Page 6 - Hamas

Israeli strike in Gaza kills 11 as Hamas accepts draft for ceasefire

An Israeli airstrike on a house in the Gaza Strip killed at least 11 Palestinians, health officials said on Tuesday. Earlier strikes in Gaza killed at least 18 people, including two women and four children, according to local health officials, who said one woman was pregnant and the baby died as well. The latest attacks came as Israel and Hamas appeared to be narrowing in on a ceasefire deal to end the 15-month war and release dozens of hostages. Two officials involved in the talks told AP that Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages. An Israeli official said progress has been made but the details are being finalised. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead. The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaz

Hamas accepts draft deal for Gaza ceasefire, hostages release: Reports

Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks said on Tuesday. Mediator Qatar said the negotiations were at the closest point yet to sealing a deal. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed agreement, and an Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirmed its authenticity. An Israeli official said progress has been made, but the details are being finalized. The plan would need to be submitted to the Israeli Cabinet for final approval. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks. The United States, Egypt and Qatar have spent the past year trying to mediate an end the 15-month war and secure the release dozens of hostages captured in Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack that triggered it. Some 100 Israelis are still captive inside Gaza, and the military believes at least a third them are dead. Officials have expressed mounting optimism

Israel refuses to return Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's body in hostage deal

Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar was considered one of the most influential leaders in Hamas with reports suggesting that he was the mastermind behind the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023

Ceasefire in Gaza? What to know about Israel and Hamas hostage talks

The Biden and incoming Trump administrations are collaborating to secure a ceasefire agreement before January 20, focusing on hostages, troop withdrawals, and peace talks

Hamas likely to release 33 hostages in phase 1 of ceasefire-hostage deal

According to CNN, Israel believes most of the 33 hostages are alive, although some deceased hostages may also be included in the initial release

Progress made over Israel-Hamas ceasefire, hostage release: Officials

US and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal has not been reached yet, officials said Monday. Three officials acknowledged progress has been made and said the coming days would be critical for ending more than 15 months of fighting that has destabilized the Middle East. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the talks. One of the three officials and a Hamas official said there were still a number of hurdles to clear. On several occasions over the past year, US officials have said they were on the verge of reaching a deal, only to have the talks stall. One person familiar with the talks said there had been a breakthrough overnight and that there was a proposed deal on the table. Israeli and Hamas negotiators will now take it back to their leaders for final approval, the person said. The person said mediat

Biden, Netanyahu discuss efforts to reach Israel-Hamas war ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday about efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Israel-Hamas war, a sign of the intensifying push to reach a deal before Donald Trump's inauguration next week. Talks mediated over the past year by the US, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled at moments when they seemed close to a deal. Still, in recent days, US officials have expressed hope of sealing an agreement. Sunday's call between Biden and Netanyahu came as the head of Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence agency, David Barnea, and Biden's top Mideast adviser, Brett McGurk, were both in the Qatari capital Doha. Barnea's presence, confirmed by Netanyahu's office, meant high-level Israeli officials who would need to sign off on any agreement are now involved in talks. McGurk has been working on final details of a text to be presented to both sides, Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, told CNN's "State of the .

Palestinian death toll from Israel-Hamas war above 46,000: Gaza health dep

The Gaza Health Ministry says the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has climbed above 46,000. The ministry updated its toll from the ongoing 15-month conflict on Thursday. It says 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and 109,378 wounded. The ministry has said women and children make up more than half the fatalities, but does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants operate in residential areas. Israel has also repeatedly struck what it says are militants hiding in shelters and hospitals, often killing women and children. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza. Israeli authorities believe at least a third of them were killed in the

'Hatred of humanity': Musk slams George Soros for funding Hamas-linked NGOs

Elon Musk has once again targeted billionaire George Soros, accusing him of 'hatred of humanity' and linking it to Israel, following Soros' controversial financial support of NGOs

Ceasefire, hostage deal between Israel and Hamas very close: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said that a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is very close and he hopes we can get it over the line before handing over US diplomacy to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. In area after area, we're handing off, in some cases, things that we haven't been able to complete but that create real opportunities to move things forward in a better way, he said on a stop in Paris for meetings. Blinken said that even if the Biden administration's plans for a ceasefire and hostage deal don't come to fruition before Trump's inauguration, he thinks they'll be put into practice afterward. I believe that when we get that deal - and we'll get that deal - it will be on the basis of the plans that President Biden put before the world, he said.

