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Netanyahu and Trump to meet in DC as Gaza’s fate without Hamas is debated
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President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are set to meet at the White House on Monday. One of the most difficult questions on the table is what Gaza might look like without Hamas.
Experts tell Fox News Digital that while the need for an alternative is clear, almost every proposed solution comes with serious structural, political and security limitations.
John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and veteran of both Republican and Democratic administrations, said building an alternative to Hamas must happen in parallel with dismantling it.
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Hamas terrorists emerge from the shadows as they surround Red Cross vehicles. (TPS-IL)
«Part of how you win is by showing there’s a viable alternative,» Hannah said. «People need to see there’s a future beyond Hamas»
That future, experts believe, lies in a non-Hamas technocratic government – comprised of Palestinians unaffiliated with either Hamas or the PLO – backed by a coalition of key Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE.
«While a new administration in Gaza should be independent, some symbolic link to the Palestinian Authority could enhance its legitimacy with the Arabs. Perhaps Ramallah could serve as a pass-through for paying salaries. But the PA won’t call the shots,» Hannah said.
«The default right now, if Israel ends up leaving Gaza, is Hamas,» said Ghaith al-Omari, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. «There is no one on the ground who can challenge them. And there is no Arab involvement without the defeat of Hamas. Not just a ceasefire – actual disarmament.»
Palestinians carry bags and boxes containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
At best, said al-Omari who served as the former executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine, the PA might offer a «kosher stamp» to satisfy Arab states, which have made clear they will only intervene in Gaza under a Palestinian national umbrella.
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«Without that symbolic PA invitation, Egypt and others won’t come in,» said al-Omari. «But they still need a political framework – some commitment to a two-state solution. Without that, they have absolutely no incentive to play a role in Gaza.»
Securing Israeli approval for any new Gaza administration is another major hurdle. An Israeli security official told Fox News Digital that any deal would need to include guarantees that Israel retains counterterrorism access to prevent Hamas from reemerging.
«Something like what exists in the West Bank – buffer zones, perimeter security, and the right of the IDF or Shin Bet to act on intelligence when needed,» Hannah said.
IDF forces operating in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. (IDF Spokesman’s Office)
That framework, he noted, would require intensive American-led diplomacy with sustained presence and coordination.
«I can’t see anyone else but the United States doing it – there are too many inner-Arab rivalries,» Hannah said, «No other actor has the relationships, resources or trust required to bridge the deep divides between Israel, Arab states and international players. Everyone’s going to want the U.S. at the center of this. And there’s no doubt President Trump wants to solve it.»
«Qatar is the elephant in the room,» said Hannah, «They bring a lot of much-needed money, but they’ve had a deeply problematic relationship with Hamas. If they want a seat at the table, it has to be with strict conditions – money flowing through trusted, externally controlled channels. But they can’t be a key player in this effort.»
The United Nations, meanwhile, is largely out. «UNRWA’s days are over,» said Hannah. «They can’t run education or the economy in Gaza anymore. At most, the U.N. might endorse a U.S.-Arab-Israeli plan with a Security Council resolution – but they won’t play an operational role.»
One piece of footage published by the Israel Defense Force reportedly shows Hamas combatants firing weapons from the entrance to the UNRWA compound. (IDF)
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One proposal gaining quiet traction in Israeli and American circles is the idea of empowering local clans to establish self-governing enclaves.
Joseph Braude, president of the Center for Peace Communications, has spoken extensively with activists on the ground and believes this model could mark the beginning of an alternative.
«It may not be realistic to talk about one civil administration managing all of Gaza right now,» Braude said, «But in discrete geographical enclaves within the strip, you can pilot non-Hamas self-rule. Local Gazans patrol internally while the IDF or another force secures the perimeter. «
«There’s a fiber of educated, civically minded individuals in Gaza – from engineers to teachers – who are not Islamists,» he added, «If vetted properly, they can manage administration, education and basic services. But you have to start by identifying who they are and what they actually believe.»
