Peace won’t come easy in Gaza
US President Donald Trump and several other leaders may have signed a Gaza ceasefire deal in Egypt on Monday evening, but the Strip isn’t fully peaceful as yet. Hamas publicly executed eight Palestinians in Gaza last night, inciting more fear among citizens of the enclave just as many of them finally get to return home amid the ceasefire with Israel. The militant group claimed that those executed were “collaborators with Israel,” while members of a rival Palestinian clan described the killings as a “criminal” act. Meanwhile on Tuesday, Israeli drones killed six Palestinians in the northern part of the strip, per a local news agency – the Israeli Defense Forces said that several people were approaching the “yellow line” to which it withdrew as part of the peace deal.
Tensions flare up again on the Afghan-Pakistani border
Afghan and Pakistani forces exchanged deadly fire over the weekend in what some are describing as the worst violence between the sparring neighbours in years, and sparking fears that tensions could spill over into a wider conflict. There is a debate over the number of deaths, but each side acknowledged that it had some casualties after the Taliban targeted Pakistani military outposts along the 1,622-mile border and Pakistan hit back. The Taliban said it initiated the fighting in response to reported airstrikes in Kabul last week. The fighting has stopped after Qatar and Saudi Arabia called for calm, but the lengthy border remained shut on Monday, shutting down trade and leaving hundreds stranded.
Prabowo’s hot-mic request to Trump raises questions of overlapping business and diplomacy
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was caught on a live microphone asking Trump if he could meet the US president’s son Eric after a Gaza ceasefire summit in Egypt. Trump replied he would “have Eric call.” It’s possible the exchange was related to Trump Organization business, as Prabowo also mentioned “Hary,” who some think refers to Hary Tanoesoedibjo, a longtime Trump partner. Hary’s MNC Group co-develops resorts with the Trump Organization in Indonesia.
