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Israel has offered a comprehensive new ceasefire deal to Hamas, according to US President Joe Biden.
The deal would involve the return of Israeli hostages from Gaza and the reconstruction of civilian areas.
Mr Biden urged Hamas and prominent figures in Israel not to "lose this moment" after ceasefire talks ground to a halt at the start of the month when Israel refused a permanent end to the war and ramped up its assault on the city of Rafah.
"Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices and work to make it real. It's time for this war to end," the president said during a surprise address at the White House on Friday.
"Israel has made their proposal. Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it," he told the news conference.
The office of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said its main goals are "the return of all our abductees and the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities", with a statement claiming the three-stage proposal "allows Israel to maintain these principles".
US party leaders have also invited Mr Netanyahu to address Congress.
Hamas said in a statement that it "views positively" what was included in Mr Biden's speech saying it will deal "constructively with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, the return of the displaced to all their places of residence, and the completion of a serious prisoner exchange deal if the occupation declares its explicit commitment to that".
Three-phase plan
The first phase of the proposed deal would be a ceasefire lasting six weeks, during which Israel and Hamas would negotiate a permanent end to the fighting in Gaza, Mr Biden said.
If the negotiations take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire would continue for as long as it takes to strike a deal, he added.
Phase two would involve Hamas handing over the remaining 100 hostages and Israel withdrawing all of its forces from Gaza.
The final phase would be about a "major reconstruction plan" for Gaza, according to the president.
Read more:
Israel says Gaza fighting will last 'seven more months'
'All eyes on Rafah' image widely shared after airstrike
Dozens of arrests at Pro-Palestinian protest in London
Mr Biden claimed Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another attack like the one on 7 October.
Sky News' Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall says he has been told the deal has not been made "with the cooperation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu".
"Sources close to Mr Netanyahu" have told him they do not "wholly recognise or agree with" the proposal outlined by Mr Biden on Friday.
'Big moment'
Sky News' US correspondent Mark Stone, however, describes the announcement as a "big moment", saying it "feels significant" compared with other similar ones in the past.
It was only on Thursday that Hamas told mediators Egypt and Qatar that it would not take part in future negotiations as long as the Israeli assault on Gaza continued.
The group said it was prepared for a "complete agreement", including hostage exchanges, if Israel stopped the war from its side.
UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said late on Friday: "With a new hostage agreement on the table, Hamas must accept this deal so we can see a stop in the fighting, the hostages released and returned to their families and a flood of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
"As we've long argued, a stop in the fighting can be turned into a permanent peace if we are all prepared to take the right steps. Let's seize this moment and bring this conflict to an end."
Former president Barack Obama also welcomed Mr Biden's statement, saying he "put forward a clear, realistic and just plan to establish an immediate ceasefire and end the war in Gaza."
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Tap hereMr Biden's announcement comes after widespread condemnation of an Israeli airstrike on Rafah last Sunday, which killed at least 45 displaced Palestinians living in tents.
Distressing images of burned-out tents and bodies being pulled from wreckage have been shared around the world on social media, with the caption 'all eyes on Rafah'.
Israel's prime minister said the strike a "tragic mistake", while a spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said much of the destruction was caused by a subsequent fire that could not have been solely ignited by the type of munitions used.
Israel has offered a comprehensive new ceasefire deal to Hamas, according to US President Joe Biden.
The deal would involve the return of Israeli hostages from Gaza and the reconstruction of civilian areas.
Mr Biden urged Hamas and prominent figures in Israel not to "lose this moment" after ceasefire talks ground to a halt at the start of the month when Israel refused a permanent end to the war and ramped up its assault on the city of Rafah.
"Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices and work to make it real. It's time for this war to end," the president said during a surprise address at the White House on Friday.
"Israel has made their proposal. Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it," he told the news conference.
The office of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said its main goals are "the return of all our abductees and the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities", with a statement claiming the three-stage proposal "allows Israel to maintain these principles".
Three-phase plan
The first phase of the proposed deal would be a ceasefire lasting six weeks, during which Israel and Hamas would negotiate a permanent end to the fighting in Gaza, Mr Biden said.
If the negotiations take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire would continue for as long as it takes to strike a deal, he added.
Phase two would involve Hamas handing over the remaining 100 hostages and Israel withdrawing all of its forces from Gaza.
