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What has caused security to deteriorate in Haiti?

State of emergency declared after unrest worsens and thousands of prisoners break out of jail. Haiti’s director of National Police has warned the capital is at war. Port-au-Prince has been overrun by gangs. A state of emergency has been declared after gang members attacked two prisons over the weekend – freeing several thousand prisoners. The security situation worsened after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated three years ago. For months, protesters have been calling for Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down. They are angry about delayed elections, the rising cost of living and insecurity. The United Nations says the violence has forced 300,000 people from their homes this year. The foreign minister has likened Haiti to a warzone. To help restore order, the UN has proposed sending a multinational force. So what has led to this crisis? And is international intervention the way to resolve it? Presenter: Jonah Hull Guests: Francois Guillaume – Haitian ambassador to Qatar Erwan de Cherisey – Principal, Janes defence intelligence company Vanda Felbab-Brown – Director of initiative on non-state armed actors at the Brookings Institution Ralph Emmanuel Francois – Haitian social entrepreneur and activist Adblock test (Why?)

House Republicans eye crackdown on disturbing youth crime spike in nation’s capital

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, is leading the charge to overhaul Washington, D.C.’s criminal policies in a bid to crack down on the troubling rise in incidents perpetrated by the city’s youth. His new bill, the D.C. Criminal Reform to Immediately Make Everyone Safer (D.C. CRIMES) Act, would impose specific changes targeting how juveniles and young adults are prosecuted. If passed, it would lower the age classifying “youths” from under 25 to under 18. The classification gives D.C. courts more flexibility in issuing sentences for crimes committed. DC CRIME SPIRAL TAKES NEW TWIST WITH APPARENT CALL FOR SHOPLIFTERS TO ‘UNITE’ AGAINST RETAILER: REPORT It would also prevent the courts from handing down sentences under the minimum statutory requirements for youth offenders, and stop D.C.’s progressive city council from changing what those requirements are. The bill would also require the D.C. attorney general to keep the public better informed on youth and juvenile crime rates by creating a public website where statistics are readily available.  According to a year-to-date crime comparison provided by the Metropolitan Police Department, homicides in the nation’s capital rose 35% from 2022 to 2023, with the overall rate of violent crime climbing 39%. Robberies increased by 67%, while instances of motor vehicle theft have climbed 82%. WASHINGTON WIZARDS, CAPITALS PLAN TO DEPART DC AS CRIME CRISIS INTENSIFIES; YOUNGKIN CELEBRATES MOVE D.C. District At-large Councilmember Robert White Jr., a Democrat, said during a virtual town hall last month, according to The Hilltop, “The number of crimes committed by youth has risen substantially and the severity of crimes committed by youth has become alarming.” D.C. officials have pointed fingers at one another over the dangerous trend, with Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser blaming the D.C. attorney general and city council for weakening criminal policies while also not enforcing existing mandates. Donalds’ bill is also not the first time since the beginning of 2023 that Congress has stepped in to exercise its authority over the capital to crack down on crime. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES NEW RESOURCES TO COMBAT VIOLENT CRIME IN DC Last March, both the House and Senate passed a GOP-led resolution overturning the city council’s proposed overhaul of the D.C. criminal code that would have drastically reduced minimum sentences for armed carjackings and expanded the right to jury trials, which critics say would have caused unnecessary delays. The city council is now considering a much stricter package of bills aimed at curbing rising crime rates. That proposal includes expanding pretrial detention for suspects accused of violent crimes, creating new firearm-related charges, and giving police more leeway to engage in vehicular pursuits.

Cuomo spokesman responds to House committee subpoena over COVID-19 nursing home policies: ‘Clowns’

