Trump Restarts Gaza Ceasefire Talks With Israel and Hamas

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Top of the Agenda

Trump has renewed his diplomatic efforts toward a truce in Gaza, touting an updated proposal yesterday for a sixty-day ceasefire. He said that Israel agreed to its terms, while Israel’s foreign minister said that a chance to release hostages from Gaza “must not be missed.” Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met with a top Israeli official yesterday; Trump said that as a next step, Qatar and Egypt would deliver the proposal. A Hamas official said today the group was “ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement” if it “clearly leads to the complete end of the war.”  

The latest on the conflict. Hostilities have continued in Gaza and the West Bank during and after the United States and Israel’s conflict with Iran in recent weeks.

The latest on aid distribution. 

“Most [Hamas] leaders in Gaza are dead, and the few that remain have few resources, face a growing opposition of ordinary Gazans outraged at what Hamas has brought upon them, and have been forced to rely on lightly trained fighters. The war continues only in service of the annexationist agenda of the far-right politicians in Israel.”

—CFR expert Steven A. Cook, Foreign Policy

Across the Globe

U.S. slows weapons to Ukraine. Ukraine summoned a top U.S. diplomat in the country following a pause on U.S. weapons shipments. A White House spokesperson confirmed the pause yesterday without specifying which weapons were halted. Politico reported earlier in the day citing unnamed sources that they included some flows of air defense missiles and other precision weapons that began under the Joe Biden administration. 

Trump’s economic plan. A version of the Trump administration’s domestic policy package passed the Senate yesterday after a separate version had already passed the House of Representatives. The bill renews many tax cuts from Trump’s first term and increases military spending and immigration enforcement, paying for them through steps like cutting Medicaid, food benefits, and green energy spending.

Macron-Putin call. French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first call since September 2022 yesterday. Macron’s office said he called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and negotiations to end the war, as well as a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. The Kremlin reported Putin said any peace deal in Ukraine should address the “root causes” of the war and that Iran had the right to develop a “peaceful” nuclear program. The two leaders plan to have another conversation soon, the French president’s office said.

The Dalai Lama’s succession. The Dalai Lama, who turns ninety on Sunday, told a gathering of Tibetan leaders yesterday that his foundation will “exclusively” take responsibility for identifying his successor. Beijing said yesterday that the Chinese government must sign off on his successor. Traditionally, the search for the new leader begins after the Dalai Lama’s death; one Tibetan activist said Beijing considers the vacuum of power before a successor is chosen to be a “strategic opportunity” for asserting more control over Tibet.

Iran suspends IAEA cooperation. Iran’s law freezing the country’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) took effect today after it was passed by the legislature last week. The UN watchdog, which is responsible for inspecting Iran’s nuclear sites, said it was awaiting more information on the suspension, while Israel called for a sanctions snapback on Iran. Separately, Iran’s foreign minister told CBS regarding nuclear talks with Washington that the “doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.”

Plans for debt swaps. Spain and the World Bank will establish a hub to assist countries seeking debt restructuring in order to finance social and environmental projects. So-called “debt swaps” have become increasingly common, although countries say they can be slow and complicated to put together. Many such deals in the last few years have been backed by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, but it is unclear if that assistance will continue under Trump.

Accusations of spying for Beijing. The U.S. Justice Department said yesterday it charged two Chinese nationals acting as unregistered agents of the Chinese government in the United States. They are accused of gathering information at a U.S. naval base and trying to recruit members of the U.S. military to work for Chinese intelligence. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers, and the Chinese embassy did not immediately comment. 

Quad critical minerals initiative. Australia, India, Japan, and the United States pledged to work together on securing supplies of critical minerals at a Quad foreign ministers meeting in Washington yesterday. While their announcement did not provide further details, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said thirty or forty companies from the countries were scheduled to meet at the State Department yesterday to discuss cooperation on areas including critical minerals.

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