Page 26 - Gaza

Trump shares Gaza plans through AI video: Gold statues, cocktails, luxury

Trump's AI Gaza video stirs controversy with Netanyahu, men in bikinis & luxury, reimagining the war-torn region as a futuristic paradise with golden skyscrapers

Hamas to return bodies of 4 dead Israeli hostages in exchange for prisoners

Israeli and Hamas officials said Tuesday they have reached an agreement to exchange the bodies of dead hostages for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, keeping their fragile ceasefire intact for at least a few more days. Israel has delayed the release of 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday to protest what it says is the cruel treatment of hostages during their release by Hamas. The militant group has said the delay is a serious violation of their ceasefire and that talks on a second phase are not possible until they are freed. The deadlock had threatened to collapse the ceasefire when the current six-week first phase of the deal expires this weekend. But late Tuesday, Hamas said an agreement had been reached to resolve the dispute during a visit to Cairo by a delegation headed by Khalil al-Hayya, a top political official in the group. The breakthrough appeared to clear the way for the return of the bodies of four more dead hostages and hundreds of additional ...

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

China calls for post-war governance in Gaza, holds talks with Egypt, Saudi

China's diplomatic push comes as it seeks to expand its influence in West Asia, particularly following widespread regional rejection of Trump's displacement plan for Gaza

Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release over 'humiliating' handovers

Israel says the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is delayed "until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies" at handovers of Israeli captives in Gaza. The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office came early Sunday as vehicles apparently carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison, only to turn around and go back in. The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners had been delayed for several hours and was meant to occur just after six Israeli hostages were released on Saturday. It was meant to be the largest one-day prisoner release in the Gaza ceasefire's first phase. Five of the six hostages freed Saturday were escorted by masked, armed militants in front of a crowd a display that the UN and others have criticised as cruel after previous handovers. The Israeli statement cited "ceremonies that demean the dignity of our hostages and the cynical use of the hostages for propaganda purposes". It was likely

Body released by Hamas was that of a Gazan woman, not a hostage: Netanyahu

The remains of two child hostages have been identified but another body released by Hamas was not the boys' mother, the Israeli military said early Friday. Hamas militants had turned over four bodies Thursday under the tenuous ceasefire that has paused over 15 months of war. Israel confirmed one body was that of Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted during the Hamas attack that started the war on October 7, 2023. The remains of Ariel and Kfir Bibas were identified by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in collaboration with the Israel Police and the families were notified, the Israeli Defence Forces said in a statement. It said the boys were killed in captivity in November 2023. But the additional body was not that of their mother Shiri Bibas, nor any other hostage, the military said. "This is a violation of utmost severity by the Hamas terrorist organisation, which is obligated under the agreement to return four deceased hostages," the Israeli military said in a .

UNICEF, WHO to continue mass polio vaccination campaign in Gaza Strip

In a joint statement, the two world organisations said that the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) will be administered to over 591,000 children under 10 years of age to protect them from polio

'Israel to begin negotiations on second phase of Gaza ceasefire deal'

Negotiations for the second phase of the deal were supposed to be under way before the first phase ends on March 2, but Qatar said the talks have not officially started yet.

Egypt plans to rebuild Gaza, countering Trump's call to depopulate region

Egypt is developing a plan to rebuild Gaza without forcing Palestinians out of the strip in a counter to President Donald Trump's proposal to depopulate the territory so the US can take it over. Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said the proposal calls for establishing "secure areas" within Gaza where Palestinians can live initially while Egyptian and international construction firms remove and rehabilitate the strip's infrastructure. Egyptian officials have been discussing the plan with European diplomats as well as with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, according to two Egyptian officials and Arab and Western diplomats. They are also discussing ways to fund the reconstruction, including an international conference on Gaza reconstruction, said one of the Egyptian officials and an Arab diplomat. The officials and diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the proposal is still being negotiated. The proposal comes after an international uproar over Trump's call for the remo