Braude pointed to one such case: Yasser Abu Shabab, a local militia leader. «This is the first anti-Hamas militia to emerge in Gaza in a generation. He’s a local fighter from a Bedouin clan with family ties to Egyptian forces battling ISIS in Sinai. He says he wants to invite civil servants to begin staffing an administration.»
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin meets with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
But not everyone agrees this is feasible. «These groups are fragmented, displaced and lack the legitimacy or cohesion to govern,» said al-Omari. «You might use these militias to secure aid deliveries in a specific area, but they can’t form the basis of governance.»
Dr. Michael Milstein, head of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at Tel Aviv University, told Fox News Digital, «Since the war began, several attempts to promote clans as an alternative to Hamas have also failed, like the Doghmush clan, whose leaders were executed by Hamas in early 2024.»
«Even now, figures like Abu Shabab in Rafah or the Barbakh family in Khan Younis are fringe cases,» Milstein added. «Hamas still controls most of the public space. Clans may offer localized solutions, but they are no cohesive or legitimate alternative. Many are openly loyal to Hamas.»
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«Many say, until Palestinians teach their children to love themselves more than they hate Israel, there will never be peace,» Braude said, «That’s true. But who is actually working to foster a Palestinian leadership [that] does so? That’s the challenge – and the opportunity – right now.»
INTERNACIONAL
Al menos 20 personas murieron en un punto de distribución de ayuda en Gaza durante una estampida en Khan Yunis
Al menos 20 personas murieron este miércoles en un punto de distribución de ayuda humanitaria en la ciudad de Khan Yunis, al sur de la Franja de Gaza, según informó la Fundación Humanitaria de Gaza en un comunicado.
La organización, respaldada por Estados Unidos e Israel, señaló que la tragedia se produjo durante una aglomeración descontrolada en la zona de reparto. “Nuestra comprensión actual es que 19 de las víctimas fueron pisoteadas y una fue apuñalada en medio de una avalancha caótica y peligrosa”, detalló la fundación.
El incidente ocurrió en un contexto de emergencia humanitaria en el enclave palestino, donde miles de personas dependen de la asistencia internacional para acceder a alimentos, agua y atención médica. La distribución irregular de ayuda y la presión de la población afectada han provocado situaciones similares en otras zonas del territorio.
Hasta el momento, no se han difundido detalles oficiales por parte de las autoridades locales ni informes adicionales sobre las circunstancias específicas que desencadenaron la estampida. Tampoco se ha informado si las víctimas eran civiles desplazados, residentes locales o voluntarios.
La Organización de Naciones Unidas (ONU) informó el martes que al menos 875 palestinos han muerto en las últimas seis semanas tras recibir disparos mientras intentaban acceder a comida o ayuda humanitaria en la Franja de Gaza.
De ese total, 674 fallecieron cerca de centros de distribución gestionados por la Fundación Humanitaria para Gaza (GHF), una organización respaldada por Estados Unidos e Israel, según precisó la oficina del Alto Comisionado de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos (ACNUDH).
“Al menos 875 personas han sido asesinadas en Gaza cuando intentaban obtener comida, de las que 674 fueron asesinadas en los alrededores de centros de la GHF”, indicó Thameen al Kheetan, portavoz del ACNUDH, durante una rueda de prensa.
Las cifras, actualizadas al 13 de julio, fueron recopiladas por la oficina dirigida por Volker Türk a partir de “fuentes fiables, incluidas fuentes médicas, de Derechos Humanos y organizaciones humanitarias”.
El portavoz subrayó que estos datos están aún en proceso de verificación, en un contexto marcado por las restricciones de acceso al enclave debido al bloqueo israelí. “La falta de acceso total a la Franja de Gaza complica el proceso de verificación”, señaló Al Kheetan, quien reiteró el llamado a investigar cada uno de los asesinatos para esclarecer los hechos y establecer responsabilidades.
