Page 3 - Israel Iran Conflict

Donald Trump, Joe Biden both claim credit for Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are both claiming credit for Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal in Gaza after the White House brought Trump's Middle East envoy into negotiations that have dragged on for months. Trump wasted no time in asserting he was the moving force behind the deal, whose final details were still being ironed out, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies, Trump wrote on social media. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones. Trump added that his incoming Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, would continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a ...

Gaza deal to take effect on Jan 19, Israel says details in flux: Qatari PM

Qatar's prime minister on Wednesday announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that will pause the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clear the way for dozens of Israeli hostages to go home. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the agreement in the Qatari capital of Doha, the site of weeks of painstaking negotiations. He said the deal would go into effect on Sunday. Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal to pause the devastating war in the Gaza Strip, multiple officials announced on Wednesday, raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies. The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Qatari capital, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. It also would flood badly needed ..

Following Gaza ceasefire deal, IMEC Corridor can become reality: Biden

With the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza Strip, the path-breaking IMEC Corridor that stretches from India to Europe through the Middle East could now become a reality, US President Joe Biden said Wednesday. At the G20 in Delhi on September 23, I rallied key countries behind a vision of an economic corridor from India across the Middle East to Europe. That vision can now become a reality, Biden told reporters at the White House as he announced the agreement between Israel and Hamas on Gaza and hostages. The India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) is seen as an alternative to China's One Belt, One Road Initiative. Signed by eight countries India, US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, European Union, France, Germany and Italy in New Delhi on September 9, 2023, it aims to bolster transportation and communication links between Europe and Asia through rail and shipping networks. The IMEC Corridor project immediately hit a roadblock with the Hamas attack on Israel in October ...

Global leaders welcome Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, express need for peace

Following the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, global leaders have expressed optimism while emphasising the need for further efforts toward peace.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, while former US President Barack Obama called the agreement a positive step. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the deal, stressing the need for a long-term political solution based on a two-state framework to secure lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.In a statement, Guterres said, "I welcome the announcement of a deal to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. I commend the mediators -- Egypt, Qatar and the USA -- for their dedicated efforts in brokering this deal. I call on all to uphold their commitments & ensure that this deal is fully implemented. From the outset of the violence, I have called for an immediate ceasefire & the ...

Ceasefire agreement not complete, working on final details, says Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Wednesday that the ceasefire agreement with Hamas is still not complete and the final details are being worked out. Netanyahu's statement comes hours after the United States and Qatar announced the deal, which would pause the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clear the way for dozens of hostages to go home. The conflict has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests. Large crowds of joyful Palestinians took to the streets in Gaza when the agreement was announced, cheering and honking car horns. No one can feel the feeling that we are experiencing now, an indescribable, indescribable feeling, said Mahmoud Wadi in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah before joining a chanting crowd. The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities there. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, but says women and children make up more than half the ...

Gaza ceasefire still elusive as negotiators try to hammer out deal

During months of on-off talks to achieve a truce in the devastating 15-month-old war both sides have previously said they were close to a ceasefire only to hit last-minute obstacles

Israeli lawmakers divided on ceasefire deal, terms for hostage release

Discussions focus on the release of Palestinian prisoners, with Israel seeking to have those serving life sentences deported to countries such as Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt

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

India in unique position to talk to Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Iran: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has underlined India's potential role in ending global conflicts, saying that it is one of the few countries that is in a position to hold talks with both Russia and Ukraine, and with Israel and Iran. Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Spain, made these remarks during an interaction with the Indian community here on Monday in an apparent reference to the wars in Ukraine and in West Asia, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hamas. The minister said India is today seen as contributing to a global conversation that when the "world is looking at many, many challenges, different issues, we also come up with ideas and initiatives". There are very few countries today who are in a position to talk to Russia and to Ukraine, he said. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year visited Russia twice and also went to Kyiv in Ukraine. India is one of the few countries which is in a position to talk to Israel and Iran as well and Prime Minister Mo

Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal 'closer than ever' as Trump pressures Netanyahu

Trump's Mideast envoy reportedly had a 'tense' meeting with Netanyahu, pressuring the Israeli PM to accept key compromises to secure a hostage deal ahead of the January 20 US presidential inauguration

US House passes bill to sanction ICC for Israeli PM, Gallant arrest warrant

The bill, titled the 'Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,' passed with a vote of 243 to 140, signalling strong support for Israel

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

Hezbollah leader Nasrallah killed last year in war operations room: Aide

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike last year while inside the militant group's war operations room, according to new details Sunday disclosed by a senior Hezbollah official. A series of Israeli airstrikes flattened several buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 27, 2023, killing Nasrallah. The Lebanese Health Ministry said six people died. According to news reports, Nasrallah and other senior officials were meeting underground. The assassination of Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollah for 32 years, turned months of low-level strikes between Israel and the militants into all-out war that battered much of southern and eastern Lebanon for two months until a US-brokered ceasefire took effect November 27. His Eminence (Hassan Nasrallah) used to lead the battle and war from this location, top Hezbollah security official Wafiq Safa told a news conference Sunday near near the site where Nasrallah was killed. He said Nasrallah died in the war ...

Fragile Israel-Hezbollah truce holding so far, despite violations

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has held up for over a month, even as its terms seem unlikely to be met by the agreed-upon deadline. The deal struck on November 27 to halt the war required Hezbollah to immediately lay down its arms in southern Lebanon and gave Israel 60 days to withdraw its forces there and hand over control to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers. So far, Israel has withdrawn from just two of the dozens of towns it holds in southern Lebanon. And it has continued striking what it says are bases belonging to Hezbollah, which it accuses of attempting to launch rockets and move weapons before they can be confiscated and destroyed. Hezbollah, which was severely diminished during nearly 14 months of war, has threatened to resume fighting if Israel does not fully withdraw its forces by the 60-day deadline. Yet despite accusations from both sides about hundreds of ceasefire violations, the truce is likely to hold, analysts say

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

Israel increasing grants to local authorities by hundreds of millions

And starting in 2025, 300 million Shekels ($81.52 million) will be added to the budget base

Netanyahu undergoes prostate removal amid crises on multiple fronts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is having his prostate removed on Sunday, his office said, a procedure that comes as he manages multiple crises at once, including the ongoing war in Gaza and his own trial for alleged corruption. Netanyahu, 75, is among a cohort of older world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, 82, and President-elect Donald Trump, 78, whose health and physical fitness are under deep scrutiny both at home and abroad because of their advanced age and the effect that could have on their leadership. Netanyahu, who has had a string of health issues in recent years, has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a fully healthy, energetic leader. During his trial this month he boasted about working 18-hour days, even if those long hours are accompanied by a cigar. But as Israel's longest-serving leader, such a grueling workload over a total of 17 years in power could also take a toll on his well-being. The procedure has already had a .

Israeli army forcibly removes staff, patients from Gaza hospital: Officials

Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in northern Gaza on Friday, forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather, the territory's health ministry said. The army denied claims it had entered or set fire to the complex and accused Hamas of using the facility for cover. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighbourhoods, according to staff. The ministry said a strike on the hospital a day earlier killed five medical staff. Israel's military said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area and had ordered people out of the hospital, but said it had not entered the complex as of Friday night. It repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that. The Health Ministry said troops forced medical personnel and patients to ..

Israel seized 85K Hezbollah weapons in Southern Lebanon operations

"The weapons confiscated were used by Hezbollah and were intended to harm the citizens of the State of Israel, IDF said