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Biden says Netanyahu not doing enough to secure hostage deal

Netanyahu, who has accused Hamas of obstructing any agreement, said over the weekend that “whoever murders hostages does not want a deal.”

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President Joe Biden said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to secure a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and the U.S. was close to presenting a final proposal to negotiators working on a hostage and ceasefire agreement.

Biden was speaking to reporters at the White House after Israeli forces over the weekend recovered the bodies of six hostages, including 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, from a tunnel in Gaza. Israel’s military said they had been recently killed by Palestinian Hamas militants.

That has sparked criticism of the Biden administration’s Gaza ceasefire strategy and ratcheted up pressure on Netanyahu from Israelis to bring the remaining hostages home.

Asked whether he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a hostage deal, Biden said “No.” He did not elaborate on his remarks.

Netanyahu appeared to push back when asked about Biden’s comments, saying pressure should be applied to Hamas, not Israel, particularly after the hostages’ deaths.

“And now after this we’re asked to show seriousness? We’re asked to make concessions? What message does this send Hamas? It says, kill more hostages,” he told a news conference in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu said he did not believe Biden or anyone serious about achieving peace would ask Israel to make more concessions and that instead it was Hamas that needed to do so.

Asked if he was planning to present a final hostage deal to both sides this week, Biden told reporters: “We’re very close to that.”

“Hope springs eternal,” he added when asked whether a deal would be successful.

Biden said later in the evening that he plans to talk to Netanyahu “eventually” but did not specify a clear timeline when asked. Biden and Netanyahu have spoken several times amid Israel’s war in Gaza.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also met with the U.S. hostage negotiation team, during which the president expressed “devastation and outrage” at the hostages’ murders, and they discussed the next steps in efforts to free the remaining captives, the White House said.

Biden’s fresh criticism of Netanyahu comes as he and Harris, who has replaced the president at the top of the Democratic ticket for the Nov. 5 election, face increased calls for decisive action to end Israel’s nearly 11-month-old war in Gaza.

The conflict has sown divisions among Democrats, with many progressives pressing Biden to restrict or at least place conditions on U.S. weapon supplies to Israel, Washington’s chief Middle East ally.

Senior Israeli sources said it was “remarkable” that Biden was pressuring Netanyahu over a hostage deal rather than Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

In response to the Israeli comment, a U.S. official said that while Biden had been clear that Hamas was to blame for the hostages’ deaths, “he is also calling for urgency from the Israeli government in securing the release of the missing remaining hostages.”

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Biden’s criticism of Netanyahu was “American recognition that Netanyahu was responsible for undermining efforts to reach a deal.”

He said the group would respond positively to a proposal that could secure a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave.

Netanyahu, who has accused Hamas of obstructing any agreement, said over the weekend that “whoever murders hostages does not want a deal.”

Israeli protesters took to the streets on Monday for a second day, and the largest trade union launched a general strike to press the government to reach a deal to return the hostages. Thousands of pro-Palestinian activists opposing U.S. support for Israel held a protest in New York City on Monday.

Months of stop-start negotiations mediated by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt have so far failed to reach an accord on a Gaza proposal laid out by Biden in May.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has since killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while also displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies.

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Houthi-run health ministry says airstrikes kill 33 near Yemen capital

The ministry said the strikes ​hit homes in the town of Bani Hushaysh, a Houthi stronghold ​east of Sanaa, and that most of those killed were women and children.

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At least 33 people were killed and 39 wounded in what the Houthi-run Saba news agency said ​were Saudi airstrikes on a village near Yemen’s capital Sanaa ‌on Saturday, in one of the deadliest reported attacks since fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned group resumed in July.

Reuters could not independently verify the account. ​Saudi Arabia’s Center for International Communication said it was investigating the report.

The ​renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has shattered ⁠a 2022 UN-brokered truce that largely halted attacks between the Saudi-led ​coalition and the group, which controls Sanaa. The Houthis have since launched ​missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities, while Riyadh has carried out airstrikes in Yemen in support of its Yemeni allies.

The ministry said the strikes ​hit homes in the town of Bani Hushaysh, a Houthi stronghold ​east of Sanaa, and that most of those killed were women and children.

Abdul-Aziz al-Dailami, ‌director ⁠of Sehatuna Hospital in Sanaa, said many victims remained trapped under the rubble, including first responders.

“The strikes keep coming. Just as rescuers arrive, another strike hits. We have even lost some of our own medical responders, ​who have been martyred,” ​he told Reuters.

“We ⁠received a number of wounded individuals in very critical condition, with injuries to the head, chest and legs, ​as well as fractures,” al-Dailami added.

The fighting, a spillover ​from the ⁠wider US-Iran conflict, has revived a complex 12-year war in Yemen that has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises globally and fragmented the Arab world’s most ⁠impoverished ​country.

The number of people displaced since the ​latest round of fighting began has climbed to more than 200,000, the International Organization for Migration said ​in October.

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White House declares ‘Trump is still your president’ after Republicans suffer sweeping midterm defeats

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The White House has issued a defiant message following a crushing performance by Republicans in the US midterm elections, declaring that Donald Trump remains president despite significant gains by the Democrats.

In a post on X on Wednesday, the White House shared an image of Trump bearing the words: “TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT.” The accompanying message added: “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

The statement came after Democrats secured a Senate majority and made major gains in traditionally Republican strongholds, including Texas, Kansas, South Carolina and Ohio.

The midterm elections, which determine control of Congress, were widely viewed as a referendum on Trump’s presidency. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats were contested.

The war in Iran and mounting cost-of-living pressures were among the issues believed to have contributed to the Republican setbacks.

Trump acknowledged that the conflict with Iran had affected the election results, particularly through its impact on fuel prices, but defended his decision to pursue the war.

Speaking to Politico, he said the conflict had pushed gasoline prices higher in the short term, but maintained that military action was necessary in the long run.

Iranian officials welcomed the election outcome. Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X that American voters had rejected war, saying: “Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR.”

Trump also reflected on his campaign rallies, saying the enthusiasm surrounding his appearances had failed to translate into support for Republican candidates.

“They just couldn’t transfer that love,” he said.

Although Trump indicated he was prepared to work with Democrats, he warned that political gridlock could follow, threatening to use his presidential veto to block their legislative agenda.

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Democrat Abdul El-Sayed becomes first Muslim elected to US Senate

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Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s US Senate race, defeating former Republican lawmaker Mike Rogers and becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, according to US television networks.

“Michigan, we did it!” El-Sayed declared at his victory celebration in Detroit, where hundreds of supporters gathered to celebrate.

“I am so proud and honoured to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan,” the 42-year-old said.

El-Sayed secured the victory despite a late campaign setback when Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens, whom he defeated in the party primary, endorsed Rogers shortly before election day.

A former medical administrator, El-Sayed campaigned on progressive promises, including universal healthcare, reducing the influence of money in politics and tackling the rising cost of living.

He replaces retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters and held a lead of nearly six percentage points over Rogers when US networks called the race.

His campaign attracted large crowds across Michigan, including in traditionally Republican areas, while drawing support from labour unions, activists and younger voters.

Republicans had launched a fierce campaign against El-Sayed, portraying him as a radical and questioning his patriotism. He also faced Islamophobic attacks and mockery over his Arabic name from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Addressing Vance during his victory speech, El-Sayed said the vice president was constitutionally obligated to swear him into office in January.

The victory came amid a strong showing by Democrats in several races, prompting jubilant supporters at El-Sayed’s headquarters to chant: “Tsunami! Tsunami!”

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