Sobre los datos del Ministerio de Sanidad de Gaza, controlado por el grupo Hamas, Al Kheetan aclaró que estos “no son la única fuente”, aunque recordó que “experiencias pasadas mostraron que sus cifras eran cercanas a los datos verificados posteriormente”.
Desde Hamas, se exigió a Naciones Unidas la creación de una comisión internacional independiente para investigar las muertes de civiles durante la distribución de ayuda humanitaria. La organización islamista se basó en un reportaje del diario israelí Haaretz, que indicó que militares israelíes admitieron haber recibido órdenes de disparar contra personas que buscaban ayuda, incluso si no representaban una amenaza directa. Hamas calificó estos hechos como “una nueva confirmación del verdadero papel de este mecanismo criminal como medio para un genocidio”.
(Con información de AFP)
Middle East,Military Conflicts,KHAN YOUNIS
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Trump administration refines EEOC approach to transgender workplace discrimination claims
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination, will allow some complaints by transgender workers to proceed, a change from earlier guidance that indefinitely halted cases alleging workplace discrimination against transgender people.
An email was sent earlier this month to leaders of the EEOC in which Thomas Colclough, director of the agency’s Office of Field Programs, said if new transgender worker complaints involve «hiring, discharge or promotion, you are clear to continue processing these charges.»
Even with the change, those complaints will still face higher scrutiny than other workplace discrimination cases, requiring approval from acting EEOC chair Andrea Lucas, who was appointed by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
Lucas has said one of her priorities would be «defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights.»
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Acting EEOC chair Andrea Lucas has said one of her priorities would be «defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights.» (Getty Images)
Since Trump returned to the presidency in January, the EEOC has shifted away from its previous interpretation of civil rights law that included prohibiting workplace discrimination against people based on their gender identity.
This comes after the agency issued a landmark finding a decade ago that a transgender civilian employee of the U.S. Army had faced discrimination when her employer refused to use the worker’s preferred pronouns or allow the individual to use bathrooms based on gender identity rather than biological sex.
Under Lucas’ authority, the EEOC has dropped several lawsuits alleging discrimination against transgender workers. Lucas defended that decision during her Senate committee confirmation hearing last month, citing Trump’s executive order stating that there are only two sexes — male and female.
But she also acknowledged that the 2020 Supreme Court ruling Bostock v. Clayton County «did clearly hold that discriminating against someone on the basis of sex included firing an individual who is transgender or based on their sexual orientation.»
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Since Trump returned to the presidency in January, the EEOC has shifted away from its previous interpretation of civil rights law. (Andrew Harrer/Getty Images)
Colclough said in his email that the EEOC will consider transgender discrimination complaints that «fall squarely under» the Supreme Court’s ruling, including cases involving hiring, firing and promotion, which reversed an earlier policy that de-prioritized cases filed on behalf of transgender workers.
«Under federal law, charge inquiries and charges of discrimination made to the EEOC are confidential,» an EEOC spokesperson told The Associated Press, while declining to comment on the specifics of its updated policy.
«Pursuant to Title VII and as statutorily required, the EEOC is, has been, and will continue to accept and investigate charges on all bases protected by law, and to serve those charges to the relevant employer,» the spokesperson added.
But even the cases the EEOC will consider under the Supreme Court ruling must still be reviewed by a senior attorney advisor and sent to Lucas for final approval.
The expanded review process for transgender cases is not typical of other discrimination complaints and reflects the agency’s increased scrutiny of these cases, according to former EEOC commissioner Chai Feldblum, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
Under current leadership, the EEOC has dropped several lawsuits alleging discrimination against transgender workers. (Getty Images)
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«It is a slight improvement because it will allow certain claims of discrimination to proceed,» Feldblum told The Associated Press. «But overall it does not fix a horrific and legally improper situation currently occurring at the EEOC.»
Colclough’s email did not clarify how long the review process might take, or whether cases that include additional claims, such as harassment or retaliation, would be eligible to proceed, and the EEOC declined to address those questions.