Canada, Panama, and Greenland: Donald Trump expands his 'Maga' wishlist

Donald Trump wishlist includes acquiring Greenland, reclaiming control of the Panama Canal, and even annexing Canada as the 51st state

Trump warns Hamas, says all hell will break out if hostages not released

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that all hell will break out if Hamas did not release hostages before January 20, when he will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. All hell will break out. If those hostages aren't back, I don't want to hurt your negotiation, if they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East, Trump told reporters at a news conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. He was responding to a question on the status of negotiations with Hamas on the release of American hostages by them. His Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Charles Witkoff, who has just returned from the region, told reporters that they are on the verge of it. I believe we've been on the verge of it. I don't want to discuss sort of what's delayed it, no point to be negative in any way. But I think it's the president, his stature, what he's said he expects, the red lines he's put out there, that's driving this negotiation, Witkof

Israel launches raids across occupied West Bank, kills 3 Palestinians

The Israeli military launched a wave of raids across the occupied West Bank overnight and into Tuesday, killing at least three Palestinians. The army said it killed two Palestinian militants in an airstrike after they fired at troops in the area of Tamun, a village in the northern West Bank. It said another militant was killed in close-quarters combat in the nearby village of Taluza and that an Israeli soldier was severely wounded there. The military said it arrested more than 20 suspected militants in different parts of the territory. It said the overnight operations were not related to the shooting the day before, in which gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Israelis in the West Bank, killing two women in their 70s and a 35-year-old policeman before fleeing the scene. Israeli forces were pursuing those attackers in separate operations. Palestinians have carried out scores of shooting, stabbing and car-ramming attacks against Israelis, especially during the past 15 months of the

Hurdles remain as Israel, Hamas once again inch toward ceasefire deal

Israel and Hamas once again appear to be inching toward a ceasefire that could wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held hostage there. Both Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the January 20 inauguration. But the sides have come close before, only to have talks collapse over various disagreements. The latest round of negotiations has bogged down over the names of hostages to be released in a first phase, according to Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations. Israel wants assurances that the hostages are alive, while Hamas says that after months of heavy fighting, it isn't sure who is alive or dead. Other hurdles remain. The first phase, expected to last for six to eight weeks, would also include a halt in fighting, a release of Palestinian prisoners and a surge in aid to the

Israel starts recruitment for first ultra-orthodox brigade 'Hahashmonaim'

It was also noted that 100 more ultra-orthodox people will join the brigade's first reserves company after undergoing intensive training for six months

Israel denies reports Hamas forwarded list of 34 hostages for release

The denial comes amid ongoing negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US

Israel denies reports of Hamas sending list of hostages to be released

The statement of Israel's PM office came after it was reported by a UK-based news agency that Hamas had approved a list of 34 hostages that it would release in exchange for a ceasefire agreement

Israeli airstrikes in southern Gaza kill at least 21, say hospital workers

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 15 people including a child early Saturday in southern Gaza, hospital staff said, while a new effort at ceasefire talks was said to be underway in Qatar. A small boy cried over his father, and a woman draped herself over one of the bodies wrapped in white plastic. The three airstrikes hit a car, a house and people on the street in the city of Khan Younis, according to staff at Nasser Hospital. And the Civil Defence, first responders affiliated with the Hamas-run government, said an airstrike destroyed a residential area behind the Saraya complex in Gaza City, killing at least five people. There was no immediate comment from Israel's military. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 59 people had been killed and more than 270 injured by strikes in the past 24 hours. There were no immediate statements on the indirect negotiations in Qatar's capital, Doha, toward a ceasefire after nearly 15 months of war. The Hamas militant group on Friday said talks h

US plans $8 billion arms sale to Israel, maintains support to ally

The Biden administration says it is helping its ally defend against Iran-backed militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen

Israeli strikes kill 42 in Gaza as ceasefire talks to resume in Qatar

Israeli strikes killed at least 42 people in Gaza, including children, overnight and into Friday, hospital and emergency response workers said, as health workers and Israel's military traded claims over reported evacuation orders for two hospitals in the territory's largely isolated north. The assertions over Al-Awda and Indonesian hospitals occurred as stalled ceasefire talks to end nearly 15 months of war were set to resume in Qatar. Staff at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said that more than a dozen women and children were killed in strikes in central Gaza, including in Nuseirat, Zawaida, Maghazi and Deir al-Balah. Dozens of people were killed across the enclave the previous day. We woke up to the missile strike. We found the whole house disintegrated, Abdul Rahman Al-Nabrisi said in the Maghazi refugee camp. Later Friday, officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said that an airstrike killed three people in a car in Zawaida in central Gaza. And the Civil Defence, first responders ..