Palestine

Qatar Says 'Confident' in Deal for Ceasefire in Gaza

Qatar is confident that the deal it helped mediate for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas addressed all the major issues at stake in the war, the foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday. "We are confident in the deal when it comes to the language of the deal, when it comes to the fact that we hashed out all the major issues on the table", Majed ...

Hamas Official says Four Women Hostages to be Freed Saturday

Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP on Tuesday that four Israeli women hostages will be freed in return for Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, in the second such release under a ceasefire deal. Nunu said the Palestinian Islamist group would release "four Israeli female detainees in exchange" for a second group of Palestinian prisoners. Three ...

Israeli Hostages, Palestinian Detainees Freed on first Gaza Truce Exchange

Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Monday after Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages, completing the first exchange under a long-awaited truce aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in Gaza. The three hostages released Sunday, all women, were reunited with their families and taken to hospital in central Israel where a doctor said ...

Dispute with Iran: The Issues at Stake

There are none so deaf as those who will not hear, and none so blind as those who will not see. These adages resonate particularly well when reflecting on the “puppet masters” in both Tehran and the southern suburbs of Beirut, especially in the aftermath of significant geopolitical shifts that have reverberated throughout the Middle East in ...

Trump Lays Wreath Ahead of Inauguration

US President-elect Donald Trump laid a wreath Sunday in a symbolic trip to the most hallowed place for America's war dead, before holding a huge victory rally on the eve of his return to power. Already involved in negotiations to restore the TikTok app at home and in peace efforts in the Middle East, Trump finds himself embroiled in world ...

First Israeli-Hamas Prisoner Exchange as Gaza Truce Begins

The Israeli military said on Sunday that the three released hostages had crossed into Israeli territory accompanied by its troops. "A short while ago, accompanied by IDF (military) and ISA (security agency) forces, the released hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory. The released hostages are currently on their way to an initial ...

UN Races to Feed One Million Gazans After Truce

The UN's World Food Programme said Sunday it was moving full throttle to get food to as many Gazans as possible after border crossings reopened as part of a long-awaited ceasefire deal. "We're trying to reach a million people within the shortest possible time," the WFP's Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau told AFP, as the Rome-based UN agency's ...

Gaza Truce Takes Effect with Nearly a Three-Hour Delay

After 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip, Israel announced on Sunday the implementation of a ceasefire with Hamas, delayed by nearly three hours due to Hamas publishing the names of hostages scheduled for release that day. The Qatari mediator also confirmed on Sunday the enforcement of the ceasefire in Gaza, noting that the names of the three ...

A Truce Expected in Gaza At 06:30 GMT, After 15 Months Of War

After 15 months of deadly war in the Gaza Strip, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is due to come into force on Sunday morning, followed by the release of hostages, fuelling hopes of a lasting peace despite a warning from Benjamin Netanyahu. A few hours before the deadline, set for 08:30 local time (06:30 GMT), the Israeli Prime Minister ...

Houthis Warn Of ‘Consequences’ Of Any Attack On Yemen During Gaza Truce

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday warned opposing forces in the Red Sea of the ‘consequences’ of any attack on their country during the truce in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas. The Iranian-backed rebels, who control large swathes of Yemen and the capital Sanaa, also claimed responsibility for an attack on several warships, ...