Page 69 - Gaza

Blinken will return to Israel as US hopes to see extensions of cease-fire

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return this week to the Middle East as the US hopes to find a way to extend a cease-fire in Gaza and get more hostages released, the State Department said. It will be his third trip to the region since Israel's war with Hamas began last month. Blinken will travel to Israel and the West Bank after attending Ukraine-focused meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels and Skopje, North Macedonia, where foreign ministers from NATO and the Organisation for Peace and Security in Europe are gathering. Israel has agreed to pauses in its military operations in exchange for the gradual release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 attacks on Israel. The agreement had been due to expire Monday but was extended for an additional two days, meaning the extension will be expiring just as Blinken is arriving in Israel. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday the US hopes to see the pause extended further, but it is

Israel, Hamas agree to extend truce for two more days, free more hostages

Israel and Hamas agreed to extend their cease-fire for two more days past Monday, the Qatari government said, bringing the prospect of a longer halt to their deadliest and most destructive war and further exchanges of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The announcement, made by Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al Ansary in a post on X, came on the final day of the original four-day truce between the warring sides. A fourth swap of hostages for prisoners under that deal was expected later Monday. Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has been the key mediator in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israel has said it would extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released. After the Qatari announcement, Hamas confirmed it had agreed to a two-day extension under the same terms. But Israel says it remains committed to crushing Hamas' military capabilities and ending its 16-year rule over Gaza after its Oct. 7

Evaluating list of hostages to be released today, says Israel govt

As per the news report, Hamas has expressed willingness to extend the truce and the two sides are reportedly holding negotiations on such an extension

Vishwaguru in search of disciples

In trying to please everyone, India is seen as neither fish nor fowl. India must rethink whether it can claim leadership of Global South by supporting a perspective not very different from the West

Netanyahu visits Gaza, Hamas releases 3rd lot of hostages as part of truce

The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis, in a third set of releases under a four-day cease-fire deal. Red Cross representatives transferred the hostages out of Gaza. Some were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt. Israel's army said one was airlifted directly to an Israeli hospital. The Israeli hostages ranged in age from 4 to 84 and included Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct 7. In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Separately, Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding, in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and as a show of appreciation for Moscow's position on the war. Israeli army radio had reported that it was an Israeli-Russian dual national. Israel

Israeli forces kill at least 8 Palestinians in West Bank: Health officials

Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said on Sunday, as a fragile pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip entered its third day. Violence in the West Bank has surged in the weeks since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, setting off a devastating war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians and arrested hundreds in the West Bank. Jewish West Bank settlers have also stepped up attacks. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that five Palestinians were killed in the militant stronghold Jenin, while three others were killed in separate areas of the West Bank since Saturday morning. One of those killed, in al-Bireh in the central West Bank, was a teenager, the ministry said. The Israeli military said forces entered the Jenin refugee camp to arrest a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli father and son at a West Bank car wash earlier in t

Had no intention to hurt Israel: Sanjay Raut on his social media post

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has said a post on his X handle in connection with Israel had a reference to German dictator Adolf Hitler, but he did not intend to hurt the sentiments of people of Israel. Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Raut said the Israel embassy has sent a letter following his old post as someone might have told them to oppose him. The post has since been deleted from his handle on X, formerly known as Twitter. Referring to the post, the Rajya Sabha member on Saturday said, My tweet about Israel was an old one. It had a reference to Hitler, but I had no intention of hurting the sentiments of Israel. I have even deleted that tweet. "I had even criticised the kind of attack Hamas initiated against Israel," he said. Further referring to the attack initiated on Gaza-based hospitals where some children lost their lives, Raut said children should be kept out of war. I had said this is inhuman. You are not showing humanity, so may be in the past a leader might have

Palestinian prisoners start to be released and Israeli hostages return

Israel began releasing 39 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday following Hamas' release of 13 Israelis and four foreigners in the second round of swaps under a ceasefire deal, the Israeli military said, after the militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours and claimed that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal. The Israeli military said the released hostages, including four Thais, had been transferred to Israel. They were being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with their families. Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants as they headed out of the besieged enclave. Nurhan Awad received a hero's welcome by hundreds of people at the Qalandia refugee camp near Jerusalem when she arrived shortly after her release. The woman was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to ..

