Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel Says Hostage Body Returned by Hamas not Bibas Mother

Israel said Friday that one of the bodies returned from Gaza is not that of Shiri Bibas, as claimed by Hamas, and accused Palestinian "terrorists" of killing her two boys who have become symbols of the hostages' ordeal. Thousands of mourning Israelis had observed a moment of silence Thursday in honour of four dead hostages returned ...

Netanyahu Orders 'Intensive' West Bank Operations after Israel Bus Blasts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday ordered an "intensive operation against centers of terrorism" in the occupied West Bank, his office said, after three buses exploded in central Israel without causing any reported injuries. Three devices detonated on buses in the city of Bat Yam on Thursday evening and two others were being ...

Hamas Accuses Netanyahu of Delaying the Second Phase of the Truce

Hamas on Thursday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "procrastinating" on negotiations for the second phase of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, after Palestinian militants returned the bodies of four deceased hostages to Israel. "The second phase negotiations have not practically begun, and we are ready to engage in them as ...

Israel Security Cabinet to Discuss new Phase of Gaza Truce after Rubio Visit

Israel's security cabinet was set to discuss on Monday the next phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, after top US diplomat Marco Rubio and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu presented a united front against Hamas and Iran. Rubio was in Israel on his first Middle East trip as President Donald Trump's secretary of state, and landed on Monday in Saudi ...

US, Israel Present United Front on Gaza, Iran

Top US diplomat Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a united front Sunday against their common enemies, threatening to "open the gates of hell" on Hamas and "finish the job" against Iran. The pledges came during a joint address to reporters in Jerusalem, where Rubio began his first Middle East trip as secretary of ...

Marco Rubio in Israel on First Leg of Mideast Tour

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israel's prime minister in Jerusalem on Sunday for talks on the Gaza ceasefire, launching a Middle East tour a day after the latest hostage-prisoner exchange. On his first visit to the region as Washington's top diplomat, Rubio is expected to push US President Donald Trump's widely condemned ...

Israel Threatens to Resume War If Three Hostages Are Not Released by Saturday

Hamas must release three living hostages on Saturday under the terms of the ongoing Gaza truce deal or Israel will return to war in the Palestinian territory, an Israeli government spokesman said Thursday. The ceasefire "framework makes clear that three live hostages must be released by Hamas terrorists on Saturday", spokesman David Mencer told ...

Palestinian Sources Close to Talks Report Progress in Ending Gaza Truce Crisis

The Palestinian militant group Hamas said Thursday it was committed to the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, as negotiators push to overcome an impasse regarding the implementation of the agreement. "We are keen to implement it (the ceasefire) and oblige the occupation to fully abide by it. Mediators are pressuring (Israel) to complete the full ...

Hamas Calls for 'Solidarity Marches' Worldwide Against Plans to Displace Gazans

Hamas on Wednesday called for worldwide "solidarity marches" over the weekend to protest a US plan endorsed by Israel to displace Palestinians from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. "We... call on the masses of our people, our Arab and Islamic nation, and the free people of the world to go out in massive solidarity marches" from ...

Southern Lebanon: Will Israel Extend Its Military Presence?

As the deadline approaches for Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, a fragile calm persists in the region. The Ceasefire Monitoring Committee has been informed that the Israeli army has requested to remain in certain positions in southern Lebanon until February 28. The Lebanese side has firmly rejected this request. Additionally, ...

Death of Israeli Hostage Held in Gaza

An elderly Israeli man taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, has been declared dead, a statement from his kibbutz said on Tuesday. "With heavy hearts, we, the members of the kibbutz, received the news this morning about the murder of our dear friend, Shlomo Mansour, 86 years old, who was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Kissufim during the ...