Page 12 - Hamas

Hamas hands over 4 dead hostages from Gaza as Palestinians leave prison

Hamas handed over four dead hostages to the Red Cross early Thursday in exchange for Israel's release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, days before the first phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will end. An Israeli security official confirmed that Hamas handed the bodies to the Red Cross. The official spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement. At around the same time, a Red Cross convoy carrying dozens of released Palestinian prisoners left Israel's Ofer prison. Crowds of cheering families, friends and supporters of Palestinian prisoners were gathered in Beitunia jostling for a glimpse of the bus that was on its way. Israel had delayed the release of over 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday to protest what it called the cruel treatment of hostages during their handover by Hamas. The militant group has called the delay a serious violation of the ceasefire and said talks on a second phase aren't possible until the Palestinians are freed. Prime Minist

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 ...

US backs Israel in halting Palestinians' release citing inhumane treatment

Israel postponed the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners despite Hamas setting free six Israeli captives

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

Trump clarifies Gaza takeover remark, says it was a 'recommendation' only

Speaking to Fox News, Trump reiterated his belief that his plan was the "best approach" to resolve the situation in the West Asia

Hamas frees all 6 Israeli hostages to be released in latest exchange

Hamas is set to free six more Israeli hostages Saturday from the Gaza Strip, but the exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is shadowed by heightened tension between the adversaries that clouds the future of the fragile ceasefire deal. As preparations moved forward Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for a cruel and malicious violation of the agreement centred on the wrong identification of a body released by Hamas. The family of Shiri Bibas said Israeli forensic authorities had confirmed that the remains released overnight are those of Israeli mother of two small boys. Her body had been released by militants Friday after one set of remains handed over Thursday had been misidentified as hers but later determined to be an unidentified Palestinian woman. Three other bodies returned were confirmed as those of Bibas' sons and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when all were taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 in Israel and

Israel PM Netanyahu deploys army in West Bank after terror attack on buses

The bus blasts came just hours after Palestinian militant group Hamas returned four bodies purported to be hostages held in Gaza since its October 7, 2023 attack

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 .

Hamas returns four captives' bodies said to include mother, her 2 children

Hamas on Thursday released the bodies of four Israeli hostages, said to include a mother and her two children who have long been feared dead and had come to embody the nation's agony following the October 7, 2023, attack. The remains were presumed to be of Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, as well as Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted. Kfir, who was 9 months old when he was taken, was the youngest captive. Hamas has said all four were killed along with their guards in Israeli airstrikes. "Our hearts the hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters," Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement. On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely. The militants displayed four black coffins on a stage in the Gaza Strip surrounded by banners, including a large one depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire. Thousands o

Netanyahu taps Trump-linked adviser Ron Dermer to lead ceasefire talks

An Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a close confidant to lead negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire with Hamas. The US-born Ron Dermer is a Cabinet minister who's widely seen as Netanyahu's closest adviser. He previously served as Israel's ambassador to the US and is a former Republican activist with strong ties to the Trump White House. Israel and Hamas have yet to negotiate a second and more difficult phase of the ceasefire, and the first ends in early March. Palestinians and Arab countries have universally rejected US President Donald Trump's proposal to remove the Palestinian population from Gaza and take over the territory. Since the war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, more than 50,000 people have died in Gaza and Lebanon and nearly 70 per cent of the buildings in Gaza have been devastated, according to health ministries in Gaza and Lebanon. Around 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the Octob

Hamas to free 6 living hostages, hand over 4 bodies to speed Gaza releases

A top Hamas official says the militant group will free six living Israeli hostages on Saturday and return the bodies of four others on Thursday, a surprise acceleration in releases apparently in trade for Israel's allowing mobile homes and construction equipment into the devastated Gaza Strip. The six are the last living hostages set to be freed during the ceasefire's first phase in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The announcement by Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, in prerecorded remarks released on Tuesday, said the dead would include the "Bibas family" -- two young boys and their mother who for many Israelis have come to symbolise the plight of those taken captive. Israel has not confirmed their deaths, and the prime minister's office urged the public not to distribute "photos, names and rumours" after the announcement by Hamas. "In the past few hours, we have been in turmoil," surviving members of the Bibas family said in a statement released on Tuesd

