We now have delusional Trump along with delusional Netanyahu and Russia's Putin being all mates now. Surprise surprise, who woulda thought. The common denominator: Cult leaders who don't mind genocide.
Israel pressing US to keep Russian bases in Syria to contain Turkey, keep country weak “Israel’s big fear is that Turkey comes in and protects this new Syrian Islamist order, which then ends up being a base for Hamas and other militants,” said Aron Lund, a fellow at US-based think-tank Century International. Saturday 01/03/2025 https://thearabweekly.com/israel-pr...-bases-syria-contain-turkey-keep-country-weak Israeli military vehicles are stationed close to the Druze village of Majdal Shams, by the fence separating the Israel-annexed Golan heights and a buffer zone with the rest of the Syrian territory. REUTERS BEIRUT/WASHINGTON Israel is lobbying the United States to keep Syria weak and decentralised, including by letting Russia keep its military bases there to counter Turkey’s growing influence in the country, sources familiar with the efforts told Reuters. Turkey’s often fraught ties with Israel have come under severe strain during the Gaza war and Israeli officials have told Washington that Syria’s new radical Islamist rulers, who are backed by Ankara, pose a threat to Israel’s borders, the sources said.
Yeah right, Turkey is a NATO country. Keeping Russian bases in Syria suits Israel, yeah of course it does.
Netanyahu, will be whispering in Trumps ear, dump Europe and NATO, ally yourself with Israel and Russia. Bone saws from Saudi is ok too.
Elon Musk calls on US to leave NATO and the UN Zoe Hodges https://www.joe.co.uk/news/elon-musk-calls-on-us-to-leave-nato-and-the-un-478420 He has made his feelings clear on X Tech billionaire Elon Musk has called for the United States to leave the UN and NATO. Musk made the remarks in a post on X yesterday evening. Gunther Eagleman, a political commentator with 1.3 million followers, who describes himself as a ‘Proud America First MAGA Patriot’, wrote ‘It’s time to leave NATO and the UN’ in an X post on March 1. Musk, who is now the leader of Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, reposted the message and simply wrote ‘I agree’. Musk then reposted a tweet by Republican congressman Thomas Massie, the representative for Kentucky’s forth congressional district since 2012, which called NATO ‘a Cold War relic that needs to be relegated to a talking kiosk at the Smithsonian’. Musk’s posts come in the wake of several Republicans calling for the country’s NATO membership to be reconsidered. Utah senator Mike Lee, a longstanding NATO critic, has called the organisation a ‘cold war relic’ and argued that it offers a ‘great deal for Europe’ but a ‘raw deal for America’. Musk’s role in the Trump administration means his endorsement of the anti-NATO movement could spell the end for the North Atlantic alliance.......
So at this point there is a Palestinian Authority proposal to take over Gaza, Hamas still thinks they will be in charge of Gaza forever, a new Egyptian proposal for a Gaza interim government without Hamas, and of course Trump's Gaza Riviera proposal. All these conflicting visions -- but three of them share one thing in common, the need to completely wipe out Hamas as a militant and governing entity in Gaza. Egypt's alternative to Trump's 'Gaza Riviera' aims to sideline Hamas https://www.reuters.com/world/egypts-alternative-trumps-gaza-riviera-aims-sideline-hamas-2025-03-03/ Egypt's draft Gaza plan has no role for Hamas - draft proposal Arab states seek to counter Trump's Gaza vision Governance Assistance Mission would replace Hamas-run government International Stabilisation Force would provide security DOHA, March 3 (Reuters) - A plan for Gaza drawn up by Egypt as a counter to U.S. President Donald Trump's ambition for a Middle East Riviera would sideline Hamas and replace it with interim bodies controlled by Arab, Muslim and Western states, according to a draft seen by Reuters. The Egyptian vision for Gaza, which is due to be presented at an Arab League summit on Tuesday, does not specify whether the proposal would be implemented before or after any permanent peace deal to end the war triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. Trump's plan, which envisioned clearing Gaza of its Palestinian inhabitants, appeared to back away from long-standing U.S. Middle East policy focused on a two-state solution and sparked anger among Palestinians and Arab nations. Who will run Gaza after the conflict remains the great unanswered question in negotiations over the future of the enclave. Hamas has so far rejected the idea of any proposal being imposed on Palestinians by other states. Cairo's plan does not tackle critical issues such as who will foot the bill for Gaza's reconstruction or outline any specific details around how Gaza would be governed, nor how an armed group as powerful as Hamas would be pushed aside. Under the Egyptian plan, a Governance Assistance Mission would replace the Hamas-run government in Gaza for an unspecified interim period and would be responsible for humanitarian aid and for kick-starting reconstruction of