The final phase would be about a "major reconstruction plan" for Gaza, according to the president.
Read more
Israel says Gaza fighting will last 'seven more months'
'All eyes on Rafah' image widely shared after airstrike
Dozens of arrests at Pro-Palestinian protest in London
Mr Biden claimed Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another attack like the one on 7 October.
Sky Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall says he has been told the deal has not been made "with the cooperation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu".
"Sources close to Mr Netanyahu" have told him they do not "wholly recognise or agree with" the proposal outlined by Mr Biden on Friday.
'Big moment'
Sky US correspondent Mark Stone, however, describes the announcement as a "big moment", saying it "feels significant" compared with other similar ones in the past.
It was only on Thursday that Hamas told mediators Egypt and Qatar that it would not take part in future negotiations as long as the Israeli assault on Gaza continued.
The group said it was prepared for a "complete agreement", including hostage exchanges, if Israel stopped the war from its side.
UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said in a tweet late on Friday: "With a new hostage agreement on the table, Hamas must accept this deal so we can see a stop in the fighting, the hostages released and returned to their families and a flood of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
"As we've long argued a stop in the fighting can be turned into a permanent peace if we are all prepared to take the right steps. Let's seize this moment and bring this conflict to an end."
Mr Biden's announcement comes after widespread condemnation of an Israeli airstrike on Rafah last Sunday, which killed at least 45 displaced Palestinians living in tents.
Distressing images of burned-out tents and bodies being pulled from wreckage have been shared around the world on social media, with the caption 'all eyes on Rafah'.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labelled the strike a "tragic mistake", while a spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said much of the destruction was caused by a subsequent fire that could not have been solely ignited by the type of munitions used.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Tap hereThis breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Celebrities have not been shy reacting to Donald Trump being found guilty on all 34 felony counts, marking the first-ever criminal conviction of an American president, with one notable saying ‘34 is now my favorite number.’
Trump is still expected to campaign once again for the White House in this year’s upcoming election, a fact horror author Stephen King noted on X/Twitter with the message: “The Republican candidate for President is a convicted felon.”
Singer, actor and long-time Democrat Barbra Streisand also turned her attention to November’s election, writing: “Convicted felon Donald Trump is blaming the judge, the jury and New York for being found guilty on 34 counts. He will never accept accountability for his crimes. Americans must not allow this felon anywhere near the White House again.”
Others reacted directly to the emotion of the long-awaited verdict being announced. Actor John Leguizamo reposted a meme ostensibly showing a bar full of people reacting joyfully to the news, captioning it with the comment: “We are all cheering for justice and that no one is above the law!”
Comedian Kathy Griffin, who was fired by CNN in 2017 after posting a picture of herself holding up the fake severed head of Trump, reacted to a fan saying that the former president is “finally getting in trouble for his mobster antics” by writing: “Thank you for saying that. It was awful and he is awful. TEARS OF JOY”.
Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who recently appeared at the White House to voice his support for President Joe Biden, posted a screenshot showing the word: “GUILTY” in bright red capital letters 34 times.
Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter quipped: “34 is now my favorite number” and Mean Girls actorAna Gasteyer joked: “In retrospect I’m glad I decided not to drink every time they said Guilty because I’d never have made it through making dinner.”
Meanwhile, SNL’s Trump actor James Austin Johnson shared a hilarious video reacting to the news on Instagram.
Not everyone was celebrating, however. Piers Morgan called the trial “ridiculous” and “shameful”, while reality star Caitlyn Jenner responded to the verdict by writing: “An outrageous day for America. The entire process has been outrageous, of course. Shame on the state of New York. Shame on the corrupt DOJ.”
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Comedian, actor and singer Bette Midler posted a meme quoting Robert De Niro’s recent broadside against Trump that the Raging Bull actor delivered outside the courtroom yesterday. “Donald Trump doesn’t belong in my city...” begins the message.
“We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot... but a person like Trump can’t run the country. That doesn’t work. And we know that.”
Meanwhile, pop star Katy Perry appeared to react with an ambiguous message, writing on social media shortly after the verdict was announced: “LFG” (an acronym for ‘Let’s f***ing go”.
The German government has announced that it will give Ukraine permission to use weapons supplied by Germany against military targets in Russia, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin this morning.
