Page 5 - Gaza

Israeli govt approves ceasefire, hostage release under Trump peace plan

The government has now approved the outline for the release of all the hostages - the living and the dead," the Israeli Prime Minister's office announced

None of it would have been possible without Trump: Rubio on Gaza peace plan

Rubio said the Gaza peace plan, once thought impossible, became feasible after Trump convened a "historic" meeting of Muslim-majority nations, including Indonesia and Pakistan, at UN on September 23

Israeli strike kills 30 Palestinians since ceasefire deal announcement

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that the attack was on a "Hamas terrorist cell" in northern Gaza that "posed an immediate threat"

We settled 7 wars, this is number 8, says Trump after Gaza ceasefire deal

Trump stated that he had ended seven "unendable" wars and reiterated his claim of having helped broker a truce between India and Pakistan earlier this year

Explained: What we know about next steps in deal to pause war in Gaza

A breakthrough deal pausing the war in Gaza has been reached. But will it lead, as US President Donald Trump proclaimed, to a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace? It took pressure on both Israel and Hamas from the United States, Arab countries and Turkiye, each saying it was time to end a 2-year-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, sparked other conflicts around the region and increasingly isolated Israel. That push sealed an agreement on a first phase that would free the remaining living Israeli hostages within days in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But it left unanswered a long list of questions over what happens next. Israel wants to ensure Hamas disarms. Hamas wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza and is not allowed to restart the war. At the same time, a postwar government for Gaza must be worked out to replace Hamas' rule. Without that in place, reconstruct

Trump wants Israel hostages freed by Mon-Tues, will attend signing ceremony

Trump opened a White House Cabinet meeting by discussing a deal reached on Wednesday under which the hostages held by Hamas militants are to be released in the first phase of a broader Gaza plan

Israel–Hamas peace breakthrough: Here's what has been agreed upon | Israel-Gaza war | Trump

In a major breakthrough, Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a US-brokered peace plan.

UK PM Starmer welcomes moment of profound relief with Gaza peace plan

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is on an India visit, welcomed an agreement on the first phase of the Gaza peace plan to halt Israel-Hamas hostilities on Thursday as a moment of profound relief. The agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye will see the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the entry of aid into Gaza. I welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the first stage of President Trump's peace plan for Gaza, said Starmer, in a statement released from 10 Downing Street in London. This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years, he said. The UK PM hailed the tireless diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and the United States, supported by regional partners in ...

PM Modi's 'unqualified praise' for Israeli PM 'morally atrocious': Congress

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcoming the agreement on the first phase of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for West Asia, the Congress on Thursday termed as "shameful and morally atrocious" the prime minister's "unqualified praise" for Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and slammed his "silence" on the future of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine. Congress general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, also said that Modi said nothing on the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. "The prime Minister has welcomed the new developments regarding Gaza and hailed President Trump. That eagerness to do so is not surprising. But what is shocking, shameful, and morally atrocious is Mr Modi's unqualified praise for the Israeli PM Mr Netanyahu - who has unleashed a genocide in Gaza over the past twenty months," Ramesh said. "Mr Modi has also maintained a total silence on the future of an independent, sovereign state of Palesti

PM Modi welcomes agreement on first phase of Trump's Gaza peace plan

Prime Minister Modi welcomed the agreement after US President Donald Trump, on Thursday (IST), took to his private social media platform, Truth Social, to announce the development

Families of Israeli hostages erupt into joy as freedom nears for captives

For 24 months, it's been Israel's ground zero of anguish, uncertainty, torment and despair. But early Thursday, the central Tel Aviv area that's become known as Hostages Square was a burst of unfettered jubilation. A Champagne bottle was popped open to cheers from the crowd. Sweets were doled out. Tears of joy mixed with laughter and long embraces as the news sunk in: The struggle to free Israeli captives held in Gaza appears to finally be coming to a close. Matan is coming home! yelled Einav Zangauker, arguably the most prominent face of the 2-year-long campaign to free the hostages, referring to her captive son. Her arms raised to the sky, she shouted out Thank you! as a crowd of supporters, families of hostages, and former hostages freed earlier in the war filled the square. I want to smell his smell, she told reporters of her son. "If I have one dream, it is seeing Matan sleep in his own bed. After their loved ones were kidnapped in Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack that sparked the

