Page 14 - Hamas

Hamas publishes names of 4 hostages to be released from Gaza on Saturday

The Hamas militant group has published the names of four hostages it says it will release on Saturday as part of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. There was no immediate confirmation of the names from Israel. Hamas released the names on Friday. The hostages are to be freed Saturday in exchange for the release of dozens of Palestinians imprisoned or detained by Israel. Relatives of hostages still being held by militants in Gaza called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday to ensure all remaining captives are freed, while also appealing to US President Donald Trump to continue pressing for their release. As a fragile six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas entered its sixth day, Israelis waited anxiously for the names of the next four hostages who will be released from among the more than 90 still held in Gaza. In the Palestinian enclave, civilians in the central and southern part of the Gaza Strip hoping to return to the remnants of their home in the battered north

Donald Trump considering to visit Middle East, but 'not immediately'

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he is considering going to the Middle East, but not immediately amid the return of hostages, as he reiterated that the attack on Israel by the Hamas on October 7, 2023, should not have happened. "We're thinking about going to the Middle East. But not yet, as hostages are coming back right now. Some of them have been very, very damaged. You look at the young lady with her hand practically blown off -- you know how that happened, right? Did you know how that happened," Trump said during a joint news conference at the White House with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Open AI CEO Sam Altman. "When you find out, you're not going to be too happy because it was terrible. But the hostages are starting to come back," Trump said, as he took credit for the return of the hostages. "If I weren't here, they would have never come back. They would have all died. If this were done a year earlier, if (Joe) Biden would have done this .

Support from Indians warming our hearts: Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar

He further emphasised the importance of continued cooperation between Israel and India, stating, 'We will continue working with India to promote cooperation in the region.'

Will topple govt if war doesn't resume after ceasefire: Israel minister

Israel's far-right finance minister has threatened to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition if he doesn't resume the war in Gaza after the first phase of ceasefire expires in six weeks. Bezalel Smotrich made the threat on Monday, a day after the ceasefire went into effect. "If, God forbid, the war is not resumed, I will bring the government down," Smotrich told reporters. Smotrich, who leads an ultranationalist religious party, voted against the deal but has remained in the governing coalition for the time being. His departure would rob Netanyahu of his parliamentary majority, setting the stage for the government's collapse and early elections. Smotrich said he has received assurances that Israel will resume the war after the first phase, during which 33 hostages held in Gaza are to return home and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. The second phase, which must still be negotiated, is to work out an end to the war and return of all remaining hostage

After 15 months of war, Hamas still rules over what remains of Gaza

As a ceasefire brought calm to Gaza's ruined cities, Hamas was quick to emerge from hiding. The militant group has not only survived 15 months of war with Israel among the deadliest and most destructive in recent memory but it remains firmly in control of the coastal territory that now resembles an apocalyptic wasteland. With a surge of humanitarian aid promised as part of the ceasefire deal, the Hamas-run government said Monday that it will coordinate distribution to the desperate people of Gaza. For all the military might Israel deployed in Gaza, it failed to remove Hamas from power, one of its central war aims. That could make a return to fighting more likely, but the results might be the same. There was an element of theatre in Sunday's handover of three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, when dozens of masked Hamas fighters wearing green headbands and military fatigues paraded in front of cameras and held back a crowd of hundreds who surrounded the vehicles. The scenes ...

Captivity, 'gift bags', and homecoming: Inside the Israel-Hamas exchange

Israel-Hamas ceasefire: Freed Israeli hostages received 'gift bags' from Hamas containing photos of captivity and a 'certificate'

Three Israeli women freed after 471 days captivity by Hamas: Who are they?

Gaza ceasefire: Israel released 90 Palestinians after Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari, crossed back into the country

From TikTok to Israel-Hamas: What Donald Trump said at Maga rally

US President-elect Donald Trump vowed swift action upon assuming office on Monday, pledging to prevent World War III and halt what he described as the 'invasion' of the nation's borders

Israel frees 90 Palestinian prisoners as Hamas returns 3 Israeli hostages

The first three hostages were released from Gaza and the first Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli custody as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold following 15 months of war, with mixed emotions and more difficult steps ahead over the next six weeks. Palestinians across Gaza began making their way home, and the first trucks with a surge of humanitarian aid began to enter the devastated territory. The ceasefire that began on Sunday morning raises hopes for ending the devastating conflict and returning the nearly 100 remaining hostages abducted in Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack. But major questions remain about whether fighting will resume after the six-week first phase. First came the release of Emily Damari, 28; Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, in a tense handover to the Red Cross on a Gaza City street. Footage showed them surrounded by a crowd of thousands, accompanied by masked, armed men wearing green Hamas headbands. The women were taken to

