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Meet Annie Tomasini, the longtime Biden loyalist subpoenaed to testify Friday about his mental health

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Annie Tomasini, former assistant to President Joe Biden and former deputy chief of staff, is the latest Biden aide subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee, as Republicans investigate the alleged cover-up of the former president’s cognitive decline and the potentially unauthorized use of the autopen for pardons and executive actions.

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Tomasini’s counsel requested that House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., issue a subpoena for her scheduled appearance before the staff-led hearing this Friday.

Her former colleague, Anthony Bernal, the former chief of staff to former first lady Jill Biden, was hit with his own subpoena for a closed-door deposition on Wednesday after skipping his scheduled interview when the White House waived executive privilege. 

Bernal’s scheduled sit-down came and went quickly, however. Bernal apparently pleaded the Fifth Amendment to the questions asked by House staffers, a source familiar told Fox News Digital. 

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JILL BIDEN ‘WORK HUSBAND’ PLEADS FIFTH AMENDMENT, DODGES HOUSE GOP COVER-UP PROBE QUESTIONS

President Joe Biden, left, and Annie Tomasini, deputy chief of staff, walk on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington on April 19, 2024. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson revealed in their book, «Original Sin,» that Tomasini and Bernal «loaded a written Q&A into a prompter ahead of a local interview – a document that the campaign had used in prep with Biden.»

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HOUSE GOP SUBPOENAS BIDEN AIDE TO TESTIFY ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT’S CONCERNING MENTAL FITNESS

Tomasini and Bernal brought out the teleprompter as his aides were trying to soften his blunders as Biden struggled to stay on message, according to the book. But the teleprompter fiasco became an easy attack line throughout Biden’s re-election campaign, as President Donald Trump «weaved» through his myriad unscripted moments.

Former Biden aides

L-R: Ian Sams, former special assistant to the president and senior advisor in the White House Counsel’s Office; Andrew Bates, former deputy assistant to the president and senior deputy press secretary; former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre; and, Jeff Zients, former White House chief of staff, are expected to sit down with House Oversight Committee investigators behind closed doors. (Fox News)

The book described how Tomasini and Bernal grew closer to Biden during the pandemic, eventually becoming Joe and Jill Biden’s most trusted aides. 

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Tapper and Thompson describe the «intensely loyal» duo – Tomasini and Bernal – as taking on an «older-brother-and-little-sister vibe» among Biden’s inner circle. 

Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal

Annie Tomasini, Director of Oval Office Operations, and Anthony Bernal, Advisor to the First Lady, follow President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on February 16, 2024, in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Bernal and Tomasini later took on some of the residence staffers’ roles in the White House. Tapper and Thompson said the aides «had all-time access to the living quarters, with their White House badges reading ‘Res’ – uncommon for such aides.»

«The significance of Bernal and Tomasini is the degree to which their rise in the Biden White House signaled the success of people whose allegiance was to the Biden family – not to the presidency, not to the American people, not to the country, but to the Biden theology,» the authors wrote. 

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Fox News Digital reported in 2023 that Tomasini was among nearly a dozen Biden aides and Cabinet members to have extensive ties to Hunter Biden, who was accused by Republicans of selling access to his father, dating back over a decade.

The analysis revealed the extent of Hunter’s potential reach in the White House ahead of the embattled first son’s felony gun charges and subsequent pardon by his father in the final days of Biden’s presidency. 

President Joe Biden accompanied by his son Hunter Biden

President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, right, during his final days in the White House.  (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Tomasini was in frequent communication with Hunter, referred to him as her «brother» and often ended her emails with «LY» for «love you,» according to emails dating from 2010 to 2016.

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Then-vice president Biden publicly announced on Dec. 20, 2010, that Tomasini was stepping down to take a position with Harvard University, and Tomasini kept Hunter clued in on the details of that position before she took it, according to emails. The month prior, on Nov. 19, 2010, she forwarded information to Hunter about Harvard’s employee benefits and added, «Thanks.»

«Hey – I looked at benefits And they look pretty amazing. Any word on comp?» Hunter responded on Nov. 23, 2010.

«I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for looking at all the background Hunt,» Tomasini replied.

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Tomasini was offered the job on Nov. 30, 2010, writing to Hunter, «Director of intergovernmental relations. > 120k ish – may be a little higher.»

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She later thanked him and said she was going to tell his father the news. Months later, Hunter gave a speech at Harvard, but not before running the draft by Tomasini first.

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A source familiar with the Biden team’s thinking told Fox News Digital that Trump would stop at nothing to exact retribution, calling the investigations into Biden’s autopen use conspiratorial claims that attempt to slander a political opponent and undo valid presidential actions.

