This week, Israeli PM nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize. US removes Syria’s ruling rebel group from terror list. UN reports high rates of child malnutrition and cholera amidst conflict in Sudan.
Israeli PM Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Netanyahu presented Trump with a nomination letter at a dinner at the White House on July 7.
Trump told Netanyahu that, “Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful.”
Trump’s nomination for the prize comes after he managed to help Israel and Iran reach a ceasefire after 12 days of conflict which killed 935 people in Iran, and 28 in Israel, according to each country’s officials. Trump also helped the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda to sign a peace agreement.
However, Trump has still not been able to broker a ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel. Since October 7, 2023, the conflict between Hamas and Israel has killed over 1,200 people in Israel, and according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, over 55,000 people in Gaza. In addition to this, Trump and Netanyahu have discussed relocating Palestinians from Gaza to other countries, a plan which has been highly criticized by human rights advocates.
US Removes Syria’s Ruling Rebel Group from Terror List
The United States plans to remove Syria’s ruling rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), from its list of foreign terrorist organizations. The group’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, helped to overthrow the Assad regime in December 2024, and became the country’s new president.
HTS has been on the US’s list of foreign terrorist organizations for over a decade, which has made it difficult for the group’s leaders to accept financial assistance from Americans, travel to the US, or work with US banks.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the removal of the group from its foreign terror list “recognizes the positive actions taken by the new Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa,” describing the move as an important step in “fulfilling President Trump’s vision of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria.”
This development comes after violence against Christians has recently threatened the possibility of peace in Syria. After the fall of Assad, a new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, came to power in Syria, promising to enforce minority rights and build an inclusive country. However, violent attacks have left doubts in the minds of many religious minorities, with some minorities even seeking to leave the country.
UN Reports High Rates of Child Malnutrition and Cholera Amidst Conflict in Sudan
The UN is raising its voice about malnutrition and disease currently plaguing El Fasher, the capital city of Sudan’s North Darfur province. On July 7, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that the city was suffering “extreme shortages” of food and water. Almost 40 percent of the city’s children under five are suffering from acute malnutrition, including 11 per cent with severe acute malnutrition.
Meanwhile, Dujarricv cautioned that the deterioration of food and water and sanitation services, in addition to low vaccination coverage, was highly increasing the risk of cholera in Sudan. The country has reported more than 32,000 suspected cholera cases so far this year. Dujarricv added that most surrounding water infrastructure had been destroyed or rendered non-functional.
An estimated 780,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher town and the nearby Zamzam displacement camps since Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023.
Keywords: Trump, Nobel Peace Prize, Netanyahu, Israeli, Syria, Sudan, El Fasher, peace, conflict, conflict resolution
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
