By SAM METZ and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD, Associated Press

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Israeli and American officials will meet in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the aftermath of war in Gaza, despite no sign that the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and pushed its largest city into famine, is nearing its end.

Their meeting comes as ceasefire talks show little apparent movement and outrage mounts over deadly Israeli strikes on a southern Gaza hospital that killed 20, including journalists and emergency responders.

The sun sets behind buildings destroyed during Israeli ground and air operations in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Levin)

Israel’s military said it would investigate the hospital attack. In initial findings Tuesday, it offered no immediate explanation for striking twice and no evidence for an assertion that six of the dead were militants.

U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News on Tuesday that President Donald Trump would chair the meeting, which would feature “a very comprehensive plan we’re putting together on the next day.” He did not offer details.

Talks about the strip’s future are unfolding as aid groups warn an expanded Israeli offensive could worsen the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory, where most residents are displaced, neighborhoods lie in ruins, and parts teeter on famine.

The meeting comes nine days after Hamas said it accepted a ceasefire plan from Arab mediators, following Israel’s announced plans to seize Gaza’s biggest city, where some health and infrastructure services remain online and hundreds of thousands are sheltering.

An official from Qatar, one of the countries mediating the talks, said last week that the proposal under discussion was “almost identical” to an earlier draft that Witkoff put forth and Israel accepted. Hamas and Israel have both previously announced acceptance of truces under discussion. But many have fallen apart, with both sides accusing the other of last minute changes.

The deal said to be under discussion would include a 60-day truce, the release of some hostages held by Hamas in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and a road map toward talks on a lasting ceasefire.

Many in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition oppose such a phased deal. Israel has pressed ahead with plans to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists for an expanded offensive.

Related Articles

Denmark summons US envoy after report of Americans carrying out influence operations in Greenland

Handling crime a strength for Trump as many in US see a ‘major problem’ in big cities: AP-NORC poll

Trump’s 50% tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases take effect

FBI agents who had accused bureau of politicization during Biden administration reach settlements

Trump asks court to toss remaining civil fraud penalties after getting his massive fine thrown out

On Wednesday, hospitals reported at least 10 casualties, including one near an aid distribution site in central Gaza and at a displacement camp in southern Gaza.

An Israeli strike killed three people, including a child and a woman, and injured 21 others when it hit displaced people’s tents in Khan Younis overnight on Wednesday, the Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital said. Three separate Israeli strikes killed at least six others in Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital said on Wednesday.

Israel’s military did not immediately respond to questions about the strikes. Its military offensive has killed more than 62,819 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children.

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals but 50 remain inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.

Protests have swelled in Israel, with families of hostages and their supporters urging a ceasefire. The government argues that a broadened offensive is the best way to bring them home and cripple Hamas’ capacity to launch such attacks again.

Abou Aljoud reported from Beirut, Lebanon. Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to this report.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s foreign minister had the top U.S. diplomat in the country summoned for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland.

Trump has repeatedly said he seeks U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, a vast, semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. He has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island.

Denmark, a NATO ally of the U.S., and Greenland have said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. gathering intelligence there.

Related Articles

Handling crime a strength for Trump as many in US see a ‘major problem’ in big cities: AP-NORC poll

Trump’s 50% tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases take effect

FBI agents who had accused bureau of politicization during Biden administration reach settlements

Trump asks court to toss remaining civil fraud penalties after getting his massive fine thrown out

Utah enters the redistricting battle for 2026, but not by choice

Danish public broadcaster DR reported Wednesday that government and security sources which it didn’t name, as well as unidentified sources in Greenland and the U.S., believe that at least three Americans with connections to Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in the territory.

One of those people allegedly compiled a list of U.S.-friendly Greenlanders, collected names of people opposed to Trump and got locals to point out cases that could be used to cast Denmark in a bad light in American media. Two others have tried to nurture contacts with politicians, businesspeople and locals, according to the report.

An influence operation is an organized effort to shape how people in a society think in order to achieve certain political, military or other objectives.

DR said its story was based on information from a total of eight sources, who believe the goal is to weaken relations with Denmark from within Greenlandic society.

DR said it had been unable to clarify whether the Americans were working at their own initiative or on orders from someone else. It said it knows their names but chose not to publish them in order to protect its sources. The Associated Press could not independently confirm the report.

“We are aware that foreign actors continue to show an interest in Greenland and its position in the Kingdom of Denmark,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a statement emailed by his ministry. “It is therefore not surprising if we experience outside attempts to influence the future of the Kingdom in the time ahead.”

“Any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom will of course be unacceptable,” Løkke Rasmussen said. “In that light, I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires for a meeting at the Ministry.”

Cooperation between the governments of Denmark and Greenland “is close and based on mutual trust,” he added.

