Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 21, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba REMEMBRANCE DAY TRIBUTES WILL PUBLISH ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2025 Deadline to submit your Tributes is 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. “ In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row ” – John McCrae email wfpclass@winnipegfreepress.com call 204-697-7100 drop off or mail to: c/o Classified Department, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB R2X 3B6 TO PLACE YOUR REMEMBRANCE DAY TRIBUTES MESSAGE: REMEMBRANCE DAY Celebrate the memory of a Veteran this Remembrance Day A8 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS I WORLD TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2025 T EL AVIV, Israel — Two of U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys traveled to Israel on Monday to shore up the ceasefire in Gaza, a day after deadly violence gave the fragile deal its first major test. The truce appeared on track as Is- rael received the remains of another hostage in Gaza, and Israel allowed aid deliveries to resume to the devastated territory. United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric did not say how much aid was getting in. Israel on Sunday had threatened to halt shipments of humanitarian aid, and its forces killed dozens of Palestinians in strikes across Gaza after accusing Hamas militants of killing two soldiers. Israel later said it resumed enforcing the ceasefire. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kush- ner, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about developments in the region. U.S. Vice President JD Vance and the second lady, Usha Vance, are scheduled to visit Tuesday and meet with Netanyahu, the prime minister said in a speech. Netanyahu also warned Hamas that any attacks against Israeli forces would be met with “a very heavy price.” Asked about maintaining the Is- rael-Hamas ceasefire, Trump said the U.S. will give the situation a “little chance” in hopes that there will be less violence. He put the blame on Hamas and said the militant group must be- have or face consequences. “They have to be good, and if they’re not good they’ll be eradicated,” he said. The U.S.-proposed truce aimed at ending two years of war took effect on Oct. 10. On Sunday, Trump told reporters that Hamas had been “doing some shooting.” He also suggested that the violence might be the fault of “rebels” within the group. Hamas security forces have returned to the streets in Gaza, clashing with armed groups and killing alleged gang- sters in what the militant group says is an attempt to restore law and order in areas where Israeli troops have with- drawn. On Sunday, Israel’s military said militants had fired at troops in areas of Rafah in southern Gaza that are Israeli-controlled according to agreed-upon ceasefire lines. Retaliatory strikes by Israel killed 45 Palestinians, according to the ter- ritory’s Health Ministry, which says a total of 80 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. Hamas, which continued to accuse Israel of multiple ceasefire violations, said communication with its remain- ing units in Rafah had been cut off for months and “we are not responsible for any incidents occurring in those areas.” The Israeli military said Monday it was using concrete barriers and paint- ed poles to more clearly delineate the so-called yellow line in Gaza to where troops have withdrawn and several in- stances of violence have occurred. Earlier in the day, Israel said one of its fighter jets struck and killed sever- al people it said had crossed the yellow line in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, approached troops and “posed an imminent threat.” In two similar in- cidents Monday in a neighbourhood of Gaza City, the military said it struck several people who crossed the line there and posed an “immediate threat” to its troops. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Is- rael is still waiting for Hamas to turn over the remains of 15 dead hostages. Thirteen have been turned over. The ceasefire’s next stage is expected to focus on disarming Hamas, Israeli withdrawal from additional areas it controls in Gaza and future governance of the devastated territory. The U.S. plan proposes the establishment of an internationally backed authority. A Hamas delegation led by chief ne- gotiator Khalil al-Hayya was in Cairo to follow up on the implementation of the ceasefire deal with mediators and other Palestinian groups. Palestinians in Gaza fear the deal may fall apart. Funeral services were held Monday for some of the dozens of people killed by Israeli strikes. Associated Press footage showed mourners lining up for prayers. A major concern is how much aid Is- rael is letting into Gaza. To facilitate more aid, mediators are working to en- sure the opening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, a senior Qa- tari official said Monday. “The opening of the Rafah crossing remains essential to scaling up the de- livery of life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza,” Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Mariam bint Ali Al-Misnad told The Associated Press. — The Associated Press U.S. envoys visit Israel to bolster Gaza ceasefire SAM MEDNICK, SAMY MAGDY AND WAFAA SHURAFA White House starts demolishing part of East Wing to build Trump’s ballroom WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday started tearing down part of the East Wing, the traditional base of operations for the first lady, to build President Donald Trump’s US$250 million ballroom despite lacking approval for construc- tion from the federal agency that oversees such projects. Dramatic photos of the demolition work showed construction equipment tearing into the East Wing façade and windows and other building parts in tatters on the ground. Some reporters watched from a park near the Treasury Depart- ment, which is next to the East Wing. Trump announced the start of construction in a social media post and referenced the work while hosting 2025 college baseball champs Louisiana State University and LSU-Shreveport in the East Room. He noted the work was happening “right behind us.” “We have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically,” he said, adding, “It just started today.” The White House has moved ahead with the massive construction project despite not yet hav- ing sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves construction work and major renovations to government buildings in the Washington area. Its chairman, Will Scharf, who is also the White House staff secretary and one of Trump’s top aides, said at the commission’s September meet- ing that agency does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation work for buildings on federal property. “What we deal with is essentially construction, vertical build,” Scharf said last month. It was unclear whether the White House had sub- mitted ballroom plans for the agency’s review and approval. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and the commission’s offices are closed because of the government shutdown. The Republican president had said in July when the project was announced that the ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself. “It’ll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the big- gest fan of,” he said of the White House. The East Wing houses several offices, including those of the first lady. It was built in 1902 and has been renovated over the years, with a second story added in 1942, according to the White House. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secre- tary, said those East Wing offices will be tempor- arily relocated during construction and that wing of the building will be modernized and renovated. “Nothing will be torn down,” Leavitt said when she announced the project in July. Trump insists that presidents have desired such a ballroom for 150 years and he’s adding the mas- sive 90,000-square-foot, glass-walled space be- cause the East Room, which is the largest room in the White House with an approximately 200-per- son capacity, is too small. Trump said in a social media announcement the project would be completed “with zero cost to the American Taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patri- ots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.” At a dinner he hosted last week for some of the wealthy business executives who are donating money toward the $250 million construction cost, Trump said the project had grown in size and now will accommodate 999 people. The capacity was 650 seated people at the July announcement. The White House has said it will disclose infor- mation on who has contributed money to build the ballroom, but has yet to do so. — The Associated Press JEHAD ALSHRAFI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Palestinians collect leaflets dropped by an Israeli drone Monday warning people to stay away from the so-called yellow line in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. EVAN VUCCI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Work begins on the demolition of a part of the East Wing of the White House Monday. DARLENE SUPERVILLE ;