Hamas responds to ceasefire proposal, reiterates demands
(LONDON) — Hamas said it has submitted a response to the latest ceasefire proposal by U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff to mediators on Saturday, reiterating its key demands.
Hamas’ key demands are “to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and ensure the continuous flow of humanitarian aid,” according to the group.
The group’s demands remain the same as in previous ceasefire negotiations.
Hamas said its hostage exchange proposal would involve the release of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — More than a dozen World Food Programme trucks were looted in southern Gaza late Thursday as 2 million people in the Strip face “extreme hunger and famine without immediate action,” the aid group said.
The organization said 15 trucks were looted “while en route to WFP-supported bakeries.” The WFP, which is part of the United Nations, did not say who looted the trucks.
“These trucks were transporting critical food supplies for hungry populations waiting anxiously for assistance. Hunger, desperation, and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming, is contributing to rising insecurity,” the WFP said in a statement.
“Hunger, desperation, and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming, is contributing to rising insecurity,” the WFP continued. “We need support from the Israeli authorities to get far greater volumes of food assistance into Gaza faster, more consistently, and transported along safer routes, as was done during the ceasefire.”
The looting came just days after the Israeli government ended the blockade as a part of a three-phase plan to start getting more aid into Gaza. Aid trucks started slowly re-entering Gaza in the past two days, according to the U.N. and the Gaza Government Media Office.
An Israeli blockade on food and aid entering Gaza has been in place since March 2.
“WFP cannot safely operate under a distribution system that limits the number of bakeries and sites where Gaza’s population can access food. WFP and its partners must also be allowed to distribute food parcels directly to families — the most effective way to prevent widespread starvation,” the WFP said.
The Israeli blockage on humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip has caused widespread malnutrition and conditions likely to lead to famine, according to the U.N. and other international aid organizations.
One in five people in Gaza, about 500,000 people, faces starvation, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification platform said on May 12, according to the U.N.
The Israeli government is working with the U.S. to set up aid distribution points in southern and central Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday. But the plan faces criticism from established aid organizations that have been operating inside of Gaza for the past 19 months.
“We will not take part in any scheme that fails to respect international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement about the U.S.-Israeli deal.
The Israeli-American system for distributing aid in Gaza is set to begin on Monday, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
(LONDON) — Over a ton of cocaine worth close to nearly half a billion dollars has been seized from a boat off the coast of Australia, officials have confirmed.
Detectives from the Organised Crime Squad in Australia have charged five people following the seizure of the drugs from a vessel off the New South Wales coast after police there obtained potential intelligence to the drugs following a “suspicious purchase” of a 43-foot-long motor cruiser paid for by just cash in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire on April 28, according to a joint statement from the New South Wales Police Force and the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
“On Friday (9 May 2025), as the vessel travelled back to shore – towards South West Rocks – it was intercepted by the Marine Area Command about 9.30am.,” the statement said. “Two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on board and escorted to shore by the police vessel. They were taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station.”
Approximately 1,110 blocks of cocaine, weighing 1.039 tons were located on the vessel, police confirmed.
“The seized cocaine equates to over a million individual hits, with an estimated potential street value of $623.4 million,” (more than $400 million U.S. dollars) police said.
Three other people – aged 28, 29 and 35 – were simultaneously arrested on shore after investigators stopped two vehicles attempting to leave the South West Rocks area and they were taken to Taree Police Station.
Forensic specialists are currently examining the seized drugs and will be conducting further testing to determine the exact weight and purity of the drugs.
“The two men at Coffs Harbour were charged with supply prohibited drug – large commercial quantity and participate in criminal group,” Australian officials said. “The three men at Taree were charged with take part in supply prohibited drug – large commercial quantity and participate in criminal group.”
All five of the suspects appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday where they were all formally refused bail and mandated to appear at Coffs Harbour Local Court on July 15, authorities said.
“The AFP and NSW Police Force have a long history of disrupting criminal networks attempting to import drugs that destroy our community. Combining our resources and expertise allows us to get successful outcomes like the one we are announcing today,” AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said. “Australia’s vast coastline is attractive to organised crime groups, who attempt to exploit this by trying to import drugs using boats. The bad news for them is the AFP will continue to work together with our partners to target organised crime syndicates who wrongly believe they can operate with impunity.
NSW Police State Crime Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein said these arrests are testament to how rapidly our policing resources can coordinate and stop significant amounts of drug coming into NSW.
“Whether on land or sea, NSW Police have the investigative capability to disrupt and undermine criminal enterprise,” Weinstein said. “This seizure shows how our continuous monitoring of known organised crime methodologies with industry partners, can be actioned into a successful multi-agency operation with those involved immediately arrested to prevent illicit drugs entering NSW. Our ability to pivot and protect the community is evident in this week’s actions. Make no mistake these drugs, if allowed to enter our communities, would have had devastating impacts on people’s lives and social cohesion, particularly in regional townships.”
Investigations into the origin of the drugs and the group’s alleged associates remain ongoing.
(PAKISTAN) — India fired several missiles into Pakistan overnight on Tuesday, according to the Pakistani army, which said it has responded from the “air and ground.”
The attacks, labeled Operation Sindoor, targeted nine sites of “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Indian Defense Ministry.
The Pakistani army said India attacked Kotli, Muzaffaabad and Bahawalpur. Three people were killed and 12 injured, the Pakistani army said.
Following the strikes, the Indian army said, “Justice is served.”
India has blamed Pakistan for a deadly attack in the disputed Kashmir region that occurred in April. The militant attack, known as the Pahalgam incident, left 26 people dead in Indian-held Kashmir.
Pakistan said in late April it had credible evidence India intended to carry out military action against Pakistan in the coming days, according to Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
ABC News’ Habibullah Khan contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
