Hamas’s chief negotiator has declared the war in Gaza “completely over” as progress toward a peace deal continues. Donald Trump announced that Israeli hostages could be released as early as Monday or Tuesday, with Israel agreeing to a timeline for troop withdrawal. The developments follow a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
In Australian politics, Labor’s Socialist Left faction is moving to target the federal seat of Isaacs, currently held by Labor Right member and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus. The faction aims to cement its dominance in Victoria through a renegotiation of the stability pact.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) faces scrutiny as the agency responsible for it appears before Senate estimates today. Critics say attempts to reduce the scheme’s size and cost are leading to severe cuts that affect care and quality of life. One participant, Kieron D’Netto, who has quadriplegia, described the situation as “a severe state of neglect.”
Meanwhile, the NSW Court of Appeal’s decision to ban a pro-Palestine march in Sydney has raised concerns about the erosion of the right to protest. Human rights activists fear the ruling sets a precedent for limiting public demonstrations.
In other news, Labor has accused the Coalition of importing Trump-style culture wars to damage Australia’s migration program, while child protection campaigners Bravehearts call for safeguards in a plan to allow federal agencies to possess and share child sexual abuse material for investigative purposes.
