President Joe Biden confirms he will travel to Israel
President Joe Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday, amid fears about the war with Hamas expanding into a larger conflict.
The US leader is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reaffirm the country’s solidarity with Israel, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said.
Announcing the travel plans, Mr Blinken said the president’s visit comes at a critical moment, where he will make clear that “Israel has the right and the duty to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and prevent future attacks”.
The decision comes after nine hours of negotiations between President Biden, Mr Netanyahu and other officials.
Israel-Gaza latest: Hamas ‘releases first video of hostage’
President Biden will also reiterate the “crystal clear message” to any state or non-state trying to “take advantage” of the current situation and attack Israel: “Don’t.”
It comes after around 2,000 US troops, will be ready to deploy within 24 hours – instead of the usual 96 hours – to the Israeli region, which could provide assistance such as medical aid if needed, a US official said.
Destruction at Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, following Israeli strikes
After meeting with Israeli officials, President Biden is expected to travel to Amman to meet with King Abudllah II of Jordan, Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, and Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas.
‘Keep civilians out of harm’s way’
As the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens, Mr Blinken said the US and Israel had agreed to develop a plan to enable humanitarian aid to reach civilians.
Few details were given, but the plan would include “the possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of harm’s way”, he said.
It comes as a blockade of aid remains in place at Egypt’s Rafah crossing, contributing to fears that citizens could starve and hospitals would run out of electricity.
Israel is also set to brief the US leader on its war aims and how it will conduct operations in a way that minimises civilian casualties, and enables humanitarian assistance to get to Gaza without benefitting Hamas.
Palestinians arrive at a hospital in Khan Younis. Pic: AP
The country’s leaders are planning for a ground offensive on Gaza, which is expected to be by land, sea and air.
Work between the US and Israel will also focus on securing hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October, Mr Blinken said.
The Israeli military said 199 captives were being held in the besieged territory, which includes some Americans and Britons.
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Gaza: ‘Most of our patients are children’
A Hamas official demanded earlier on Monday that 6,000 Palestinian men and women detained in Israel’s jails be released in exchange for hostages in Gaza.
Iran warns of consequences on Israel
Earlier, Iran’s foreign minister warned that Israel would not be allowed to act in Gaza without consequences.
Palestinians wait to cross to the Egyptian side at Rafah border. Pic: AP
Hossein Amirabdollahian told state TV: “All options are open and we cannot be indifferent to the war crimes committed against the people of Gaza.”
Authorities in Gaza say more than 2,800 people have died, with around a quarter of them children. Around 10,000 are wounded.
Police officers found a handgun, a silencer and a red notebook described as a “manifesto” when they arrested Luigi Mangione.
The 27-year-old was arrested in December 2024 and charged with killing UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in New York City.
Mangione‘s lawyers want to block prosecutors from showing or telling jurors at his eventual trial in Manhattan about statements he allegedly made and items they said police seized from his backpack during his arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
The objects include a 9mm handgun prosecutors say matches the one used in the killing, a silencer, a magazine with bullets wrapped in underwear and a notebook in which they say Mangione described his intent to “wack” a healthcare executive.
Mangione with his attorney. Pic: Reuters
The defence contends the items should be excluded because police did not get a warrant before searching Mangione’s backpack.
Prosecutors deny claims Mangione was illegally searched and questioned.
They also want to suppress some statements he made to police, such as allegedly giving a false name, because officers asked him questions before telling him he had a right to remain silent.
Last week, Mangione watched surveillance videos of the killing of Mr Thompson, 50, as he walked to a New York City hotel for his company’s annual investor conference.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges.
The state charges carry the possibility of life in prison, while federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
This week’s hearing concerns only the state case, but Mangione’s lawyers want to bar evidence from both cases.
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In September, a judge dismissed two terrorism counts against Mangione, finding prosecutors had not presented enough evidence Mangione intended to intimidate health insurance workers or influence government policy.
Trial dates are yet to be set in either the state or federal cases.
Paramount has launched a £108.4bn hostile bid for Warner Bros, challenging Netflix, which had reached a $72bn takeover deal with the company.
Paramount said on Monday that it was going straight to Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) shareholders with a $30 per share in cash offer for the entirety of the company, including its Global Networks segment, asking them to reject the deal with Netflix.
On Friday Netflix struck a deal to buy WBD, the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max
The agreement means Warner Bros Discovery’s library of film and TV successes including Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones will come under the same roof as Stranger Things and Squid Game.
The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt.
But Paramount says its deal will pay $30 cash per share, representing $18 billion more in cash than its rivals are offering.
In a statement, Paramount said it was making a “strategically and financially compelling offer to WBD shareholders” and a “superior alternative to the Netflix transaction”.
File pic: iStock
David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: “WBD shareholders deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company.
“Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors in private, provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion.
“We believe the WBD Board of Directors is pursuing an inferior proposal which exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process.
“We are taking our offer directly to shareholders to give them the opportunity to act in their own best interests and maximize the value of their shares.”
Paramount said it had submitted six proposals to WBD in the course of 12 weeks, but that they were never “meaningfully” engaged with.
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