Former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s spokesman called Congress a “circus” filled with “clowns” in response to a House committee subpoenaing the former New York leader over his COVID-19 nursing home policies.  “Congress is officially a circus, and they are nothing but clowns,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement posted to X on Wednesday. “This is on them, not us,” Azzopardi said in the statement. “The Governor’s counsel two weeks ago provided dates for an interview and even offered to have any questions answered in writing prior to.” The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic announced it subpoenaed Cuomo on Tuesday to testify on May 24 regarding coronavirus policies and nursing homes. The former governor came under fire in 2020 when he ordered nursing homes to accept recovering COVID patients, which critics argued fanned the flames of deaths in nursing homes during the pandemic.  HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS ANDREW CUOMO OVER COVID-19 NURSING HOME POLICIES The committee told the former New York governor that the “misguided decision effectively admitted thousands of COVID-19 positive patients into nursing homes, causing predictable but deadly consequences for New York’s most vulnerable.” Azzopardi continued in his statement that Cuomo’s policies had previously been reviewed by DOJ leaders under both the Trump and Biden administrations, as well as Congress, and that the subpoena is a “press charade.”  “This is an obvious press charade: they issue a subpoena as a press release,” he wrote.  BILL MAHER CONFRONTS CUOMO ON NURSING HOME SCANDAL, EX-NY GOV CALLS QUESTIONS ‘MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING’ “The simple fact remains that this issue has been reviewed three times by the Department of Justice under Trump and Biden, as well as Congress and the Manhattan District Attorney who found no there there [sic],” Azzopardi said in the statement. “New York followed the guidance put forth by the Trump administration in March of 2020 — as did other Democratic and Republican states. If they have a problem with that, they should look in the mirror. Congress knows this, but it’s not about the facts, this is about politics.” Azzopardi provided Fox News Digital with a letter sent by Cuomo’s attorney Rita Glavin to Subcommittee Chair Brad Wenstrup, outlining that she had provided four dates for an August interview and that she had not heard back from the office until this week.  “Pursuant to a conversation with your staff on February 12, 2024, in a February 21, 2024 email we provided four dates (August 6, 7, 13 or 14) that both Governor Cuomo and I are available for such an interview,” Glavin wrote in the letter, dated Monday.  EX-GOV. ANDREW CUOMO FACES NEW LAWSUIT ALLEGING ‘UNMITIGATED GREED’ CONTRIBUTED TO NURSING HOME DEATHS She continued that she had not heard back from the office until Monday, and asked Wenstrup to “reconsider issuing a subpoena.”  “Specifically, earlier today, staff members asked me to accept electronic service of a subpoena to compel Governor Cuomo’s attendance for testimony. Given Governor Cuomo’s stated willingness to appear voluntarily for a transcribed interview, we ask that you reconsider issuing a subpoena,” she wrote.  “To be clear, Gov. Cuomo has been and remains cooperative,” she added.  Cuomo stepped down as governor in 2021 amid accusations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.  He has previously defended New York’s COVID policies regarding nursing homes as following guidance from the federal government. FORMER NY GOVERNOR RE-EMERGES AS CRITIC ON DEMS’ FAR-LEFT POLICIES, FUELING COMEBACK SPECULATION “If you think there was a mistake, then go talk to the federal government,” he said at a press conference in 2021. “It’s not about pointing fingers or blame, this became a political football.”  Wenstrup wrote that “[t]he Select Subcommittee specifically requested your testimony because it was your administration that issued the March 25, 2020 nursing home order stating, in relevant part, that ‘[n]o resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to the [nursing home] solely based on confirmed or suspect[ed] diagnosis of COVID-19.’” “Of course, you have argued — even after leaving office — that the March 25 Order was consistent with CMS and CDC guidance. In addition, you have argued that it was the nursing home staff — not your Administration’s order — that was responsible for the resulting deaths in the nursing homes,” Wenstrup continued.  Azzopardi concluded in his statement that Congress continues to “play politics” with the pandemic while war rages in Ukraine.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Do your job: Ukrainian soldiers are throwing stones at Russian tanks because we haven’t sent ammunition, and we still don’t have a budget. Instead, they continue to play politics with Covid and weaponize people’s pain and loss of loved ones,” he wrote.  Fox News’ Greg Norman, Andrea Vacchiano, Tyler Olson, Rich Edson contributed to this report. 

