Page 40 - Gaza

Israeli military retrieves bodies of six hostages from Khan Younis in Gaza

The current war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities

Antony Blinken visits Gaza mediators in pursuit of ceasefire deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar as he pressed ahead Tuesday with the latest diplomatic mission to secure a cease-fire in the war in Gaza, even as Hamas and Israel signalled that challenges remain. Hamas in a new statement called the latest proposal presented to it a reversal of what it agreed to previously and accused the US of acquiescing to what it called new conditions from Israel. There was no immediate US response. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, told relatives of hostages in Gaza that a key goal is to preserve our strategic security assets in the face of great pressures from home and abroad. He noted the capture of a narrow buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border that Israel calls the Philadelphi corridor. Neither Hamas nor Egypt wants an Israeli presence there. The meeting came as Israel's military said it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas' October 7 attack that started the war, bringi

Israel accepts proposal to bridge impasse, Hamas must do same: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, and he called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether the latest draft had addressed concerns cited by the militant group. The high-stakes negotiations have gained speed in recent days as diplomats hope an agreement will deter Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah from avenging the targeted killings of two top militants that were blamed on Israel. The escalating tensions have raised fears of an even more destructive regional war. Blinken spoke after holding a 2 1/2 hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, and will travel to Egypt and Qatar for further negotiations. The three mediators have spent months trying to end the war in Gaza, with the talks repeatedly stalling. In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel supports the bridgin

News updates: PM Modi to visit Ukraine on Aug 23 to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Latest news updates: Catch all the news developments from around the world here

Israel, Hamas accuse each other for impeding cease-fire & hostage deal

Mediators say the current round of negotiations have brought the two sides closest to an official pause in fighting in months

Blinken to hold Gaza cease-fire talks on 9th Mideast trip since war began

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will use his ninth diplomatic mission to the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war to press for the quick conclusion of an elusive cease-fire agreement. Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday before what mediators have billed as a last push to reach a deal that will take place in Cairo later this week. He will meet with top Israeli officials on Monday before travelling to Egypt on Tuesday. Late last week, the three countries mediating the proposed cease-fire reported progress on a deal under which Israel would halt most military operations in Gaza and release a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of hostages held by Hamas. A senior official travelling with Blinken said his arrival in the region comes at a critical time in the cease-fire talks and the secretary would press all parties on the importance of concluding it quickly to end civilian suffering in Gaza and prevent the conflict from engulfing the region. T

Israel strikes Gaza as Blinken heads to region to close ceasefire deal

Israeli strikes across Gaza killed 19 people overnight, including a woman and her six children, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to the region on Sunday to try to seal a cease-fire deal after months of contentious negotiations. The U.S. and fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar appeared to be closing in on a deal after two days of talks in Doha, with American and Israeli officials expressing cautious optimism. But Hamas has signaled resistance to what it says are new demands by Israel, and the long-running talks have repeatedly stalled. The evolving proposal calls for a three-phase process in which Hamas would release all hostages abducted during its Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the deadliest war ever fought between Israelis and Palestinians. In exchange, Israel would withdraw its forces from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners. The mediators hope to end a war that has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, displaced the vast majority

Israeli GDP grows at 1.2% in April-June period as Gaza war rages on

First-quarter GDP was revised to 17.3% annualised from a prior estimate of 14.4%, bouncing back from a contraction of 20.6% in the fourth quarter of 2023

Activists to call for Gaza truce during Democratic convention in Chicago

Thousands of activists are expected to converge on Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, hoping to call attention to abortion rights, economic injustice and the war in Gaza. While Vice President Kamala Harris has energized crowds of supporters as she prepares to accept the Democratic nomination, progressive activists maintain their mission remains the same. Activists say they learned lessons from last month's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and are predicting bigger crowds and more robust demonstrations in Chicago, a city with deep social activism roots. Who is protesting? Demonstrations are expected every day of the convention and, while their agendas vary, many activists agree an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war is the priority. Things are set to kick off Sunday on the convention's eve with an abortion rights march along iconic Michigan Avenue. Organizer Linda Loew said even though Democrats have pushed to safeguard reproductive rights