LIVE: 4 students dead in stampede during concert in Kerala college

Catch all the latest news updates across the globe

13 more Israeli hostages to be freed by Hamas militants on Saturday

A second group of 13 Israeli hostages, mostly children, are expected to be freed by Hamas militants on Saturday after they were abducted during the horrific onslaught on the country on October 7. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed that it received the names on Friday night of people to be released on Saturday, the second day of the exchange deal. The first exchange of 13 Israelis taken hostages for 39 Palestinian prisoners concluded successfully on Friday evening evoking mixed reactions on both sides. In Israel, people expressed satisfaction at the return of some of their relatives but concerns over those still in captivity. There are also those who oppose the whole mechanism adopted arguing for continued full-fledged military operation to release all the hostages, and not to give the enemy respite to reorganise itself. Islamist Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, led a deadly attack on Israel on October 7 killing about 1,200 people and taking around 240 ..

Gaza cease-fire enters second day with more hostages to be exchanged

Hamas was expected to swap more of its hostages Saturday for prisoners held by Israel on the second day of a cease-fire that has allowed critical humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and given civilians their first respite after seven weeks of war. On the first day of the four-day cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the about 240 hostages taken during its Oct 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed from captivity in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and citizen of the Philippines. During the four days, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed something United States President Joe Biden said he hoped would come to pass. The start of the truce Friday morning brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling and desperate from relentless Israeli bombardment that has kill

Days ahead of us will be complicated, nothing over until it's over: IDF

"The days ahead of us will be complicated, nothing is over until it's over. We should be prepared," Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Friday

TMS Ep571: Local job quotas, Gaza, China, exchange-related stocks, Pannun

Are local job quotas the right way to go? What is Shyam Saran's view on Gaza, China and South Asia? Is it time to exit exchange-related stocks? Who is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun?

Qatar confirms release of 24 hostages held by Hamas for 7 weeks in Gaza

Qatar's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the release of 24 hostages after seven weeks of captivity in the Gaza Strip. Those released include 13 Israeli citizens, some of whom are dual citizens, in addition to 10 Thai citizens and a Filipino citizen, said Majed al-Ansari, the ministry's spokesman. Qatar was a key mediator in the hostage release. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which delivered the hostages from Gaza into Egypt, also confirmed the release. The hostages, women and children, were undergoing medical checks before they were to be transferred to Israel. They are to be taken to Israeli hospitals and reunited with their families. The hostages are the first of 50 people to be released from Gaza during a four-day truce that began Friday. Israel is to release 39 Palestinian prisoners later Friday, the first of a total of 150 Palestinian prisoners to be freed under the cease-fire. Israel declared war against Hamas after the Islamic militant group killed at least 1,2

Gaza war to continue for at least two more months: Israel Defence Minister

"There will be a continuation, because we need to complete the victory and create the impetus for the next groups of hostages, who will only come back as a result of pressure," he added

Israel-Hamas truce to start today, 13 hostages to be freed in first batch

According to Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, the cease-fire will begin at 7 am local time, with 13 women and children captives set to be released at 4 pm

Israel-Hamas clash: IDF kills Hamas Naval leader Jallah in air strike

Amar Abu Jallah said the Israel Defence Forces were involved from the beginning of the fighting in Gaza in sending a number of attempted naval attacks that were thwarted by Israeli forces

Israeli 'Government CFO' managing $48 billion fiscal shock of Gaza war

The war, which the Finance Ministry estimates is costing the economy around $270 million every day, will come with a fiscal price tag estimated at 180 billion shekels ($48 billion) in 2023-2024

What will int'l community do on Hamas using Gaza hospitals as base: IDF

IDF also posted drone footage purportedly showing a "terror complex" being used underneath the Al-Shifa hospital by the terror group Hamas

Israel unveils major Hamas militant hideout beneath Gaza's Shifa Hospital

The Israeli military on Wednesday unveiled what it claimed was a Hamas military facility under Gaza's largest hospital, showing what appeared to be a subterranean dormitory to a group of foreign journalists who were given a rare glimpse inside the besieged enclave. Dozens of soldiers escorted journalists through a narrow stone tunnel -- which the military said stretched 150 metres -- to a series of underground bunkers beneath Shifa Hospital in a shattered Gaza City. The living quarters, located at the end of the tunnel, had an air conditioner, kitchen, bathroom and pair of metal cots in a room fashioned from rusty white tile. They appeared to be out of use. Since Israel declared war against Hamas on October 7, it has repeatedly accused the Islamic militant group of using Gaza's hospitals as cover for military use. It has paid special attention to Shifa, saying Hamas has hidden command centres and bunkers underneath the hospital's sprawling grounds. Israel has not yet unveiled this