Palestinian factions join in an uneasy group in China for a post conflict….
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The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will meet with President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump during his visit to the United States this week. Mr. Netanyahu, who is trying to shore up American support for Israel’s war against Hamas, will sit down with Mr. Biden at the White House on Thursday, aides to both leaders said. Mr. Trump said on social media that he would meet with Mr. Netanyahu on Friday at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence and club. A time has not been set yet for an expected meeting with Ms. Harris, her office said. Ms. Harris appears headed to become the Democratic nominee for president against Mr. Trump, since Mr. Biden has bowed out of the race.
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Seven major unions representing millions of American workerssent a letter to Mr. Biden on Tuesday demanding an immediate halt to all military aid to Israel. “Mr. President, the time to act decisively to end this war is now,” the letter said. “Stopping US military aid to Israel is the quickest and most sure way to do so, it is what U.S. law demands, and it will show your commitment to securing a lasting peace in the region.” The unions represent auto workers, teachers, flight attendants, postal workers, painters, service industry workers and electricians.
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At least five people were killed Tuesday during Israeli military raids against Palestinian militant groups in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian officials. Israeli troops were operating in the city of Tulkarm, in the central West Bank, Mustafa Taqataqa, a local governor, said. He said the number of casualties was unclear because medics were unable to reach combat areas. The Israeli attack included a drone strike in the city, which the Israeli military said had targeted several militants. Once relatively quiet, Tulkarm has become a battle zone in recent months, with Israeli soldiers conducting over 50 operations against Palestinian armed groups there. The raids have torn up roads and created a climate of fear among the city’s residents.
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The International Criminal Court will allow dozens of governments and other parties to file arguments as it considers whether to grant a prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants for war crimes for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Hamas leaders. In court documents, the I.C.C. asked groups, individuals and countries — including Germany, South Africa and the United States — to file their briefs by Aug. 6. The court, which has jurisdiction to prosecute people for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, has not set a date for its decision, but allowing the arguments is likely to stretch out the timeline. Both Israel and Hamas have denounced the warrant application.
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Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said during a visit to Washington that conditions for a cease-fire deal with Hamas were “ripening.” Mr. Netanyahu told the families of hostages in a meeting on Monday that Israel was “placing very, very heavy pressure on Hamas,” leading the armed group to compromise on its position, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office. The families of the remaining 120 living and dead hostages in Gaza have increasingly criticized Netanyahu as not doing enough to bring home their loved ones.
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The Capitol Police arrested protesters in the rotunda of a House office building on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, who had gathered to call for an end to the war in Gaza and an embargo on arms to Israel by the United States. About 400 people and two dozen rabbis attended the protest, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace to coincide with a visit to Washington by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his speech to Congress on Wednesday. “Demonstrations are not allowed inside the Congressional Buildings,” the Capitol Police said in a post on social media. “We told the people, who legally entered, to stop or they would be arrested. They did not stop, so we are arresting them.” According to protest organizers, about 300 people were arrested.
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Israeli athletes will get 24-hour French police protection at the Paris Olympics amid heightened security concerns. Israeli athletes are targeted more than other delegations, Gerald Darmanin, France’s interior minister, said in a television interview on Sunday, pledging to ensure that the team would feel welcome and could compete without fear. The announcement followed reports that a far-left French minister, Thomas Portes, said there should be protests against the Israeli athletes, citing the war in Gaza. Israeli news outlets have reported that some athletes have received threatening messages recalling the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, in which a Palestinian militant group, Black September, killed 11 Israelis……
Chinese media hailed the “Beijing declaration” as a breakthrough and a sign of the country’s emerging role as a peace broker in faraway conflicts. In a speech after the talks ended, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called it a “historic moment for the cause of Palestine’s liberation” and highlighted the “consensus around establishing an interim national reconciliation government to manage Gaza after the war.”
Wang restated China’s support for a “comprehensive, lasting and sustainable cease-fire” and for the convening of a large “international peace conference” to work toward a two-state solution……
Jul 23, 2024 – ISW Press
Hamas, Fatah and other unspecified Palestinian political factions agreed on a vision for post-war governance of the Gaza Strip on July 23 during “intra-Palestinian reconciliation” talks in Beijing. The factions signed a joint declaration setting out their intention to form “a temporary national unity government” responsible for governing the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The agreement stipulates that a government partly influenced by Hamas would rule the Gaza Strip and West Bank until elections could be held at an unspecified future date. The declaration reportedly does not address what party maintains security control over the Gaza Strip, and Hamas has been adamant it will keep its military wing. Hamas, Fatah, and China have not disclosed the full text of the declaration at the time of this writing.