Biden Energy Sec Granholm maintains cozy relationship with foreign and dark money-tied environmental groups

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is maintaining her close relationship with far-left dark money environmental groups, including one that was tied to an organization that has received millions in backing from a foreign billionaire. Granholm will participate in a Washington, D.C., event alongside President Biden’s climate envoy, John Podesta, on Wednesday to discuss the future of clean energy, Axios reported. The event’s graphic shows Climate Power and Ceres, two environmental groups dedicated to pushing a far-left climate agenda, are sponsoring the gathering.  Climate Power has previously generated headlines due to its relationship with a group that has received vast amounts of cash from nonprofits bankrolled by Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss. Granholm’s internal calendar entries, obtained by watchdog group Americans for Public Trust (APT), also show she has routinely met with far-left environmental groups during her tenure in the Biden administration. “It’s clear Secretary Granholm and newly minted climate czar John Podesta are tangled up in a web of extreme climate groups propped up by foreign dark money,” APT executive director Caitlin Sutherland told Fox News Digital.  ENERGY SEC GRANHOLM SECRETLY CONSULTED TOP CCP ENERGY OFFICIAL BEFORE SPR RELEASES “This persistent coordination between Biden officials and foreign-tied groups raises serious questions about whether the priorities of international adversaries — like China — are exerting undue influence over this administration’s energy agenda,” Sutherland said. Granholm’s ties to Climate Power, which has positioned itself as a top environmental group, extend beyond her upcoming event. The organization has conducted at least one internal training session in 2021 on climate communication strategies for Biden administration appointees, Fox News Digital previously reported.  Granholm attended the session and delivered opening remarks, according to her internal calendar. The record noted that session attendees would be “political appointees from all climate-related agencies” and that the purpose would be for Climate Power and the League of Conservation Voters to “conduct a training on how to message climate work in an impactful and persuasive way.”  For some time, a nonprofit called Fund for a Better Future housed Climate Power, which had also teamed up with the League of Conservation Voters after the training in 2022 to undertake a “sophisticated targeting project unlike anything they’d ever undertaken” to boost Democrats.  Meanwhile, a nonprofit funded by Swiss billionaire Wyss provided vast amounts of money to Fund for a Better Future while it was associated with Climate Power.  BIDEN ADMIN PULLS GRANT FOR ENERGY FIRM WITH CHINESE TIES IN STUNNING REVERSAL According to tax forms, the Wyss-backed Berger Action Fund provided $19.75 million to Fund for a Better Future sometime between April 2022 and April 2023. The money came on the heels of millions he had sent in the past.  While Fund for a Better Future previously oversaw Climate Power, the group broke into its own nonprofit in the summer of 2023, a spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital. The group did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Wyss has been financially involved in various left-wing causes for over two decades. However, questions about his citizenship have swirled as his political giving has come to the forefront. APT previously discovered several documents that questioned his citizenship, including a 2021 Securities and Exchange Commission filing in which he says he is a “citizen of Switzerland.”  His activity has also caught the awareness of Republican lawmakers, who have looked towards legislation to prevent foreign nationals from “influencing the American political system,” Axios reported last year. SWISS BILLIONAIRE HANSJÖRG WYSS RECENTLY POURED OVER $60M INTO PROPPING UP LEFT-WING GROUPS AND CAUSES The Berger Action Fund did not respond to a request for comment, but its spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that the group “complies with laws and rules governing its activities and prohibits its grants from being used to support or oppose political candidates or parties, or otherwise engage in electoral activities.” In addition to Climate Power and Ceres, which also receives contributions from anonymous donors but identifies many contributors in its annual report, Granholm has met with several other left-wing environmental groups propelled by dark money during her time in the Biden administration.  Between September 2021 and June 2022, Granholm attended meetings with the League of Conservation Voters, Rocky Mountain Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council, Earth Justice, Sierra Club and Climate Action, according to her internal calendar obtained by APT. Podesta, who is participating in the Wednesday event with Granholm, previously served on the League of Conservation Voters’ board between 2001 and 2013 and the Natural Resources Defense Council’s board between 2007 and 2013, according to his financial disclosures. “The Secretary of Energy represents all of America and to do so effectively engages stakeholders across the spectrum from the finance sector to environmental justice groups, consumers, and industry,” an Energy Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital when asked about Granholm’s meetings and events with the groups.  “The facts are clear: We’re on a path to successfully build an American-led clean energy future that lowers costs for American households, delivers jobs for American workers and bolsters America’s energy and national security.”

I’m an elections reporter — and I just cast my first vote as a naturalized U.S. citizen

For a long time, I didn’t want to think or talk about elections or politics. That changed four years ago.

