Rubio told Egypt about need to stop Hamas from governing Gaza again, US says U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Egypt's foreign minister on Tuesday it was important to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza again, the State Department said, with their call coming after President Donald Trump suggested Egypt and Jordan should take more Palestinians. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Trump on Saturday floated a plan to "clean out" Gaza, where Israel's war has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis, in comments that echoed long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes. The suggestion by…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Zelensky lacks legitimacy to sign any deal – Putin Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky can participate in possible talks with Moscow if he wishes to, but he lacks the legitimacy to actually sign a peace deal, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Tuesday. Negotiating with the de-facto Ukrainian leadership will not have any legal meaning, given that Kiev explicitly banned itself from engaging in talks with Moscow, according to Putin. In 2022, Zelensky, whose presidential term officially ended in May 2024, issued a decree prohibiting negotiations with Russia, and President Vladimir Putin specifically, a measure that remains…

Gaza hostages were held in tunnels for months, Israeli medical officer says Some of the hostages released from Gaza so far during the ceasefire had been held in Hamas tunnels for up to eight months straight, deprived of daylight and with little to no human contact, an Israeli general said on Monday. Three Israeli civilians and four soldiers - all women - have been released so far in the ceasefire, which began on Jan. 19. In return, Israel has released 290 Palestinian convicts and detainees. "Some of them told us that they've been in the past few months, that they've…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Half of Ukrainians back compromise to end war – poll Half of Ukrainians now favor a compromise to end the conflict with Russia through peace negotiations involving international mediators, a recent survey by Ukrainian pollster Socis has suggested. According to a report by Ukrainskaya Pravda on Monday, the latest survey, conducted in December 2024, reflects shifting public sentiment in Ukraine, with increasing support for a diplomatic solution after years of conflict and the depleting situation on the battlefield. According to the poll, 50.6% of respondents support negotiations involving international leaders to secure guarantees for ending the conflict. This…