Hamas to release 6 Israeli hostages on Saturday, 4 bodies on Thursday

A top Hamas leader says the militant group will release six living Israeli hostages on Saturday and the bodies of four hostages on Thursday, including the remains of the Bibas family that has become symbols of Israeli suffering in the war. The fate of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, reflected the feeling of helplessness as dozens of hostages remain in Gaza after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. Israel has said it is extremely concerned about their condition but has not confirmed their deaths. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, in prerecorded remarks on Tuesday, did not elaborate beyond saying that the Bibas family would be included in the handover of four bodies. The six to be released on Saturday are the last living hostages to be freed under the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza. Three hostages had been expected to be freed on Saturday. It was not clear why Hamas changed the plan. The warring sides have yet to negotiate the second and more difficult phase, in whi

Head of Hamas in Lebanon killed in drone strike, says Israel Army

An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Monday killed the head of the militant Hamas group in the country, Israel's military said. The strike came on the eve of the deadline for Israel's full withdrawal from southern Lebanon under the ceasefire agreement that ended the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it killed Mohammad Shaheen, the head of Hamas' operations department in Lebanon. The army accused Shaheen of recently planning terror attacks, directed and funded by Iran, from Lebanese territory against the citizens of the state of Israel. Footage circulating online showed a car engulfed in flames. The strike occurred near a Lebanese army checkpoint and Sidon's municipal sports stadium. The original withdrawal deadline was in late January, but under pressure from Israel, Lebanon agreed to extend it to February 18. It remains unclear whether Israeli troops will complete their withdrawal by Tuesday. Since the ceasefire, Israel has continued .

Israeli PM may go with Trump's idea to transfer Palestinians from Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled that he was moving ahead with US President Donald Trump's proposal to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza, calling it "the only viable plan to enable a different future" for the region. Netanyahu discussed the plan with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who kicked off a Middle East visit by endorsing Israel's war aims in Gaza, saying Hamas "must be eradicated". That created further doubt around the shaky ceasefire as talks on its second phase are yet to begin. Rubio, in his upcoming stops in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is likely to face more pushback from Arab leaders over Trump's proposal, which includes redeveloping Gaza under US ownership. Netanyahu has said all emigration from Gaza should be "voluntary" but rights groups and other critics say that the plan amounts to coercion given the territory's vast destruction. Netanyahu said he and Trump have a "common strategy" for Gaza. Echoing Trump, he said "the gates of hel

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

Trump vows to back Israel's decision as Hamas fails to release all hostages

In a statement shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump noted that Hamas has released three hostages, including a US citizen and added that they appear to be in good shape

Israel releases over 300 Palestinian prisoners, 6th exchange round complete

Hamas-led militants have released three male Israeli hostages, and Israeli forces began releasing hundreds of prisoners in return, in the latest indication that the fragile ceasefire deal that has paused fighting in the Gaza Strip but that had teetered in recent days, is holding. Militants in the southern Gaza Strip paraded the three hostages Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 before a crowd before releasing them. All had been abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community that was hard-hit in the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. They appeared pale and worn, but seemed to be in better physical condition than the three men released last Saturday, who had emerged emaciated from 16 months of captivity. The truce that began nearly four weeks ago had been jeopardized in recent days by a tense dispute that threatened to renew the fighting. US President Donald Trump's .

Israel announces identity of three Hamas hostages set to be released today

The hostages, who are expected to be released on Saturday, were all kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023

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

Hamas to release more hostages as planned, easing ceasefire dispute

Hamas said Thursday it would release the next group of Israeli hostages as planned, paving the war toward resolving a major dispute that threatened the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The militant group said Egyptian and Qatari mediators have affirmed that they will work to remove all hurdles, and that it would implement the truce deal. The statement indicated three more Israeli hostages would be freed Saturday. There was no immediate comment from Israel on Hamas' announcement. Hamas' move should allow the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to continue for now, but its future remains in doubt. Hamas had threatened to delay the next release of Israeli hostages, 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 U.S. President Donald Trump, had threatened to renew its offensive if hostages were not freed. Hamas said its delegation held talks in Cairo with Egyptian officials and was in cont