Rubio endorses Israel's war aims in Gaza, says Hamas must be eradicated

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday fully endorsed Israel's war aims in the Gaza Strip, saying Hamas must be eradicated and throwing the shaky ceasefire into further doubt as talks on its second phase are yet to begin. Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of a regional tour, where he is likely to face pushback from Arab leaders over US President Donald Trump's proposal to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza and redevelop it under US ownership. Netanyahu has welcomed the plan, and said he and Trump have a common strategy for Gaza. Echoing Trump, he said "the gates of hell would be open if Hamas doesn't release dozens of remaining hostages abducted in the militant group's attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that triggered the 16-month war. The ceasefire's first phase is set to end in two weeks and the second phase has yet to be negotiated, though talks were meant to begin two weeks ago. In the second phase, Hamas would release

Rubio begins Mideast trip as Arab leaders reel from Trump's Gaza plan

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is kicking of a Mideast tour in Israel on Sunday, as Arab leaders reel from President Donald Trump's proposal to transfer the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip to other countries and redevelop it under US ownership. On Rubio's first visit to the region as America's top diplomat he is likely to get a warm welcome from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has praised the plan, and pushback from Arab leaders, who have universally rejected it and are scrambling to come up with a counterproposal. The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas meanwhile remains intact after a major dispute threatened to unravel it last week. But the sides face a fast-approaching deadline in early March to negotiate the next phase, and the war may resume if they don't reach an agreement. Netanyahu has signalled readiness to resume the war after the current stage, even if that would leave dozens of hostages in captivity. At the same time, he has offered Hamas

Hamas to release 3 more hostages, paving way to resolve ceasefire dispute

Hamas said Thursday it would release three more Israeli hostages as planned, paving the way toward resolving a major dispute over the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The militant group had threatened to delay the next release of captives, 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 US President Donald Trump, says it will resume fighting Hamas if the hostages are not freed. The announcement from Hamas should allow the ceasefire to continue for now, even after Israel said Thursday that a rocket had been launched from Gaza though doubts remain about the long-term durability of the truce. Hamas said it held talks in Cairo with Egyptian officials and was in contact with Qatar's prime minister about bringing into Gaza more shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble its key demand in recent days. It said in a statement that the mediators had pledged

'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

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

Pressure mounts on extending Gaza ceasefire as details on hostages emerge

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 ending in three weeks. Talks on the second phase, meant to see more hostages released and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, were due to start Feb. 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 President Donald Trump, is expected to convene security Cabinet ministers on Tuesday. Trump himself suggested he was losing patience with the deal after seeing the emaciated hostages released this week. I watched the hostages come back today and they looked like Holocaust survivors. They were i

Israel begins to withdraw from key Gaza corridor as part of truce

Israeli forces withdrew from a key corridor in Gaza on Sunday, Israeli officials and Hamas said, the latest commitment under a tenuous ceasefire that faces a major test over whether the sides can negotiate its planned extension. Israelis' shock at the sight of three emaciated hostages released Saturday has added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend the truce instead of returning to fighting when the ceasefire's first phase ends in early March. Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress on negotiating the deal's second phase, which is also meant to see more hostages released. Talks had been due to start on February 3. Netanyahu was sending 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 to Israel on Sunday after a US visit to meet with President Donald Trump, is expected to convene key Cabinet ministers this week. The 4-mile (6-kilometre) Netzar

'Deprived of food': Freed Israeli hostages recall ordeal in Hamas captivity

Family members of hostages said some of the hostages had at least occasional access to radio or television and heard or saw their relatives campaigning for their release, which helped them survive

We are determined to stay here: Gaza residents on Trump's displacement plan

Amid the devastation, Gazans vowed to remain steadfast in their homeland, rejecting US President Donald Trump's controversial proposal to seize the enclave

Trump suggests US control of Gaza, calls it a 'most spectacular' project

Trump proposes US control of Gaza as the 'most spectacular' project, while Israel drafts plans for Palestinian departures amid divided global reactions