Page 29 - Gaza

Netanyahu sends director of Mossad for Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, his office said Saturday, in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza. It was not immediately clear when David Barnea would travel to Qatar's capital, Doha, for the latest round of indirect talks between Israel and the Hamas militant group. His presence means high-level Israeli officials who would need to sign off on any agreement are now involved. Just one brief ceasefire has been achieved in 15 months of war, and that was in the earliest weeks of fighting. The talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled since then. Netanyahu has insisted on destroying Hamas' ability to fight in Gaza. Hamas has insisted on a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the largely devastated territory. On Thursday, Gaza's Health Ministry said over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, the majority women and

Palestinian death toll from Israel-Hamas war above 46,000: Gaza health dep

The Gaza Health Ministry says the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has climbed above 46,000. The ministry updated its toll from the ongoing 15-month conflict on Thursday. It says 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and 109,378 wounded. The ministry has said women and children make up more than half the fatalities, but does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants operate in residential areas. Israel has also repeatedly struck what it says are militants hiding in shelters and hospitals, often killing women and children. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza. Israeli authorities believe at least a third of them were killed in the

UAE launches education campaign in Gaza under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3

The UAE, as part of the 'Operation Chivalrous Knight 3', has launched a campaign to support education in the Gaza Strip.The campaign includes sending school bags and educational supplies to children, aiming to assist students in continuing their education amid the difficult humanitarian conditions facing the sector.As part of the UAE's ongoing humanitarian efforts, the campaign includes aid in the form of school bags equipped with essential supplies, including notebooks, pens, and stationery, as well as other school supplies. These will be sent in batches to support the educational process and encourage students to continue studying.This initiative comes within the framework of efforts led by the UAE, with the participation of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), Zayed Charitable & Humanitarian Foundation, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, and Sharjah Charity International, to alleviate the living burdens on Palestinian families and enhance educational opportunities for ...

US Army carries out airstrikes against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels

The US military says it carried out a wave of strikes against what it said were underground arms facilities of Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. US Central Command said in a statement that Wednesday's strikes targeted weapons used by the rebels to attack ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis said seven strikes targeted sites in the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and the northern Amran province, without providing further details. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The United States and its allies have carried out repeated strikes on the Houthis, who have continued to target shipping. The rebels say they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

Israel launches raids across occupied West Bank, kills 3 Palestinians

The Israeli military launched a wave of raids across the occupied West Bank overnight and into Tuesday, killing at least three Palestinians. The army said it killed two Palestinian militants in an airstrike after they fired at troops in the area of Tamun, a village in the northern West Bank. It said another militant was killed in close-quarters combat in the nearby village of Taluza and that an Israeli soldier was severely wounded there. The military said it arrested more than 20 suspected militants in different parts of the territory. It said the overnight operations were not related to the shooting the day before, in which gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Israelis in the West Bank, killing two women in their 70s and a 35-year-old policeman before fleeing the scene. Israeli forces were pursuing those attackers in separate operations. Palestinians have carried out scores of shooting, stabbing and car-ramming attacks against Israelis, especially during the past 15 months of the

Hurdles remain as Israel, Hamas once again inch toward ceasefire deal

Israel and Hamas once again appear to be inching toward a ceasefire that could wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held hostage there. Both Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the January 20 inauguration. But the sides have come close before, only to have talks collapse over various disagreements. The latest round of negotiations has bogged down over the names of hostages to be released in a first phase, according to Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations. Israel wants assurances that the hostages are alive, while Hamas says that after months of heavy fighting, it isn't sure who is alive or dead. Other hurdles remain. The first phase, expected to last for six to eight weeks, would also include a halt in fighting, a release of Palestinian prisoners and a surge in aid to the

Israel starts recruitment for first ultra-orthodox brigade 'Hahashmonaim'

It was also noted that 100 more ultra-orthodox people will join the brigade's first reserves company after undergoing intensive training for six months

Israeli strike hits Gaza humanitarian zone as Netanyahu OKs talks in Qatar

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 40 people, including several children, across the Gaza Strip, hitting Hamas security officers and an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone. As the daily bombardment continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had authorised a delegation from the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the military to continue negotiations in Qatar toward a ceasefire deal. Israeli media said the delegation would depart on Friday. There was no immediate Hamas comment. The US-led talks have repeatedly stalled during 15 months of war. The Israeli strike in the seaside humanitarian zone known as Muwasi occurred as hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been huddling there in damp winter weather. Everyone was taking shelter in their tents from the cold, and suddenly we found the world turning upside down. Why, and for what? said Ziyad Abu Jabal, displaced from Gaza City. The early morning strike killed

26 killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes in Gaza humanitarian zone, elsewhere

