Page 13 - Gaza Conflict

Palestinians struggle to rebuild their lives amid Gaza's devastation

When night falls over northern Gaza, much of the cityscape of collapsed buildings and piled wreckage turns pitch black. Living inside the ruins of their home, Rawya Tamboura's young sons get afraid of the dark, so she turns on a flashlight and her phone's light to comfort them, for as long as the batteries last. Displaced for most of the 16-month-long war, Tamboura is back in her house. But it is still a frustrating shell of a life, she says: There is no running water, electricity, heat or services, and no tools to clear the rubble around them. Nearly 600,000 Palestinians flooded back into northern Gaza under the now month-old ceasefire in Gaza, according to the United Nations. After initial relief and joy at being back at their homes even if damaged or destroyed they now face the reality of living in the wreckage for the foreseeable future. Some people wish the war had never ended, feeling it would have been better to be killed, Tamboura said. I don't know what we'll do long-term

Israel ready to extend ceasefire for hostage release: FM to EU counterparts

'Ceasefire will not be extended without the release of hostages,' Sa'ar said in his meetings with the Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Finnish, and Slovakian foreign ministers

EU, Israel to revive discussions on Gaza's future, regional politics

Ahead of today's meeting, the European Union's 27 member countries negotiated a compromise position that praises areas of cooperation with Israel while also raising concerns

Trump clarifies Gaza takeover remark, says it was a 'recommendation' only

Speaking to Fox News, Trump reiterated his belief that his plan was the "best approach" to resolve the situation in the West Asia

Hamas frees all 6 Israeli hostages to be released in latest exchange

Hamas is set to free six more Israeli hostages Saturday from the Gaza Strip, but the exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is shadowed by heightened tension between the adversaries that clouds the future of the fragile ceasefire deal. As preparations moved forward Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for a cruel and malicious violation of the agreement centred on the wrong identification of a body released by Hamas. The family of Shiri Bibas said Israeli forensic authorities had confirmed that the remains released overnight are those of Israeli mother of two small boys. Her body had been released by militants Friday after one set of remains handed over Thursday had been misidentified as hers but later determined to be an unidentified Palestinian woman. Three other bodies returned were confirmed as those of Bibas' sons and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when all were taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 in Israel and

Hamas returns four captives' bodies said to include mother, her 2 children

Hamas on Thursday released the bodies of four Israeli hostages, said to include a mother and her two children who have long been feared dead and had come to embody the nation's agony following the October 7, 2023, attack. The remains were presumed to be of Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, as well as Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted. Kfir, who was 9 months old when he was taken, was the youngest captive. Hamas has said all four were killed along with their guards in Israeli airstrikes. "Our hearts the hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters," Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement. On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely. The militants displayed four black coffins on a stage in the Gaza Strip surrounded by banners, including a large one depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire. Thousands o

Head of Hamas in Lebanon killed in drone strike, says Israel Army

An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Monday killed the head of the militant Hamas group in the country, Israel's military said. The strike came on the eve of the deadline for Israel's full withdrawal from southern Lebanon under the ceasefire agreement that ended the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it killed Mohammad Shaheen, the head of Hamas' operations department in Lebanon. The army accused Shaheen of recently planning terror attacks, directed and funded by Iran, from Lebanese territory against the citizens of the state of Israel. Footage circulating online showed a car engulfed in flames. The strike occurred near a Lebanese army checkpoint and Sidon's municipal sports stadium. The original withdrawal deadline was in late January, but under pressure from Israel, Lebanon agreed to extend it to February 18. It remains unclear whether Israeli troops will complete their withdrawal by Tuesday. Since the ceasefire, Israel has continued .

Israel releases over 300 Palestinian prisoners, 6th exchange round complete

Hamas-led militants have released three male Israeli hostages, and Israeli forces began releasing hundreds of prisoners in return, in the latest indication that the fragile ceasefire deal that has paused fighting in the Gaza Strip but that had teetered in recent days, is holding. Militants in the southern Gaza Strip paraded the three hostages Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 before a crowd before releasing them. All had been abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community that was hard-hit in the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. They appeared pale and worn, but seemed to be in better physical condition than the three men released last Saturday, who had emerged emaciated from 16 months of captivity. The truce that began nearly four weeks ago had been jeopardized in recent days by a tense dispute that threatened to renew the fighting. US President Donald Trump's .

Israel announces identity of three Hamas hostages set to be released today

The hostages, who are expected to be released on Saturday, were all kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023

Hamas to release more hostages as planned, easing ceasefire dispute

Hamas said Thursday it would release the next group of Israeli hostages as planned, paving the war toward resolving a major dispute that threatened the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The militant group said Egyptian and Qatari mediators have affirmed that they will work to remove all hurdles, and that it would implement the truce deal. The statement indicated three more Israeli hostages would be freed Saturday. There was no immediate comment from Israel on Hamas' announcement. Hamas' move should allow the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to continue for now, but its future remains in doubt. Hamas had threatened to delay the next release of Israeli hostages, accusing Israel of failing to meet its obligations to allow in tents and shelters, among other alleged violations of the truce. Israel, with the support of U.S. President Donald Trump, had threatened to renew its offensive if hostages were not freed. Hamas said its delegation held talks in Cairo with Egyptian officials and was in cont