Florida bills would allow Satanic priests to serve as volunteer chaplains in public schools

Florida lawmakers are proposing two bills that, if passed, could allow for Satanic priests to serve as volunteer chaplains in public schools. The companion bills — Senate Bill 1044 and House Bill 931 — would give schools the ability to choose which volunteer chaplains can provide counseling services to students. Under the bill, each school could adopt a policy authorizing volunteer school chaplains to provide support services and programs for students. The bill also requires principals of schools with volunteer school chaplains to inform all parents of the services, while also requiring written parental consent before students participate or receive the services. Schools would be required to provide parents with a list of volunteers who have undergone a complete background check. The parents would then be able to select a chaplain of their choosing from the list.  ‘AFTER SCHOOL SATAN CLUB’ DRAWS CONCERN FROM TENNESSEE PARENTS: ‘FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE’ Under the U.S. Constitution, the state is not allowed to dictate the religious groups that can participate as volunteers, so it could open the door to groups like The Satanic Temple to allow their clergy members to offer services to students. Lucien Greaves, co-founder and spokesperson of The Satanic Temple told Fox News Digital as long as the Florida government wants to blur the line between Church and State by allowing chaplains into schools, The Satanic Temple is ready to participate with hopes of preserving government viewpoint neutrality, but also as an alternative to “proselytizing evangelism.” “In an effort to dismiss concerns about bringing religious viewpoints into schools, advocates for chaplain bills have a scripted response that insists their interest is in merely providing additional ‘emotional support’ for potentially troubled youth,” he said. “If that were true, they could simply be calling upon volunteers who hold licensure as counselors to offer their services in the schools in their communities.” SATANIC TEMPLE LEADER TOUTS AFTER-SCHOOL CLUB AS ALTERNATIVE TO RELIGIOUS CLUBS ‘PROSELYTIZING’ TO STUDENTS Florida state Sen. Erin Grall introduced the bill, and did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The bills are currently moving through the state legislature, and if passed, would go into effect July 1, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Still, Greaves suggested the lawmakers have bigger fish to fry. SATANIC TEMPLE LEADER CHALLENGES ‘PATHETIC LITTLE COWARD’ DESANTIS TO DEBATE OVER GROUP’S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS “With a wealth of problems that lawmakers could be addressing, advocating for a disingenuous piece of poorly-thought model legislation supported by false arguments shows raw incompetence on the part of the chaplain bill’s sponsoring signatories,” he said. The Satanic Temple is no stranger to First Amendment rights of religion, and since 2016 has been working to introduce after-school programs to schools in states like Virginia, Tennessee, and Kansas. The temple is recognized by the IRS as a public charity. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Greaves has described the kind of activities that the after-school program facilitates, as a self-directed learning process that entails playing games, solving puzzles, activities, and other things that are educational for the kids — where they can choose which ones they want to work with. The Satanic Temple originally constructed a complex curriculum and consulted people in the field of education, but then changed it after realizing that it had become too elaborate.