the enclave, which has been devastated by the war. "There will be no major international funding for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Gaza if Hamas remains the dominant and armed political element on the ground controlling local governance," a preamble outlining the draft Egyptian plan's objectives said. Details of Egypt's proposed framework for Gaza's future have not been previously reported. Egypt, Jordan and Gulf Arab states have for almost a month been scrambling to formulate a diplomatic offensive to counter Trump's plan. A number of ideas have been proposed, with Egypt's considered the frontrunner. Reuters was unable to determine whether Arab leaders would support the plan presented by Egypt. The plan does not specify who would run the governance mission. It said it would, "draw on the expertise of Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere to help Gaza recover as quickly as possible". The plan firmly rejects the U.S. proposal for mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, which Arab states such as Egypt and Jordan see as a security threat. The draft proposal was shared with Reuters by an official involved in Gaza negotiations who wished to remain anonymous because the draft has not yet been made public. STABILISATION FORCE Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group knows of no such proposal by Egypt. "The day after in Gaza must only be decided by the Palestinians," he said. "Hamas rejects any attempt to impose projects or any form of non-Palestinian administration, or the presence of any foreign forces on the land of the Gaza Strip." The Egyptian draft does not mention future elections. Egypt's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the office of Israel's prime minister, whose support for any plan is seen as vital to secure a commitment that any future reconstruction will not be destroyed again. Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has ruled the coastal enclave since 2007. It launched the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and started the Gaza war. A January 19 ceasefire brought a temporary end to the fighting but the first phase of the deal expired on Saturday with no sign of an agreement to move to the second phase. The Egyptian draft does not tackle the issue of what actions could be taken if Hamas refuses to disarm or step aside from politics. The proposal envisions an International Stabilisation Force drawn primarily from Arab states that would take over the role of providing security from the militant group, with the eventual establishment of a new local police force. Both security and governance bodies would be "arranged, guided and supervised" by a steering board. The draft said the board would comprise key Arab countries, members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the United States, Britain, the European Union and its member states, and others. The plan does not detail a central governing role for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which opinion polls show has little support among Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. A Palestinian official told Reuters that, like the West Bank, Gaza falls under the PA's jurisdiction - and it must be run by Palestinians. "We agreed with the Egyptians on a committee made of Palestinian experts that will help the Palestinian Authority in running the Gaza Strip for six months. The committee is made of Palestinian experts and coordinates with the PA, and doesn't answer to non-Palestinian bodies," said the official, who asked not to be named for sensitivity. RECONSTRUCTION BILL Since Hamas drove the Palestinian Authority out of Gaza after a brief civil war in 2007, it has crushed all opposition there. Supported by Iran, it built an extensive security apparatus and military organization based around a vast network of tunnels - much of which Israel says it has now destroyed. The plan does not say who would pay to rebuild Gaza, a bill estimated by the U.N. at more than $53 billion. Two sources have told Reuters that Gulf and Arab states would need to commit at least $20 billion in the initial phase of reconstruction. Egypt's proposal envisions that states on the steering board could establish a fund to support the interim governing body and arrange donor conferences to seek contributions for a longer-term reconstruction and development plan for Gaza. The plan does not contain any specific financial pledges. Oil- and gas-producing Gulf Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates could be vital sources of funding from the region. The United Arab Emirates, for instance, sees Hamas and other militant groups as an existential threat and is unlikely to offer any funding until Hamas has been sidelined. The foreign ministries in Qatar and the UAE and Saudi Arabia's international media office did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Egypt's plan, or to questions about their willingness to commit funds to rebuild Gaza. The draft plan also calls on the steering board to coordinate with a Civil Society Advisory Board, consisting of academics, NGO leaders and other notable figures.
