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US Ready to Offer Israel Support after Attacks, Says Biden

07 October 2023, Israel, Ashkelon: Members of the fire brigade try to extinguish fire on cars following a rocket attack from Gaza. (dpa)
07 October 2023, Israel, Ashkelon: Members of the fire brigade try to extinguish fire on cars following a rocket attack from Gaza. (dpa)
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US Ready to Offer Israel Support after Attacks, Says Biden

07 October 2023, Israel, Ashkelon: Members of the fire brigade try to extinguish fire on cars following a rocket attack from Gaza. (dpa)
07 October 2023, Israel, Ashkelon: Members of the fire brigade try to extinguish fire on cars following a rocket attack from Gaza. (dpa)

US President Joe Biden said on Saturday he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States was ready to offer "all appropriate means of support " after Palestinian movement Hamas launched an attack on Israel.

"I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel," Biden said in a statement after he spoke with Netanyahu.

"Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation," he added.  

Earlier, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said the US "unequivocally condemns" attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians and firmly stands with the government and people of Israel, CNN reported on Saturday.  

Citing a statement from the spokesperson, CNN reported that White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had spoken with his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, and would remain in close contact.  

Britain "unequivocally condemns" a surprise attack by Palestinian movement Hamas on Israel, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.    

"The UK unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself," Cleverly said in a post on social media.    

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was shocked by the attacks.    

"We're in contact with Israeli authorities, and British nationals in Israel should follow travel advice," Sunak added.    

French President Emmanuel Macron said he strongly condemned the attacks.   

"I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks which are currently hitting Israel. I express my full solidarity with the victims, and their families and those close to them," Macron wrote on X.    

The French foreign ministry said earlier that Paris condemned the "terrorist attacks under way against Israel and its population" and that it expressed its full solidarity with Israel.   

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she strongly condemned the attacks, saying violence against innocent people must stop straight away.    

"I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks against Israel from Gaza. Violence and rockets against innocent civilians must stop now. We stand in full solidarity with Israel and its right under international law to defend itself against terror," Baerbock said on X.   

Ukraine's foreign ministry condemned what it described as "ongoing terrorist attacks" on Israel.  

"Ukraine strongly condemns the ongoing terrorist attacks against Israel, including rocket attacks against the civilian population in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv," the ministry said on X.  

"We express our support for Israel in its right to defend itself and its people."  

Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday, killing dozens of people and taking hostages in a surprise assault that combined gunmen crossing into Israel with a barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.  

Israel said the Iran-backed group had declared war as its army confirmed fighting with militants in several Israeli towns and military bases near Gaza, and Netanyahu vowed to retaliate.  

"Our enemy will pay a price the type of which it has never known," he said. "We are in a war and we will win it".

Israel's N12 News reported that at least 100 Israelis were killed. A Reuters photographer saw multiple bodies lying in streets of the southern town of Sderot.

Gaza health officials said 198 Palestinians had been killed in air strikes as bombardments hit deep into Gaza City, sending clouds of black smoke spiraling into the sky.

Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif announced the start of the operation in a broadcast on Hamas media, calling on Palestinians everywhere to fight.   

"This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth," he said, adding that 5,000 rockets had been launched.   

The last major flare-up between Israel and Hamas was a 10-day war in 2021.

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Arab World

Ambassadors Set to Meet Again Ahead of Launch of Lebanon-Israel Negotiations

From left, Michael Needham, counselor for the US Dept. of State, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter pose for a photo before a meeting at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
From left, Michael Needham, counselor for the US Dept. of State, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter pose for a photo before a meeting at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
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Ambassadors Set to Meet Again Ahead of Launch of Lebanon-Israel Negotiations

From left, Michael Needham, counselor for the US Dept. of State, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter pose for a photo before a meeting at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
From left, Michael Needham, counselor for the US Dept. of State, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter pose for a photo before a meeting at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)

Lebanon’s and Israel’s ambassadors to Washington are preparing for a second meeting after an initial round on Tuesday at the US State Department, hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The meeting is aimed at shaping talks and securing a ceasefire pushed by Washington before launching a negotiation track between the two countries.

Lebanon is pressing ahead with direct negotiations with Israel under US sponsorship, describing it as the only viable option to end the war, as the military track has stalled and failed to secure a ceasefire for 45 days, according to ministerial sources following the talks.

The sources said Washington is acting as “mediator, facilitator, and driver of the talks,” while also “pressuring Tel Aviv to implement a ceasefire.”

