International

It’s time to end war in Gaza, US VP Harris tells Netanyahu

Published

4 months ago

July 26, 2024

US Vice-President Kamala Harris

It’s time to end war in Gaza, US VP Harris tells Netanyahu

US Vice-President Kamala Harris – who’s expected to be the Democratic nominee for November’s presidential election – has held what she called “frank and constructive” talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden, Ms Harris said she made clear her “serious concerns” about casualties in Gaza, telling Mr Netanyahu how Israel defended itself mattered.

“It is time for this war to end,” she said after their face-to-face talks at the White House.

Ms Harris also stressed the need for a path to a two-state solution, while calling on Americans to be aware of “nuance” on the conflict.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu met Mr Biden, who stepped down from his re-election campaign on Sunday.

Mr Netanyahu’s meetings at the White House came a day after he gave a fiery speech to Congress, vowing “total victory” against Hamas, as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside.

The prime minister faces pressure both at home and abroad to bring an end to the Israel-Gaza war, now in its ninth month.

Mr Biden’s staunch support of Israel has infuriated many left-wing activists, whose support the Democrats may need if they are to win November’s presidential election.

Given that, there is also considerable interest in the position Ms Harris might take towards Israel should she replace Mr Biden in the White House.

After meeting Mr Netanyahu for about 40 minutes, Ms Harris said she had an “unwavering commitment” to Israel and its right to defend itself.

She noted the conflict began on 7 October when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 captives, according to Israeli tallies.

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Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 39,000 people.

“Israel has a right to defend itself. And how it does so matters,” Ms Harris said, expressing concern about the “dire humanitarian situation” in Gaza.

“We cannot allow ourselves to be numb to the suffering and I will not be silent,” she said.

“Let’s get the deal done so we can get a ceasefire to end the war,” she added. “Let’s bring the hostages home, and let’s bring much-needed relief to the Palestinian people.”

Mr Netanyahu is due to meet Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday.

As he met Mr Biden earlier, the prime minister said he had known him for 40 years – and that the US president had known every Israeli premier over the last half a century.

“From a proud Jewish Zionist to a proud Irish-American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the state of Israel,” he said.

Mr Netanyahu also said he looked forward to working with Mr Biden “on the great issues before us” over the next several months.

The US president joked that Golda Meir was the first Israeli prime minister that he had met, and that Yitzhak Rabin, a successor, was there as an assistant.

At a news briefing, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu had discussed the urgent need for a hostage release deal, the potential of conflict spilling over into Lebanon, the threat of Iran and the need to reach “compromises” in peace talks.

While Mr Kirby added that “gaps remain” in the US-Israel relationship, it was still “healthy”.

“By healthy, I mean they’re not going to agree on everything,” Mr Kirby said, adding that Mr Biden was “very comfortable with the relationship he has with the prime minister”.

The US and Israeli leaders also held a closed-door meeting with the families of seven US citizens still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

Following the meeting, Jonathan Dekel-Chen – whose son Sagui was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October – told reporters that the meeting was “productive and honest”. He did not provide further details.

“We feel probably more optimistic than we have since the first round of releases in late November, early December,” he said.

It’s time to end war in Gaza, US VP Harris tells Netanyahu

BBC

Related Topics:Featured Gaza Netanyahu US VP Harris

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American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel

Published

7 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel

A 30 year old American man whose name was not given by security officials, has been arrested for beating up a 60 year old tourist to death at the Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Laois, Ireland.

The Irish police force commonly known as ‘Garda that the incident occurred in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12.

Ballyfin Demesne hotel, is a popular luxury five-star hotel located in Laois, Ireland and special guests such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, George Clooney e.t.c had made use of the hotel in times past.

The victim was discovered unconscious in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12 and was then rushed to the hospital were he died due to severe beating inflicted on him by the culprit.

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Independent local councilor James Kelly stated that nearby communities were ‘stunned’ upon learning about the incident at the renowned hotel.

He said, “There would be a lot of staff from the area and they’re totally shocked by what has happened here.

“It’s something we didn’t think we’d be waking up to this morning.”

The police also noted that a senior officer has been assigned to lead the investigation and an incident room has been set up at Portlaoise Garda Station, Ireland.

Furthermore, a family liaison officer will be designated to assist the family of the deceased.

International

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

Published

16 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out a raid at the home of Shayne Coplan, CEO of cryptocurrency prediction outlet Polymarket.

Authorities seized Mr Coplan’s phone during the raid, according to New York Post which first reported the incident.

Mr Coplan, 26, has been running the famous platform for bets throughout the 2024 presidential election in the United States.

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It wasn’t immediately clear why the search was conducted, but Polymarket promptly said it might be due to its activities during the election. Users on the platform had correctly predicted Donald Trump was going to defeat Kamala Harris. The company paid out a substantial amount to winners following the election.

“This is obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election,” a spokesperson for Polymarket said in a statement from its headquarters in New York. “Polymarket is a fully transparent prediction market that helps everyday people better understand the events that matter most to them, including elections.”

It was unclear whether or not the FBI would be filing charges after the raid.

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

International

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Published

1 day ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.

The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.

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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.

He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.

Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.