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Egyptian Delegation in Israel for Talks on Gaza Hostages
A person attends a protest as people call for the immediate release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 25, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
An Egyptian delegation met Israeli officials on Friday, looking for a way to restart talks to end the war in Gaza and return the remaining Israeli hostages, an official briefed on the meetings said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel had no new proposals to make, although it was willing to consider a limited truce in which 33 hostages would be released, instead of the 40 previously under discussion.
“There are no current hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, nor is there a new Israeli offer in that regard,” the official said. “What there is, is an attempt by Egypt to restart the talks with an Egyptian proposal that would entail the release of 33 hostages — women, elderly, and infirm.”
According to Israeli media reports, Israeli intelligence officials believe there are 33 female, elderly, and sick hostages left alive in Gaza, out of a total of 133 still being held by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups.
There was no decision on how long any truce would last but if such an exchange were agreed, the pause in fighting would be “definitely less than six weeks,” the official said.
The visit by the Egyptian delegation followed Israeli media reports of a visit to Cairo on Thursday by the Israeli army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, and Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service.
Egypt, concerned about a potential influx of Palestinian refugees from neighboring Gaza if the war continues with the long-promised Israeli offensive into the southern city of Rafah, has taken an increasingly active role in the negotiations.
“The Egyptians are really picking up the mantle on this. Egypt wants to see progress, not least because it’s worried about a prospective Rafah operation,” the official said.
Qatar, the previous main broker, had increasingly been excluded, according to the official, after failing to respond to Israeli demands to expel Hamas leaders from its territory or curb their finances.
“Qatar is still involved but in a lesser capacity,” the official said. “It’s clear to everyone they failed to deliver, even when it came to expelling Hamas or even shutting down their bank accounts.”
The visit by the Egyptian delegation came a day after the United States and 17 other countries appealed to Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza. Hamas vowed not to relent to international pressure.
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Major League Soccer Player, Lead Scorer Remains Stuck in Israel With Family Amid Iran War
In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on May 28, 2025, Philadelphia Union attacker Tai Baribo #9 is challenged by Alonso Coello #14 of Toronto FC during the MLS game between Toronto FC and Philadelphia Union at BMO Field. Photo: Indrawan Kumala via Reuters Connect
Major League Soccer (MLS) player Tai Baribo is stuck in his native country of Israel and has been unable to leave since war broke out between the Jewish state and Iran almost a week ago.
The Philadelphia Union forward, who is the league’s leading goal scorer, and his family have been unable to return to the United States because airspace in Israel has been closed as the country faces Iranian missile attacks, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The Union said in a statement to the publication on Tuesday it has been in “constant communication” with Baribo, 27, and “are actively working to bring him back to Philadelphia safely.”
“With the airspace currently closed, the situation remains fluid, and we are exploring all alternative options,” the Union further told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Our priority is Tai’s safety and well-being. We will share more updates if and when it is appropriate.”
The Union is on a two-week break while the FIFA Club World Cup and the Concacaf Gold Cup currently take place across the US. Several Union players are competing in the Gold Cup, which began its second round of group stage matches this week and concludes with a final on July 6. The final for the FIFA Club World Cup is set to take place on July 13.
Baribo has scored 13 goals in 16 MLS matches and is a frontrunner in the race for this year’s Golden Boot, which is given to the league’s top goal scorer. After the Union’s game on May 31 against FC Dallas, he traveled to compete with Israel’s national team in international matches, including a FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Estonia on June 6 and a friendly match against Slovakia on June 10 in Hungary. He had a calf injury that ultimately kept him out of the two international games. He returned to Israel following those matches and has been unable to leave the country since.
Baribo was born in Eilat, Israel. It remains unclear where in Israel he is staying during the c urrent war, but his wife reportedly shared a video on her Instagram story that showed the aftermath of a missile attack near their location. Another video that she posted showed Baribo and others in what appeared to be a storage room used as a bomb shelter.
On Wednesday, Israel’s national carrier El Al launched an airlift operation to bring tens of thousands of stranded Israeli citizens back to Israel. Israel’s Transportation Ministry estimated that more than 50,000 Israelis worldwide have been unable to get back home after airlines stopped flights to the country when the war broke out on June 13.
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Trump Says US ‘May or May Not’ Join Israeli Strikes, Tells Iran ‘Good Luck’ After Khamenei Rejects Surrender Demand
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 23, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he has yet to decide whether the United States will join Israel’s military campaign against Iran, after Tehran rejected Washington’s demand for an “unconditional surrender.”
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump declined to say whether he had made a decision about US military involvement in the ongoing conflict against the Islamist regime in Iran.
“I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump said.
He also noted that Iranian officials had reached out about negotiations, including a possible meeting at the White House, but suggested it may be too late to negotiate.
“It’s very late to be talking,” Trump said. “Unconditional surrender, that means I’ve had it.”
When asked about Tehran’s rejection of his demand to surrender, Trump responded, “I say, good luck.”
On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei not only rejected Trump’s call to back down but also warned Washington of “serious, irreparable consequences” if it intervenes in the conflict with Israel.
“Wise individuals who know Iran, its people, and its history never speak to this nation with the language of threats, because the Iranian nation is not one to surrender,” the Iranian leader said in a televised speech.
“Americans should know that any military involvement by the US will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to them,” Khamenei continued.
The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 18, 2025
After convening his national security cabinet at the White House on Tuesday, Trump warned that Washington could easily target the Iranian leader and called on Tehran to halt its attacks on the Jewish state.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin,” he continued.