Israel-Hamas epic ceasefire result of historic victory in November: Trump

Donald Trump won a second term as President of the United States after securing 312 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election

Gaza ceasefire: Hamas frees hostages, Israel releases prisoners on day 1

Israeli military said Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari had been reunited with their mothers and released a video showing them in apparent good health

Biden urges Americans to 'keep faith' as he spends final day as President

Joe Biden spent his final full day as president Sunday in South Carolina, urging Americans to keep the faith in a better day to come and reflecting on the impact of the civil rights movement in pushing him into politics. On the eve of Monday's inauguration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump, Biden delivered a final farewell from a state that holds special meaning after his commanding win in its 2020 Democratic primary set him up to achieve his life's goal of being elected president of the United States. Biden spoke to the congregation of Royal Missionary Baptist Church about why he entered public service Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were political heroes, he said and he thanked South Carolina for its support: I owe you big. Monday is the federal holiday honouring King, the slain civil rights leader. We know the struggle to redeeming the soul of this nation is difficult and ongoing," Biden said. We must hold on to hope. We must stay engaged. We must alwa

Palestinian envoy urges world leaders to ensure ceasefire details fulfilled

As a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Sunday, the charg d'affaires of the Palestine Embassy in India, Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, urged the international community to implement every detail in the long-awaited agreement. The envoy also sought India's assistance in the reconstruction work in war-torn Gaza. The deal involves numerous technical details that are complex and challenging. It requires not only a follow-up by the Trump administration or the UN but also by all the powerful countries around the world," Abu Jazer told PTI. "We urge the international community to ensure the implementation of every detail in the ceasefire agreement," he said. The ceasefire and hostage-release deal between the two sides followed 15 months of conflict that was triggered by a shocking attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. The deal is expected to stop the ongoing war in Gaza and facilitate the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Seeking India's assistance in the .

Gaza ceasefire deadline passes as Hamas fails to provide hostages' names

Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on technical field reasons

Israel releases list of over 700 Palestinian prisoners to be released

Israel's justice ministry has published a list of more than 700 Palestinian prisoners who are to be released under the ceasefire deal pausing the war with Hamas in Gaza. The list came hours after Israel's full Cabinet approved the ceasefire deal. The ministry said the Palestinian prisoners will be released no earlier than 4 pm local time on Sunday, the day the exchange is set to begin. The list includes members of Hamas and Islamic militant groups, some of whom are serving life sentences and are convicted of serious offences such as murder. The list did not appear to include Marwan Barghouti (64), the highest-profile prisoner held by Israel and seen by many Palestinians as a prime candidate to become their president in the future. Barghouti was a leader in the West Bank during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. Hamas has demanded that Israel release him as part of any ceasefire agreement, a possibility Israeli officials have ruled out.

Qatar says Israel-Hamas ceasefire to go into effect at 8:30 am on Jan 19

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect in less than 24 hours, Qatar's foreign ministry said on Saturday. In a post on X, foreign minister Majid al-Ansari said the ceasefire will go into effect at 8:30 am (6:30 GMT) on Sunday, and advised people to exercise caution and wait for directions from officials. Early Saturday morning, Israel's Cabinet approved the deal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages and pause the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever. Under the deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Key questions remain about the ceasefir

Israel's Cabinet approves deal for ceasefire in Gaza, release of hostages

Israel's Cabinet approved a deal early Saturday for a ceasefire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages held there and pause the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever. Mediators Qatar and the US announced the ceasefire Wednesday, but the deal was in limbo for more than a day as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute complications that he blamed on the Hamas militant group. The ceasefire just the second achieved during the war will go into effect Sunday, though key questions remain, including the names of the 33 hostages to be released during the six-week first phase of the ceasefire and who among them is still alive. The Cabinet met well past the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, in a reflection of the moment's importance. In line with Jewish law, the Israeli government usually halts all business for the Sabbath except in emergency cases of life or death. Netanyahu ...

Palestine ready to assume 'full responsibility' in Gaza: President Abbas

Presidency urges the international community to offer urgent humanitarian aid to enable the government to shoulder its responsibilities towards the Palestinian people, a statement said

Hostage deal sealed in Gaza conflict: Netanyahu confirms agreement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed a hostage exchange deal involving Palestinian prisoners, coupled with a ceasefire to address the ongoing Gaza conflict

Israel's cabinet postpones key vote for ceasefire in Gaza to January 18

As per an Israeli official, the full cabinet vote on the agreement is now expected to take place on January 19, but the smaller security cabinet will meet on Friday to vote on the deal