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Trump, Netanyahu Hold Crucial Talks on Gaza Ceasefire, Regional Security
Trump, Netanyahu Hold Crucial Talks on Gaza Ceasefire, Regional Security
US President Donald Trump on Monday hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for talks widely seen as pivotal to the future of the Gaza ceasefire and the broader Middle East security landscape.
The meeting, which marked the sixth encounter between both leaders since Trump’s return to office 11 months ago, comes at a time of deep uncertainty in the region, with unresolved political disagreements threatening to derail efforts to end the war in Gaza and stabilise neighbouring states.
Washington has remained Israel’s strongest military and political ally throughout more than two years of fighting in Gaza, and the talks are being closely watched as a test of how closely aligned Trump and Netanyahu remain on key strategic issues.
Netanyahu arrived at the Florida resort on Monday afternoon, ahead of what aides described as extensive closed-door discussions.
At the heart of the talks is the fragile Gaza ceasefire, which came into effect in October but has faced repeated strains.
The Trump administration is pressing for the deal to move into its second phase in January.
That phase предусматривает the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic government, the deployment of an international stabilisation and security force, the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the commencement of large-scale reconstruction of the devastated enclave.
However, Israeli positions have increasingly diverged from those of Washington.
Critics argue that Netanyahu is reluctant to advance discussions on the political future of Palestinians and is instead insisting that Hamas must fully disarm before any meaningful Israeli military withdrawal takes place.
Hamas officials have countered that full disarmament can only occur alongside concrete steps towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is also expected to feature prominently.
Severe winter storms have battered the territory in recent days, compounding the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in basic tents with little protection from cold and flooding.
On Monday, the Hamas-run health ministry reported the death of a two-month-old baby from severe cold, bringing the number of weather-related deaths since December 10 to three.
The ministry also said at least 17 people have been killed after weakened buildings collapsed during the storms.
The United Nations and several international aid agencies have accused Israel of failing to fully meet its ceasefire obligations by continuing to restrict access to essential supplies and heavy equipment needed for humanitarian relief and reconstruction.
Israel has rejected the allegations, saying it is facilitating an increase in aid deliveries into Gaza.
Despite the declared ceasefire, violence has continued. According to Gaza’s health authorities, at least 414 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military actions in the 80 days since the truce began.
The Israeli military, which maintains control over more than half of the territory, says its forces have only opened fire in response to ceasefire violations.
Over the same period, three Israeli soldiers have been killed in attacks Israel has blamed on Hamas.
Another unresolved issue is the return of the body of Ran Gvili, described as the last remaining dead Israeli hostage in Gaza.
Under the ceasefire agreement, all living and deceased hostages taken during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel were to have been returned within days of the truce coming into effect.
Beyond Gaza, Trump and Netanyahu are expected to discuss wider regional security concerns, including relations with Syria’s new government, Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon, and Iran’s military posture.
Israeli officials believe Iran is rebuilding its missile capabilities following a brief but intense 12-day conflict earlier this year, during which Iranian nuclear facilities were bombed by Israeli and US forces.
At the weekend, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran was in an “all-out war” with Israel, the United States and Europe.
Netanyahu may also seek US approval for further military strikes on Iran, a move that could significantly escalate regional crises.
In addition, Israeli media reports suggest the prime minister could raise the issue of annexing the occupied West Bank, despite Trump previously speaking against such a move.
Israeli ministers have recently described settlement expansion in the West Bank as a de facto annexation aimed at extinguishing the possibility of a future Palestinian state, a position widely regarded as illegal under international law.
The meeting will also address disagreements over the proposed International Stabilisation Force for Gaza.
Israel has opposed Turkey’s participation in the force, even as few other countries have expressed willingness to deploy troops.
Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is seen as sympathetic to many of Israel’s positions.
Trump Warns Cuba to “Make a Deal” Or …
United States President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Cuba, urging the Caribbean nation to “make a deal” or face undisclosed consequences, as Washington intensifies pressure following the seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Trump’s comments came amid escalating tensions in Latin America after a 3 January US raid in Caracas that led to the arrest of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on drug trafficking and other charges in the United States.
Venezuela, a long-standing ally of Cuba, is believed to supply the island with about 35,000 barrels of oil daily, a crucial lifeline for Cuba’s energy-dependent economy.
However, the Trump administration has moved to disrupt that arrangement, confiscating oil tankers allegedly carrying sanctioned Venezuelan crude.
On Friday, US authorities seized a fifth tanker in what officials say is part of efforts to enforce sanctions on Venezuela.
The moves have reportedly worsened Cuba’s fuel shortages and electricity crisis.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump declared an end to the oil-for-support relationship between Havana and Caracas.
“Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided ‘Security Services’ for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE!” Trump wrote.
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
The US president did not specify what deal he was proposing or the consequences Cuba might face if it failed to comply.
Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, swiftly rejected Trump’s remarks, insisting that Cuba has the right to import fuel without external interference.
“Our country retains the absolute right to import fuel from any exporter willing to sell, without interference or subordination to the unilateral coercive measures of the United States,” Rodríguez said.
He added that Cuba does not submit to “blackmail or military coercion against other states.”
President Miguel Díaz-Canel also struck a defiant tone, saying no foreign power could dictate Cuba’s actions.
“No one dictates what we do,” Díaz-Canel said, accusing the US of lacking moral authority. “Those who turn everything into a business, even human lives, have no moral authority to point fingers at Cuba for anything, absolutely anything.”
40 Dead, 119 Injured in Swiss Ski Resort Bar Fire
No fewer than 40 persons have been confirmed dead following a devastating fire outbreak at a bar in the Swiss ski resort town of Crans-Montana on New Year’s Eve, Swiss police have said.
Authorities on Sunday confirmed that the bodies of all 40 victims have now been identified.
The victims were aged between 14 and 39 years, with 15 of them under the age of 18.
The youngest victims were a 14-year-old Swiss girl and a 14-year-old French boy.
The deceased were drawn from several nationalities, including Swiss, Italian, Romanian, Turkish, Portuguese, French and Belgian citizens, as well as nationals of the United Kingdom, France and Israel, underscoring the international nature of the tragedy at the popular Alpine resort.
In addition to those killed, 119 people sustained varying degrees of injuries, most of them severe burns.
Police disclosed that six of the injured are in such critical condition that they have not yet been identified.
The fire broke out at Le Constellation bar, a venue known to be popular with young people in Crans-Montana, where the legal drinking age is 16.
A preliminary investigation indicated that sparklers attached to bottles and held too close to the ceiling may have ignited the blaze.
Swiss prosecutors have since opened a criminal investigation into the French couple who managed the bar.
The couple, identified by the media as Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, according to the Valais regional prosecutor’s office.
The lead prosecutor in Valais canton, Ms Beatrice Pilloud, said investigators are examining whether the acoustic foam installed on the bar’s ceiling contributed to the rapid spread of the fire and whether it complied with existing safety regulations.
Police said no further personal details of the identified victims would be released out of respect for their families.
However, some relatives have begun to speak publicly as the scale of the tragedy sinks in.
On Saturday night, the mother of one of the victims, Ms Brodard-Sitre, announced via Facebook that her 16-year-old son, Arthur Brodard, was among those who died.
In an emotional video message, she said the family could now begin mourning, “knowing that he is in peace and in the light,” adding that her son had “left to party in paradise.”
Earlier, while Arthur was still listed as missing, his mother told local newspaper Le Temps that she had been “living a nightmare,” revealing that some of his friends had suffered burns to nearly half of their bodies.
“There are no words – they went through hell,” she said.
Italian media also identified 16-year-old junior golfer, Emanuele Galeppini, as one of the victims.
The Italian Golf Federation paid tribute to the teenager, describing him as a “young athlete who carried passion and authentic values.”
His father reportedly confirmed that the boy was at Le Constellation on the night of the incident, although Italian authorities had initially declined to confirm his death.
US Denies War With Venezuela as Tensions Rise After Maduro’s Capture
The United States has insisted it is not at war with Venezuela, a day after US forces carried out strikes that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an operation that has sharply escalated tensions between the two countries.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said on Sunday that Washington’s actions should not be interpreted as a declaration of war, stressing that the operation was “limited and targeted.”
His comments came amid international concern over the implications of the US military action and growing uncertainty over Venezuela’s political future.
According to a spokesperson, Maduro and Flores are expected to appear in a US court on Monday, following their arrest.
The charges they will face were not immediately disclosed, but US officials have previously accused Maduro’s government of corruption, drug trafficking and human rights abuses.
Venezuela’s Defence Minister, Vladimir Padrino, confirmed that the US operation resulted in significant casualties, claiming that a large part of Maduro’s security team was killed, alongside what he described as “innocent civilians.”
Padrino condemned the strikes as a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and accused Washington of using excessive force.
In Caracas, the Venezuelan government formally denounced what it called “military aggression” by the United States.
In a statement, the Venezuelan armed forces said they remain loyal to interim President Delcy Rodríguez, signaling that Maduro’s allies still retain control of key state institutions despite his capture.
Trump, speaking in an interview with The Atlantic, warned that Rodríguez would “pay a big price” if she “does not do what is right,” a remark that has further inflamed tensions and raised fears of additional US pressure or sanctions.
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