The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they unfold.
Rubio presses Cairo for cooperation on Trump’s plan to move Gazans elsewhere
Amid deep disagreement over US President Donald Trump’s proposal to clear Gaza of its Palestinian residents and redevelop the Strip as a US possession, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterates to his Egyptian counterpart in their Washington meeting “the importance of close cooperation to advance post-conflict planning for the governance and security of Gaza,” according to State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
Egypt’s foreign ministry earlier said Abdelatty told Rubio that Arab countries reject Trump’s plan, in line with the official Palestinian position.
Rubio stresses to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty that “Hamas can never govern Gaza or threaten Israel again,” says Bruce.
According to the US readout, both diplomats affirm the importance of the bilateral relationship, which “includes promoting regional peace, security, and stability.”
Rubio also thanks Abdelatty for Egypt’s mediation of the hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, and for accepting medical evacuations.
On Syria, the two discuss “the need for inclusive governance and the need to prevent the country from being used as a base for terrorism or from posing a threat to its neighbors.”
USAID cuts mean agency can’t ensure aid not going to terrorists, comptroller warns
The US Agency for International Development has lost almost all ability to ensure $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid does not end up in terrorist hands following the Trump administration’s foreign funding freeze and idling of staffers, a government watchdog warns.
The administration’s fast-moving dismantling of the agency has left oversight of the aid “largely nonoperational,” USAID’s inspector general’s office says in a report, specifically noting past concerns of aid money going to Hamas and other terror groups.
The cutoff of funds means that the monitors charged with making sure no US aid in the Middle East or Central Asia reaches the Islamic State group, Hezbollah, the Houthis or Hamas have been told not to come to work, the watchdog says.
“This gap leaves USAID susceptible to inadvertently funding entities or salaries of individuals associated with U.S.-designated terrorist organizations,” reads the report.
The watchdog office notes that it had pushed USAID last year to boost its training of agency staff to make sure that those monitors were properly screening for any such diversion of aid.
Pointing to a July report from the ombudsman that warned of Hamas diverting humanitarian aid in Gaza, the Inspector General’s Office says that “over the past 2 weeks, staffing shortages and limitations on communications with aid organizations stemming from the cessation of U.S. foreign assistance have limited
USAID’s ability to receive, react to, and report allegations of diversion.”
Trump signed an executive order on January 20 freezing foreign assistance, forcing US-funded aid and development programs worldwide to shut down and lay off staff. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had sought to mitigate the damage by issuing a waiver to exempt emergency food aid and “life-saving” programs.
Warding off Israeli bombs, Trump says he thinks nuclear deal possible with ‘scared’ Iran
US President Donald Trump says he thinks his administration will reach a deal with Iran on halting its nuclear program, describing Tehran as “scared” and willing to negotiate.
“I think we’re gonna make a deal in Iran,” he says in a Fox News interview conducted a day earlier.
Trump says he prefers Israel not “bomb the hell out of them,” as many think it will do with US help or approval.
“I’d much rather see a deal with Iran where we can do a deal, supervise, check it, inspect it and then blow it up or just make sure there’s no nuclear,” Trump says in the interview, which airs at the same time as the president speaks to reporters in the Oval Office. “I’d much rather do a deal that’s a deal that’s not going to hurt them, and I think they want it too.”
He does not offer specifics on how to improve on the 2015 nuclear pact he pulled out of in 2018, which he says had been “the dumbest deal,” and a “road to a nuclear weapon.”
But he says that the Iran’s air defenses are largely inoperable, leaving them in a more vulnerable state and more willing to come to the table.
“I think they are nervous, I think they are scared,” he says.
Trump also calls Israel’s covert operation to blow up thousands of Hezbollah pagers “a horrible thing,” but allows that it “knocked out a lot of leadership.”
Trump says he could halt aid to Jordan, Egypt if they don’t take Gazans
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump says he could “conceivably” withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt if they don’t take Palestinian refugees he envisions being relocated from Gaza.
The threat comes after Egypt rejected earlier Monday “any compromise” that would infringe on Palestinians’ rights, in a statement issued after Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his US counterpart in Washington.
Jordan has similarly rejected the proposal.
A freeze on aid to either country could imperil US-brokered peace agreements with Israel.
Trump calls to cancel ceasefire if all hostages not released Saturday
US President Donald Trump says the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal should be canceled if all hostages are not released by 12 p.m. on Saturday.
“Let all hell break loose,” he tells reporters from the Oval Office, reiterating the threat he made several times before entering office.
The tough talk comes after Hamas said it was delaying the release of hostages, imperiling the ceasefire.
Trump notes that it is ultimately up to Israel, and adds “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”
הנה הוידאו של האיום המלא של הנשיא טראמפ הלילה, שגורם ללא מעט גורמים להתחיל לברר למה בדיוק הוא התכוון ומה המשמעות עכשיו להפסקת האש pic.twitter.com/zBznl3Oudq
— יונה לייבזון yuna leibzon (@YunaLeibzon) February 10, 2025
HIAS, other groups sue Trump administration over refugee freeze
Jewish refugee support non-profit HIAS has joined two other pro-refugee organizations in a federal lawsuit challenging US President Donald Trump’s indefinite suspension of the US resettlement program, saying refugees and their families face irreparable harm if it is allowed to remain in effect.
The legal challenge, filed in US District Court in Washington State, argues that Trump exceeded his executive authority by abruptly shutting down the program and freezing funding to aid refugees already in the United States.
The lawsuit is filed by HIAS, Church World Service, and Lutheran Community Services Northwest, as well as nine refugees and US-based family members.
The complainants cite the possibility of serious harm to refugees and call on the court to “restore the important and historic American tradition of protecting and aiding people fleeing persecution.”
Trump, a Republican, immediately paused refugee resettlement after taking office on January 20, saying the program must ensure that refugees admitted to the US “appropriately assimilate” and that taxpayer resources are not wasted.
Days later, funds for US groups that assist refugees already in the country were frozen as part of a larger pause on foreign aid.
IDF cancels memorial tree-planting near Gaza border
A tree-planting event planned for Tuesday morning near the border with Gaza has been called off by the IDF following a fresh assessment of the security situation, the military says.
The event by the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) near Be’eri was to dedicate a new forest commemorating those killed during the October 7 onslaught and in the war. Hundreds of bereaved families were set to participate.
The announcement comes after the army upped its readiness level and canceled planned leave for troops following Hamas’s announcement that it would delay the release of hostages, endangering the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
The IDF says there are no other changes to guidelines for civilians.