Netanyahu rejects US-led 15-point Gaza peace plan in rare public break with Trump

Israeli PM says IDF will not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed and rebukes US pressure to end wars without his country’s buy-in…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/09/israel-rejects-us-led-15-point-gaza-peace-plan-says-netanyahu

 

Trump announces Hamas deal to disarm, militants demand Israel withdraws first : NPR

The Board of Peace is an entity created and chaired by the president to oversee the peace plan in Gaza. The board, which gathered 40 countries at its inauguration, was convened in February. It includes Israel and Arab countries, but no Palestinian representatives...

 https://www.npr.org/2026/07/31/g-s1-136500/trump-hamas-gaza

 

Trump claims agreement for ‘complete disarmament’ of Hamas in Gaza but support uncertain

US president’s board of peace says Israel will withdraw from Gaza following disarmament of Hamas but no immediate statement from either side…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/31/trump-hamas-disarmament-agreement-gaza-board-of-peace

 

Arrest of American who has given $1m in aid to Palestine prompts fears of ‘growing repression from Trump’

Extradition request for James ‘Fergie’ Chambers sparks concerns that US government is conflating humanitarian aid with terrorism…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/15/james-fergie-chambers-arrest-palestine-aid-trump 

 

Board of Peace focus on Hamas risks return to war in Gaza, critics say

US-backed board has put sole blame for stalled ceasefire on militant group despite Israel not fulfilling its obligations, analysts say…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/23/board-of-peace-focus-on-hamas-risks-return-to-war-in-gaza-critics-say

 

Board of Peace Hamas disarmament proposal : NPR

A third person briefed on the proposal called it a comprehensive framework to ensure the "complete handover" and "full decommissioning" of arms belonging to Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, and that if Hamas accepts the proposal, it would ensure large-scale reconstruction of Gaza… 

Despite the fragile truce agreement, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. Israel says the attacks targeted Hamas militants. Several Israeli soldiers have also been killed in attacks by militants...

https://www.npr.org/2026/03/19/nx-s1-5753798/hamas-weapons-trump-gaza-board-of-peace 

 

On Gaza truce, Trump makes clear U.S. and not Israel calls the shots - The Washington Post

Over the past 10 days, a parade of top U.S. officials have passed through Israel, in part to make sure that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu adheres to the terms of the ceasefire agreement as defined by its prime sponsor, President Donald Trump. The administration has also taken the exceptional step of deploying 200 U.S. troops to a coordination center in southern Israel, where they will help oversee the implementation of the deal and potentially constrain the Israeli military's operations in Gaza. 

 "The Americans aren't just involved. They're leading it. Israel is merely participating," said Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav, a former air and missile defense commander in the Israeli military. "Anywhere in the world where the Americans deploy a joint task force, they push everyone else aside and take command, control and leadership of the operational activity."…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/10/28/gaza-ceasefire-trump-netanyahu-hamas/

Trump: ‘No choice but to go in and kill’ Hamas if Gaza bloodshed doesn’t stop

Hamas has killed at least 33 people since the ceasefire went into effect last week, according to reporting from Reuters. In one video, more than half a dozen men were dragged into a Gaza City square and executed…

 Earlier in the week, Trump downplayed reports of violence following the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Hamas and Israel, saying the Palestinian militant group had taken out "a couple of gangs that were very bad" and had killed gang members…

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5558970-trump-warns-hamas-violence/

Israel reportedly tells Hamas to return all hostage bodies by end of Tuesday

Ministers believe Hamas is holding back bodies of some captives abducted in October 2023, reports Israeli media…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/14/israel-reportedly-tells-hamas-return-hostage-bodies-end-tuesday

 

Israel limits aid into Gaza in dispute over hostage remains as ceasefire faces test

Hamas accused of breaching agreement by withholding bodies of hostages but Palestinian militants say they face obstacles in retrieving them…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/14/israel-limits-aid-keeps-rafah-crossing-closed-dispute-hostage-remains

Responding to a stupid conspiracy theory #maklelan2951

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oEtj0k-wKkY

Opinion | Former hostage Eli Sharabi: What captivity taught me about Hamas - The Washington Post

"I can speak Arabic and could understand perfectly well when the terrorists discussed their ideology. One man was adamant that all the land belonged to Palestinians and that the Jews should leave for Morocco or Yemen. Another was more political, repeating endless Hamas dogmas about how there is no such thing as the State of Israel. But it was obvious that for some of them, joining up with Hamas was about economics, not just ideology. Hamas had money, power and status, and some joined to try and get those things for themselves. 

