Page 51 - Gaza Conflict

Pakistan President Alvi's volte-face on a solution to the Palestine problem

After courting controversy by proposing a one-state solution to the Palestine problem, Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi has now said that Islamabad supports a just and peaceful resolution of the vexed issue, based on the two-state solution. Alvi's comments walking back on the earlier stance came during a meeting with Dr Saleh bin Abdullah Humaid, Imam Khatib at Masjid Al-Haram, and adviser at Saudi Royal Courts of Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to a report in the newspaper Dawn. President Dr Arif Alvi has reiterated that Pakistan firmly supports a just and peaceful resolution of the Palestine issue, based on the two-state solution. He said that the world must realise the pain of the Palestinian people and play its role in ending the Israeli atrocities in Gaza that had killed thousands of innocent people, including women and children, an official press release issued by the Presidency said on Friday. At the meeting on Thursday, which discussed the situation in Gaza, Islamophobia,

French foreign minister holds talks in China on climate and global tensions

France and China should work together to reduce global tensions and address issues such as climate change and biodiversity, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Friday. Colonna was on an official trip to Beijing ahead of a major UN climate conference starting next week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and an EU-China leaders meeting next month. Her visit coincided with the start of a four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war. "As big powers, we both share the responsibility to tackle global challenges .... and we can make concerted efforts in alleviating tensions around the world, she said at a meeting with Premier Li Qiang, China's No. 2 leader. Today's tensions range from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to the competition between China and the YS over trade, technology and security. A delegation of Arab foreign ministers held talks in China and France in recent days as part of a series of meetings with permanent members of the UN Security Council to push for a cease-fire in

Truce begins in Israel-Hamas war; stage set for release of hostages

A temporary truce in the Israel-Hamas war took effect early Friday, setting the stage for the exchange of dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The halt in fighting began at 7 am local time (0500 GMT) and is to last at least four days. During the truce, Gaza's ruling Hamas group pledged to free at least 50 of the about 240 hostages it and other militants took in their deadly Oct 7 attack on Israel. In turn, Israel is to free three Palestinian prisoners for each released hostage. The releases are to take place in stages over the next four days. The truce deal was reached in weeks of intense indirect negotiations, with Qatar, the United States and Egypt serving as mediators. If it holds, it would mark the first significant break in fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas seven weeks ago. About 1,200 people were killed by Hamas attackers in Israel on Oct 7. Israel responded with a massive air and ground offensive that has devastated lar

Israel-Hamas truce effective from Friday, 1st captives will be freed: Qatar

Majed Al-Ansari told reporters in Doha the lists of all civilians that would be released from Gaza had been agreed with aid "going in as soon as possible"

Hezbollah fires 50 rockets in north Israel day after 5 killed in airstrike

The militant Hezbollah group fired more than 50 rockets at military posts in northern Israel on Thursday, a day after an Israeli airstrike on a home in southern Lebanon killed five of the group's senior fighters. The waves of rockets sent over the border represented one of the most intense bombardments since Hezbollah started attacking Israeli posts in the country's north at the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. Hezbollah has said that by heating up its actions on the Israel-Lebanon border, it is easing pressure on the Gaza Strip, where Israel's crushing aerial, ground and naval offensive has left more than 13,300 Palestinians dead and caused wide destruction in the sealed-off enclave. The war was triggered by an October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel that left about 1,200 people dead, most of them civilians, and resulted in about 240 hostages getting taken to Gaza. An agreement for a four-day cease-fire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants and ..

More than 13,000 died in Gaza, say officials as detailed count resumes

The director of the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza says it has resumed its detailed count of casualties from the Israel-Hamas war, and has documented more than 13,000 deaths. Medhat Abbas confirmed the resumption to The Associated Press on Thursday. The Health Ministry had stopped updating its figures on Nov. 11 after the breakdown of access and communication in northern Gaza, where Israeli ground troops are battling Palestinian militants. The latest count is based on updated figures from hospitals in the south and Nov. 11 figures from the northern hospitals. The real toll is likely higher. The Health Ministry says another 6,000 people have been reported missing, and are feared buried under the rubble.

Hostage release under truce deal not before Friday, says top Netanyahu aide

National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi circulated a statement that said the negotiations for the hostages "are constantly progressing"

Important to ensure Israel war does not take shape of regional conflict: PM

Expressing concern over the prevailing insecurity and instability in West Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told G20 leaders that it is important to ensure that the Israel-Hamas war does not take the shape of a regional conflict and welcomed the announcement of the release of hostages. In his opening remarks at the virtual G20 Leaders' Summit, Modi said terrorism is "unacceptable" to everyone and asserted that the death of civilians wherever it may be is condemnable. In the last few months, new challenges have emerged and the situation of insecurity and instability in West Asia is a matter of concern, he said at the virtual meeting attended by leaders like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, among others. "Our coming together shows that we are ...