The government gives its blessing to Ukraine to use German weapons across the border into Russian territory bordering the Kharkiv region, after days of debate in Berlin as to whether it was willing to risk being labelled a party to war if it did so.
It follows weeks in which Ukraine has been attacked “particularly in the Kharkiv area by positions from the immediately adjacent Russian border area”, Hebestreit told journalists.
The position is controversial, with outspoken opponents in Germany, who fear an escalation of the conflict or Germany’s direct involvement in it.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking alongside Nordic leaders, said that he is grateful to the northern countries for their support.
Ukraine is doing everything to establish a just peace as soon as possible, he said.
Vladimir Putin can still expand terror against Ukrainian cities and villages, and is preparing more military force near Ukraine’s borders, he said.
Zelenskiy said:
The key to positive changes for us on the front and in the war overall is air defence, of course.
He added:
We must do everything to destroy Russian combat aircraft, just as we are already destroying Russian warships in the Black Sea region.
For this, we need patriot air defence systems. And today we talked about how to speed up delivery of patriot systems to Ukraine. And I thank my colleagues for their understanding.
He also said “we have established a new security architecture” with five security agreements signed.
The agreements outline the scope of military support, he said. The leaders also discussed in detail the need to start talks on Ukraine’s EU membership, he noted.
The Ukrainian president spoke about Ukraine’s hopes for the upcoming Nato summit.
Russia is “blackmailing” some leaders and there is still no confirmation from some efforts for the peace summit, he noted.
Speaking alongside Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Nordic leaders, Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, stressed the region’s commitment to strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
Sweden’s latest package will focus on air defence, he said, adding that it also includes artillery ammunition and armed vehicles.
Ukraine can count on continued strong Nordic support, Kristersson said.
“We stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he said.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, will speak soon at a joint press conference.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he is “grateful to Sweden for its solidarity with our country and people, as well as for its vital defense assistance.”
The Kremlin said today that it was already aware of attempts by Ukraine to strike targets on Russian territory with weapons provided by the United States, Reuters reported.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson have signed a bilateral cooperation agreement.
“This cooperation includes Swedish support amounting to more than EUR 9 billion from 2022 to 2026. My message is clear: Sweden will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes,” the Swedish leader said.
In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy emphasised: “I don’t think Putin is crazy. He’s dangerous. It’s much scarier. You see, he will not stop”.
The German government has announced that it will give Ukraine permission to use weapons supplied by Germany against military targets in Russia, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin this morning.
The government gives its blessing to Ukraine to use German weapons across the border into Russian territory bordering the Kharkiv region, after days of debate in Berlin as to whether it was willing to risk being labelled a party to war if it did so.
It follows weeks in which Ukraine has been attacked “particularly in the Kharkiv area by positions from the immediately adjacent Russian border area”, Hebestreit told journalists.
The position is controversial, with outspoken opponents in Germany, who fear an escalation of the conflict or Germany’s direct involvement in it.
Germany is to send a new tranche of arms to Ukraine, worth 500 million Euros, the defence minister Boris Pistorius has announced. This brings Germany’s contributions to around 28 billion euros so far.
Speaking in Odessa at a meeting on Thursday evening with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov, Pistorius said Germany would continue to back Ukraine. “We will continue to support you in this defensive battle,” he said.
Some of the items included in the arms package are on the verge of being delivered.
They include a “large number” of medium-range Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft missiles as well as a number of shorter range SLS missiles, Pistorius said.
Drones for both reconnaissance and fighting on the Black Sea, urgently-needed spare parts for artillery systems already delivered by Germany as well as replacement engines for Leopard battle tanks are also part of the package, and around a million rounds of ammunition for small arms.
Pistorius also announced the planned delivery, from 2025 onwards, of 18 new Howitzers of “the most up-to-date design”.
Military training, interference-free satellite communication and the maintenance and repair of existing Leopard A1 and Leopard II A4 main battle tanks due to be delivered by Spain this year, were part of Germany’s package, he emphasised.
It is unusual for Pistorius to list Germany’s contribution in such an inventorial way, but he said he was doing so in order to “underline that we are not just currently delivering what is available,” but thinking very specifically and strategically about Ukraine’s needs.
