Amid intensifying Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, Hamas has declared its readiness to begin negotiations “immediately” on a new ceasefire deal, raising hopes for a possible halt to the 21-month-long war. The group’s announcement followed internal consultations with other Palestinian factions and came just days ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled visit…
The United States President-elect, Donald Trump, has disclosed that his involvement brought about the ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas. Trump said the pressure from his incoming administration led to the agreement between Israel and Hamas. The agreement, which would exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, awaits approval by Israel’s security cabinet…
A Hamas leader in the West Bank died in Israeli custody, Palestinian authorities and the militant group said Friday.Mustafa Muhammad Abu Ara, 63, died after being moved from a prison in southern Israel to a hospital, according to a joint statement by the Palestinian Authority’s prisoners’ affairs body and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club watchdog.“We mourn…
Israeli forces were encircling southern Gaza’s main city on Wednesday, battling Hamas militants through streets and buildings in some of the most intense combat of the two-month war. The focus of the conflict has shifted into the besieged territory’s south following fierce fighting and bombardment that reduced much of the north to rubble and forced…
Israeli airplanes today resumed their bombardment of Gaza. Palestinian civilians fled for safety, and rocket sirens blared in southern Israel, as war resumed after a week-long truce expired with no agreement to extend it. The Israeli military declared that it had “resumed combat operations”, accusing Hamas of breaking the cease-fire first by firing rockets. It…
Hamas fighters were set Sunday to release a third group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a day after freeing captives including a young woman snatched from a desert rave. In a sign of the fragility of the exchanges, the latest swap Saturday was delayed for hours after Hamas accused Israel of breaching…
The Swiss government announced it would bring forward a draft law by the end of February explicitly banning Hamas activities or support for the Palestinian militant group within Switzerland. “The Federal Council decided to draft a federal act banning Hamas, considering this to be the most appropriate response to the situation that has prevailed in…
Iran rejected a G7 statement which called on Tehran to stop supporting Hamas militants and taking actions that “destabilise” the Middle East. Tehran’s comment came a day after foreign ministers from the G7 group of advanced economies, meeting in Tokyo, expressed support for “humanitarian pauses and corridors” in the Israeli-Hamas war. Israeli air strikes have…
The Hamas-controlled government media office in the blockaded Gaza Strip said in a statement that “more than 60 were martyred in the (Israeli) raids” during the night including 17 who were killed in a single strike that hit a house in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza. At least 10 other people were killed in new strikes…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office Monday denied reports of a ceasefire in Gaza that would enable aid to enter and foreigners to flee to Egypt, 10 days into the war with Hamas. “There is currently no ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza in return for removing foreigners,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said. Meanwhile,…