World roundup: June 12 2024

Stories from Lebanon, South Africa, Ukraine, and elsewhere

TODAY IN HISTORY

June 12, 1898: Philippine rebel leader and dictator Emilio Aguinaldo proclaims Philippine independence with a declaration and a ceremony at his home south of Manila. This date is annually commemorated as Independence Day in the Philippines.

June 12, 1990: The Congress of People’s Deputies of Russia adopts the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, basically proclaiming Russia’s independence from the Soviet Union although “independence” may not exactly be the right term for this particular situation. This date is annually commemorated in Russia as “Russia Day.”

MIDDLE EAST

ISRAEL-PALESTINE

In Qatar on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heavily criticized parts of Hamas’s response to the Biden ceasefire proposal. According to Blinken, some of the “amendments” the group proposed “go beyond positions that it had previously taken and accepted,” a claim Hamas denied while accusing the US of jumping at any opportunity to quash the ceasefire on Israel’s behalf. While blaming Hamas for the continuation of the catastrophe in Gaza, Blinken did say that “some of the requested changes are workable” (“some are not” was apparently the next thing he said) and insisted that work will continue “to try to bridge the gaps.”

Blinken speaking with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in the city of Lusail on Wednesday (IBRAHEEM AL-OMARI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Haaretz, citing “sources in Hamas,” says it’s seen the changes the group proposed to Biden’s template. It’s demanding a much faster Israeli military (IDF) withdrawal than Biden envisioned, with Israeli forces obliged to withdraw from Gaza’s population centers on the first day of the ceasefire and withdraw from Gaza altogether within the first week. In exchange, Hamas would release three hostages every three days up to a total of 33 hostages in the first phase of the ceasefire. According to these Haaretz “sources,” the alterations are intended to make that first phase ceasefire more impactful and to make it harder for the Israeli government to break off negotiations and resume fighting when that phase is concluded. In fairness, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated more than once that this is exactly what he would plan to do should the ceasefire actually come to fruition. Which, at this point, seems fairly unlikely all things considered.

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