The U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service responded to a request for comment by saying it believes that “particularly in the current situation, Greenland is a target for influence campaigns of various kinds” that could aim to create divisions in the relationship between Denmark and Greenland.

It said it “assesses that this could be done by exploiting existing or fabricated disagreements, for example in connection with well-known individual cases, or by promoting or amplifying certain viewpoints in Greenland regarding the Kingdom, the United States, or other countries with a particular interest in Greenland.”

The service, known by its Danish acronym PET, said that in recent years it has “continuously strengthened” its efforts and presence in Greenland in cooperation with authorities there, and will continue to do so.

By JILL COLVIN and LINLEY SANDERS, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — As armed National Guard troops patrol the nation’s capital as part of an unprecedented federal takeover of Washington’s police department, handling crime is now a relative strength for President Donald Trump, according to the latest AP-NORC poll.

Americans are generally not happy about the Republican president’s handling of issues like immigration and the economy but are more positive about his tough-on-crime approach, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Indeed, the vast majority of Americans, 81%, see crime as a “major problem” in large cities — a concern Trump has seized on as he has deployed the National Guard to the District of Columbia and threatened to expand that model to cities across the country. And his overall approval rating has increased slightly, from 40% in July to 45% now.

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

But the poll shows there is less public support for federal takeovers of local police departments, suggesting opinions could shift over the coming weeks or months, depending on how aggressively Trump pursues his threats.

For now, many Republicans in particular feel extreme action needs to be taken, even as statistics show violent crime is down in Washington and across the nation following a coronavirus pandemic-era spike.

“About damn time that somebody did something,” said Charles Arnold, 87, a lifelong Republican who lives in San Diego.

Arnold, a retired electronics technician and veteran who served in the Navy, said that it had been jarring to see the National Guard being used for domestic law enforcement on U.S. soil but that the action seemed to be necessary.

“That’s not what the armed forces are for. They shouldn’t be there. They shouldn’t have to be there. The police should be allowed to police,” he said. “I detest the thought that it needs to be done.”

Handling crime is a strength for Trump

About half of U.S. adults, 53%, say they approve of Trump’s handling of crime, the poll finds.

That’s higher than his approval rating on the economy, immigration and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine — which are in line with his overall approval rating.

Trump’s approach on crime is similarly popular among white and Hispanic adults, with roughly half in each group saying they approve of the way he’s handling the issue. Black adults, however, are substantially less likely to say they’re on board with Trump’s approach to crime, with just 27% in favor.

Armed National Guard soldiers from West Virginia patrol the Mall near the Labor Department in Washington, where a poster of President Donald Trump is displayed, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Trump also garners much stronger support from independents on crime than on other issues. Roughly half of independents approve of his handling of crime, compared with about 3 in 10 who approve of his handling of the economy, immigration and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Most think crime is a ‘major problem’ for large cities

There’s broad agreement among Americans that crime is a significant issue in large cities, even with incident numbers in decline.

That belief is especially pronounced among Republicans, nearly all of whom see crime as a significant problem in large cities. Roughly 7 in 10 independents and Democrats agree.

Americans who live in urban areas are also more likely to say crime is a “major problem” in their own communities.

A man has his car searched by multiple federal agencies including Department of Homeland Security investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Washington Metro Police Department in Washington, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

They include Tiana Parker, 30, a liberal Democrat who lives in the suburbs of Seattle. Parker is dismayed by what Trump is doing in Washington, D.C. — and his presidency overall — but nonetheless calls crime “a major problem.”

“I don’t feel safe going to Seattle, especially as a woman, at least not by myself,” said Parker, who said she was sexually assaulted on the train several years ago. There was a deadly shooting at a strip mall near where she lives last year, and there have been several times she said she has been followed while walking down the street.

While she thinks crime needs to be addressed, she believes Trump’s approach is misguided and dangerous.

“What he is doing is a waste of resources, and he’s not really attacking the real problem. It’s creating a real divide,” she said. “I think that it is a gross lack of respect and trust towards his citizens.”

That sentiment is shared by Mark Hackl, 49, an information technology director who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was a lifelong conservative Republican until 2016, when he left the party because he was dismayed by Trump. He is now a registered independent.

“I think crime is always an issue that needs to be addressed,” he said. “I’m always pro-law and order, so to speak.” But he said there comes a point where the ends don’t justify the means.

“My raw emotion is I’m horrified by it,” he said. “We’re not supposed to allow the active military to function in the borders of the United States.”

More think federal government should support police, rather than taking over

Still, there are limits to what the public may accept. The poll finds 55% of U.S. adults believe it is “completely” or “somewhat” unacceptable for the federal government to take control of local police departments, as Trump has effectively done in Washington.