Gaza war: Four day cease-fire to start Thu morning, 50 hostages to be freed

Egypt's state-run Qahera TV says the Israel-Hamas truce will take effect at 10 am local time(0800 GMT) on Thursday. Egypt helped mediate the four-day cease-fire, which will facilitate the release of dozens of hostages captured by Hamas during its October 7 attack into southern Israel. The deal will also see the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and the entry of more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israeli media also reported that the truce would begin Thursday at 10 am.

Gaza facing humanitarian crisis, needs aid, says EAM S Jaishankar

Israel declares Lashkar-e-Taiba as 'terror organisation'

Israeli vessel's capture reignites fears over West Asia shipping

Ships have often been caught up in the tensions between various groups in West Asia, at times disrupting flows of energy and other goods

Gunfire kills, hurts dozens in Gaza hospital encircled by Israeli tanks

There was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli military of the reports from the Indonesian Hospital but the Palestinian news agency WAFA said the facility had been hit by artillery fire

Xi to attend BRICS virtual summit on Palestinian-Israel issue: China

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on Tuesday on the Hamas-Israel conflict, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced here on Monday. Earlier, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chair of the BRICS group, convened a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations on the Middle East situation in Gaza for Tuesday, the South African Foreign Ministry announced. At the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi will attend the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israel issue and deliver important remarks in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Monday. President Ramaphosa will deliver opening remarks at the meeting, where members and invited states will also deliver country statements on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the South African Foreign Ministry announced. BRICS countries include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. United

China welcomes Arab, Muslim foreign ministers for talk on war in Gaza

China's top diplomat welcomed four Arab foreign ministers and the Indonesian one to Beijing on Monday, saying his country would work with our brothers and sisters" in the Arab and Islamic world to try to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible. The ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia chose to start a tour of world capitals in Beijing, a testament to both China's growing geopolitical influence and its longstanding support for the Palestinians. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the foreign diplomats that their decision to start in Beijing shows their high level of trust in his nation. China is a good friend and brother of Arab and Islamic countries, Wang said in opening remarks at a state guest house before their talks began. We have always firmly safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Arab (and) Islamic countries and have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people. China has long backed the ...

India-bound ship hijacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels in Red Sea, says IDF

World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media that the "very sick" babies were evacuated, along with six health workers and 10 staff family members

India's second tranche of humanitarian aid for Palestine arrives in Egypt

Earlier, India sent 38 tonnes of humanitarian relief for civilians caught up in the ongoing ground offensive by the Israeli forces in the Strip

32 babies among critically ill stranded in Gaza's Shifa hospital: UN team

A United Nations team said Sunday that 291 patients were left at Gaza's largest hospital after Israeli troops had others evacuate. Those left included 32 babies in extremely critical condition, trauma patients with severely infected wounds, and others with spinal injuries who are unable to move. The team was able to tour Shifa Hospital for an hour after about 2,500 displaced people, mobile patients and medical staff left the sprawling compound Saturday morning, said the World Health Organisation, which led the mission. It said 25 medical staff remained, along with the patients. Patients and health staff with whom they spoke were terrified for their safety and health, and pleaded for evacuation, the agency said, describing Shifa as a death zone. It said more teams will attempt to reach Shifa in coming days to try to the evacuate patients to southern Gaza, where hospitals are also overwhelmed. Israel has long alleged that Hamas maintains a sprawling command post inside and under Shifa

Panicked patients, medics flee Gaza hospital as Israel looks for Hamas base

Hundreds of patients, medical staff and people displaced by Israel's war against Hamas left Gaza's largest hospital Saturday, with one evacuee describing a panicked and chaotic scene as Israeli forces searched and face-scanned men among those leaving and took some away. Israel's military has been searching Gaza City's Shifa Hospital for a Hamas command center that it alleges is located under the facility a claim Hamas and hospital staff deny. The evacuation, which Israel says was voluntary, left behind only Israeli troops and a small number of health workers to care for those too sick to move. We left at gunpoint, Mahmoud Abu Auf told The Associated Press by phone after he and his family left the crowded hospital. Tanks and snipers were everywhere inside and outside. He said he saw Israeli troops detain three men. Elsewhere in northern Gaza, dozens of people were killed in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp when what witnesses described as an Israeli airstrike hit a crowded U.N. shelt

IDF raids Hamas sites in Gaza Strip, finds weapons, supplies in school

During one of the raids, a large amount of weapons and military equipment was found inside a high school

Gaza communications blackout ends, hope rises for critical aid deliveries

Internet and phone service was partially restored to the Gaza Strip on Saturday, ending a telecommunications blackout that forced the United Nations to shut down critical humanitarian aid deliveries because it was unable to coordinate its convoys. Meantime, an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building on the outskirts of the town of Khan Younis, killing at least 26 Palestinians, according to a doctor at the hospital where the bodies were taken. Early in the war, the Israeli military told civilians to flee northern Gaza, the target of its ground offensive, but also kept up its bombardment in the southern evacuation zone where Khan Younis is located. Israel has signalled plans to expand its offensive south while continuing operations in the north, including Gaza City, where troops were still searching the territory's biggest hospital, Shifa, for traces of a Hamas command centre that Israel alleges was located under the building a claim Hamas and the hospital staff deny. In Khan .