live Trump says U.S.-Iran deal 'very possible' after latest talks - Middle East conflict on 7 May
Trump said the U.S. and Iran were making progress in peace talks, though direct negotiations remain premature. Meanwhile, Israel, reportedly, ...
Hamas has rejected Israel’s latest offer of a temporary truce in Gaza, instead demanding a comprehensive agreement that would end the war and include a full prisoner exchange.
In a televised speech, senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya said the group would no longer accept interim deals. He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using partial truces as political cover to prolong the war.
“We will not be part of passing this policy,” Hayya said, adding that Hamas wants to immediately begin negotiations to end hostilities, release all Israeli hostages, secure the freedom of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, and begin rebuilding Gaza.
The demand shifts away from earlier negotiations brokered by Egypt and Qatar, which sought incremental agreements. Talks in Cairo on Monday ended without a breakthrough.
Israel had proposed a 45-day pause in fighting in exchange for phased hostage releases and indirect talks about a possible end to the conflict. But Hamas dismissed the plan, accusing Israel of setting "impossible conditions" and refusing to agree to terms that did not include a total ceasefire.
National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt said: “Hamas’s comments demonstrate they are not interested in peace but perpetual violence. The terms made by the Trump Administration have not changed: release the hostages or face hell.”
Since the collapse of the January truce, Israeli air and ground strikes have resumed. On Thursday, at least 32 Palestinians were killed, including women and children, according to local health officials. Six people died in a strike on a UN-run school in Jabalia. The Israeli military said it was targeting a Hamas command center.
Israel maintains that the war will not end until Gaza is demilitarised and all remaining 59 hostages are released. Hamas insists that any release of hostages must be tied to a full ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The gap between the two sides remains wide, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens.
Trump said the U.S. and Iran were making progress in peace talks, though direct negotiations remain premature. Meanwhile, Israel, reportedly, struck senior Hezbollah and Hamas figures and tensions over Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear programme continue.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran wanted to negotiate and make a deal in comments to reporters on Wednesday (6 May). But earlier, he warned Washington would ramp up attacks if no agreement was reached.
Argentinian authorities are reconstructing the journeys of Dutch citizens who presented with symptoms of deadly hantavirus after visiting Argentina and Chile as part of a luxury cruise trip, the country's Health Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday (6 May)
The 61st Venice Biennale has opened under grey skies and political tension, with disputes over Russia and Israel, resignations on the jury, and protests marking the start of one of the art world’s most high-profile events.
Latvian authorities said two drones entered NATO member Latvia from Russian territory and crashed on Thursday morning, with officials linking them to Ukraine’s wider drone operations against targets in Russia.
Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar signed its first export agreement on Wednesday for the newly unveiled Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Iran’s parliamentary speaker has warned that Tehran still faces the risk of military or terrorist attacks, despite reports that a peace agreement with the U.S. could be announced this week.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian Karakurt-class small missile carrier in the Caspian Sea near Russia’s Dagestan region on Thursday. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to Kyiv.
An Israeli air strike has killed the son of Hamas’ chief negotiator in U.S.-mediated Gaza talks, as group leaders met in Cairo to shore up a fragile ceasefire with Israel.
Reports that Emmanuel Macron planned to cross from Armenia into Türkiye via their closed border - and was reportedly blocked following consultations with Azerbaijan - have sparked renewed debate on South Caucasus diplomacy.
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