Palestine

Hamas Hands over Coffins, in transfer of Bibas Family and Elderly Hostage Bodies

Hamas handed over coffins it said contain the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, including those of the Bibas family who became symbols of the ordeal that has gripped Israel since the Gaza war began. The transfer of the bodies is the first by Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war, and is taking place under a ...

Hamas Returns Bodies of Four Israeli Hostages

On Thursday, Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages –  including Shiri Bibas and her two young children  – to the Red Cross. This marks the first transfer of remains since the October 7 attack that triggered the conflict. Armed and masked Hamas fighters displayed the four black coffins on a stage set up in Khan Yunis, each ...

Arab Leaders meet to Counter Trump's Gaza Plan

Arab leaders will gather in Saudi Arabia on Friday to counter President Donald Trump's plan for US control of Gaza and the expulsion of its inhabitants, diplomatic and government sources said. The plan stirred rare unity among Arab states which roundly rejected the idea, but they could still disagree over who will govern the Palestinian territory ...

Lebanon’s Neutrality Must Include Arabs vs. Israel

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam did well by recommending that the different Lebanese factions replace their allegiance to foreign powers with unity and independence, suggesting that he supported Lebanon’s regional and global neutrality. Yet, in the same breath, Salam said that Lebanon must be part of the “Arab solidarity” in support of ...

How Hezbollah Set the Shiite Community Back 40 Years

Hezbollah still considers itself victorious. On the day of Nasrallah’s funeral, the group is preparing for a massive public display to prove that it remains strong. However, it has yet to realize that this is no longer the case. It signed a humiliating ceasefire agreement that completely eliminates its weapons, both north and south of the Litani ...

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 ...

Egypt's Sisi Discusses Mideast Peace with World Jewish Congress Chief

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told the head of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder on Sunday that the establishment of a Palestinian state is "the only guarantee" for lasting peace in the Middle East. During his meeting with Lauder in Cairo on Sunday, Sisi called for starting the reconstruction of war-battered Gaza "without ...

Bus Carrying Freed Palestinian Prisoners Arrives in Ramallah

A bus carrying a group of Palestinian prisoners released Saturday by Israel under the Gaza ceasefire deal arrived to a cheering crowd in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, according to an AFP journalist. Wearing traditional keffiyeh scarves, the freed prisoners were hoisted onto the crowd's shoulders. They hugged relatives before heading to ...

Gaza: The Second Phase of Truce Negotiations Expected Next Week // Gaza Truce: Indirect Negotiations Could Resume in Doha

A Hamas official said on Friday that he expects the second phase of indirect negotiations on the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel to begin "early next week." "We expect the second phase of ceasefire negotiations to begin early next week, and mediators are continuing discussions on the matter," said the ...

Arab Summit in Riyadh on February 20 to Discuss Trump’s Plan for Gaza

Riyadh is set to host a summit on February 20, bringing together five Arab countries to develop a common response to Donald Trump’s plan, which envisions emptying Gaza of its inhabitants and rebuilding the territory under U.S. control, a Saudi source told AFP on Friday. This summit, which will gather the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the ...

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 ...

Gaza: The New Switzerland of the East? What About Us?

When Donald Trump wakes up, even his smallest remark makes global headlines—that’s just how it is. As the most powerful man on Earth, he wields arguments that are not just compelling and consequential but sometimes… explosive. For now, any statement he makes triggers shockwaves. Case in point: “Ukraine could one day become Russian.” A ...