Asian stocks rise on AI optimism, oil slips after Gaza ceasefire deal

Stocks in Taiwan climbed 1.2 per cent to a fresh record, while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan firmed 0.3 per cent

Israel, Hamas agree to first phase of Gaza peace plan, says Trump

In a major breakthrough, Israel and Hamas agreed to the first stage of a US-mediated peace deal to halt Gaza fighting, release hostages, and begin Israeli troop withdrawal

Nearly 55K kids in Gaza under age 5 may be acutely malnourished: UN study

After two years of war and dire food shortages, more than 54,600 children younger than 5 in Gaza may be acutely malnourished, with more than 12,800 severely affected, according to a new study by a United Nations agency. By early August, roughly 16 per cent of children ages 6 months to just under 5 years in Gaza were suffering from a life-threatening type of malnutrition known as acute wasting, including nearly 4 per cent with severe wasting, according to the analysis by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the primary health care provider to Palestinian refugees in the region. Wasting requires treatment with therapeutic food over several weeks and, sometimes, hospitalization. The study, published Wednesday in The Lancet medical journal, is the most comprehensive study of child hunger in the region to date, the authors said. It relied on screenings of nearly 220,000 children from dozens of health centres and medical sites in Gaza between January 202

Gaza ceasefire talks near agreement, says Turkish foreign minister

Talks on bringing an end to the war in Gaza are on the verge of reaching a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday. Turkish, Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators are working to realise an American plan that calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. If an agreement is reached today, a ceasefire will be declared, Fidan told a news conference in Ankara with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Fidan earlier said that a lot of progress has been achieved so far in the negotiations. What is good news is that the parties have showed great will for the release of the prisoners and the hostages, he added. All sides have expressed optimism for a deal to end the two-year war that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and most of Gaza destroyed. But key parts of the peace plan still haven't been agreed, including a requirement that Hamas disarm, the timing and extent of an Israeli

Cautious optimism at Gaza talks as Hamas hands over names for swap deal

Indirect negotiations are focused on the mechanisms to halt the conflict, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the swap deal, Hamas said

Greta Thunberg is a 'troublemaker', should 'see a doctor': Donald Trump

Trump made these remarks while speaking to reporters after she was detained and deported by Israel, where she was participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza

US provided $21.7 bn in military aid to Israel since Gaza war began: Report

The United States under the Biden and Trump administrations has provided at least USD 21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel since the start of the Gaza war two years ago, according to a new academic study published Tuesday, the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel that provoked the conflict. Another study, also published by the Costs of War project at Brown University's Watson School of International and Public Affairs, says the US has spent roughly USD 10 billion more on security aid and operations in the broader Middle East in the past two years. While the reports rely on open source material for most of their findings, they offer some of the most comprehensive accountings of US military aid to close ally Israel and estimated costs of direct American military involvement in the Middle East. The State Department had no immediate comment about the amount of military aid provided to Israel since October 2023. The White House referred questions to

Day 1 of Israel-Hamas meet on Gaza peace plan: Talks end on positive note

During the meeting, which was held indirectly in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, a roadmap was drawn regarding how the talks would move forward

Israel, Hamas meet begins in Egypt on eve of Gaza war anniversary

Israeli and Hamas officials launched indirect talks Monday at an Egyptian resort on a US-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary. Many uncertainties remain about the plan presented by US President Donald Trump last week, including the disarmament of the militant group a key Israeli demand and the future governance of Gaza. Trump has indicated an agreement on Gaza could pave the way for a Middle East peace process that could reshape the region. Despite Trump ordering Israel to stop the bombing, Israel continued to pound Gaza with airstrikes, killing at least 19 people in the last 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said. An Egyptian official said talks began at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh Monday afternoon. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly about the talks. The Israelis are led by top negotiator Ron Dermer, while Khalil al-Hayyah leads the Hamas delegation. Ha