In a post on X, Khamenei claimed that US involvement in the war would be “100% to its own detriment,” stressing that “the damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter.”
The US entering in this matter [war] is 100% to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 18, 2025
“The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily,” the Iranian leader said.
Khamenei also called for a strong response to Operation Rising Lion – Israel’s sweeping military campaign against Iran, which began with a preemptive strike launched early Friday morning to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and neutralize what officials described as an imminent nuclear threat.
“We must act forcefully against the Zionist terrorist entity. We will not be merciful toward the Zionists,” Khamenei wrote.
The ongoing Israeli strikes killed several of Iran’s top military commanders and nuclear scientists and dealt a major blow to the country’s retaliatory capabilities, destroying not only much of its ballistic missile stockpiles but also crippling its launch platforms.
Shortly after Israel started its military campaign, Trump suggested that Iran had brought the attack upon itself by rejecting Washington’s demands in nuclear negotiations to limit the country’s uranium enrichment program.
He urged Tehran to reach a nuclear deal, warning that “the next attacks already planned will be even more brutal.”
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not back down until Iran’s nuclear capabilities are dismantled, Trump has indicated the conflict could end if Tehran agrees to strict limits on its nuclear program.
Israel had previously declared it would never allow the Islamist regime to acquire nuclear weapons, as the country views Iran’s nuclear program — which Tehran insists is solely for civilian purposes — as an existential threat.
Iranian leaders have regularly declared their intention of destroying Israel and have for decades supplied internationally designated terrorist groups, such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with weapons and funding to attack the Jewish state.
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Israeli Arms Firm Threatens to Sue France Over Blocked Off Booths at Paris Air Show
View of the closed IAI stand at the 55th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport on June 16, 2025. Photo: Facebook/Israel Ministry of Defense
The Israeli weapons company Rafael said it will sue the French government for closing off its stand at the 55th Paris Air Show this week because of “offensive” items on display amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Since the start of the world’s biggest aviation trade show on Monday in Le Bourget Airport, four of the nine Israeli companies presenting at the event — Rafael, Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and UVision — have been completely blocked off behind black walls, which were erected by event organizers on behalf of the French government. French authorities claimed Israel was displaying “offensive” weapons systems in violation of an agreement with the Israeli government.
“Offensive weapons equipment marketed by the firms could not be exhibited, given the situation in Gaza,” said French authorities.
“France considers that this is a terrible situation for the Gazans, a situation from a human and humanitarian point of view, from a security point of view, extremely heavy,” French Prime Minister François Bayrou said during a visit to the air show. “France wanted to demonstrate that offensive weapons should not be present in this show.”
When the four Israeli firms refused to remove the equipment from display, exhibition organizers blocked off the booths in the middle of the night on Sunday, leading into the show’s opening on Monday morning. More barricades were added to close off the entrance to the booths, as shown in videos shared on Facebook by the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD).
“I assure you that we will sue the French government for what they have done to us,” Rafael’s Executive Vice President Shlomo Toaff told Euronews. “We are going to sue them for causing financial damage, for not giving us access to the property that we had rented. We think this is an unjust decision. We’re not getting equal rights like the other exhibitors.”
Israeli defense companies petitioned to a French court earlier this week to reverse the ban on its display of weapons and the blocking of Israeli pavilions at the Paris Air Show, but the court ruled that it does not have the authority to intervene in the decision made by the French government, the IMOD said on Tuesday.
IMOD Director General, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram condemned the “absolutely, bluntly antisemitic” decision by the French government to block Israeli pavilions at the show. He accused France of “commercial exclusion to prevent successful Israeli industries from competing with French ones.”
“It’s regrettable and immoral to see discrimination based on extraneous considerations that mask French economic interests aimed at undermining the competition from the Israeli industry,” Baram said. “The scandalous French decision will achieve the opposite result. Despite the French attempt to harm us, visitors, including heads of state and military leaders from around the world, flocked to the Israeli industry pavilions, proving that Israeli defense systems are more sought-after and attractive than ever. The entire world sees the exceptional achievements of Israeli systems in Iran and other arenas. Battlefield performance speaks for our products far better than any exhibition on French soil.”
Toaff told Euronews that his company rented a booth at the Paris Air Show a year prior, submitted blueprints to event organizers months ago, and the equipment cleared French customs. “We invested a lot of money in getting this booth and a lot of effort in preparing for it. I can’t tell you the exact cost, but we’re talking millions of euros,” said Toaff.
“I was totally disappointed,” Sasson Meshar, senior vice president for Airborne Electro-Optics Systems at Elbit, told Euronews. “We invested a lot of money in the exhibition.”
“We don’t understand the logic of the decision, because from our perspective, it’s discrimination, because everybody around is showing the same systems,” he added. “It’s a defense, military system, and that’s what we are showing. We are not all here for some kind of flower exhibition.”
In a statement on Monday, Israel’s Ministry of Defense accused the French government of “hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries.”
“This is particularly striking given Israeli technologies’ impressive and precise performance in Iran,” the ministry stated, alluding to the Israel-Iran war that started mere days before the Air Show.
US Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders condemned the move by the French government as “pretty absurd,” according to Reuters.
Earlier this month, a court in Paris rejected a request by several companies to ban Israel from this year’s Paris Air Show.
The 55th Paris Air Show runs from Monday through Thursday for trade visitors only, but will open to the general public from Friday through Sunday. The event is organized by SIAE, a subsidiary of the French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS). This year’s show included 2,500 exhibitors from 48 countries.
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