topics

politics-policy

epstein-files

donald-trump

2026-midterm-elections

immigration

behind-the-curtain

race-and-equity

technology

privacy-tech-regulation

automation-and-ai

tiktok-news

big-tech

social-media

cybersecurity

economy

social-security

inflation

tariffs

federal-reserve

jobs

transportation

business

stock-market-news

retail-news

crypto

media

elon-musk

dealmaking

health

rfk-jr

drug-prices

axios-explains-abortion

public-health

world

israel

axios-explains-ukraine

iran

russia

china

energy-climate

nuclear-energy

climate-energy-policy

climate-change

extreme-weather

alternative-energy

electric-vehicles

science

emerging-tech

biomedicine

newsletters

pittsburgh

atlanta

san-diego

charlotte

boulder

washington-dc

kansas-city

dallas

denver

detroit

des-moines

austin

boston

chicago

cleveland

columbus

houston

indianapolis

miami

nashville

new-orleans

nw-arkansas

philadelphia

phoenix

portland

richmond

salt-lake-city

san-antonio

san-francisco

seattle

tampa-bay

twin-cities

raleigh

huntsville

colorado-springs

axios-local

axios-pro

axios-live

the-axios-show

National

White House envoy Steve Witkoff sent a new proposal last week to Hamas for a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal through an Israeli peace activist, two sources with direct knowledge told Axios. 

Why it matters: The new U.S. proposal aims to find a diplomatic solution ahead of the massive offensive Israel is planning to launch to occupy Gaza City. 

Driving the news: On Friday, President Trump said the U.S. is "in deep negotiations with Hamas" on a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal. 

He stressed the U.S. message to Hamas is: "If you immediately release the hostages, good things are going to happen, but if you don't — it is going to be tough and nasty for you." 

Trump comments came as the Israeli military began flattening high-rise buildings in Gaza City that it claims are used by Hamas for military purposes. 

It marked the first major phase in Israel's new offensive to occupy Gaza City, which the government says is aimed at rooting out Hamas. The operation — backed by Trump — is expected to escalate in the coming days.

Zoom in: The new proposal includes the release of all 48 remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and the end of the Israeli operation to occupy Gaza, according to a senior Israeli official familiar with the details.

In addition, Israel will release 2500-3000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in its prisons, including hundreds serving life sentences for killing Israelis. 

According to the proposal, once the ceasefire is declared, negotiations would immediately begin on the conditions for ending the war — including Israel's demands for Hamas' disarmament and Hamas' demand for a final and complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli official said.

The proposal emphasized that if Hamas responds positively to the initiative, Trump would actively work to end the war, and the ceasefire would continue as long as negotiations on the terms for the war's end are ongoing.

The Israeli official said the proposal to Hamas included a message that if the organization does not accept the initiative, the alternative would be very bad: a large-scale Israeli operation in Gaza.

Behind the scenes: Last Sunday, Witkoff played golf with Trump and discussed the situation around the Gaza war. 

Two sources with knowledge of the meeting said Trump instructed Witkoff to give a renewed push to reach a deal to end the war and release all remaining hostages.    

Witkoff then asked Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah, who has been a back channel to Hamas in recent months, to tell the group that if they release all the hostages, Trump will make sure the war ends. 

Bahbah delivered the message to Hamas and came back to Witkoff later in the week with a message from Hamas expressing willingness to go for a comprehensive deal. 

Hamas stressed in the message that the release of hostages must take place simultaneously with a declaration of a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a source with knowledge said. 

In addition to Bahbah, Witkoff also established a new back channel to Hamas through Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin. 

Two sources said Witkoff asked Baskin to convey to Hamas general principles for a comprehensive ceasefire deal.

A senior Israeli official claimed that Witkoff sent his proposal through Baskin without first informing the Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Only after he had delivered the proposal through Baskin did Witkoff pass it to the official mediators.

It is not entirely clear to what extent Witkoff informed Israel in advance about the new proposal. Israel also learned about Witkoff's messages to Hamas through Baskin by its own independent means. 

Baskin declined to comment. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Flashback: Baskin, 69, was born in New York City and moved to Israel in 1978, where he worked for a civil society organization focused on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  

He has been in contact for many years with Hamas official Ghazi Hamad. The Israeli intelligence services have used Baskin as a back channel to Hamas.

Baskin helped in the mediation efforts that led to the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who Hamas held from 2006 to 2011.

State of play: Israeli officials briefed on the Witkoff-Baskin back channel to Hamas said it is unclear whether it will lead to a breakthrough in the stalled negotiations.

"The problem is that Hamas is very suspicious about Witkoff's back channels that bypass the Egyptians and Qataris. Hamas doesn't see these back channels as reliable," an Israeli official said. 

Israeli officials say the main reason for Hamas' suspicions is that they felt cheated when the U.S. didn't ramp up pressure on Israel to end the war after Hamas released American hostage Edan Alexander.

"We need to wait a few more days to see definitively where things are heading, but at this stage it doesn't look like Hamas is responding positively to the proposal, and it doesn't look like we're on the verge of a breakthrough. Something in the positions of Israel, Hamas, or the U.S. needs to change for anything to move forward," a senior Israeli official said.