Fox News Poll: Super Tuesday Senate shuffle

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail.  What’s Happening?  – AOC calls on activists to make politicians ‘uncomfortable’ – McConnell in talks to endorse Trump in 2024 – Biden trying to ‘trigger’ Trump in new election strategy Where is Nikki Haley’s best chance at winning a primary on Tuesday? Check out the five areas to watch as Super Tuesday results come in. The lead-up to Super Tuesday has seen a shakeup in the political landscape, beyond just the presidential primaries. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema rocked the Senate campaign landscape when she announced on Super Tuesday that she will not seek re-election in Arizona. The move from Sinema, who switched her party affiliation from Democrat to independent in 2022, leaves the race narrowed between Republican candidate Kari Lake and Democrat Ruben Gallego.  “Our democracy was weakened by government dysfunction and the constant pull to the extremes by both political parties,” Sinema said in a video announcement posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I promised I would do my best to fix it.” On the Republican side of the Senate, one of the biggest political endorsements of the year hangs in the balance.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office and Trump’s presidential campaign have been in talks over a possible endorsement, as well as a strategy to unite Republicans just eight months away from the November election, according to The Associated Press, citing a person familiar with the situation. McConnell is currently the highest-ranking Republican in Congress who has yet to back the former president’s bid to return to the White House. ‘ACCEPT THE REALITY’: Hillary Clinton tells people to ‘accept the reality’ that Joe Biden is old …Read more TASTE OF HER OWN MEDICINE: FLASHBACK: AOC calls on activists to make politicians ‘uncomfortable’ …Read more NUMBER 2: GOP senator makes bid for 2nd in command amid McConnell successor speculation …Read more COURT ORDER: Chip Roy unveils bill to let Americans sue COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers for injuries …Read more STATE OF THE UNION: Johnson’s invites mom of woman allegedly murdered by MS-13 member to Biden’s big speech …Read more BIDEN ON THE ATTACK?: Biden trying to ‘trigger Trump’ with new election strategy …Read more TRUMP’S SUPER TUESDAY?: Super Tuesday results expected to move President Biden and former President Trump much closer to an all-but-certain general election rematch …Read more ‘LAST RITES’: Mark Cuban would support Biden at ‘his last wake’ …Read more ‘COMING AFTER US’: Georgia prosecutor alleges Fani Willis asked Bradley not to testify on affair …Read more GEORGIA FIRE: Federal agency asserts water rights in Georgia wildlife refuge …Read more ‘FIRST AMENDMENT SIN’: Federal court rules on DeSantis’ ‘Stop WOKE Act,’ whether banning DEI violates Constitution …Read more LETTING ‘EM GO: Dem border state governor vetoes bill allowing police to arrest illegals …Read more 11 AGAINST 1: Soft-on-crime DA Gascon faces primary challengers …Read more ‘ZERO FAITH’: Colorado Republicans threaten secretary of state with recall after Trump wins at Supreme Court …Read more ‘BETRAYED DEMOCRACY’: Furious Keith Olbermann calls for Supreme Court to be ‘dissolved’ over Trump ruling …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Five areas could tell us a lot about the GOP on Super Tuesday

Fifteen states and one U.S. territory are holding presidential primaries this evening. President Biden only faces nominal opposition on Democratic primary ballots, and barring any surprises, could get close to securing his party’s nomination tonight. On the Republican side, 35% of the total delegates at stake will be settled. Former President Trump comes into the race with formidable advantages. He has six times as many delegates as Haley, and has polled well ahead of her in recent national surveys. Haley will be hoping for an upset to make this race competitive, and even if she doesn’t, she is likely to walk away with some delegates, thanks to varying rules. SUPER TUESDAY EXPECTED TO BOOST TRUMP CLOSER TO CLINCHING GOP NOMINATION AS HALEY MAKES POSSIBLE LAST STAND But regardless of the overall result, the vote count in certain parts of the country tonight will tell us something about Republican voters in 2024. College education has been a useful indicator of Haley support so far this year.  In New Hampshire, 56% of GOP primary voters who graduated from college cast a ballot for Haley, according to the Fox News Voter Analysis. She ran about even with Trump on college-educated voters in South Carolina. That makes these counties, which have the highest share of residents with a college degree, worth watching: Four of these five counties are in D.C. suburban areas; the other is best known as the home of the luxury ski resort, Aspen. Haley will look to run up the score as much as possible in places like these. TRUMP HITS BACK AT NIKKI HALEY’S CLAIM THAT SHE’S A BETTER CHOICE TO BEAT BIDEN: ‘SHE KNOWS IT’S A LIE’ Conversely, the counties with the lowest college degree populations: All of these areas are likely to lean heavily towards Trump. All five of these Texas counties, predominantly in the southwest of the state, are rural counties with especially small populations. Several northeastern states, including Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine are voting today. All three have become further out of reach of the GOP in the Trump era. And Republican voters, particularly in the urban and suburban areas of these states, should be more favorable to Haley. Those areas have a higher proportion of wealthy and, as discussed above, college-educated voters, who trend Haley. Her best chance is in Vermont; a great night for her would make her competitive in the other northeastern states. The former South Carolina governor has held events in all three in the last week. At an event in Needham, Massachusetts, Haley brought moderate New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu along with her. HALEY QUESTIONS WHETHER TRUMP WILL FOLLOW CONSTITUTION, BACKTRACKS ON PLEDGE TO SUPPORT GOP NOMINEE Haley got her first win of the primary season in Washington, D.C. on Sunday night. Today, voters in neighboring Virginia will also have their say, giving Haley an opportunity to pick up more delegates. The closer to D.C., the better chance Haley has to run up the vote. In particular, look to: The references to Rubio in brackets show how many points the Florida Senator won each county by in 2016; Haley generally appeals to the same kinds of voters now as he did then. Further down the state, Haley also has opportunities in Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Albemarle County, and James City. She will need to do as much as she can in those areas, since the rest of the state contains dozens of heavily Trump-skewing, rural counties. Utah was one of Trump’s weakest states in the 2016 primaries. His chief rival in that election, Sen. Ted Cruz, dominated statewide, with 69% of the vote and all 40 delegates on offer then. Trump came third, after former Ohio Governor John Kasich, with 14% of the vote and no county wins. Trump went on to win the state in the general election, but his margin shrunk by 27 points compared to Mitt Romney’s performance in the state four years prior (thanks in part to a challenge from independent candidate Evan McMullin). He added 13 points back to his margin in the 2020 general election. Now, in 2024, Trump is the favorite to win this primary. Watch the statewide margin to see how much the former president has been able to reshape the party. Over 2,000 counties are voting today, and 84% of them are in rural areas. Collectively, they add up to a powerful voting bloc. Trump has dominated with these voters since 2016, and is expected to do so again tonight. Watch for the results in the lowest populated parts of west Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, especially.  Of all the Super Tuesday states, these parts of the country have skewed the most Republican in recent general elections.