Israeli military calls up reservists as Gaza ceasefire tensions rise

Trump meanwhile wants Saudi Arabia, which has vast influence in other Arab and Muslim countries, to normalise ties with Israel

Relatives of Israeli hostages terrified as fragile Gaza ceasefire may end

After 16 months of excruciating uncertainty, Idit Ohel finally received word this week that her 24-year-old son, a hostage in Gaza, is still alive. She said she fainted upon hearing the brutal details of his captivity from freed hostages who had been held with him by Hamas since October 7, 2023. Bound by chains in an underground tunnel, Alon Ohel has subsisted on a piece of bread or less each day. He hasn't seen sunlight in 493 days, she told reporters on Monday. As the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seems increasingly at risk of falling apart Hamas says it will not free three hostages on Saturday as planned, and Israel says it's ready to resume the war if it doesn't families of the hostages are struggling to maintain hope. They are pleading with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to give up on the ceasefire framework, and to speed up the timeline of releases if possible. Their worries about the ceasefire collapsing have been exacerbated by President Donald Trump'

Jordan agrees to take in Palestinian children after Trump's US aid threat

Donald Trump has praised the Jordanian leader's commitment to accepting sick Palestinian children, calling it a 'beautiful' act

Netanyahu warns of ending Gaza ceasefire if hostages not returned on Feb 15

After nearly 16 months of war, Hamas has gradually been releasing hostages since the first phase of a ceasefire began on January 19, but on Monday said it would not free any more

With ceasefire in question, Israel orders to beef up troops around Gaza

An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to beef up troops in and around the Gaza Strip after Hamas threatened to call off a scheduled hostage release on Saturday. The official said Netanyahu also ordered officials to prepare for every scenario if Hamas doesn't release our hostages this Saturday. The preparation plans come after Netanyahu met with his Security Cabinet for four hours on Tuesday to discuss Hamas' threat, which has put the fragile ceasefire agreement in danger. Under the ceasefire, Hamas has released 21 hostages in a series of exchanges for Palestinian prisoners. But it said Monday it was delaying the next release of three more hostages after accusing Israel of failing to allow enough aid into Gaza under the deal. President Donald Trump has said Israel should cancel the entire ceasefire if all of the roughly 70 hostages held by Hamas aren't freed by Saturday. The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a

'Will relocate them to beautiful areas of Middle East': Trump on Gaza plan

Donald Trump had proposed US control over Gaza, pledging reconstruction and economic revival; Netanyahu calls it a 'historic shift' that could reshape the region's future

Hamas brushes off Trump's threat, says all must be committed to ceasefire

Hamas has brushed off President Donald Trump's threat that all hell will break out if it does not release the remaining Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip by Saturday. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Tuesday that the dozens of hostages would only be returned if all parties remain committed to a ceasefire deal reached last month. Trump must remember there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties, he said, adding that threatening language only complicates matters. Hamas has threatened to delay the next release of three Israeli hostages, due Saturday, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement, including by not allowing a surge of tents and shelters into the devastated territory. While Trump said the ceasefire should be cancelled if Hamas doesn't release all the remaining hostages Saturday, he also said such a decision would be up to Israel. During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas has committed to freeing a total of 33 hostages captured in its

Trump threatens to cut aid to Jordan, Egypt if they refute Gaza relocation

US President Donald Trump doubled down on his redevelopment plan for Gaza, stating that Palestinians relocated would not be allowed to return

After ceasefire in Gaza, West Bank Palestinians face more Israeli barriers

Abdullah Fauzi, a banker from the northern West Bank city of Nablus, leaves home at 4 a.m. to reach his job by 8, and he's often late. His commute used to take an hour until Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, after which Israel launched its offensive in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military also ramped up raids against Palestinian militants in the northern West Bank, and diverted its residents through seven new checkpoints, doubling Fauzi's time on the road. Now it's gotten worse. Since the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas took effect, Fauzi's drive to the West Bank's business and administrative hub, Ramallah, has become a convoluted, at least four-hour wiggle through steep lanes and farm roads as Israel further tightens the noose around Palestinian cities in measures it considers essential to guard against militant attacks. You can fly to Paris while we're not reaching our homes," the 42-year-old said from the Atara checkpoint outside Ramallah last week, as Isr

Trump says losing patience, compares freed Israelis to Holocaust survivors

New details and growing shock over emaciated hostages renewed pressure Sunday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a fragile Gaza ceasefire beyond the first phase, even as US President Donald Trump repeated his pledge that the US would take control of the Palestinian enclave. Talks on the second phase, meant to see more hostages released and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, were due to start February 3. But Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress, even as Israeli forces withdrew Sunday from a Gaza corridor in the latest commitment to the truce. Netanyahu sent a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator, but it included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won't lead to a breakthrough. Netanyahu, who returned after a U.S. visit to meet with Trump, is expected to convene security Cabinet ministers on Tuesday. Speaking on Sunday, Trump repeated his pledge to take control of the Gaza Strip. I'm committed to buying and owning Gaza. As far as