Biden, Trump in bitter debate can only agree on eliminating Hamas

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with US President Joe Biden at CNN's studios in Atlanta, Georgia. (AFP)
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Updated 28 June 2024
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Biden, Trump in bitter debate can only agree on eliminating Hamas

  • US economy, COVID-19, Mideast conflict are main points of contention
  • Republicans, Democrats declare victory for their candidates after face-off

ATLANTA: President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump faced off in a debate in Atlanta on Thursday, during which they blamed each other for the nation’s economic turmoil and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and could only agree on wanting to eliminate Hamas.

Broadcaster CNN circumvented the independent US Commission on Presidential Debates to host the event, which was unprecedented because Biden and Trump have yet to be formally approved by their parties as candidates for the Nov. 5 election.

The format had restrictions to prevent a repetition of events four years ago when Trump interrupted Biden 190 times, CNN reportedly stated.

Devoid of an audience to cheer or jeer, the rigid CNN format may have benefited Trump by forcing him to appear less disruptive, his supporters said.

It shifted the focus onto Biden who was slow to respond to questions, had difficulty hearing, and mixed up some phrases and words.

Bitter name-calling and a back-and-forth battle over who was responsible for the nation’s domestic challenges appeared to distract the two from responding fully to questions about the Middle East and Israel’s war on the Palestinians.

Pushed to explain what “additional leverage” Biden might apply to get Israel and Hamas to endorse his ceasefire plan, the president called the Palestinian group the primary obstacle to peace, the only point of agreement with Trump.

“No. 1, everyone from the UN Security Council straight through to the G7 to the Israelis and (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu himself have endorsed the (ceasefire) plan I put forward, endorsed the plan I put forward, which has three stages to it,” Biden said.

“The first stage is to treat the hostages for a ceasefire. Second phase is a ceasefire with additional conditions. The third phase is know the end of the war.

“The only one who wants the war to continue is Hamas, No. 1. They’re the only ones not standing down. We’re still pushing hard to get them to accept.”

Biden added: “Hamas can’t be allowed to be continued. We continue to send our experts and our intelligence people to how they can get Hamas like we did (Osama) bin Laden. You don’t have to do it.

“And by the way, they’ve been greatly weakened, Hamas, greatly weakened, and they should be. They should be eliminated. But you got to be careful for what you use these certain weapons among population centers.”

Trump said Biden is preventing Israel from eliminating Hamas. “As far as Israel and Hamas, Israel is the one that wants to go (and finish the job). He said the only one who wants to keep going is Hamas. Actually, Israel is the one, and you should (let) them go and let them finish the job,” Trump insisted.

“He doesn’t want to do it. He has become like a Palestinian. But they don’t like him because he’s a very bad Palestinian. He’s a weak one.”

On supporting efforts to establish a Palestinian state, Trump said: “I’d have to see.”

He said he had prevented Hamas from attacking Israel by blocking funds to Iran, which he claimed was the group’s major sponsor. He added that Biden’s “weak” leadership opened the door for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

In response, Biden called Trump “the weak one,” adding: “I’m the guy that organized the world against Iran when they had a full-blown kind of ballistic missile attack on Israel.

“No one was hurt. No one Israeli was accidentally killed. And it stopped. We saved Israel. We’re the biggest producer of support for Israel than anyone in the world.”

Trump called Biden “the worst president” in US history. Biden slammed Trump as a “convicted felon” and compared his morals to that of an “alley cat.”

The debate took place about 1.6 km from Georgia Tech University, where 800 journalists from 34 countries, and campaign staff, watched on TV monitors.

After the debate, Republican and Democratic leaders came to the floor of the university’s pavilion to speak with reporters, with both sides declaring victory.

Republican member of Congress Elise Stefanik said the debate showed that Trump would “easily defeat” Biden in November, adding: “This is an absolute overwhelming knockout victory by President Trump tonight against a failed, feckless and weak Joe Biden.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, who had challenged Trump for president in the Republican primaries, said Biden seemed confused and only had “a spark of life for him when he was talking about Jan. 6 and Trump’s conviction.

“Biden doesn’t give a damn about the issues that affect Americans ... President Biden came across as the mean guy in the room.”

Several Democrats declined to answer questions from reporters about the debate, and instead issued statements defending Biden and predicting his victory over Trump in November.

Asked if Biden should be concerned about the election, Sen. Raphael Warnock said: “I’d be concerned if the president didn’t have a record to run on, but the fact of the matter is this is a man who has passed historic legislation.”

Warnock added: “Elections are about the character of the country. The American people got a chance tonight to be reminded about the character of Donald Trump, a man who stood there and lied for 90 minutes straight.

