Palestine

Hamas Official says Group Open to Freeing Hostages, Five-Year Truce in Gaza

Hamas is open to an agreement to end the Gaza war that would include the one-time release of all remaining hostages and a five-year cessation of hostilities, an official from the Palestinian group said Saturday. "Hamas is ready for an exchange of prisoners in a single batch and a truce for five years," the official told AFP on condition ...

Israel Says Intercepted Missile From Yemen, Drone 'From The East'

Israel's military said Saturday it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, whose Huthi rebels have launched attacks throughout the Gaza war, as well as a drone approaching "from the east". "Following the sirens that sounded recently in several areas in Israel, a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted" before "crossing into ...

Abbas Urges Hamas to Free Gaza Hostages as Israeli Strikes Kill 18

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday urged Hamas to free all hostages in Gaza, saying their captivity provided Israel with "excuses" to attack the territory, as rescuers recovered charred bodies from an Israeli strike. At least 18 people were killed across the Gaza Strip by Israeli strikes, while Germany, France and Britain urged ...

Germany, France, UK Say Israel’s Gaza Aid Blockade ‘Must End’

Germany, France and Britain on Wednesday called on Israel to stop blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning of "an acute risk of starvation, epidemic disease and death". "This must end," their foreign ministers said in a joint statement. "We urge Israel to immediately re-start a rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza in order to ...

Israeli Military Says ‘Likely’ Intercepted Missile Launched From Yemen

Israel's military said Wednesday that a missile was "launched from Yemen", where the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have regularly targeted Israel. Shortly after 4:00 am local time (0100 GMT), the Israeli army announced that the missile triggered air raid sirens in Haifa and other communities in northern Israel. "An interceptor was launched toward ...

Gaza Rescuers Say 25 Killed in Israeli Air Strikes

Gaza's civil defense agency said that a spate of Israeli air strikes since dawn on Tuesday killed at least 25 people across the Hamas-run territory. Israel resumed an intense air and ground offensive on Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire that had largely halted the fighting in the besieged Palestinian territory. "The total number of ...

“He Never Forgot Gaza”: Palestinian Catholics Express Sorrow After Pope Francis’s Death

Palestinian Christians in Gaza on Monday mourned the death of Pope Francis, who had maintained close and consistent video contact with the small Christian community in the territory throughout the ongoing war. Since the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hamas, Francis had regularly called Gaza's Christians, often several times a week, ...

Pope Francis Makes Joyful Easter Appearance Despite Health Struggles

Pope Francis called for freedom of thought and tolerance in his Easter Sunday address, as the weakened pontiff delighted the crowds of Catholic faithful by making a much-anticipated holiday appearance, even circling St. Peter's Square in his popemobile. "Happy Easter," said the 88-year-old Argentine pope in a faint voice from his wheelchair on ...

Qatar’s Chief Negotiator Says ‘Frustrated’ by Pace of Gaza Talks

Qatar's chief negotiator voiced frustration over talks for a truce in Gaza in an interview with AFP, a month after Israel resumed its strikes on the Palestinian territory and another round of negotiations ended without a deal. "We're definitely frustrated by the slowness, sometimes, of the process in the negotiation. This is an urgent matter. ...

Netanyahu Vows to Bring Hostages Home Without Yielding to Hamas' Demands

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Saturday to bring home the remaining hostages in Gaza without yielding to Hamas' demands, insisting the military campaign in the Palestinian territory had reached a "critical stage". "I believe we can bring our hostages home without surrendering to Hamas's dictates," Netanyahu said, in his first ...