Page 17 - Hamas

Hurdles remain as Israel, Hamas once again inch toward ceasefire deal

Israel and Hamas once again appear to be inching toward a ceasefire that could wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held hostage there. Both Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the January 20 inauguration. But the sides have come close before, only to have talks collapse over various disagreements. The latest round of negotiations has bogged down over the names of hostages to be released in a first phase, according to Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations. Israel wants assurances that the hostages are alive, while Hamas says that after months of heavy fighting, it isn't sure who is alive or dead. Other hurdles remain. The first phase, expected to last for six to eight weeks, would also include a halt in fighting, a release of Palestinian prisoners and a surge in aid to the

Israel starts recruitment for first ultra-orthodox brigade 'Hahashmonaim'

It was also noted that 100 more ultra-orthodox people will join the brigade's first reserves company after undergoing intensive training for six months

Israel denies reports Hamas forwarded list of 34 hostages for release

The denial comes amid ongoing negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US

Israel denies reports of Hamas sending list of hostages to be released

The statement of Israel's PM office came after it was reported by a UK-based news agency that Hamas had approved a list of 34 hostages that it would release in exchange for a ceasefire agreement

Israeli airstrikes in southern Gaza kill at least 21, say hospital workers

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 15 people including a child early Saturday in southern Gaza, hospital staff said, while a new effort at ceasefire talks was said to be underway in Qatar. A small boy cried over his father, and a woman draped herself over one of the bodies wrapped in white plastic. The three airstrikes hit a car, a house and people on the street in the city of Khan Younis, according to staff at Nasser Hospital. And the Civil Defence, first responders affiliated with the Hamas-run government, said an airstrike destroyed a residential area behind the Saraya complex in Gaza City, killing at least five people. There was no immediate comment from Israel's military. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 59 people had been killed and more than 270 injured by strikes in the past 24 hours. There were no immediate statements on the indirect negotiations in Qatar's capital, Doha, toward a ceasefire after nearly 15 months of war. The Hamas militant group on Friday said talks h

US plans $8 billion arms sale to Israel, maintains support to ally

The Biden administration says it is helping its ally defend against Iran-backed militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen

Israeli strikes kill 42 in Gaza as ceasefire talks to resume in Qatar

Israeli strikes killed at least 42 people in Gaza, including children, overnight and into Friday, hospital and emergency response workers said, as health workers and Israel's military traded claims over reported evacuation orders for two hospitals in the territory's largely isolated north. The assertions over Al-Awda and Indonesian hospitals occurred as stalled ceasefire talks to end nearly 15 months of war were set to resume in Qatar. Staff at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said that more than a dozen women and children were killed in strikes in central Gaza, including in Nuseirat, Zawaida, Maghazi and Deir al-Balah. Dozens of people were killed across the enclave the previous day. We woke up to the missile strike. We found the whole house disintegrated, Abdul Rahman Al-Nabrisi said in the Maghazi refugee camp. Later Friday, officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said that an airstrike killed three people in a car in Zawaida in central Gaza. And the Civil Defence, first responders ..

Israeli strike hits Gaza humanitarian zone as Netanyahu OKs talks in Qatar

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 40 people, including several children, across the Gaza Strip, hitting Hamas security officers and an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone. As the daily bombardment continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had authorised a delegation from the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the military to continue negotiations in Qatar toward a ceasefire deal. Israeli media said the delegation would depart on Friday. There was no immediate Hamas comment. The US-led talks have repeatedly stalled during 15 months of war. The Israeli strike in the seaside humanitarian zone known as Muwasi occurred as hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been huddling there in damp winter weather. Everyone was taking shelter in their tents from the cold, and suddenly we found the world turning upside down. Why, and for what? said Ziyad Abu Jabal, displaced from Gaza City. The early morning strike killed

IDF eliminates Hamas Commander Abd al-Hadi Sabah, leader of Kibbutz attack

As per the IDF, Sabah had led the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023, massacre

Israel raids last functioning Northern Gaza hospital, arrests director

On Friday, the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza has put approximately 75,000 Palestinians still remaining in the northern part of the enclave at risk

India navigated geopolitical challenges with steely resolve in 2024

In a year marked by geopolitical tensions and turbulence, India and China ended an over four-and-a-half-year border standoff and announced steps to reduce mistrust even as New Delhi faced fresh challenges after deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country in the face of a mass movement against her rule. The year 2024 saw India shifting gears in expanding its strategic heft in the neighbourhood and beyond with a steely resolve while navigating the two most consequential crises -- the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict. At the fag end of the year, New Delhi was readying its approach in dealing with US President-elect Donald Trump's second term amid fears that his policy approach relating to trade and tariff may have profound implications for international trade. Though the overall India-US relations broadly continued to blossom, especially in the domains of defence, critical technologies and clean energy, the ties came under some strain over the so-called

