, someone who splashes his name on tall buildings across the country cares about legacy. How does Mr. Trump change his legacy from authoritarian blowhard to transformative president? Simple. Go rogue. Do something no one ever thought he would do. Like Nixon going to China. Or “Bedtime for Bonzo” Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan becoming a free-market, Soviet-busting genius.
How? Reduce the power of the executive branch. Mr. Trump told Sean Hannity he plans to be a dictator for only a day. Fine, close the border, end DEI, get NATO partners to pay, cancel Mr. Biden’s executive orders, and reverse his industrial strategies, er, policies. But then pull the ladder up behind you so no future president can repeat the Biden administration’s power grabs.
Guard future generations against a strong president—or, worse, a weak one like Mr. Biden taken over by unelected administrators. The Constitution says legislators make laws, the executive branch enforces them, though it often doesn’t seem that way. Mr. Trump can make sure there are no more Obama “I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone” situations.
Some of this is already happening. The Supreme Court in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency used the “major questions doctrine” to curtail executive-branch regulatory power. The justices may soon limit the Chevrondeference doctrine and further restrain executive-branch regulators. Presidents can’t appoint special envoys without Senate approval anymore, though Mr. Biden ignored this when appointing John Podesta climate special adviser.
Mr. Trump can lead the dismantling of our post-Franklin D. Roosevelt kinglike presidential platform. It would almost be Washingtonian, the man who refused to be named king. It would certainly be anti-Biden.
Limited government lets the private sector flourish. Mr. Trump can work with Congress to implement “Six Freedoms,” reminiscent of FDR’s Second Bill of Rights from his final State of the Union address, but doable with limited government rather than a bossy president. Freedom from harm—strong defense and law enforcement. Free trade—don’t force the sale of TikTok to cronies, but instead ban it in the U.S. until Beijing allows Facebook, Google and X to operate freely in China. Free markets—let them do the hard work (ask Larry Kudlow, Mr. Trump’s former top economic adviser, who’ll explain that markets encourage success and penalize failure without the heavy hand of government). Free ideas—expression free from DEI and ESG diktats. Free opportunity—no discrimination, period. And finally, freedom from parasites—the administrative state.
Use the bully pulpit to dismantle the too-powerful platform behind you. Work with Congress to pass laws defining hard limits on executive power. The presidency, I’m against it. And yes, I know, this all sounds far-fetched, but can’t a boy dream?
Finally: Democrats Play Into Hamas’s HandsCutting off weapons to an ally in wartime would be the definition of betrayal.The late, great Middle East scholar Bernard Lewis liked to quip that while it is dangerous to be America’s enemy, it can be fatal to be its friend. That sad wisdom comes to mind as leading Democrats increase their pressure on Israel to end the war against Hamas before the terror group is defeated. The latest sunshine ally is Nancy Pelosi. The former House Speaker joined a letter signed by 40 House Democrats urging President Biden to stop transferring weapons to Israel. In the wake of the mistaken bombing on a relief convoy, the Members write, “we strongly urge you to reconsider your recent decision to authorize the transfer of a new arms package to Israel, and to withhold this and any future offensive arms transfers until a full investigation into the airstrike is completed.” You’d think the U.S. never made a mistake that killed civilians in wartime. They ignore the Hellfire missile attack that killed seven children as the U.S. sought to avenge the deaths of 13 Americans in Kabul as Mr. Biden pulled U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021. Israel has a history of accountability for such mistakes, and officers in charge have already been cashiered. That’s more than can be said for the U.S. failure in Afghanistan. Mrs. Pelosi joins Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Bernie Sanders and others in urging conditions on U.S. support unless Israel obeys their military commands. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has ordered the Israeli people to elect a new government, pronto. This pressure from his left explains Mr. Biden’s sharp turn against Israel’s elected coalition government, with his own implied threat of a weapons cutoff. Never mind that denying weapons to an ally in the middle of a war is the definition of betrayal. The growing Democratic animosity toward Israel may even endanger the party’s support in the House for the Ukraine-Israeli aid bill (see nearby.) GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene would be elated. Democrats have a history of abandoning friends in hard times. Their aid cut to South Vietnam in 1975 doomed millions to re-education camps or death in rickety boats on the South China Sea. Democrats were gung-ho for the Iraq war before the going got tough, and they opposed the crucial and successful 2007 U.S. troop surge. The flight from Afghanistan has led to the revival of ISIS-K and the re-oppression of women and girls. ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++
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