What they're saying: Trump posted on his Truth Social account Sunday that Israel has accepted his "his terms" and and that it's "time for Hamas to accept as well."

"I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!" he wrote. 

The Israeli government hasn't issued a public statement accepting the proposal. A short background quote attributed to Netanyahu's confidants said "Israel is seriously considering President Trump's proposal, while Hamas will likely reject it."

Hamas has not rejected Trump's proposal. The group said in a statement on Sunday that it was ready to immediately engage in negotiations.

"Hamas welcomes any move that helps the efforts being made to stop the aggression against our people, and affirms that it is immediately ready to sit at the negotiating table to discuss the release of all prisoners in exchange for a clear declaration to end the war, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the formation of a committee of independent Palestinians to administer Gaza which would immediately begin its work," the group said in a statement.

Hamas stressed that it wanted "an explicit and public commitment" by Israel to the terms of proposal, so that it won't renege on the deal once again. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details. 

White House envoy sends new proposal to Hamas through Israeli peace activist

On Friday, President Trump said the U.S. is "in deep negotiations with Hamas" on a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks as President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting with members of his administration in the Cabinet Room of the White House on August 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks as President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting with members of his administration in the Cabinet Room of the White House on August 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

Israel

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Conflicts, policies and powers are intersecting and shaping the world. Breaking news and analysis of national security, foreign policy and global crises.

World

President Trump arrived back in the concrete jungle where he built his fame on Sunday. 

The big picture: Trump's presence has loomed large over New York City for months as he's sought to insert himself into city affairs, including a closely watched mayoral race. 

"When I left, New York was the place you wanted to be, and now people just don't speak well of it. But we're going to bring it back, and we're going to bring it back strong," Trump said of the city at a 2024 Madison Square Garden campaign rally.

Since then, his administration has made big moves in New York City by dropping corruption charges against the city's mayor, fighting the city's congestion pricing program, wading into political races and recently threatening a federal crackdown on city crime.

Driving the news: The president arrived in the city Sunday for the U.S. Open men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the Trump Organization once held a suite.

The last time he attended the tournament, then as a candidate in 2015, he was met with a chorus of boos. Per sports reporter Ben Rothenberg, he received a mix of boos and claps on Sunday.

Prior to his appearance, the U.S. Tennis Association asked ESPN and other broadcasters not to air any "disruptions or reactions" related to the president's appearance at the match. The association told multiple outlets it is policy to "regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions."

Between the lines: Trump's wheels touched down just days after multiple outlets reported his administration was considering a stunning intervention in the upcoming election for mayor of New York City.

That news came months after Trump's Justice Department made the controversial move to drop criminal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, sparking an exodus of prosecutors. 

Multiple reports last week said Adams was being considered for a role in the Trump administration, but the mayor denied that he is dropping out of the race. 

Still, Trump wants a one-on-one race between the city's Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, at whom he's hurled a cascade of insults and threats, and another candidate. 

The goal of giving Adams a post, The New York Times reported, would be to give former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo a better chance to take on Mamdani. Trump has not said which candidate he wants to see run against Mamdani.

Multiple outlets also reported this week that Trump is exploring means by which to take federal control of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the administration's reported plans, saying in a statement that the memorial "belongs to New Yorkers — the families, survivors, and first responders who have carried this legacy for more than two decades and ensured we never forget."

The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request to confirm such reports. 

While on the campaign trail in 2024, Trump pledged to make Ground Zero a national monument. The New York Times reports that some of the families of victims had criticized the memorial's ticket prices and executives' salaries.

Zoom out: After his federal takeover in the nation's capital, Trump floated several other cities he'd want to target, with New York City among them.

"I think Chicago will be our next, and then we'll help with New York," he said last month.

The bottom line: Trump's New York state of mind is seemingly still central to his political identity, more than a decade after he descended the golden escalator.

Go deeper: Trump admin goes after N.Y. AG who won civil fraud trial against president

Trump admin goes after N.Y. AG who won civil fraud trial against president

Trump's Big Apple bite is bigger than the mayor's race

The president has not shied away in recent months from wading into city affairs and a closely watched mayoral race.

Trump points while attending a tennis match, wearing a dark suit and a red tie. He is flanked by Pam Bondi, who is wearing a pink blazer, a teenage girl in a blue dress. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi, President Trump, granddaughter to Donald Trump Arabella Kushner, and former Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner stand prior to the Men's Singles Final match of the 2025 US Open on September 7 in New York City. Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Donald Trump

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) blasted Vice President JD Vance Saturday for describing the deadly U.S. strike on a drug vessel as "highest and best use of our military," slamming his sentiment as "despicable and thoughtless."

The big picture: Trump administration officials have signaled the attack on an alleged drug-running boat will not be the last amid a militarized war on drugs, over which some lawmakers have raised legal concerns.

Top Democrats said they were left in the dark ahead of the operation. Senate national security and leadership staff were set to be briefed about the strike last week, but Trump's team abruptly canceled the session.

Under the second Trump administration, the U.S. has entered an era where narcotraffickers are considered terrorists that the president claims the U.S. has the right to kill.

