President Donald Trump on Thursday visits a U.S. base installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East as he uses his four-day visit to Gulf states to reject the 鈥渋nterventionism鈥 of America鈥檚 past in the region.
In other parts of the Middle East violence flared in the West Bank and Gaza, with a pregnant Israeli woman killed even as the international rights group ,Human Rights Watch ,said that Israel鈥檚 plan to seize Gaza, remain in the territory and displace hundreds of thousands of people 鈥渋nches closer to extermination.鈥
Trump plans to address troops at Qatar鈥檚 , which was a major staging ground during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and supported the recent U.S. air campaign against Yemen鈥檚 Iran-backed Houthis. The president has held up Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar as models for economic development in a region plagued by conflict as he works to entice Iran to come to terms with his administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program.
The President also meets business leaders in Qatar and heads to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
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Al Jazeera, long critical of US over Israel-Hamas war, quiets critiques during Trump鈥檚 visit
Qatar鈥檚 satellite news channel Al Jazeera long has been a powerful force in the Middle East, often taking editorial positions at odds with America鈥檚 interests in the region during the wars that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida.
But during President Donald Trump鈥檚 visit to the Gulf Arab nation this week, state-funded Al Jazeera muted its typical critiques of American foreign policy.
The channel, which broadcasts in Arabic and English, broadly covered Trump鈥檚 visit in a straightforward manner, highlighting it was the first-ever trip to Qatar by a sitting American leader. Mentions of the Israel-Hamas war, which Al Jazeera often has criticized America over for its military support to Israel, did not include any critiques of U.S. policy. Instead, journalists highlighted Qatar鈥檚 role as a mediator in the war and aired comments by Qatar鈥檚 ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, calling for a ceasefire.
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President Trump begins his third day in the Middle East
After a morning meeting with top U.S. and Qatari officials and American defense and aerospace business leaders, Trump heads to Al-Udeid Air Base, a U.S. installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East. There, he will address troops and is expected to view a demonstration of American air capability.
The president then travels to the United Arab Emirates, the final leg of his first major foreign trip. He will head first to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and then to a state visit hosted at Abu Dhabi鈥檚 Qasr al-Watan palace.
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Human Rights Watch slams Israeli plans to expand Gaza war
The international rights group said that Israel鈥檚 plan to seize Gaza, remain in the territory and displace hundreds of thousands of people 鈥渋nches closer to extermination.鈥
It called on the international community to speak out against the plan. It said that the new plans, coupled with the 鈥渟ystematic destruction鈥 of civilian infrastructure and the block on all imports into Gaza, were cause for signatories to the Genocide Convention to act to prevent Israel鈥檚 moves. It said states should halt weapons transfers to Israel and enforce international arrest warrants against Israel鈥檚 prime minister and former defense minister, as well as review their bilateral agreements with the country.
Israel vehemently denies accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza.
The group also called on Hamas to free the 58 hostages it still holds in Gaza, 23 of whom are believed to be alive.
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Pregnant Israeli woman killed in West Bank shooting attack, doctors rescue her baby
A pregnant Israeli woman has died after she was shot and critically wounded in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank, a hospital said Thursday.
Beilinson Hospital said that doctors succeeded in saving her unborn baby, who was in serious but stable condition after being delivered by caesarean section.
The Israeli military said a Palestinian assailant opened fire on a vehicle late Wednesday, wounded two civilians. Soldiers launched a search for the attacker.
It鈥檚 the latest violence in the Palestinian territory, where the Israeli military has launched a major operation that it says is meant to crack down on militancy. The operation has displaced tens of thousands of people.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in months of violence that surged there after the start of the war in Gaza.
