Independent reporting on war and politics in the U.S. and across the world, delivered by Jeremy Scahill, Ryan Grim, and the Drop Site team. www.dropsitenews.com
International Fugitive Benjamin Netanyahu Goes to Washington
Israeli prime minister and international fugitive Benjamin Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to be hosted in Washington, D.C., by President Donald Trump. They are meeting in the wake of a barrage of chaotic and conflicting messages by Trump on what he believes should happen in Gaza and the West Bank.Without a doubt, Trump wants to preside over a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, though the Saudis have said they will not enter into such a deal without a credible process to create an independent Palestinian state. Israeli officials have made clear Netanyahu wants to push Trump to fully embrace his position that Hamas should be wiped out completely and there are indications the Israeli leader does not want the so-called ceasefire to move to the second phase—which envisions a withdrawal of Israeli forces, further exchange of captives and discussions on a large reconstruction plan for Gaza—or toward an actual rebuilding of Gaza. All of this happens as Palestinians continue to return to an apocalyptic scene in the north of the Gaza Strip and Israel continues to intensify its attacks against the West Bank. Mouin Rabbani and Dr. Annelle Sheline join Jeremy Scahill to discuss. Mouin Rabbani is the co-editor of Jadaliyya and non-resident fellow at both DAWN and Middle East Council on Global Affairs, and a former UN official who worked as a special adviser on Israel-Palestine for the International Crisis Group. Dr. Annelle Sheline is a research fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute. She served as a foreign affairs officer at the U.S. Department of State until resigning in March 2024 over the Biden administration's Gaza policy. To support Drop Site News, become a paid subscriber or consider making a one-time or recurring 501c3 tax deductible donation. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
--------
48:49
Mustafa Barghouti on Israel’s “Defeat” in Gaza, Saudi Normalization, and the War on the West Bank
In a wide-ranging interview, Mustafa Barghouti, the general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, speaks with Drop Site News journalists Jeremy Scahill and Sharif Abdel Kouddous about the latest developments in the Gaza “ceasefire” deal, Israel’s large-scale military operation in the West Bank, national unity talks between Palestinian political factions, President Trump’s plans to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, and much more. Barghouti is a former presidential candidate who was elected to parliament in 2006 and has been a leading Palestinian political figure for over two decades. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
--------
27:42
What Trump 2.0 Means for Iran
Although the Trump allies have repeatedly vowed to pivot away from involvement in the Middle East, a major crisis still looms on the horizon with Iran. In his first term, President Donald Trump tore up the Iran Nuclear Deal, also known as the JCPOA, setting the stage for a renewed campaign of sanctions, sabotage, and assassination targeting Iran. Iran responded by vastly ramping up its nuclear enrichment program.The situation continues to escalate, with Western powers weighing their dwindling options for how to respond to Iran’s nuclear expansion. Even after Israel inflicting major blows on Iran’s allies in the region over the past year, a U.S. war with Iran would be an extremely difficult and dangerous endeavor, and would destroy Trump’s vow to wind down U.S. wars in the region.The U.S. now faces a choice of reengaging diplomatically with Iran, going to war, or accepting a nuclear Iran as a new reality.On the new episode of Drop Site News's podcast Intercepted, Sina Toossi, a senior nonresident fellow at the Center for International Policy, joins Murtaza Hussain for a wide-ranging discussion on Iran and the incoming Trump administration.Subscribe to our free newsletter at DropSiteNews.com Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
--------
1:00:05
EXCLUSIVE: Hamas Intends to Uphold Agreement, Senior Official Tells Drop Site in 30-Minute Interview
In this special breaking news episode, senior Hamas official Basem Naim speaks to Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill about the Gaza “ceasefire” that went into effect Sunday. Naim said that Hamas intends to uphold its side of the deal—despite claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he received assurances from both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump that Israel can resume its war against Gaza after the first phase of the agreement. “What kind of side deals they have done, this is their business,” he says. “But what I can say here: the American administration led by Biden, we consider complicit—directly complicit—in the genocide.” Naim discusses why Hamas considers the agreement an achievement for the armed resistance in Gaza, discusses the role of Trump in the negotiations, and talks about how Israel sabotaged previous negotiations over the exact deal that was signed this week. Drop Site also asked Naim whether Hamas still stands by its decision to launch the October 7 attacks, given the horrifying death toll inflicted on the Palestinians of Gaza. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
--------
32:01
The Gaza “Ceasefire” Deal and the Loopholes Netanyahu Could Exploit
An agreement on a deal that will halt — at least temporarily — Israel’s 15-month long genocidal assault on Gaza was announced on Wednesday to scenes of celebration by Palestinians in Gaza. At the time of writing, Israel has not yet officially announced it has agreed to the deal. The terms of the agreement being negotiated are nearly identical to what was on the table last May when outgoing President Joe Biden first announced it. Much of the last minute negotiations this month were around specific details, including sensitive topics such as the extent of withdrawal of Israeli forces, a buffer zone, control of the Rafah border crossing, and whether displaced Palestinians would be able to return to their homes in northern Gaza.Sami Al-Arian, director the Center for Islam and Global Affairs, Zaim University, and Muhammad Shehada, journalist and analyst from Gaza, joined Jeremy Scahill to discuss the breakthrough in the deal and the potential loopholes for Israel. While Trump’s interventions have been “monumental” in making the ceasefire deal possible, Shehada said, there is a likely “gift bag” in the deal for Israelis. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
Independent reporting on war and politics in the U.S. and across the world, delivered by Jeremy Scahill, Ryan Grim, and the Drop Site team. www.dropsitenews.com
South Africa