Driving the news: Asked on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday about the president's authority to conduct such strikes, border czar Tom Homan said "that's a question for the Department of Justice or ... Department of Defense," which President Trump has ordered to be rebranded as the Department of War.

But he said Trump "made the right decision ... when he classified these cartels and these gangs as terrorist organizations," later adding he supports the president's action.

 Catch up quick: Vance enthusiastically endorsed the strike, which Trump said killed 11 "terrorists," saying on X that "[k]illing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military."

The president said those on the boat were "positively identified" as members of Tren de Aragua, the crime organization that the administration has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

In response to social media personality Brian Krassenstein, who described the attacks as a "war crime," Vance wrote, "I don't give a sh-t what you call it."

Friction point: Paul, who has broken from the administration on several policy issues, called the vice president "JD 'I don't give a sh-t' Vance" in his Saturday jab and wrote, "What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial."

But Homan, responding to Paul's criticism Sunday, said he's "glad" to see the U.S. "playing the away game."

The other side: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation" that the Maduro regime are "bad guys" and that the flow of fentanyl needs to be curbed, but he raised concerns about how the strike was carried out.

"What I'm worried about is if we put our sailors in harm's way by violating international law, unless there is the appropriate designations, could this come back and hurt those sailors?" he questioned, noting that he had yet to be briefed.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that the move was a "massive expansion of presidential authority against the rules that abide by the use of military force." He described Trump's expansions of executive power as "very authoritarian."

And Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Iraq War veteran, argued the military action was "illegal" and that the strike in international waters "opens Americans to a similar action by our adversaries."

Zoom out: The strike on the vessel that officials said hailed from Venezuela was a major escalation in the president's brewing feud with the country and its president, Nicolás Maduro, who the administration has labeled a leader of a drug-trafficking terrorist cartel.

While the operation is targeting drug trafficking, potential regime change would be a likely welcome side effect, Axios' Marc Caputo reported.

What we're watching: But as the administration touts its military crackdown on drugs, lawmakers are seeking more information about the legal basis for its mission. 

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Az.), a Navy veteran, told Axios last week that service members shouldn't be put in a situation where they are "doing things that are outside of legal boundaries."

Go deeper: Trump 2.0 refashions U.S. military muscle

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional comments from Sens. Mark Warner, Tammy Duckworth and Cory Booker. 

Trump 2.0 refashions U.S. military muscle

"Despicable and thoughtless": Vance's drug vessel strike praise slammed by senator

Vance enthusiastically endorsed the strike, which Trump said killed 11 "terrorists."

JD Vance holds his hand up as he speaks, wearing a dark suit and a white shirt.

Vice President JD Vance speaks at Mid-City Steel on August 28 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Immigration

President Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin "what he wanted" with last month's summit in Alaska, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not represented at the talks, in a recent interview.

The big picture: Trump received heavy criticism for abandoning his ceasefire demands from the Russian president during the summit, which began with a red-carpet rollout and abruptly ended with inconclusive results.

Zelensky has stressed that there must be more pressure on Putin, who continues to bombard war-torn Ukraine. 

Trump, who has sporadically threatened to punish Putin, wants to see the two leaders meet face-to-face, though he has been unable to convene such a meeting.

Driving the news: "It's a pity that Ukraine was not there, because I think that President Trump ... gave Putin what he wanted," Zelensky told ABC's Martha Raddatz in an interview that aired Sunday on "This Week."

"He wanted very much to meet with President Trump, with the President of the United States," he said. "And I think that ... Putin got it. And, it's a pity."

Zelensky continued, "Putin doesn't want to meet with me, but he wants very much to meet with the President of the United States, to show everybody video and images that he is there."

The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

State of play: Putin said last week that he would be willing to meet with Zelensky in Moscow, but Ukrainian officials say they'd fear for the president's life if he made such a trip, Axios' Barak Ravid and Dave Lawler report.

Zelensky responded to Putin's invitation in his interview with Raddatz, saying, "He can come to Kyiv."

He added, "I can't go to Moscow when my country is under missiles, under attacks each day. I can't go to this capital of this terrorist."

Zelensky emphasized that Putin can't be trusted, saying "he's playing games with the United States." But Zelensky said he is still ready for a meeting — but not one in Russia.

"It's a pity": Zelensky says Trump gave Putin what he wanted

Zelensky has stressed that there must be more pressure on Putin.

Axios

Sunday's top stories

White House envoy sends new proposal to Hamas through Israeli peace activist

Trump's Big Apple bite is bigger than the mayor's race

"Despicable and thoughtless": Vance's drug vessel strike praise slammed by senator

"It's a pity": Zelensky says Trump gave Putin what he wanted

U.S. economy should accelerate by fourth quarter, Bessent says

JFK grandson Jack Schlossberg takes step towards run for Congress

Treasury would face "terrible" tariff refund hit on SCOTUS loss, Bessent says

AI job anxiety: It's real, and coming at the worst time

Trump's team plans harder test for U.S. citizenship — and more leeway to reject applicants

Trump 2.0 refashions U.S. military muscle