US-Russia bilateral talks, Israel’s Gaza takeover plans | Hook News Brief

Hook News Brief | 08.08.25

Russia-Ukraine peace deal: US-Russia bilateral talks next week

Trump on Thursday said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin despite the Russian leader’s refusal to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaking to reporters Trump promised to do whatever he could to stop the killing.

This was after Putin told reporters that though he is open to meeting Zelenskyy that would happen only if certain conditions are met and that is far from being a reality. He however has suggested that the UAE could be a suitable place to hold the potential bilateral summit with Trump.

Importantly, Russia has dismissed the opportunity for a trilateral meet where Putin would meet Trump first and then Zelenskyy.

Texas redistricting vote: Republican senator to rope in FBI to round up rebel Democrats

Moving on - the dispute over a plan to re-draw electoral boundaries in Texas has escalated once again. Republican senator John Cornyn on Thursday said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had agreed to help find Democrats who had fled the state.

The FBI though would not confirm whether they agreed to help with the senator failing to specify what kind of assistance the FBI would offer. It comes a day after some rebel Democrats were forced to evacuate a hotel where they were staying in Illinois on account of a bomb threat.

Netanyahu unveils plans for Gaza takeover, governance arrangements

Shifting focus to the Middle East - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with Fox News confirmed that Israel intends to take military control of all of Gaza.

This despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad over the devastating military offensive in the Palestinian enclave. Netanyahu added that Israel wants to hand over the territory to Arab forces that would govern it. He however did not elaborate on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved.

Netanyahu’s comments came shortly before his meeting on Thursday with a small group of senior ministers to discuss plans for the military to take control of more territory in Gaza.

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