He admitted that the attitude of planning ahead, and Germany’s attempt at a sustainable approach, meant that it expected the war to be a prolonged one. “And we want and will continue to provide support,” he said.
Ukraine’s defence ministry said it is continuing to target Russian infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy is in Sweden today.
“Today I am in Stockholm for the third Ukraine-Northern Europe summit. Our top priorities are to ensure more air defense systems for Ukraine, joint defense industry projects, and weapons for our warriors, as well as global efforts to force Russia to make peace,” he said.
Ukraine may use weapons delivered by western countries including Germany to defend itself against Russian attacks in the border region surrounding Kharkiv in accordance with international law, a German government spokesperson said today, Reuters reported.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said today his country was not bluffing when it spoke of the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine and that its conflict with the West could escalate into an all-out war, Reuters reported.
Medvedev said Moscow’s conflict with the West was developing according to the worst case scenario and that “no one can rule out it escalating to the last stage”.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has given a wide-ranging interview to the Guardian.
President Biden’s delay in sanctioning the use of western weapons against targets in Russia has left the Kremlin’s forces laughing at Ukraine and able to “hunt” its people, the Ukrainian president said.
In an interview in Kyiv, Zelenskiy said that the White House’s equivocation had cost lives and he urged the US president to overcome his perennial worries about possible nuclear “escalation” with Moscow.
On Thursday night it emerged that, after months of lobbying, the US had taken a small but symbolic step – and for the first time would permit some American made weapons to be used by Kyiv’s military to fire inside Russia in its defence of the city of Kharkiv.
But in his Guardian interview, Zelenskiy made clear he needs to be able to use “powerful” long range weapons that can hit targets inside deep Russian territory – a red line the White House has refused to lift.
The US, he said, needed to “believe in us more”.
Without this green light, Zelenskiy said other allies, such as the UK, may not allow Ukraine to use their long range weapons either. “Believe us, we have to respond. They don’t understand anything but force. We are not the first and not the last target,” he said of Russia.
“I think it is absolutely illogical to have [western] weapons and see the murderers, terrorists, who are killing us from the Russian side. I think sometimes they are just laughing at this situation,” he said. “It’s like going hunting for them. Hunting for people. They understand that we can see them, but we cannot reach them.”
Read the full interview, by Katharine Viner, Luke Harding , Shaun Walker and Nick Hopkins in Kyiv.
Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to use some US-made weapons over one part of the Russian border, to allow Kyiv’s forces to defend against an offensive aimed at the city of Kharkiv, relaxing an important constraint on Ukraine’s able to defend itself.
“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them,” a US official said.
Limits on the use of US long-range weapons such as the army tactical missile system (Atacms) will remain, however.
“Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of Atacms or long-range strikes inside of Russia has not changed,” the official said.
Read the full story here, by Julian Borger and Andrew Roth in Washington.
Missiles fired by the Ukrainian navy struck an oil terminal at the Russian port of Kavkaz today, Reuters reported citing a statement from the Ukrainian military.
Poland is currently organising its 45th package of aid for Ukraine, the country’s foreign minister said today, Reuters reported.
“Poland has sent 44 packages of aid to Ukraine, we are now organising our 45th... we think we’ve contributed in military assistance alone around 4 billion euros,” Radek Sikorski told reporters in Prague.
Hello, we are restarting our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Speaking as Nato ministers gather for talks in Prague, the alliance’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said this morning that allies will address how to sustain and step up support for Kyiv.
Allies have provided unprecedented support to Ukraine. Just last week Belgium announced 30 more F-16s and Spain and Sweden announced new packages of more than one billion euros each for air defence, for artillery and for other important equipment for Ukraine. These and other announcements come on top of the US decision of 61 billion extra US dollars for Ukraine.
But we will address how to make sure we sustain and step up our support for Ukraine and I have proposed that NATO should play a bigger role in the coordination and supply of security assistance and training for Ukraine.
I also proposed a multi-air financial pledge to ensure more accountability and predictability in the support we provide to Ukraine because we need to make sure that Moscow understands that we are prepared for the long haul in our support for Ukraine.
Four people have been killed and 25 injured in Russian missile attacks overnight in Kharkiv, Ukrinform reports.
The regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said “unfortunately, another body was found in the destroyed building. At this time, there are four dead.”
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