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 26 people across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, hitting Hamas security officers and an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone, as the daily bombardment continues and the latest efforts toward a ceasefire appear to have stalled. Everyone was taking shelter in their tents from the cold, and suddenly we found the world turning upside down. Why, and for what? said Ziyad Abu Jabal, displaced from Gaza City, after the strike in the seaside humanitarian zone known as Muwasi. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are huddling in Muwasi in damp winter weather. The early morning strike there killed at least 10 people, including three children and two senior Hamas police officers. Israel's military said it targeted a senior officer in the Hamas-run police force. It said he was involved in gathering intelligence used by Hamas' armed wing in attacks on Israeli forces. Another Israeli strike killed at least eight Palestinians in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The

Israeli Air Force eliminates head of Hamas Internal Security Forces in Gaza

The IDF further said that Shahwan was responsible for developing intelligence assessments in coordination with elements of Hamas' military wing in attacks on the IDF in Gaza

Israeli strikes kill at least 18 in Gaza, including 3 children: Reports

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 people in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including three children and two high-ranking officers in the Hamas-run police force, according to Palestinian and hospital officials. One strike early Thursday hit a tent in an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone known as Muwasi, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in tents during the cold and rainy winter. Another strike killed at least eight Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip. The dead were members of local committees that help secure aid convoys, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. An Associated Press reporter at the hospital confirmed the toll. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strikes. The war was sparked by Hamas-led militants' Oct. 7, 2023 attack into Israel. They killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 that day. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom

15 killed, 20 injured as Israel continues strikes in Gaza on New Year

The Israeli forces have been continuously targeting the town of Jabalia in recent months

IDF claims to have arrested 240 terrorists in operation at Gaza hospital

The operation also led to the arrest of approximately 15 terrorists who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 attacks, along with Hamas engineering and anti-tank missile operatives

Military base disguised as village: IDF uncovers Hezbollah's hidden arsenal

The discoveries come amid growing friction between the IDF and the UNIFIL. In a statement on December 26, UNIFIL urged both sides to respect the ceasefire agreement and adhere to UNSC Resolution 1701

Israeli soldiers burn hospital in North Gaza after removing staff, patients

Israeli soldiers stormed and burned a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcibly removing staff and patients on Friday, Health Ministry officials said. The Israeli military said the hospital was being used by Hamas fighters as a base, although it did not provide evidence. In Israel, an 83-year-old woman was stabbed to death by a Palestinian from the West Bank, and police say the suspect was arrested. Israel said it intercepted a missile fired by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, hours after a wave of deadly Israeli warplanes bombed key infrastructure in Yemen including an airport where the World Health Organisation's director-general was about to board a flight. The Houthis have also been attacking shipping in the Red Sea corridor attacks they say won't stop until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed over 45,400 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not ...

Israeli strike kills 5 Palestinian journalists in Gaza, say officials

An Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight, the Health Ministry said early Thursday. The strike hit a car outside the Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in the central part of the territory. The journalists were working for the local Quds News Network, which also reported the strike. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel is battling Hamas nearly 15 months after the militant group launched a surprise attack into southern Israel. Israel says it only targets militants and tries to spare civilians, but the daily strikes often kill women and children.

Israel seized 85K Hezbollah weapons in Southern Lebanon operations

"The weapons confiscated were used by Hezbollah and were intended to harm the citizens of the State of Israel, IDF said

Israel, Hamas accuse each other of complicating ceasefire talks in Qatar

Israel and Hamas accused each other of complicating ceasefire efforts on Wednesday, as the two sides inch closer to a deal that could wind down the 14-month war in Gaza. The two sides appear closer than they have been in months to reaching an agreement that would bring home dozens of hostages being held in Gaza. However, talks have come close before, only to collapse. Although Israel and Hamas have expressed optimism that progress was being made toward a deal, sticking points remain over the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, people involved in the talks say. On Wednesday, Hamas accused Israel of introducing new conditions related to the withdrawal from Gaza, the prisoners and the return of displaced people, which it said was delaying the deal. Israel's government accused Hamas of reneging on reneging on understandings that have already been reached. Still, both sides said discussions are ongoing. Israel's negotiating tea

May we become pilgrims of hope, peace, and unity: Pope on Christmas

Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message Wednesday urged all people of all nations to find courage during this Holy Year to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia. The pontiff's Urbi et Orbi To the City and the World address serves as a summary of the woes facing the world this year. As Christmas coincided with the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration that he dedicated to hope, Francis called for broad reconciliation, even (with) our enemies. "I invite every individual, and all people of all nations ... to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions,' the pope said from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to throngs of people below. The pope invoked the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica, which he opened on Christmas Eve to launch the 2025 Jubilee, as representing God's mercy, which unties every knot; it tears down every wall of division; it dispels hatred and

Israeli raid and airstrikes in West Bank kill at least 8 Palestinians

At least eight people were killed by Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank around the city of Tulkarem on Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, including three people it said were killed by Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military said it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of some uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian city of Bethlehem was marking a second somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of the war in Gaza, with most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent. Israel's bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war with Israel are struggling to protect