“What I was struck by was that every time he was asked a question, you noticed Trump never answered the questions. America is better than Donald Trump.”

Biden and Trump are expected to participate in one more debate, to be hosted by ABC Network News on Sept. 10.

This will also circumvent rules set by the US Commission on Presidential Debates, which has hosted all these events since the 1980s.

Independent candidates excluded from the debate, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Jill Stein, hosted their own parallel events and responded in real time to the same questions posed by CNN to Biden and Trump.


Diplomatic incident in French-owned Jerusalem compound

Updated 7 sec ago
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Diplomatic incident in French-owned Jerusalem compound

JERUSALEM: Israeli police entered the French-owned Eleona church compound in Jerusalem, on Thursday, briefly detaining two gendarmes and prompting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to abandon a scheduled visit, an AFP journalist reported.
“I will not enter the Eleona Domain today, because Israeli security forces entered with weapons, without prior French authorization, without agreeing to leave today,” Barrot said at the scene, calling the standoff “unacceptable.”
France claims the sanctuary on the Mount of Olives as its territory under international treaties. It has been the focus of diplomatic incidents in the past.

Lebanon MPs demand UN protection of heritage sites from Israel attacks

Picture shows the destruction at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Baalbek in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley.
Updated 14 min 48 sec ago
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Lebanon MPs demand UN protection of heritage sites from Israel attacks

  • Appeal to head of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, followed Israeli strikes near ancient ruins in the southern city of Tyre and the eastern city of Baalbek in recent weeks

BEIRUT: More than 100 Lebanese lawmakers appealed to the United Nations on Thursday to ensure the preservation of heritage sites in areas heavily bombed by Israel during its war with Hezbollah.
The appeal to the head of the UN cultural agency, UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, followed Israeli strikes near ancient ruins in the southern city of Tyre and the eastern city of Baalbek in recent weeks.
“During the devastating war on Lebanon, Israel has caused grave human rights violations and atrocities,” the lawmakers said more than a month into the Israel-Hezbollah war.
“As parliamentarians, we bring to your attention an urgent need: the protection of Lebanon’s historic sites in Baalbek, Tyre, Sidon and other invaluable landmarks currently at risk due to the escalation of the atrocities,” it added.
“These cherished landmarks, treasured not only by our nation but by the world, face imminent risk as the war escalates.”
Lebanon is home to six UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Roman ruins in Baalbek and Tyre, where Hezbollah holds sway.
In Baalbek, Israeli strikes on Wednesday destroyed a heritage house and damaged a historic hotel near the city’s Roman temples, according to local authorities.
The strike hit just a few meters (yards) from the ruins, the closest since the start of the war, officials said.
“We are waiting for engineers from UNESCO and the Directorate General of Antiquities” to determine if there was any damage, Baalbek mayor Mustafa Al-Shall told AFP.
In Tyre, Israeli strikes have hit close to the city’s Roman ruins.
UNESCO said last month it was “closely following the impact of the ongoing conflict on the World Heritage site of Tyre,” using remote sensing tools and satellite imagery.
The Lebanese MPs called on Azoulay to “urgently prioritize the protection of these historic sites by mobilizing UNESCO’s authority, securing international attention, and advocating for protective measures.”
“This appeal goes beyond physical preservation; it is about safeguarding the traditions, stories and values these sites represent — legacies that connect our past to our future.”
Hezbollah and Israel have been at war since late September, when Israel broadened its focus from fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip to securing its northern border, even as the Gaza war continues.
Since September 23, more than 2,600 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, according to Health Minister Firass Abiad.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on Monday for a ceasefire “to protect our country’s cultural heritage, including the ancient archaeological sites of Baalbek and Tyre.”
He called on the UN Security Council to “take swift and decisive action to protect these historical treasures.”


Israel army tells north Gaza residents to leave ‘combat zone’

Updated 49 min 55 sec ago
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Israel army tells north Gaza residents to leave ‘combat zone’

  • “For your safety, move south immediately,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X
  • The latest call follows a series of evacuation orders for large swathes of the Gaza Strip’s north

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military called for the evacuation of several areas in northern Gaza on Thursday, again warning that Palestinian militants were launching rockets from there.
“We inform you that the designated area is considered a dangerous combat zone. For your safety, move south immediately,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X along with a map of the area in Gaza City’s northwest.
The latest call follows a series of evacuation orders for large swathes of the Gaza Strip’s north, where Israeli forces have intensified their operations since early October.
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told reporters that “we are isolating Gazan civilians away from Hamas terrorists so we can get to the terrorists” still in that area.
“Right now, there are residents of the northern part of Gaza who have been evacuated to safer places,” he added.