Rubio launched the talks on Tuesday, attended by Lebanon’s ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israel’s ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

He described the meeting as the beginning of a long process aimed at reaching a final solution to Hezbollah’s influence in the region, rather than merely securing a ceasefire.

Second meeting

Lebanese ministerial sources said the first session marked “the start of a process aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement that would pave the way for negotiations under a mechanism to be agreed upon.”

They stressed the meeting was not a negotiating round, but a launch of the process, to be followed by setting a date for formal talks.

The sources revealed a second meeting would be held between the two ambassadors under US mediation to cement a ceasefire and continue the process afterward.

Rubio cautioned that the complexities of the conflict would not be resolved in a single day, framing the meeting as a “process” to lay the groundwork for future peace.

However, the sources said the atmosphere was “not tense and did not produce negative signals,” adding that Rubio “played a key role in backing the Lebanese position on implementing a ceasefire and strongly pushed for meeting Lebanon’s condition to move the file forward toward negotiations.”

Freedom of action

Lebanon is insisting on implementing the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, which it says Israel violated.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat sources, Beirut is demanding an end to Israeli assassinations, warnings, and attacks carried out over the past 15 months, demands Israel rejects as it insists on maintaining “freedom of action.”

The sources said the Israeli side presented its own vision, while Lebanon presented its demands through Moawad, with the US side speaking before the exchange of ideas began.

Rubio then intervened to support the Lebanese push for a ceasefire, they added, describing the US role as “more than a facilitator,” with the secretary of state acting as a driver of the talks.

The ambassadors’ role is expected to conclude once a ceasefire is secured, after which a formal negotiation will begin at a location yet to be determined. Participants have already been agreed upon by both sides, with technical committees to be formed later for follow-up and discussions.

Framework agreement

A framework agreement for negotiations is expected once a ceasefire is reached. Lebanon’s priorities begin with an Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories, followed by the return of residents, reconstruction, and the release of detainees. Israel, however, insists on disarming Hezbollah during these stages.

Lebanese estimates suggest progress would be step-by-step, with each issue addressed before moving to the next.

For Lebanon, the track represents the only available path to end the war, death, and destruction.

Despite opposition from Hezbollah, Beirut points to precedents of direct negotiations, including the 1949 armistice agreement; the May 17, 1983 talks; the Madrid and Washington negotiations in 1993; and UN-sponsored maritime border talks in 2022, where representatives of both sides sat in the same room without addressing each other directly, instead speaking through US or UN mediators.

Political backing

The negotiation track has garnered domestic political support, except from Hezbollah.

Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar said Lebanon’s priority is reaching a ceasefire, stressing the importance of support from friendly and allied countries, as well as the key role of UN agencies, particularly as more than one million Lebanese have been displaced during the conflict.

The Kataeb party welcomed the launch of direct negotiations under US sponsorship, calling it “the only way to secure a ceasefire, end hostilities, ensure Israel’s withdrawal from occupied areas in southern Lebanon, enable displaced residents to return, achieve stability in Lebanon, and establish peace.”

It stressed the need for the Lebanese state to continue implementing its decisions on seizing all illegal weapons and banning Hezbollah’s military and security activities across Lebanese territory.

Arab World

Sudan War ‘Nightmare Must End’, UN Chief Tells Aid Meeting

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 14, 2026. (Reuters)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 14, 2026. (Reuters)
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Sudan War ‘Nightmare Must End’, UN Chief Tells Aid Meeting

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 14, 2026. (Reuters)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 14, 2026. (Reuters)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said the third anniversary of Sudan's war marked a "tragic milestone" and called for an end to the "nightmare".

"Today marks three years since the war in Sudan began," Guterres told a meeting of international donors in Berlin via a video message.

"It is a tragic milestone in a conflict that has shattered a country of immense promise -- and created the world's largest humanitarian crisis."

Guterres noted that "credible allegations of the gravest international crimes" were continually emerging from the conflict.

"Women and girls have been terrorized and systematic sexual violence has prevailed. Families and communities have been devastated," he said.

"The consequences are not confined to Sudan. They are destabilizing the wider region... This nightmare must end."

Guterres called for humanitarian workers to be allowed to carry out their work safely and without obstruction, and for humanitarian operations to be fully funded.

"Partners must step up. But let's be clear: funding alone cannot substitute for peace," he said, calling for "an immediate cessation of hostilities".

"External interference and the flow of arms that fuel this war must finally end."

