Today’s Foreign Briefs

Qatar
Hamas to Respond Soon to Trump’s Peace Proposal

The Palestinian group, Hamas, has announced that it will soon issue an official response to the 2020 peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict with Israel.

The proposal was presented last week by U.S. President Donald Trump following talks in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

While Netanyahu said he had accepted the proposal in principle, Hamas—designated as a terrorist organization by both the U.S. and Israel—has yet to respond. However, fresh indications from Qatar, where Hamas negotiators are based, suggest that the group’s response will come “soon.”

The plan calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 50 hostages still believed to be in Hamas custody, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners, including 250 on death row. It also outlines a ceasefire and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Additionally, the proposal includes the creation of an international caretaker committee to oversee the administration of Palestine, alongside a peace board chaired by Trump.

Although the plan has been generally welcomed by the global community, critics warn that it contains pitfalls that could undermine its success.

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United Kingdom
Home Secretary Warns Against Importing External Conflicts

The British Home Office has issued a stern warning against the localization of external conflicts within the UK, stressing that violence of any kind will not be tolerated.

The warning comes after a car-ramming and mass stabbing incident at a synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, which left at least three people dead. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack as anti-Semitic in nature.

Police shot dead the suspect before further harm could be done. Authorities later identified him as a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent.

Following the attack, Prime Minister Starmer ordered tighter security measures around synagogues nationwide.

The UK recently recognized the State of Palestine, joining France, Belgium, Malta, Portugal, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in doing so.

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United States
Trump Designates Drug Traffickers as Unlawful Combatants

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order declaring hard drug traffickers from neighboring countries as unlawful combatants.

Signed on Thursday, the order strengthens Trump’s campaign against drug smuggling networks, particularly from Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.

According to Trump, the U.S. military has already targeted suspected trafficking gangs on boats carrying large consignments of drugs destined for America. Several people have been killed in at least two such operations.

Leaders of neighboring countries have accused Trump of illegality and imperialism, but he insists that the campaign is necessary to protect Americans from the devastating effects of the illegal drug trade.