U.S. official heads to Middle East for hostage talks
Brett McGurk, President Biden’s Middle East coordinator at the White House, left for Cairo yesterday for talks aimed at the release of more hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a pause in Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, U.S. officials said.
Egypt and Qatar helped broker a cease-fire in November during which Hamas released more than 100 people from captivity. The hope is that another such deal can be arranged. But U.S. officials have said that a new hostage release has been complicated by Hamas’s evident desire for a permanent cease-fire.
The trip comes as Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterated that he would not withdraw Israeli forces and remained opposed to the two-state solution backed by the U.S. and other allies. Divisions have emerged in Israel over the path forward, including over whether military action can achieve the hostages’ safe return.
In other news from the war:
DeSantis dropped out of the race for president
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida suspended his campaign for U.S. president and endorsed Donald Trump, less than 48 hours before the primary race in New Hampshire. The move cements the Republican contest as a two-person race between the former president and Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina.
The Trump campaign said in a statement that it was “honored” by DeSantis’s endorsement and once again criticized Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador during the Trump presidency, as being too liberal to win the Republican nomination. It remains to be seen whether DeSantis’s departure will help her, or whether more of his supporters will migrate to Trump.
Even before DeSantis dropped out, Haley and Trump were locked in an increasingly intense and personal battle in New Hampshire, where Trump has a significant lead in polls.
Dozens killed in severe winter in the U.S.
At least 70 people across the U.S. have died from weather-related causes after more than a week of frigid winter storms and brutally cold temperatures. That number is likely to grow.
Traffic accidents — often caused by cars spinning out of control on icy, snowy roads — are among the most common causes of death during cold snaps. Hypothermia is another threat, especially for people who do not have access to shelter or heat, and downed power lines can raise the risk of fire or electrocution.
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2024-01-22 10:55:00
Original from www.nytimes.com