US needn’t act as Israel guard, says Bibi

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toughened his stance on Wednesday by declaring that his country was in charge of its own security and that it was not an American protectorate as he prepared to discuss progress on Gaza’s fragile ceasefire agreement with US Vice-President JD Vance.

Netanyahu’s remarks ahead of his meeting with Vance seemed aimed at easing public concerns that the presence of an envisioned international security force in Gaza could limit Israel’s ability to strike in the devastated territory to thwart future threats. “We are not a protectorate of the US. Israel is the one that will decide on its security,” he said.

He further said, “One week they say that Israel controls the US. A week later they say the US controls Israel. This is hogwash. We have a partnership, an alliance of partners who share common values, common goals.”

In his response, Vance said “We don't want in Israel a vassal state, and that's not what Israel is. We want a partnership, we want an ally.”

He said, “We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas and rebuild Gaza to make life better for the people in Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel. That’s not easy.”

“There’s a lot of work to do, but I feel very optimistic about where we are.” Vance is also meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday. He was accompanied by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

Questions abound on next steps of ceasefire plan

Uncertainty remains over the deployment of an international security force in Gaza and who will govern the territory. Vance said officials were brainstorming on the composition of the security force, mentioning Turkiye and Indonesia as countries expected to contribute troops.

Britain is also sending a small contingent of military officers to Israel to assist in monitoring the ceasefire. As Vance’s meetings got underway, Israel said it completed the identification of the bodies of two more hostages that were handed over by the Red Cross to the Israeli military in Gaza on Tuesday.

Authorities identified the deceased hostages as Arie Zalmanovich and Tamir Adar, who were killed in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants, which triggered the two-year war.

Carney warns of arrest if Netanyahu enters Canada

Canadian PM Mark Carney confirmed that he would uphold former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he entered Canada, in line with the International Criminal Court arrest warrant.

Carney made the remarks during an interview on Sunday. When asked directly if he would be ready to arrest Netanyahu, he responded, “Yes”. On Canada’s approach to Palestinian statehood, he stated, “The end goal is a free and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the state of Israel.” — Agencies