International News
Netanyahu Says Israel Must Complete Defeat Of Hamas To Free Hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel must “complete” the defeat of Hamas in Gaza to secure the release of the remaining hostages, days ahead of a cabinet meeting to discuss an updated war plan.
Israeli media have said the premier is considering ordering the total occupation of Gaza, even as international pressure mounts for him to end the war, with a senior UN official warning Tuesday that expanding the fighting risked “catastrophic consequences,” including to the captives held by Hamas.
“It is necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, to free all our hostages and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said during a visit to an army training facility.
His office later said he had held a three-hour “security discussion” with army chief Eyal Zamir, but did not disclose any new war plans.
The premier’s office has said the security cabinet will convene later in the week to approve new instructions.
Public broadcaster Kan has reported that “Netanyahu wants the Israeli army to conquer the entire Gaza Strip”.
Citing cabinet members, it said Netanyahu had “decided to extend the fight to areas where hostages might be held”.
But some major media outlets such as Channel 12 have suggested that the rumoured expansion of operations might only be a negotiating tactic.
While the reported plan has not been approved, it has already drawn angry reactions from the Palestinian Authority and Gaza’s Hamas-run government.
Hamas insisted such a move would not shift its position in ceasefire talks, demanding the withdrawal of all forces from Gaza.
“The ball is in the hands of… (Israel) and the Americans,” senior Hamas official Hossam Badran told AFP, adding that the militant group wanted to “end the war and the famine”.
UN assistant secretary-general Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council on Tuesday that a widening of the war “would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was also in New York attending a Security Council meeting on the plight of the hostages after recent footage of weak and emaciated captives sparked shock and outrage in Israel.
‘Agreement Must Be Reached’
Over the war’s 22 months, Israeli forces have devastated large parts of the Gaza Strip, where a humanitarian crisis has taken hold, with UN experts recently warning of an unfolding famine.
The war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures.
Palestinian militants also seized 251 hostages, 49 of whom remain held in Gaza including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,020 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Netanyahu has faced growing pressure on several fronts.
Domestically, families of hostages are demanding a ceasefire to bring their loved ones home.
And around the world, there are increasing calls for a truce to allow food into a starving Gaza.
The International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday said it was “ready to bring in medicine, food and family news for the hostages in Gaza”, and to “scale up the delivery of life-saving aid safely to civilians”.
But “to do this, an agreement must be reached between Israel and Hamas”, it said.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners demand to keep fighting and reoccupy Gaza for the long haul, after Israel withdrew settlers and troops stationed there two decades ago.
– Aid ‘Exploited’
Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza in early March, which it only began easing more than two months later to allow a US-backed private agency, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), to open food distribution centres.
United Nations special rapporteurs called on Tuesday for the GHF to be immediately dismantled, saying aid was being “exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas”.
COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said it would partially reopen private sector trade with Gaza to reduce its reliance on aid deliveries.
“A limited number of local merchants were approved by the defence establishment”, and would be allowed to bring in basic staples including fruit, vegetables, baby formula and hygiene products, COGAT said.
On the ground in Gaza, the civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 56 Palestinians who were waiting near aid distribution sites on Tuesday.
The Israeli military told AFP troops had “fired warning shots” in the direction “a gathering of Gazans advancing” towards them near one of those sites, in the territory’s south, but that it was “not aware of any casualties as a result”.
In northern Gaza, where the civil defence said 20 people were killed not far from an aid crossing, an AFP journalist saw bodies brought to Hamad Hospital.
The army told AFP it was looking into the report.
AFP
Manuel Neuer has been called up to Germany’s World Cup squad – two years after his international retirement.
The 40-year-old was named as part of Julian Nagelsmann’s 26-man squad for the tournament this summer, having not featured for his country since Euro 2024.
Among the list include Premier League players Malick Thiaw and Nick Woltemade – both of Newcastle – Arsenal striker Kai Havertz, Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz and Brighton’s Pascal Gross.
Injured duo Serge Gnabry and Anton Stach and forwards Karim Adeyemi, Kevin Schade and Niclas Fullkrug are among those to miss out.
Germany’s World Cup squad in full
Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart)
Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle)
Midfielders: Pascal Gross (Brighton), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart)
Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle)
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has opened up on the club’s decision to appoint Xabi Alonso as their new manager.
The Blues confirmed the Spaniard as their next head coach following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, with Alonso set to take charge ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Mikel had previously been vocal about Chelsea’s managerial philosophy, urging the club’s ownership to move away from short-term head coaches and interim appointments and instead bring in a proper manager with full control over the squad
Speaking on his most recent podcast, Mikel said:
“I am glad the owners listened to me, and listened to the fans.
“Forget about coaches, what we have always had are managers, and what we need is a manager who decides on the players he wants out and the players who can stay.
“We need a strong personality, and that is what we have got now in Alonso.
“That title has been changed from coach to manager, but I hope it’s not just words and he is actually allowed to manage the squad. But I am very happy with the appointment.”
Chelsea are still in the hunt for Europa League football, and a win over Sunderland on the final day of the Premier League season would go a long way in determining whether Alonso inherits a European stage to build on next season.
Enzo Maresca is believed to have signed a three-year deal to replace outgoing Man City manager Pep Guardiola, after it was revealed that the legendary head coach will be leaving the Etihad at the end of the season.
Speculation around Guardiola’s departure date has been rife as the season draws to a close, despite the Catalan having one year left on his contract.
According to report, Man City’s sponsors were among those to have been told that Guardiola will be calling time on a remarkable trophy-ladened spell on Sunday.
The report also shared that Maresca, Guardiola’s former assistant, was a front-runner for the vacant spot at the dugout, with Fabrizio Romano confirming on Tuesday morning that the ex-Chelsea manager will be taking over.
The Italian head coach has been out of work since his mutual departure from Stamford Bridge under strained circumstances on January 1.
But even before his acrimonious mid-season exit, Maresca has been viewed as a long-term successor to Guardiola following their stint working together at Man City.
The 46-year-old served as Guardiola’s assistant between 2022 and 2023 after previously coaching Man City’s youth sides, before departing to earn Championship promotion with Leicester.
Maresca then went on to win the Uefa Conference League and the Club World Cup with Chelsea during his 18-month spell in west London.
Guardiola is set to celebrate his time in English football with an open-top bus parade in Manchester after winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup this season, but until Monday night, the manager had been notably vague over his future plans.
But before news broke of his shock exit, Guardiola had been keen to tamp down any suggestions that he would be commemorated with any fanfare.
‘The club don’t have to do anything, honestly,’ Guardiola, who has yet to officially confirm his departure, said. ‘The important thing in our lives is that when you look back, you can look with a big smile and say “that was good”.
‘Bernardo (Silva) and John (Stones) can feel that. We spoke about it over the last few days. When you’re old, a grandfather, you can look at the memories. That is the most important thing in life.’
Tired of addressing his contractual situation, Guardiola added with a dose of sarcasm: ‘Whatever happens at the end of the season – and when I extend my contract for three more years – I can look back and say, “how nice has that been?”
‘That is the most important thing by far. Most of the people who lived this time here together can feel it.’
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