«This is not the EEOC being clear to either its own staff or to the public what charges are going to be processed,» Feldblum said. «This is not a panacea.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
Japón denunció una posible injerencia extranjera en su campaña para las elecciones parciales de la Cámara de Consejeros
El gobierno japonés está evaluando indicios de posible injerencia extranjera en la campaña electoral para los comicios parciales de la Cámara Alta que se celebrarán este domingo 20 de julio, una votación crucial para el Partido Liberal Democrático (PLD) del primer ministro Shigeru Ishiba, que actualmente gobierna en minoría.
El viceportavoz del Ejecutivo, Kazuhiko Aoki, confirmó este miércoles en conferencia de prensa que “no se descarta la posibilidad de que se haya producido una injerencia”, y aseguró que el gobierno “está trabajando para garantizar unas elecciones justas”. Las declaraciones de Aoki se produjeron tras las advertencias del ministro de Digitalización, Masaaki Taira, quien informó que se han recibido reportes sobre actividades sospechosas en redes sociales que podrían estar vinculadas a esfuerzos externos de manipulación.
“Si bien existen aspectos positivos, como la posibilidad de obtener información, también debemos considerar los negativos”, señaló Taira, al referirse al uso político de las redes sociales y su potencial para intensificar divisiones sociales y promover la radicalización. Según informó la agencia de noticias Kyodo, el gobierno se encuentra en proceso de análisis para identificar el origen y naturaleza de estos intentos de influencia.
La votación del domingo tiene un carácter decisivo para el oficialismo. Tras la derrota en la Cámara Baja en octubre pasado, el PLD busca mantener la mayoría parlamentaria junto a su socio Komeito. Sin embargo, las encuestas anticipan una posible pérdida de hegemonía, debido al crecimiento de partidos minoritarios con discursos nacionalistas, antiinmigración y antisistema, amplificados en redes en medio de un contexto económico adverso.
Las sospechas sobre injerencia se producen en un clima de tensión con China. El martes, el Ministerio de Defensa japonés publicó su informe anual de seguridad en el que advirtió que las actividades militares chinas “podrían impactar seriamente la seguridad de Japón”. El documento destaca como precedente la incursión confirmada de un avión militar chino en el espacio aéreo japonés en agosto del año pasado. Además, en septiembre, un portaviones chino y dos embarcaciones de escolta navegaron entre las islas japonesas de Okinawa y Miyako, cerca de Taiwán.
El libro blanco repite la advertencia del informe anterior: las ambiciones militares de China representan “un desafío estratégico sin precedentes y el más grave” para Japón y la comunidad internacional. En respuesta, el portavoz del Ministerio de Exteriores chino, Lin Jian, declaró que el informe “exagera la llamada amenaza china” y que Beijing “expresa una fuerte insatisfacción y oposición firme”.
En paralelo, Japón reportó que cazas chinos volaron a solo 30 metros de un avión patrulla japonés sobre el mar de China Oriental, en otro incidente que agrava las fricciones. El año pasado, buques chinos se acercaron 355 veces a las islas Senkaku, administradas por Japón y reclamadas por China. Tokio también confirmó que en junio, por primera vez, dos portaviones chinos realizaron ejercicios simultáneos en aguas económicas japonesas, hechos que Beijing calificó de “entrenamiento rutinario”.
El informe de Defensa señala además que las maniobras conjuntas de China y Rusia son “claramente una demostración de fuerza contra Japón” y reafirma que Corea del Norte sigue representando “una amenaza más grave e inminente que nunca”.
En respuesta a estos desafíos, Japón continúa incrementando su gasto en defensa y reforzando su cooperación militar con Estados Unidos y sus aliados regionales. Este fortalecimiento incluye negociaciones bilaterales para definir el rol que Tokio asumiría en caso de un conflicto entre Washington y Beijing por Taiwán.
(Con información de EFE y AFP)
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