«As an extension of this political gamesmanship, Congressional Republicans are following their leader and following suit by dragging public servants up to the Hill,» the source said, calling the «dangerous» probe an «attempt to smear and embarrass» and a «partisan, coordinated effort.»

They said Trump’s Department of Justice is «not normal» and «these times are not normal,» so this investigation will «be no different.»

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Fox News’ Greg Wehner, Jessica Chasmar, Cameron Cawthorne and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

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FBI botched investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, declassified documents allege

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Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released declassified documents related to the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server when she served in the federal government, revealing the FBI reportedly «failed to fully investigate» the matter. 

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«This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary Clinton’s email usage and mishandling of highly classified information,» Grassley said in a Monday press release.

«Under Comey’s leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor,» he continued. «The Comey FBI’s negligent approach and perhaps intentional lack of effort in the Clinton investigation is a stark contrast to its full-throated investigation of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which was based on the uncorroborated and now discredited Steele dossier. Comey’s decision-making process smacks of political infection.» 

Clinton, who served as former President Barack Obama’s secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, was investigated by the FBI over claims she improperly stored or transmitted classified materials on a private email server. The FBI advised the Department of Justice in 2016, ahead of that year’s massive election that pitted Clinton against future President Donald Trump, that Clinton should not face prosecution over the matter.

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OBAMA OFFICIALS ADMITTED THEY HAD NO ‘EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE’ OF TRUMP-RUSSIA COLLUSION: HOUSE INTEL TRANSCRIPTS

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released declassified documents related to the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server and handling of classified materials.  (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images)

«Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case,» then-FBI director James Comey said in a press release. «Prosecutors necessarily weigh a number of factors before bringing charges. There are obvious considerations, like the strength of the evidence, especially regarding intent. Responsible decisions also consider the context of a person’s actions, and how similar situations have been handled in the past.» 

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OBAMA OFFICIALS USED DOSSIER TO PROBE, BRIEF TRUMP DESPITE KNOWING IT WAS UNVERIFIED ‘INTERNET RUMOR’

Grassley specifically released declassified materials from the «Clinton annex,» which is an appendix to the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s 2018 report that reviewed the DOJ and FBI’s handling of the Clinton investigation. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and other Trump administration leaders at other agencies, declassified the materials and delivered them to Grassley at his request, his press release reported.

Sen. Chuck Grassley in Washington

Senator Chuck Grassley reported July 21, 2025, that there was an «extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary Clinton’s email usage and mishandling of highly classified information.» ( Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The documents claim that then-FBI Director Comey, as well as other FBI leaders, obtained thumb drives related to their investigation into Clinton, but that the agency failed «to perform additional, targeted searches of the drives,» according to Grassley’s office.

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FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES

The thumb drives reportedly were never reviewed during the investigation, but «contained highly sensitive information exfiltrated from U.S. government agencies, including the Department of State, as well as then-President Barack Obama’s emails and, potentially, congressional information.»

Hillary Clinton

Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s email server is back on the nation’s radar following Sen. Grassley releasing declassified documents. (Getty Images)

The FBI also obtained intelligence that alleged communications between Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who served as Democratic National Committee chair until July 2016 when she resigned, and individuals who worked for the Soros Open Society Foundations, which was founded by left-wing billionaire donor George Soros. 

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GRASSLEY EXPOSES FBI USE OF BIASED SOURCES IN ANTI-TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC MEMOS UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

«The intelligence reports alleged that the Obama administration took efforts to scuttle the investigation into Clinton and protect her candidacy,» Grassley’s release reported, but that the FBI at the time did «not make serious investigative efforts» into the intelligence reports. 

James Comey in 2017

James Comey oversaw the FBI amid its investifation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. (Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to Clinton’s office, Wasserman Schultz’s office, the Soros Open Society Foundations and the Kettering Foundation, where Comey currently works as a senior fellow, for comment on Grassley’s release, but did not immediately receive replies. 

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«I warned years ago that the Clinton investigation failed to hit the mark, and I’m grateful the American people can finally see the facts for themselves,» Grassley said in the press release. «After nearly a decade in the shadows, this information is now coming to light thanks to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel’s dedicated efforts to fulfill my congressional request. 

«I appreciate their ongoing commitment to transparency and strongly urge them to continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact,» he said.

DNI Tulsi Gabbard revealed Obama-era officials allegedly "manufactured and <u>politicized intelligence"</u> to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election.

DNI Tulsi Gabbard revealed Obama-era officials allegedly «manufactured and politicized intelligence» to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Grassley’s release follows Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s bombshell claims that Obama-era officials reportedly «manufactured and politicized intelligence» to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election.

