RSS
US Official Calls Gaza Ceasefire Talks in Doha the Most Constructive in Months
An Israeli tank maneuvers, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, July 9, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
The latest negotiations in Doha to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage deal have been the most productive in months, and negotiators will reconvene next week in Cairo hoping to conclude it, a senior Biden administration official said on Friday.
“It was consensus of all of the participants over the past 48 hours that there’s really a new spirit here to drive it to a conclusion,” the official said, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity.
He still cautioned that work remained to be done.
“This is a very difficult, complex deal.”
On Friday, the US, with help from mediators Qatar and Egypt, put forward a bridging proposal the three countries believe would close all gaps between warring parties Israel and Hamas, the official said.
The past two days in Doha were probably “the most constructive 48 hours” that the parties have had in months, the official said.
“The Israeli team that was here was empowered … We made a lot of progress in the number of issues that we’ve been working on,” the official said.
The latest round in months of talks to end the war in Hamas-ruled Gaza began on Thursday between Israel and mediators. The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas was not directly involved in the talks but was kept briefed on progress.
The White House sent CIA Director Bill Burns and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel were also taking part.
The negotiations took place in the shadow of a feared regional escalation. Iran, which backs Hamas, has threatened to retaliate against Israel after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.
There will be engagements over the course of next week between working groups that will discuss everything from the list of hostages, the sequence by which the hostages would be released and the Palestinian prisoners.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel on Sunday.
The conflict began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters rampaged into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign in neighboring Gaza aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.
The Israeli military says it has eliminated 17,000 terrorists in Gaza during its campaign.
The post US Official Calls Gaza Ceasefire Talks in Doha the Most Constructive in Months first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Progressive Democrats Condemn US Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on March 21, 2024. Photo: Craig Hudson/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Progressive members of the US Congress are denouncing President Donald Trump’s decision to order military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend, calling the move reckless, illegal, and a dangerous provocation that could drag the United States into a broader conflict in the Middle East.
On Saturday night, Trump authorized Operation Midnight Hammer, a large-scale US strike on three key Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. The Pentagon later revealed that seven B‑2 Spirit stealth bombers flew from Whiteman Air Force base, escorted by fighter jets and refueling tankers, and supported by a submarine-launched salvo of Tomahawk missiles targeting Isfahan. The B‑2s pummeled Fordo and Natanz with 14 massive bunker-buster bombs.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), one of the most outspoken progressive voices in Congress, denounced the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“The president’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment,” Ocasi0-Cortez said in a statement.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), another longtime critic of American interventionism, criticized the airstrikes while speaking to an audience of his supporters.
“Not only is this news … alarming, but it is so grossly unconstitutional. … The only entity that can take this country to war is the US Congress,” Sanders said.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the leader of House Democrats, lambasted Trump for allegedly circumventing Congress in authorizing the strikes: “President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) condemned the strikes and suggested they could escalate violence within the region.
“The strikes on Iran, ordered by President Trump and executed without congressional authorization, mark a dangerous and reckless escalation of an already volatile conflict in the Middle East,” Omar wrote on X/Twitter.
“Military strikes will not bring peace. They will only provoke more violence, destabilize the region, and endanger US troops and civilians. We’ve seen what happens when diplomacy is sidelined in favor of bombs. It only brings more death and destruction,” she continued.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the sole Palestinian-American woman in Congress, called the strikes a “blatant violation of our Constitution.”
“Instead of listening to the American people, Trump is listening to War Criminal Netanyahu, who lied about Iraq and is lying once again about Iran. Congress must act immediately to exert its war powers and stop this unconstitutional act of war,” Tlaib said in a statement, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying American troops if a formal declaration of war has not already been issued. The resolution also mandates that the president withdraw any forces deployed in a conflict within 60 days if Congress has not formally declared war.
Supporters of the US strike have argued that Trump is acting within his legal authority, noting that the US government has long identified Iran as the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism responsible for the deaths of many Americans. Trump and many lawmakers have said for years that such a regime can’t be allowed to build nuclear weapons, even if it means using military force.
Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes.
The post Progressive Democrats Condemn US Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Iran Attacks US Base in Qatar With Missiles, Doha Says No Casualties
Traces are seen in the sky after Iran’s armed forces say they targeted The Al-Udeid base in a missile attack, as seen from Doha, Qatar, June 23, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stringer
Iran launched multiple missiles against the Al Udeid US airbase in Qatar on Monday, retaliating for American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend.
In a post on X, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced the country had successfully intercepted Iranian missiles, noting there were no casualties, but condemned the strikes as “brazen aggression.”
“The State of Qatar strongly condemns the attack that targeted Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. We consider this a flagrant violation of sovereignty,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said in a statement.
“We reassured that Qatar’s air defenses successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles,” he continued.
Shortly after the attack, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council also released a statement confirming it had carried out the strike on Qatar.
“The base that was targeted in the attack by the powerful Iranian forces was far from urban facilities and residential areas in Qatar,” the statement reads. “This action did not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar, and its noble people.”
The post Iran Attacks US Base in Qatar With Missiles, Doha Says No Casualties first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Daycare Run by Israel’s Oldest and Largest Food Charity Damaged in Iranian Missile Attack
Illustrative: Israeli soldiers work at an impact site following Iran’s missile strike on Israel, in Be’er Sheva, Israel, June 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
A daycare center that is part of the oldest operating charity in Israel and the country’s largest food security non-governmental organization was among the sites damaged by the series of cluster bombs Iran launched at the Jewish state on Friday morning.
Colel Chabad’s daycare center in Be’er Sheva with hit with shrapnel that resulted in glass being scattered across the facility’s play areas and torn classroom walls, among other damage seen in photos shared on the daycare’s website. Colel Chabad said the building “suffered serious damage.” The daycare center was empty at the time and has been closed since the Iranian missile attacks began on June 13.
No one was injured in the missile strike. Surveillance camera footage shared by Colel Chabad show the exact moment the Iranian missile hit the daycare center.
Chabad is a Hasidic movement within Orthodox Judaism that operates globally and is headquartered in New York City.
Colel Chabad was established in 1788 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of Chabad. The daycare is part of the Ohr Chaya and Larisa Blavatnik chain of daycares and is one of 18 early childhood centers for underprivileged families across Israel that is operated by Colel Chabad.
“In our 230-year history, we have faced many challenges. Through our faith in G‑d, we find the strength to continue. This daycare will be repaired and reopened as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Colel Chabad Director, Rabbi Sholom Duchman, according to Chabad.org. “This building will once again be filled with laughter, learning, and the strength it provides to families in Be’er Sheva. It is our sacred duty — and we will not falter.”
Leaders at Colel Chabad are working to secure a different site for the daycare in anticipation for when security conditions allow it to reopen, Chabad.org reported.
“To see it torn apart by an act of war is devastating,” said Leah Blau, who is the director of the damaged daycare center. “We thank G‑d that no one was injured, but our work must continue — rebuilding not just walls, but a sense of security for our children.”
Colel Chabad’s soup kitchens have been closed since the Israel-Iran war began on June 13 due to safety concerns, but it has expanded its meal delivery services, particularly for elderly residents. The organization has also distributed emergency relief cards, which act like debit cards, worth 4,000 shekels each ($1,100) to those impacted by the war to help them buy basic necessities such as clothing and food. Colel Chabad said some 3,000 families have been displaced in areas including Ramat Gan, Bat Yam, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Letzion.
The post Daycare Run by Israel’s Oldest and Largest Food Charity Damaged in Iranian Missile Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.