Let's catch up with the latest regarding the proposed Arab plan for Gaza. Arab states adopt Egyptian alternative to Trump's 'Gaza Riviera' https://www.reuters.com/world/middl...s-alternative-trumps-gaza-riviera-2025-03-04/ Middle East leaders seek alternative to U.S. takeover of Gaza Major question of who rules Gaza in the future remain unanswered Egyptian plan calls for $53 billion in funding to rebuild Abbas says Palestinian elections are possible DOHA/CAIRO, March 4 (Reuters) - Arab leaders adopted an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza on Tuesday that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave, in contrast to U.S. President Donald Trump's"Middle East Riviera" vision. The White House said the plan adopted by Arab states did not address Gaza's reality and that Trump stood by his proposal. Trump's plan to displace Palestinians in a U.S. takeover of the enclave received global condemnation last month and echoed long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the Egyptian proposal, welcomed in subsequent statements by Hamas and criticised by Israel and the U.S., had been accepted at the closing of a summit in Cairo. Sisi said at the summit that he was certain Trump would be able to achieve peace as the Gaza Strip has been left devastated by Israel's military assault. The major questions that need to be answered about Gaza's future are who will run the enclave and which countries will provide the billions of dollars needed for reconstruction. Sisi said Egypt had worked in cooperation with Palestinians on creating an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the Israel-Gaza war. The committee would be responsible for the oversight of humanitarian aid and managing the Strip's affairs for a temporary period, in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority (PA), he said. The other critical issue is the fate of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the PA's rival, whose October 7, 2023, attack on Israel killed 1,200 people with more than 250 taken as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The attack was followed by Israel's military assault on Gaza that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry. The assault has also displaced nearly Gaza's entire population and led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The Islamist faction that has run Gaza since 2007 said in a statement it agrees to the Egyptian committee proposal. Hamas has agreed it will not field candidates to the Cairo-proposed committee but it would have to give its consent to the tasks, members and the agenda of the committee that would work under the PA's supervision. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said late on Tuesday the names for the individuals participating in the committee had been decided. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the PA, said he welcomed the Egyptian idea and urged Trump to support such a plan that would not involve displacing Palestinian residents. Abbas, in power since 2005, also said he was ready to hold presidential and parliamentary elections if circumstances allowed, adding his PA was the only legitimate governing and military force in the Palestinian Territories. Hamas said it welcomed the elections. Abbas has seen his legitimacy steadily undermined by Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank, which he oversees. Many Palestinians now regard his administration as corrupt, undemocratic and out of touch. The Israeli foreign ministry in a statement called the plan "rooted in outdated perspectives" and rejected the reliance on the PA while complaining that Hamas was left in power by the plan. Washington also voiced its disapproval. "The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance," White House spokesman Brian Hughes said when asked whether Trump would support the Arab leaders' plan. "President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas," he said. RECONSTRUCTION WOULD NEED GULF STATES Any reconstruction funding would require heavy buy-in from oil-rich Gulf Arab states such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have the billions of dollars needed. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa said the reconstruction fund would seek international financing as well as oversight and likely be located in the World Bank. The UAE, which sees Hamas and other Islamists as an existential threat, wants an immediate and complete disarmament of the group, while other Arab countries advocate a gradual approach, a source close to the matter said. A source close to Saudi Arabia's royal court says the continued armed presence of Hamas in Gaza was a stumbling block because of strong objections from the United States and Israel, which would need to sign off on any plan. In a speech at the summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said international guarantees were needed that the current temporary ceasefire would remain in place, and supported the PA's role in governing the strip. Leaders of the UAE and Qatar did not speak during open sessions of the summit. Hamas was founded in 1987 by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri on Tuesday rejected Israeli and U.S. calls for the group to disarm, saying its right to resist was not negotiable. Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group would not accept any attempt to impose projects, or any form of non-Palestinian administration or the presence of foreign forces. Since Hamas drove the Palestinian Authority out of Gaza after a brief civil war in 2007, it has crushed all opposition there. ALTERNATIVE TO TRUMP PLAN Egypt, Jordan and Gulf Arab states have for almost a month been consulting over an alternative to Trump's ambition for an exodus of Palestinians and a U.S. takeover of Gaza, which they fear would destabilise the entire region. A draft final communique from the summit seen earlier by Reuters rejected the mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Egypt's Reconstruction Plan for Gaza is a 112-page document that includes maps of how its land would be re-developed and dozens of colourful AI-generated images of housing developments, gardens and community centres. The plan includes a commercial harbour, a technology hub, beach hotels and an airport. Israel was unlikely to oppose an Arab entity taking responsibility for Gaza's government if Hamas was off the scene, said a source familiar with the matter. But an Israeli official told Reuters that Israel's war aims from the beginning have been to destroy Hamas' military and governing capabilities. "Therefore, if they are going to get Hamas to agree to demilitarise, it needs to be immediately. Nothing else will be acceptable," the official said. Sources familiar with Hamas said the group had only lost a few thousand fighters in the Gaza war. Israeli officials say around 20,000 Hamas fighters have been killed and the group has been destroyed as an organized military formation.
The story of the USS Liberty incident would be one of the better examples of US government cover ups for Israel's behaviour. https://www.britannica.com/event/USS-Liberty-incident
Hamas threatens to kill hostages if Israeli attacks resume Trump threatened Hamas this week, ordering them to release all hostages. By Samy Zayara and Nadine El-Bawab March 7, 2025 https://abcnews.go.com/Internationa...ges-israeli-attacks-resume/story?id=119515905 Hamas dismisses Trump ultimatum to release all remaining hostages. The militant group reiterated that it will only free the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. ABC News’ James Longman reports. Hamas is threatening to kill the remaining hostages if there is "any escalation" of attacks from Israel against Gaza, a Hamas military spokesman said in a statement Thursday. This comes after President Donald Trump ordered Hamas to release all remaining hostages, dead or alive, or it is "over for you" in a post Wednesday on Truth Social. Hamas accused Israel of "bullying, stalling, and reckless aggression." "The enemy's leadership is trying to evade the agreement as the Prime Minister prioritizes political interests over the lives of his captives. The occupier continues to seek an American green light to escalate its aggression against our people," Abu Ubaida, the military spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a recorded message Thursday. "Israeli threats of war will bring them nothing but failure and will not lead to the release of their captives. We warn the families of Israeli captives that we still hold proof of life for those who remain alive. We are fully prepared for all possible scenarios. Any escalation of aggression against our people will result in the killing of enemy captives," he said. Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants since October 2023, lift placards during a rally calling on the government for a deal that would bring all the remaining captives back, outside the prime minister residence in Jerusale...Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images, FILE Trump threatened Hamas on Wednesday, ordering it to release all remaining hostages, dead and alive, "immediately." "I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don't do as I say," Trump threatened in a social media post. "For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance. Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!" Trump wrote. Trump met with eight released hostages in the Oval Office on Wednesday. "The President listened intently to their heartbreaking stories," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. "The hostages thanked President Trump for his steadfast efforts to bring all of the hostages home." There are believed to be up to 24 living hostages remaining in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in remarks at the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday. Another 35 at least are believed to be dead. Edan Alexander is the last American-Israeli hostage to remain alive in Gaza.