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The dialogue for a second swap of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, which a week ago seemed a distant prospect, has been moving forward as pressure increases on the government of Benjamin Netanyahu following the shooting of three hostages by Israeli troops. Mossad director David Barena this week met with the Qatari government, which, along with Egypt, is acting as an intermediary. To achieve a new exchange, Hamas demands an immediate cessation of hostilities, which the Israeli government is not willing to concede. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has indicated it is open to a “reformed” Palestinian National Authority (PA), which controls the West Bank, governing Gaza after the war, a softening of stance after Netanyahu’s previous assertion that he would not “allow the State of Israel to repeat the fateful mistake of Oslo.” “What Israel wants is a moderate Palestinian administration with the help of moderate countries,” a senior official in Netanyahu’s government said. “We don’t want Hamas, nor do we want a repeat of the present situation with the current PA, nor do we want to be the ones to rule the Gaza Strip.” According to this senior official, Israel’s objectives in the war are to demilitarize and de-radicalize Gaza, but also to “establish a civilian administration that cares about the people who live there.”
In his annual press conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the EU’s decision to open accession talks with Kyiv as a “great victory” and a boost for the country’s morale. But Ukraine is also facing a difficult economic situation as it awaits over $100 billion in financial support from Washington and Brussels. “Nobody knows when it will end,” admitted Zelenskiy of the war with Russia. The White House has not been able to approve a $60 billion package for Ukraine amid opposition from Republican hardliners while Hungary’s move to block EU aid is another setback for Kyiv’s war effort. But Zelenskiy remains confident. “I am sure that the United States will not let us fall.”
EL PAÍS visited the VeryNile initiative in Cairo, which pays local fisherman for the plastic they pull from the Nile River. The project involves more than 100 fishermen from different parts of Egypt who work every day collecting plastics — between 20 and 30 tons per month — from the waterway. “Before the initiative, the Nile was a very dirty place,” says Arafa Saber, who has been fishing the waters for over 25 years, like his father before him. “Now there is a big difference, not 100%, but 1,000%. There are more fish, the Nile is cleaner, the smell is better, everything.”
We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from EL PAÍS USA Edition. |
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