Gaza

Hamas Announces Readiness to Free 34 Hostages in 'First Phase' of Potential Deal

A senior Hamas official told AFP on Sunday that the Palestinian militant group was ready to release 34 Israeli hostages in the "first phase" of a potential prisoner exchange deal. "Hamas has agreed to release 34 Israeli prisoners from a list presented by Israel as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange deal," the official said. The ...

Israel Confirms Gaza Hostage Talks Have Resumed in Qatar

Israeli Defense Minister Israël Katz confirmed on Saturday the resumption of indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar for the release of hostages held in Gaza since the Palestinian movement's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The minister informed the relatives of hostage Liri Albag, whose video showing signs of life was released by Hamas on ...

Biden Administration Announces $8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel

The administration of US President Joe Biden has notified Congress of a planned $8 billion arms sale to Israel, a source familiar with the plan said on Saturday. The State Department "has informally notified Congress of an $8 billion proposed sale of munitions to support Israel's long-term security by resupplying stocks of critical munitions and ...

Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill Police Chief, Two Dozen Others

Israel struck a declared humanitarian zone in southern Gaza overnight, which rescuers on Thursday said killed the head of the Palestinian territory's Hamas-run police force, his deputy and nine others. Gaza's civil defense agency said two other Israeli strikes elsewhere in the territory later on Thursday killed 14 Palestinians. The ...

Israel's Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Resigns From Knesset

Israel's former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who was dismissed in November after spearheading the military campaign in Gaza for more than a year, announced Wednesday that he would resign from parliament. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sacked Gallant, saying there was a "breakdown in trust" amid disagreements between the two on several ...

Gaza Babies Freeze to Death in Makeshift Tents

Yahya al-Batran clutched the tiny clothes of his dead newborn son Jumaa, just days after the baby died from the cold in their tent in war-torn Gaza. "We are watching our children die before our eyes," said the 44-year-old. Their baby was one of the seven children who died from the cold within the span of a week, the Hamas-run territory's health ...

Gaza: UN Warns of Near Total Collapse of Healthcare System

A United Nations report published Tuesday found that Israeli strikes on and near hospitals in the Gaza Strip had left healthcare in the Palestinian territory on the verge of collapse. The report by the UN human rights office said such strikes raised grave concerns about Israel's compliance with international law. "Israel's pattern of deadly ...

Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Strike on Hospital Kills 7

Gaza's civil defense agency said an air strike hit a hospital Sunday, killing at least seven people, while Israel said it had targeted militants at the no longer functioning facility. "Seven martyrs and several injured people, including critical cases, have been recovered following the Israeli strike on the upper floor of Al-Wafaa Hospital in ...

WHO: Gaza's Kamal Adwan hospital 'now empty'

The World Health Organization said Saturday that the Kamal Adwan hospital was "now empty" following an Israeli military raid which put north Gaza's last major health facility out of service. The WHO said it was "appalled" by Friday's raid, saying "hospitals have once again become battlegrounds", and describing the lifeline of healthcare in north ...

Israel Launches Military Operation Near Kamal Adwan Hospital

The Israeli military reported launching an operation on Friday targeting Hamas militants near one of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals, while Hamas accused it of storming the facility and evacuating those inside. The operation, centered near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, followed an announcement from the hospital on Thursday ...

Gaza Hospital Reports Three Infant Deaths Due to 'Severe Temperature Drop'

The chief paediatric doctor at a southern Gaza hospital told AFP that three babies had died of "severe temperature drop" this week, as the war-ravaged Palestinian territory grapples with winter cold. In the most recent case, Dr. Ahmed al-Farra of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younes city said a three-week-old girl "was brought to the emergency room ...

Hamas, Israel Trade Blame Over Gaza Truce Delay

Hamas and Israel traded accusations on Wednesday over delays in finalising a ceasefire and hostage release deal, after both had reported progress in the latest round of Gaza truce talks. Indirect negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have taken place in Doha in recent days, rekindling hope for an agreement between the two ...