Greek tanker crippled by Houthi militants starts oil transfer

he Sounion caught fire and lost power after being attacked on August 21 off the coast of Hodeidah. (Aspides)
Updated 07 November 2024
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Greek tanker crippled by Houthi militants starts oil transfer

ATHENS: A Greek oil tanker crippled by Yemen’s Houthi militants and towed to avert an environmental disaster began transferring its cargo of over a million barrels on Thursday, the state-run ANA news agency said.
The Sounion caught fire and lost power after being attacked on August 21 off the coast of Hodeidah, a Houthi-held port city.
The following day its 25-strong crew was rescued. The rebels claimed to have detonated charges on the ship’s deck, sparking new fires.
ANA said the Sounion had begun transferring its cargo of 150,000 tons of crude to another tanker, Delta Blue, at a “safe anchorage” in the port of Suez.
“The vessel is at Suez, and as it’s at a safe anchorage, we are no longer monitoring it,” a source at Greece’s merchant marine ministry told AFP.
Citing ministry sources, ANA said the operation began on Thursday and will last between three and four weeks.
In September, EU maritime safety body Aspides said the Sounion was not under its protection at the time of the attack.
The ship’s original course “was a bit of a mystery,” the ministry source told AFP. “We were told it was heading from Iraq to Singapore. If that were the case, how did it end up in the Red Sea?“
The operation to tow the vessel to safety in September required a tugboat escorted by three frigates, helicopters and a special forces team, ANA said.
Had the vessel broken up or exploded, it could have caused an oil spill four times larger than that caused by the Exxon Valdez in 1989 off Alaska, experts had warned.
The EU naval force was formed in February to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by Houthis.
The Houthis have waged a campaign against international shipping to show solidarity with Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.
They have been firing drones and missiles at ships in the vital commercial route, saying they are targeting vessels linked to Israel, the US and Britain.
The United States, with the support of allies led by Britain, has carried out repeated air strikes on rebel bases in Yemen.


Lebanon says 3 killed, UN peacekeepers wounded in Israel strikes

Members of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force enter a bus at the site of an Israeli strike at the northern entrance of Sidon.
Updated 07 November 2024
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Lebanon says 3 killed, UN peacekeepers wounded in Israel strikes

  • Three Lebanese soldiers manning the checkpoint were also wounded alongside members of the Malaysian contingent of UNIFIL, according to the army

SIDON: The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike on a vehicle near a checkpoint in the southern city of Sidon on Thursday killed three people and wounded troops and UN peacekeepers.
“The Israeli enemy targeted a car while it was passing through the Awali checkpoint,” the main northern entrance to Sidon, the army said.
With the exception of a few limited strikes, Sidon, a Sunni Muslim-majority city, has been relatively spared the deadly air raids targeting south Lebanon in Israel’s war against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
The strike killed three people, all of them passengers in the targeted vehicle, the army said.
Three Lebanese soldiers manning the checkpoint were also wounded alongside members of the Malaysian contingent of UNIFIL, according to the army.
The UNIFIL peacekeeping force said a “convoy bringing newly-arrived peacekeepers to south Lebanon was passing Sidon when a drone strike occurred nearby.”
“Five peacekeepers were lightly injured and treated by the Lebanese Red Cross on the spot. They will continue to their posts,” it said, urging warring parties “to avoid actions putting peacekeepers or civilians in danger.”
UNIFIL has thousands of peacekeepers
Lebanon’s official National News Agency said a UNIFIL vehicle was on the “same lane” during the strike, which left UN peacekeepers with “minor injuries.”
An AFP correspondent in the area saw the charred, mangled remains of the targeted vehicle which was only a few meters away from an army checkpoint.
The correspondent saw UNIFIL peacekeepers gathered on the sidewalk near the checkpoint, some of them bloodied and wounded after the raid, as paramedics attended to their injuries.
The UNIFIL convoy comprised a number of busses, the correspondent said.
Israeli raids have intensified in recent weeks on Haret Saida, a densely-populated Sidon suburb that has a significant population of Shiite Muslims.
Israel has also increasingly launched targeted strikes on vehicles. A woman was killed Thursday in an Israeli strike targeting a car on a key road linking the capital Beirut with the Bekaa Valley and Syria, a security source told AFP.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported earlier that “an enemy drone targeted a car in Araya,” adding that the strike left the route blocked to vehicular traffic.
The highway links Beirut to the Syrian capital of Damascus, through the Lebanese mountains.