Trump arrives for talks with Palestinian leader in Bethlehem

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President Donald Trump shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting at the presidential headquarters in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. (REUTERS)
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US President Donald Trump (L) and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas (2nd L) review the honor guard at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AFP)
Updated 23 May 2017
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Trump arrives for talks with Palestinian leader in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM: US President Donald Trump arrived for talks with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday as they seek ways to renew Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
Trump arrived at the presidential palace in the West Bank city, located only about a 20-minute drive from Jerusalem but across Israel's controversial separation wall.
On Monday, Trump held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
The Palestinian president greeted Abbas outside the presidential palace and the two men walked along a red carpet onto its grounds.
Trump's visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories is part of his first trip abroad as president, and follows an initial leg in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to confront extremism.
He has spoken of reviving long-stalled peace efforts between the Israelis and Palestinians, but few specifics have emerged of how he intends to do so.
"I've heard it's one of the toughest deals of all, but I have a feeling that we're going to get there eventually, I hope," Trump said on Monday night.
Later Tuesday, Trump will return to Jerusalem to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and give a speech at the Israel Museum before wrapping up his two-day stop and flying on to Europe.


Turkey and Hamas discuss reaching second phase of Gaza peace plan, Turkish sources say

Updated 21 December 2025
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Turkey and Hamas discuss reaching second phase of Gaza peace plan, Turkish sources say

  • They also discussed ⁠measures to be taken to resolve existing issues for proceeding to the second phase of the plan, the sources also said, without giving details

ANKARA: Turkey’s MIT intelligence agency chief met Hamas' ​negotiating team head Khalil Al-Hayya on Saturday and discussed necessary measures to be taken for proceeding to the ‌second phase ‌of the ‌Gaza ⁠peace ​plan, ‌Turkish security sources said.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said MIT chief Ibrahim Kalin met the ⁠Hamas delegation in Istanbul ‌within the scope ‍of the ‍Gaza ceasefire agreement, ‍and they discussed steps to be taken to prevent what they ​said were Israel's ceasefire violations.
They also discussed ⁠measures to be taken to resolve existing issues for proceeding to the second phase of the plan, the sources also said, without giving details.