Deadly violence persists in Gaza despite mediators calling for a truce

As mediators expressed optimism for an imminent cease-fire deal, violence raged on Saturday in the Gaza Strip, where an Israeli airstrike killed at least 18 people, all from the same family. The attack came days after the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza announced the death toll surpassed 40,000 in the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war, and just hours after officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar wrapped up two days of cease-fire talks with a message of hope that a deal could be reached. A joint statement from the three mediators said a proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas was presented and they expected to work out the details of how to implement the possible deal next week in Cairo. The mediation efforts were aimed not just at securing the release of scores of Israeli hostages and stopping the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where aid and health workers fear a possible polio outbreak. It is also aimed at tamping down regional tensions that have threatened

Mideast mediators preparing for ceasefire deal in advance: US official

In a sign that mediators believe a Gaza cease-fire deal is imminent, a US official said Friday that Mideast negotiators are working out logistics for the potential release of hostages and distribution of aid as part of any agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity in keeping with rules set by the White House, said the proposal currently on the table basically bridges every gap between Israel and Hamas and mediators were making preparations before a final deal is approved. It was unclear what measures were being taken, but the official said a new implementation cell was being established in Cairo in advance. The cell would focus on logistics, including freeing hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and ensuring that the terms of the pact are met, the official said. The comments came hours after mediators expressed hope that a deal was within reach. They said two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan

Highlights: India's forex reserves drop by $4.8 bn to $670 bn for the week ended August 9, says RBI

Latest news updates: Catch all the news developments from around the world here

Families of hostages in Gaza hope cease-fire talks will end their nightmare

Some families of hostages held in Gaza believe the latest round of cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas could be the last best chance to set their loved ones free after more than 300 days of captivity. The families have advocated tirelessly to secure the release of their relatives, who were snatched on Oct. 7 during Hamas' cross-border attack that started the war. Their hope that the latest talks could result in a breakthrough is tinged by 10 months of disappointment - and the growing fear of a wider Mideast war as Israel faces rising tensions with Iran and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon. Roughly 110 hostages remain in Gaza after about 100 were freed during a brief cease-fire in late November. More than 40,000 Palestinians have died in the war, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants. Throughout the war, the families of hostages have pushed on with anguish and despair, rallying Israelis to their cau

Gaza ceasefire negotiations extend by another day as death toll exceeds 40K

"This is vital work. The remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must bring this process to a close," US national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at the White House

New updates: IMA announces nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors on August 17

Latest news updates: Catch all the news developments from around the world here

Losing faith in US as mediator in Gaza cease-fire talks: Top Hamas official

A top Hamas official said the Palestinian militant group is losing faith in the United States' ability to mediate a cease-fire in Gaza ahead of a new round of talks scheduled for this week amid mounting pressure to bring an end to the 10-month-old war with Israel. Osama Hamdan told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday that Hamas will only participate if the talks focus on implementing a proposal detailed by US President Joe Biden in May and endorsed internationally. The US referred to it as an Israeli proposal and Hamas agreed to it in principle, but Israel said Biden's speech was not entirely consistent with the proposal itself. Both sides later proposed changes, leading each to accuse the other of obstructing a deal. Hamas is especially resistant to Israel's demand that it maintain a lasting military presence in two strategic areas of Gaza after any cease-fire, conditions only made public in recent weeks. We have informed the mediators that...any meeting should be based o

New updates: Vinesh's petition for silver in Olympics 2024 has been dismissed, says IOA President

Latest news updates: Catch all the news developments from around the world here

Biden admin approves fighter jets' sale to Israel in over $20 bn deal

Under the terms of the deal, the US would send up to 50 of the Boeing Co. F-15IA jets, along with upgrade kits for 25 other F-15s along with radar and other gear

Israeli strikes on Gaza leave children orphaned, parents childless

Reem Abu Hayyah, just three months old, was the only member of her family to survive an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip late Monday. A few miles (kilometres) to the north, Mohamed Abuel-Qomasan lost his wife and their twin babies -- just four days old -- in another strike. More than 10 months into its war with Hamas, Israel's relentless bombardment of the isolated territory has wiped out extended families. It has left parents without children and children without parents or siblings. And some of the sole survivors are so young they will have no memory of those they lost. The Israeli strike late Monday destroyed a home near the southern city of Khan Younis, killing 10 people. The dead included Abu Hayyah's parents and five siblings, ranging in age from 5 to 12, as well as the parents of three other children. All four children were wounded in the strike. There is no one left except this baby, said her aunt, Soad Abu Hayyah. Since this morning, we have been trying to feed her ...

News updates: Vinesh Phogat CAS verdict deferred to August 16 at 9:30 PM IST

Catch all the news developments from around the world here