 Defense &
National Security |
Defense &
National Security |
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Israel-Hamas war: Qatar gives 'optimistic' update on hostages |
Despite the update on a potential deal, significant hurdles remain in ongoing negotiations in the Middle East, including Hamas's calls for a permanent ceasefire, which Israel rejects. |
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said a Hamas response to a negotiated hostage deal was generally positive and a final deal could come soon. "We are optimistic and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party," said the Qatari leader, who is also the country's foreign minister, at a press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken is in the Middle East to shore up support for a negotiated deal that is expected to pause fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas and see the exchange of prisoners and hostages. Some 130 hostages remain in Gaza, but at least 32 of them have died, with another 20 also potentially killed, according to The New York Times. A major sticking point between Hamas and Israel in the ongoing negotiations is over an extended ceasefire. Israel wants a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the rest of its prisoners, but Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire and an end to the war. Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said in a statement Tuesday on pro-Iranian Telegram channels that the group "will not move to another phase until our goals and demands are achieved." "We have previously and repeatedly stressed that we want a comprehensive ceasefire," Mardawi said. Blinken said Tuesday that "there's a lot of work to be done to achieve" an agreement. "We're very focused on that work," he said. "We're going to be intensely focused on that." Read the full coverage of the Israel-Hamas war at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. |
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The Alaska Army National Guard is planning a deployment to the U.S. border with Mexico. "The Alaska Army National Guard has been notified by the National Guard Bureau that it is authorized to begin training in preparation for possible mobilization to support the federal Southwest Border Mission in early [fiscal year] 2025," Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe of the Alaskan guard said in a press release emailed to The Hill Thursday. "The … |
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The drone that killed three U.S. troops at a base in Jordan late last month was likely undetected as it approached too low in the sky, with no air defense system on site that could down it, according to a new report. U.S. Central Command's initial assessment of the attack found that the Iranian-made drone was probably missed "due to its low flight path," a U.S. defense official told The Washington Post. The Tower 22 base where … |
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White House national security spokesperson John Kirby apologized Tuesday for initially claiming the U.S. notified Baghdad before major airstrikes in Iraq last week. Kirby told reporters that he was mistaken when he told reporters last week of a notification to Iraq before the U.S. launched a wave of airstrikes on Iranian-backed militia groups and the Iranian military wing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “I deeply … |
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The United States did not notify the Iraqi government ahead of U.S. military strikes inside the country on Friday, a State Department spokesperson said Monday, countering an earlier White House message that Baghdad was told ahead of time. "There was not a prenotification" and Washington "informed the Iraqis immediately after the strikes occurred," Vedant Patel told reporters. "Iraq, like every country in the region, … |
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House debates historic impeachment of Mayorkas |
House lawmakers are debating a historic vote on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. That will be followed by a vote on a standalone Israel aid bill that President Biden has threatened to veto.
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The effort to pass the Senate's bipartisan border bill collapsed on Tuesday after Republicans backed away from the package, effectively punting on … Read more |
| Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) unveiled a resolution Tuesday that declares former President Trump "did not engage in insurrection … Read more |
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