Related Articles

Denmark summons US envoy after report of Americans carrying out influence operations in Greenland

Trump’s 50% tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases take effect

FBI agents who had accused bureau of politicization during Biden administration reach settlements

Trump asks court to toss remaining civil fraud penalties after getting his massive fine thrown out

Utah enters the redistricting battle for 2026, but not by choice

Republicans are overwhelmingly in favor of the federal government using the military and the National Guard to assist local police, but even they are more hesitant about the federal government taking control of local police departments.

About half of Republicans find this to be acceptable, while about one-third say it’s not. Democrats are broadly opposed to both.

For Republican David Gehret, 62, a maintenance technician who lives in rural Narvon, Pennsylvania, what Trump is doing is spot on.

“Bring it on,” he said. “Protect us.”

The AP-NORC poll of 1,182 adults was conducted Aug. 21-25, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

Colvin reported from New York.

By RAJESH ROY, Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Steep U.S. tariffs on a range of Indian products took effect Wednesday, threatening a serious blow to India’s overseas trade in its largest export market.

President Donald Trump had initially announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods. But earlier this month he signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff due to India’s purchases of Russian oil, bringing the combined tariffs imposed by the U.S. on its ally to 50%.

The Indian government estimates the tariffs will impact $48.2 billion worth of exports. Officials have warned the new duties could make shipments to the U.S. commercially unviable, triggering job losses and slower economic growth.

Workers at a manufacturing unit make leather footwear in Agra, India, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

India–U.S. trade relations have expanded in recent years but remain vulnerable to disputes over market access and domestic political pressures. India is one of the fastest-growing major global economies and it may face a slowdown as a result.

Sectors to be impacted by US tariffs

Estimates by New Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative suggest labor-intensive sectors such as textiles, gems and jewelry, leather goods, food and automobiles will be hit hardest.

“The new tariff regime is a strategic shock that threatens to wipe out India’s long-established presence in the U.S., causing unemployment in export-driven hubs and weakening its role in the industrial value chain,” said Ajay Srivastava, the think tank’s founder and a former Indian trade official.

The U.S. has for now exempted some sectors such as pharmaceuticals and electronic goods from additional tariffs, bringing some relief for India as its exposure in these sectors is significant.

Exporters fear losses

Puran Dawar, a leather footwear exporter in northern India’s Agra city, says the industry would take a substantial hit in the near term unless domestic demand strengthens and other overseas markets buy more Indian goods.

Puran Dawar, Chairman, Dawar group, ań exporter of leather footwear talks to The Associated Press, in Agra, India, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

“This is an absolute shock,” said Dawar, whose business with the U.S. has grown in recent years. Dawar’s clients include the major fashion retailer Zara.

Dawar, who is also the regional chairman of the Council for Leather Exports — an export promotion body — said the U.S. should understand that the steep tariffs will hurt its own consumers.

Groups representing exporters warn that new import tariffs could hurt India’s small and medium enterprises that are heavily reliant on the American market.

“It’s a tricky situation. Some product lines will simply become unviable overnight,” said Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations.

Modi vows not to yield to US pressure

The tariffs come as the U.S. administration continues to push for greater access to India’s agriculture and dairy sectors.

India and the U.S. have held five rounds of negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement, but have yet to reach a deal. That’s largely because New Delhi has resisted opening these sectors to cheaper American imports, citing concerns that doing so would endanger the jobs of millions of Indians.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed not to yield to the pressure.

“For me, the interests of farmers, small businesses and dairy are topmost. My government will ensure they aren’t impacted,” Modi said at a rally this week in his home state of Gujarat.

Modi said the world was witnessing a “politics of economic selfishness.”

A U.S. delegation canceled plans to visit New Delhi this week for a sixth round of trade talks.

India plans local reforms to cushion the blow from tariffs

The Indian government has begun working on reforms to boost local consumption and insulate the economy.

Related Articles

Denmark summons US envoy after report of Americans carrying out influence operations in Greenland

Handling crime a strength for Trump as many in US see a ‘major problem’ in big cities: AP-NORC poll

FBI agents who had accused bureau of politicization during Biden administration reach settlements

Trump asks court to toss remaining civil fraud penalties after getting his massive fine thrown out

Utah enters the redistricting battle for 2026, but not by choice

It has moved to change the goods and services tax, or consumption tax, to lower costs for insurance, cars and appliances ahead of the major Hindu festival of Diwali in October.

The government council will meet early next month to decide whether to cut taxes.

The Trade Ministry and Finance Ministry are discussing financial incentives that would include favorable bank loan rates for exporters.

The Trade Ministry is also weighing steps to expand exports to other regions, particularly Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Trade negotiations underway with the European Union could gain renewed urgency as India works to reduce its dependence on the U.S. market.

Associated Press video journalist Rishi Lekhi contributed to this report.