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Gabbard released unclassified documents Friday that reportedly show «overwhelming evidence» that then-President Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump-Russia collusion probe after Trump’s election win against Clinton in 2016. 

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«Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people,» Gabbard had posted to X on Friday regarding the criminal referral. «No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The integrity of our democratic republic depends on it. We are turning over all documents to the DOJ for criminal referral.» 

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Fox News confirmed earlier Monday that the DOJ received Gabbard’s criminal referral related to the matter but did not share additional comment.  

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Iran seeks China, Russia help to stall UN sanctions ahead of nuclear talks with Europeans

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Iran said it will hold talks with Russia and China on Tuesday in an attempt to circumvent U.N. snapback sanctions as the deadline for a nuclear agreement looms. 

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«We are in constant consultation with these two countries to prevent activation of the snapback or to mitigate its consequences,» Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said during a Monday press briefing, reported Iran International. «We have aligned positions and good relations.»

Both China and Russia are signatories of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement that seemingly failed to end Iran’s nuclear ambitions following the U.S. withdrawal from the deal under the first Trump presidency in 2018 and the subsequent nuclear advances Tehran made. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stands with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, before a meeting regarding the Iranian nuclear issue on March 14, 2025, in Beijing.  (Pool via Reuters)

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IRAN VOWS RETALIATION IF UN SECURITY COUNCIL ISSUES SNAPBACK SANCTIONS ON ANNIVERSARY OF NUCLEAR DEAL

The news of the impending meeting comes one week after France, Germany and the U.K. announced they would enforce snapback sanctions on Tehran if it fails to enter into a new nuclear agreement by the end of August. 

What would need to be included in a new nuclear deal remains unclear and Iran has not yet renewed nuclear negotiations with the U.S. after Washington levied significant strikes against its top atomic facilities last month in coordination with Israel. 

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The snapback mechanism was reserved under the JCPOA and allows any signatory of the agreement to recall stiff international sanctions on Iran to be enforced by all 15 members of the United Nations Security Council – including Russia and China – if Tehran is determined to have violated the terms of the 2015 deal. 

Since the first Trump presidency, the U.S. has threatened the use of snapback sanctions, though Washington can no longer call for the re-implementation of the economic tool as it left the agreement – a decision determined by the U.N. and the other JCPOA signatories. 

UN Security Council after Iran calls an emergency session

The Security Council meets at United Nations headquarters on June 13, 2025, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

IRAN FACES AUGUST DEADLINE TO ACCEPT COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR DEAL OR FACE RENEWED UN SANCTIONS

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But top D.C. officials, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have continued to encourage European allies to use this tool to push Iran to cease nuclear development. 

Iran is also set to hold talks with France, Germany and the U.K. – an alliance also known as the E3 – this Friday, though the window to secure a new nuclear deal is closing despite years of repeated attempts.

«Snapback at the UNSC remains, not just the Trump administration’s, but the international community’s most powerful political and diplomatic tool against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program,» Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iranian expert and senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran program, told Fox News Digital.

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«Snapback and a restoration of older, tougher UNSC resolutions that contain arms export prohibitions, missile testing prohibitions, as well as a panel of experts to monitor sanctions compliance, will actually magnify the political and military dividends that the U.S. and Israeli strikes have given,» he added.

Iran ballistic missile stands next to image of Iran's leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A banner depicting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 26, 2024. (Hossein Beris/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

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Security experts have been sounding the alarm for months that it will take roughly six weeks for U.N. sanctions to be enforced, largely due to procedural reasons, and the ability to enforce snapback sanctions under JCPOA terms will expire on Oct. 18.

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Ben Taleblu also warned that these intense sanctions on Iran could instigate further security threats to the West when it comes to Tehran’s nuclear program, as it could prompt Iran to leave other major international nuclear agreements like the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).


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Israel lanzó una nueva ofensiva terrestre en Gaza, mientras 25 países pidieron poner fin a la guerra

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El ejército israelí lanzó este lunes una ofensiva terrestre en el centro de la Franja de Gaza, en coincidencia con el llamado conjunto de 25 países que pidieron poner fin a la guerra en el territorio palestino.

La guerra en Gaza debe cesar inmediatamente”, escribieron en un comunicado los ministros de Relaciones Exteriores de 25 naciones, entre ellas el Reino Unido, España, Italia, Portugal, Canadá y Francia.

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Los ministros consideraron que “el sufrimiento de los civiles en Gaza ha alcanzado nuevos niveles” y denunciaron “el rechazo del gobierno israelí a proporcionar asistencia humanitaria esencial a la población civil”.

