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Trump ‘not confident’ Israel-Hamas ceasefire will hold

AFP
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025

WASHINGTON: The Israel-Hamas ceasefire entered a third day on Tuesday, while US President Donald Trump said he doubted the fragile deal would hold.

President Donald Trump announced plans to weed out some 1,000 opponents from the US government on Tuesday on his first full day in power after taking office with a shock-and-awe blitz of executive orders.

In a post shortly after midnight on his Truth Social app, Trump said four people had already been “FIRED!” from advisory roles and made clear they were the tip of the iceberg as he seeks to quickly tighten his grip on the government bureaucracy.

“My Presidential Personnel Office is actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees from the previous Administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again,” he posted.

One of those fired was retired general Mark Milley from an infrastructure advisory body. Milley was chairman of the joint chiefs of staff during Trump´s first presidency but became one of the Republican´s most prominent critics after he tried to overturn the 2020 election.

The acting head of the Department of Homeland Security separately announced the firing of Coast Guard chief Linda Fagan, who was appointed under Democrat Joe Biden and was the first woman to head one of the six branches of the US military.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump granted pardons to more than 1,500 of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a bid to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Trump, just hours after taking office, also ordered that all pending criminal cases against Capitol riot defendants be dropped.

Among those receiving a pardon was Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for directing a military-style assault on the Capitol.

Stewart Rhodes, the leader of another far-right group, the Oath Keepers, had his 18-year prison sentence commuted to time served. Both Tarrio and Rhodes had been convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Describing the rioters as “hostages,” Trump said at a White House signing ceremony that he had granted “full pardons” to more than 1,500 defendants.

“We hope they come out tonight, frankly,” he said.

A total of 1,583 people were charged in connection with the assault on Congress by Trump supporters seeking to disrupt certification of Democrat Joe Biden´s election victory.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO), a body he has repeatedly criticised over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the White House hours after his inauguration, Trump said the United States was paying far more to the UN body compared to China, adding: “World Health ripped us off.”

The United States, the largest donor to the Geneva-based organisation, provides substantial financial support that is vital to the WHO´s operations.

Its withdrawal is expected to trigger a significant restructuring of the institution and could further disrupt global health initiatives. This marks the second time Trump has sought to sever ties with the WHO.