However, it became clear to me that the willingness to torture and murder comes from a deeper place. The murderers who broke into my house and slaughtered my wife and daughters were driven by blind hatred, which seemed to take precedence over all other motivations, including life itself..."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/10/06/israeli-hostage-gaza-hamas-captivity/

 

Donald Trump orders Israel to ‘immediately’ stop bombing Gaza as Hamas agrees to free hostages

Despite the qualified response by Hamas, Trump said in a post on Truth Social: "Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. 

"Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it's far too dangerous to do that. 

"We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East."…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/03/hamas-agrees-to-release-all-israeli-hostages

 

What’s in Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza?

Plan calls for immediate end to war between Israel and Hamas but lacks detail on how key points will be executed…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/29/trump-peace-plan-gaza-israel-hamas

 

Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar shatters Gulf’s faith in US protection

"The perception in the Gulf is that at worst is that the US didn't want to stop Israel and gave it a green light, or at best, that it doesn't care about the sovereignty of its Gulf allies," said Yasmine Farouk, project director at the International Crisis Group…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/12/israels-strike-on-hamas-leaders-in-qatar-shatters-gulfs-faith-in-us-protection

 

Hamas says it accepts proposal for Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages

Deal would include 60-day halt to violence and exchange of half of living Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/18/hamas-gaza-proposed-ceasefire-hostage-release-deal-israel

 

Hamas accepts latest Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal proposal

Hamas has accepted an updated proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza presented by the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, two sources with knowledge of the talks tell Axios…

https://www.axios.com/2025/08/18/trump-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-hostage-deal 

 

Israeli unit tasked with smearing Gaza journalists as Hamas fighters – report

A special unit in Israel's military was tasked with identifying reporters it could smear as undercover Hamas fighters, to target them and to blunt international outrage over the killing of media workers, the Israeli-Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine reports… 

According to the report, in at least one case the unit misrepresented information in order to falsely describe a journalist as a militant, a designation that in Gaza is in effect a death sentence. The label was reversed before the man was attacked, one of the sources said.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/15/israeli-military-unit-reportedly-tasked-with-linking-journalists-in-gaza-to-hamas

 

Israel trying to deflect blame for widespread starvation in Gaza

And while Israel has consistently tried to blame Hamas for intercepting food aid, that claim has been undermined by a leaked US assessment, seen by Reuters, which found no evidence of systematic theft by the Palestinian militant group of US-funded humanitarian supplies. 

Examining 156 incidents of theft or loss of US-funded supplies reported by US aid partner organisations between October 2023 and May 2025, it said it found "no reports alleging Hamas" benefited from US-funded supplies. 

Israel has also recently intensified efforts to blame the UN for the problems with aid distribution, citing a "lack of cooperation from the international community and international organisations". Israel's claims are contradicted by clear evidence of its efforts to undermine aid distribution...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/25/israel-deflect-blame-starvation-gaza-hunger

Is Trump Good for Israel? (John Donvan; Open to Debate podcast)

Many Israelis celebrated Donald Trump’s election victory and view him as an unparalleled ally. His first term solidified that perception: he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by moving the U.S. embassy there and brokered the historic Abraham Accords. To them, Trump understood Israel’s security concerns, international challenges, and sovereign aspirations.

That belief persists into his second term. So far, he’s backed Israel militarily in its war with Hamas and suggested ideas like evacuating Palestinians from Gaza. Supporters argue that Trump’s alignment with Israel is deep-rooted and enduring. But critics view his support as transactional, not ideological — subject to change if broader U.S. interests, such as relations with Iran, come into play. They also note his wavering commitment to resolving the Gaza conflict, citing recent remarks that suggest a lack of interest in pushing for peace. Some argue his resistance to a two-state solution ensures long-term regional instability.

As Israel navigates a volatile geopolitical landscape, Trump’s role remains divisive. Is his support a genuine strategic partnership—or one driven more by political convenience than principle? We ask: Is Trump Good for Israel?

This release is the first installment of our inaugural foreign policy debate summit: The Trump Doctrine: A Global Reckoning?— a three-part series examining how Donald Trump’s foreign policy in his second term is reshaping U.S. relations with Russia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Interview: 

https://opentodebate.org/debate/is-trump-good-for-israel/