IDF claims to have arrested 240 terrorists in operation at Gaza hospital

The operation also led to the arrest of approximately 15 terrorists who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 attacks, along with Hamas engineering and anti-tank missile operatives

Military base disguised as village: IDF uncovers Hezbollah's hidden arsenal

The discoveries come amid growing friction between the IDF and the UNIFIL. In a statement on December 26, UNIFIL urged both sides to respect the ceasefire agreement and adhere to UNSC Resolution 1701

Israel detains director of one of Gaza's last functioning hospitals

Israel's army detained the director of one of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals as overnight strikes elsewhere in the territory killed nine people, including children, Palestinian medical officials said on Saturday. Israel's military alleged that Hamas militants were using the facility and said over 240 people were detained. Gaza's Health Ministry said Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested on Friday along with dozens of other staff and taken to an interrogation centre. The ministry said Israeli troops stormed the hospital and forced many staff and patients outside and told them to strip in winter weather, according to the ministry. Israel's military on Saturday confirmed it detained the hospital director and called him a suspected Hamas operative while providing no evidence. It said it encircled the hospital and special forces entered and found weapons in the area. It said militants fired on its forces and they were eliminated. On Friday, t

Israeli army forcibly removes staff, patients from Gaza hospital: Officials

Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in northern Gaza on Friday, forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather, the territory's health ministry said. The army denied claims it had entered or set fire to the complex and accused Hamas of using the facility for cover. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighbourhoods, according to staff. The ministry said a strike on the hospital a day earlier killed five medical staff. Israel's military said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area and had ordered people out of the hospital, but said it had not entered the complex as of Friday night. It repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that. The Health Ministry said troops forced medical personnel and patients to ..

Israeli soldiers burn hospital in North Gaza after removing staff, patients

Israeli soldiers stormed and burned a hospital in isolated northern Gaza after forcibly removing staff and patients on Friday, Health Ministry officials said. The Israeli military said the hospital was being used by Hamas fighters as a base, although it did not provide evidence. In Israel, an 83-year-old woman was stabbed to death by a Palestinian from the West Bank, and police say the suspect was arrested. Israel said it intercepted a missile fired by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, hours after a wave of deadly Israeli warplanes bombed key infrastructure in Yemen including an airport where the World Health Organisation's director-general was about to board a flight. The Houthis have also been attacking shipping in the Red Sea corridor attacks they say won't stop until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed over 45,400 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not ...

Israel announces new strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital

Houthi rebels in Yemen said Israeli airstrikes on Thursday targeted the rebel-held capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, following several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports at Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib along with power stations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech on Wednesday that the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad's regime and others learned. The Iran-backed Houthis' media outlet reported the strikes in a Telegram post, but gave no immediate details. The US military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in Tel Aviv. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, call

Israel, Hamas accuse each other of complicating ceasefire talks in Qatar

Israel and Hamas accused each other of complicating ceasefire efforts on Wednesday, as the two sides inch closer to a deal that could wind down the 14-month war in Gaza. The two sides appear closer than they have been in months to reaching an agreement that would bring home dozens of hostages being held in Gaza. However, talks have come close before, only to collapse. Although Israel and Hamas have expressed optimism that progress was being made toward a deal, sticking points remain over the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, people involved in the talks say. On Wednesday, Hamas accused Israel of introducing new conditions related to the withdrawal from Gaza, the prisoners and the return of displaced people, which it said was delaying the deal. Israel's government accused Hamas of reneging on reneging on understandings that have already been reached. Still, both sides said discussions are ongoing. Israel's negotiating tea

Iran denies allegations of using kids to hit Israeli targets in Europe

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran said the allegations, are "absurd, shameful and immoral," adding that Iran "never had a proxy" nor needed one

Israel intercepts projectile launched from Yemen, former hostage dies

A septuagenarian Israeli woman who was taken hostage during Hamas's attack on southern Israel on 0ctober 7, 2023 has died. She was among the 250 hostages the Palestinian militant group took back into Gaza following the surprise attack that left about 1,200 people dead. Israel's subsequent bombardment and ground invasion have killed over 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Tuesday it intercepted a projectile launched from Yemen. Here's the latest: A former Israeli hostage dies at 78 Tel Aviv Hannah Katzir, an Israeli woman who was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, and freed in a brief ceasefire last year, has died. She was 78. The Hostages Families Forum, a group representing the families of people taken captive, confirmed the death on Tuesday but did not disclose the cause. Her daughter, Carmit P