Israel lanza una nueva ofensiva en Gaza

La Defensa Civil de Gaza y testigos informaron de disparos de artillería en Deir al Balah, donde Israel anunció el lunes que ampliaría sus operaciones militares.

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El ejército indicó que operaría incluso “en una zona donde nunca había intervenido antes” durante su guerra contra el movimiento islamista palestino Hamas. Además, pidió a los habitantes abandonar el lugar.

Israel ataca la localidad de Deir Al-Balah, en el centro de la Franja de Gaza (Foto: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)

Según la Oficina de Coordinación de Asuntos Humanitarios de las Naciones Unidas (OCHA), entre 50.000 y 80.000 personas se encontraban en la zona.

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Familias enteras comenzaron a desplazarse, cargando sus pertenencias o en carretas tiradas por burros hacia el sur. “Durante la noche escuchamos fuertes explosiones”, relató Abdalá Abu Slim, un habitante de 48 años.

Leé también: El papa León XIV pidió el fin del conflicto en Gaza: “Esta guerra es una barbarie”

“Tememos que el ejército israelí prepare una operación terrestre en Deir al Balah y en los campamentos del centro de la Franja de Gaza, donde se hacinan cientos de miles de desplazados”, agregó.

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Mai Elawawda, responsable de comunicación en Gaza para la ONG británica Medical Aid for Palestinians, calificó la situación como “extremadamente crítica”.

El llamado conjunto de 25 países para detener la guerra

En tanto, 25 países, entre ellos Reino Unido, España, Italia, Portugal, Canadá y Francia, pidieron poner fin “inmediatamente” a la guerra en la Franja de Gaza, en una declaración conjunta publicada el lunes.

“Nosotros (…) nos reunimos para enviar un mensaje simple y urgente: la guerra en Gaza debe cesar inmediatamente”, escribieron los ministros de Relaciones Exteriores de estos países, para quienes “el sufrimiento de los civiles en Gaza ha alcanzado nuevos niveles”.

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Palestinos desplazados en Khan Younis, en el sur de la Franja de gaza (Foto de archivo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)

Palestinos desplazados en Khan Younis, en el sur de la Franja de gaza (Foto de archivo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)

Los cerca de dos millones de palestinos asediados por Israel en Gaza están al borde de la hambruna tras más de 21 meses de conflicto, desencadenado por un ataque sin precedentes del movimiento islamista palestino Hamás en territorio israelí el 7 de octubre de 2023.

“El modelo de distribución de ayuda establecido por el gobierno israelí es peligroso, alimenta la inestabilidad y priva a los gazatíes de su dignidad humana”, dijeron los firmantes, en referencia a la Fundación Humanitaria de Gaza (GHF), respaldada por Estados Unidos e Israel.

La GHF comenzó sus operaciones a finales de mayo, tras un bloqueo humanitario total de más de dos meses impuesto por Israel.

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Leé también: Siria e Israel alcanzaron una tregua tras una semana de enfrentamientos sangrientos

Es aterrador que más de 800 palestinos hayan sido asesinados mientras intentaban obtener ayuda”, escribieron también los ministros.

Los firmantes también exigen la liberación de los rehenes “cruelmente detenidos” por Hamas. Además, expresaron su firme oposición a cualquier iniciativa destinada a modificar el territorio o la demografía en los territorios palestinos ocupados, y piden el fin de la colonización en dichos territorios.

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Los países firmantes son: Australia, Austria, Bélgica, Canadá, Dinamarca, Eslovenia, España, Estonia, Finlandia, Francia, Islandia, Irlanda, Italia, Japón, Letonia, Lituania, Luxemburgo, Países Bajos, Nueva Zelanda, Noruega, Polonia, Portugal, Suecia, Suiza y Reino Unido.

La declaración también fue firmada por la comisaria europea de Igualdad, Hadja Lahbib.

Israel rechazó la nota de los 25 países que pidieron detener la guerra

Poco después, Israel rechazó el documento. “Todas las declaraciones y afirmaciones deben dirigirse a la única parte responsable de la falta de un acuerdo para la liberación de rehenes y un alto el fuego: Hamas, que inició esta guerra y la está prolongando”, dijo en un comunicado el Ministerio de Exteriores israelí.

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En el texto, Israel insistió en que “existe una propuesta concreta para un acuerdo de alto el fuego” -que no incluye el fin definitivo de la ofensiva ni la retirada de las tropas israelíes de Gaza-, la cual ha sido “repetidamente” aceptada por Israel, pero no por Hamas.

“En estos momentos tan delicados de las negociaciones en curso, es mejor evitar declaraciones de este tipo”, afirmó el comunicado.

(Con información de EFE y AFP)

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