Arab World

Israeli Settlers Block Palestinian Kids’ Path to School with Tear Gas and Barbed Wire

Palestinian students walk to school using an alternative route that is nearly twice as long because a fence separates their village from the nearby Israeli settlement of Carmel, near the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
Palestinian students walk to school using an alternative route that is nearly twice as long because a fence separates their village from the nearby Israeli settlement of Carmel, near the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
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Israeli Settlers Block Palestinian Kids’ Path to School with Tear Gas and Barbed Wire

Palestinian students walk to school using an alternative route that is nearly twice as long because a fence separates their village from the nearby Israeli settlement of Carmel, near the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
Palestinian students walk to school using an alternative route that is nearly twice as long because a fence separates their village from the nearby Israeli settlement of Carmel, near the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)

Hajar and Rashid Hathaleen have always walked to school from their neighborhood on the outskirts of Umm al-Khair. But when classes resumed this week for the first time since the Iran war began, coiled barbed wire blocked the Palestinian siblings' path to the village center.

Israeli settlers had installed it overnight, according to video that Palestinian residents provided to The Associated Press. Palestinians say the improvised fence is just the latest attempt by settlers to expand control in part of the occupied West Bank where state-backed demolitions, arson and vandalism regularly occur and settler violence, at times lethal, is rarely prosecuted.

The villagers' plight was covered in the 2024 Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land," but the publicity has done little to stem the bloodshed or curb land grabs. They say Israel has used the cover of the Iran war to tighten its grip over the territory, as settler attacks surge and the military imposes additional wartime restrictions on movement, citing security.

Khalil Hathaleen, head of the village council and a member of the extended family that makes up much of Umm al-Khair’s population, said settlers were exploiting the war to seize land, cut down olive groves and raid nearby villages at night. “It was a good chance for settlers to do what they want, with no rules,” he said.

Like in Israel, Palestinian kids stayed home before last week's ceasefire, with the threat of falling missile debris leading schools to close.

Hajar, her brother Rashid and their classmates sat waiting Monday and Tuesday near Israeli flags, the barbed wire and newly felled trees as their parents and village leaders demanded they be allowed to pass. On Monday, the children were met by plumes of tear gas and sound grenades hurled by armed men in an unmarked white truck, including some uniformed soldiers, according to the video.

Israel’s military said troops used “riot dispersal means” outside Carmel, the settlement next to Umm al-Khair. It acknowledged that children were present but said the measures — which it didn't detail — were directed at adults in the area, not the children. The Har Hevron Regional Council, the settlements' local government in the area, did not respond to questions about the fence.

Bedouins and other villagers have been using the 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) path from the neighborhood of Khirbet Umm al-Khair to the village center for decades. “We are determined to keep it,” Khalil Hathaleen said.

The fence is just another way that Palestinian movement is being restricted as Israeli settlements multiply in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians say it follows a well-worn pattern in which settlers erect fences or claim farmland that Palestinians say is theirs, and then move to enforce this new reality with the backing of Israel’s military.

Hathaleen said Israeli forces sometimes restrain the settlers, but more often than not they defer to them.

“We are refused a solution,” he said.

The international community overwhelmingly considers the settlements illegal. Israel, meanwhile, views the territory as disputed and says its final status is subject to negotiations. The outposts are built without the permission of Israeli authorities, who sometimes dismantle them, but other times turn a blind eye or even legalize them retroactively.

Hathaleen said the military's civil administration unit told Umm Al-Khair to divert students to another path. But parents said the alternate route is roughly twice as long and more dangerous, requiring them to pass near Carmel.

“We have deep concerns as parents and as residents that the (Israeli) occupation and soldiers will attack students,” said Al-Mutasim Hathaleen, another parent.

On Tuesday, some students got to school on buses that took the alternate route. But classrooms sat half-empty and the playground was deserted. There was no school on Wednesday due to Palestinian Authority cuts to teacher salaries in the area. But on Thursday, kids will try again to get to school on their regular route, Khalil Hathaleen said.

Testing the settlers' resolve could be risky.

Israeli officials and military leaders have recently sounded the alarm over intensifying violence and lawlessness by extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank, where arsons and deadly attacks have continued unabated. At least 35 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers across the territory in 2026. Settlers have killed eight Palestinians — an equal number to all of 2025.

The Israeli rights group B’Tselem, following the killing of a 23-year-old Palestinian man by a settler, said that what it called “daily unbridled violence” amounted to Israeli government policy, noting that many of those involved are army reservists.

“These militias are fully backed by the state of Israel and enjoy complete impunity for killing, assaulting and looting Palestinian residents,” it said.