Children are dying of malnutrition in Gaza

NewsFeed Gaza’s Health Ministry says that 15 children have died of malnutrition in a single hospital in northern Gaza, in recent days. Published On 5 Mar 20245 Mar 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

Gaza ceasefire talks fail to make breakthrough with Ramadan approaching

Three days of negotiations end at an impasse, as Hamas and Israel insist the other give in to their demands. Three days of negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire in Gaza have failed to achieve a breakthrough, less than a week before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan – the informal deadline for a deal. The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent weeks trying to broker an agreement in which Hamas would release Israeli captives in return for a six-week ceasefire, the release of some Palestinian prisoners and more aid to Gaza. Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut said on Tuesday that the latest round of talks in Cairo, Egypt, has “ended with a standstill” and that it was unclear what would happen next. “The Israelis say they are waiting for Hamas’s response, while Hamas says they are awaiting for Israel’s response,” she said, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem “Mediators in the middle are trying to bridge these gaps trying to find a solution between both sides, but it seems that there are sticking points that just can’t seem to be resolved.” Hamas has refused to release all of the estimated 100 hostages it holds, and the remains of about 30 more, unless Israel ends its offensive, withdraws from Gaza and releases a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including fighters serving life sentences. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Tuesday that his group wants a permanent ceasefire, rather than a six-week pause, and a “complete withdrawal” of Israeli forces. “The security and safety of our people will be achieved only by a permanent ceasefire, the end of the aggression and the withdrawal from every inch of the Gaza Strip,” Hamdan told reporters in Beirut. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected those demands and repeatedly pledged to continue the war until Hamas is dismantled and all the captives are returned. Israel did not send a delegation to the latest round of talks. Meanwhile, Israel wants Hamas to hand over a list of captives who are alive, as well as the captive-to-prisoner ratio it seeks in any release deal. Senior Hamas leader Bassem Naim told the AFP news agency on Monday that the group did not know “who among [the captives] are alive or dead, killed because of strikes or hunger”, and that the captives were being held by numerous groups in multiple places. “So there are two completely different perspectives and two different sticking points here on what the other side is not willing to compromise on,” Salhut said. At US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue talks on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept the ceasefire plan. “It is on Hamas to make decisions about whether it is prepared to engage in that ceasefire,” the top US diplomat said as he met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington, DC, in the US. “Qatar, the United States and our partners will be always persistent to make sure that this deal happens,” said Al Thani, standing next to Blinken. With the latest round of discussions having come to an end, Hamas has presented a proposal that mediators will discuss with Israel in the coming days, two Egyptian officials said, according to The Associated Press news agency. At least 1,139 people were killed and about 250 captives were taken in Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7. More than 100 captives were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November. Israel’s retaliatory offensive on Gaza has killed more than 30,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The nearly five months of fighting have left much of Gaza in ruins and created a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, with many, especially in the devastated northern region, scrambling for food to survive. Adblock test (Why?)