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Here's what to know about release of hostages, aid, as Trump visits Israel

Anticipation built across Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Sunday as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held before a critical day for all sides and the region. Preparations appeared underway for the freeing of the 48 hostages both alive and dead still in Gaza, and for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. More ramped-up aid was being readied for Gaza, much in ruins after two years of war that began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 killing some 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. In Israel's ensuing offensive, more than 67,600 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. U.S. President Donald Trump was scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday, staying a few hours before heading to Egypt. What we know and what remains unknown: 737 days since hostages taken Sunday was day 737 since the hostages were taken a number many Israelis have updated daily on strips of adhesive tape worn in national ...

We are gonna make everybody happy: Trump on uniting West Asia for peace

US President Trump departed for Israel on Sunday aboard Air Force One, marking the beginning of a high-stakes diplomatic visit focused on advancing peace in the Middle East

Trump sets off for West Asia to mark ceasefire, push for lasting Gaza peace

President Donald Trump set off for Israel and Egypt on Sunday to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas and urge Middle East allies to seize the opportunity to build a durable peace in the volatile region. It's a fragile moment with Israel and Hamas only in the early stages of implementing the first phase of the Trump agreement, designed to bring a permanent end to the war sparked by the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants. Trump thinks there is a narrow window to reshape the Mideast and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours. It is a moment, the Republican president says, that has been helped along by his administration's support of Israel's decimation of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Very excited about this moment in time, Trump told reporters before Air Force One took off. He said many people in both Israel and Arab countries were cheering the agreement,

Israel launches Operation 'Returning Home' to get hostages back from Hamas

Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said the operation marks a significant achievement for Israel following sustained military and diplomatic efforts

3 Qatari diplomats die in car crash while heading to Sharm el-Sheikh summit

Two other diplomats were injured when their vehicle overturned about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Sharm el-Sheikh, the officials said

Farooq Abdullah hails Israel-Hamas ceasefire, hopes lasting peace in Gaza

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, and expressed hope that it would pave the way for peace after two years of "heartbreaking" conflict. "This is an important and much-needed development. I sincerely hope it will lead to immediate and sustained humanitarian relief for the people of Gaza who have suffered immensely," Abdullah said in a statement. He stressed the need for all parties to uphold and fully implement the terms of the ceasefire, emphasising that only through commitment and compassion can true peace be achieved. "It is imperative that this truce evolves into a permanent ceasefire. Let this be the beginning of a just, comprehensive, and lasting resolution to the Palestinian issue, one that upholds human dignity, justice, and international law," he added. Calling for urgent action to scale up humanitarian assistance, Abdullah reiterated the global responsibility to support the war-ravaged ...

Known unknowns in Gaza: Lack of clarity mars Trump's ambitious peace plan

Hamas rejects Trump-led peace plan as doubts linger over hostages, Israeli withdrawals, and post-war governance in Gaza, casting uncertainty over durable peace

PM Modi invited by Trump for Gaza 'peace summit' in Egypt on Oct 13: Report

US President Donald Trump and Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will host a Gaza peace summit on October 13 in Sharm el-Sheikh, inviting PM Modi and other world leaders to discuss regional stability

Hamas to skip official signing of Gaza peace deal in Egypt, reports AFP

Hamas leaders dismissed suggestions that its members leave the Gaza Strip under the plan as "absurd," a Times of Israel report said

Israel refuses to release top Palestinian leader Barghouti from prison

The most popular and potentially unifying Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti is not among the prisoners Israel intends to free in exchange for hostages held by Hamas under the new Gaza ceasefire deal. Israel has also rejected freeing other high-profile prisoners whose release Hamas has long sought, though it was not immediately clear if a list of around 250 prisoners issued Friday on the Israeli government's official website was final. Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk told the Al Jazeera TV network that the group insists on the release of Barghouti and other high-profile figures and that it was in discussions with mediators. Israel views Barghouti as a terrorist leader. He is serving multiple life sentences after being convicted in 2004 in connection with attacks in Israel that killed five people. But some experts say Israel fears Barghouti for another reason: An advocate of a two-state solution even as he backed armed resistance to occupation, Barghouti could be a powerf

Several Palestinians return to Gaza as US-brokered ceasefire takes effect

Tens of thousands of Palestinians headed back to the heavily destroyed northern Gaza Strip on Friday as a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in a deal that raised hopes for ending the Israel-Hamas war. All the remaining hostages were set to be released within days. Questions remain over who will govern Gaza as Israeli troops gradually pull back and whether Hamas will disarm, as called for in US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who unilaterally ended a ceasefire in March, hinted that Israel might renew its offensive if Hamas does not give up its weapons. The latest truce nevertheless marks a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that was triggered by Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced around 90 per cent of the Gaza population of some 2 million, often multiple times. Many of them will find fields of rubble where their homes once stood. The military confirmed the ..

Israeli forces start pulling back from parts of Gaza under ceasefire deal

Israeli forces withdrew from the Mediterranean coastal road into Gaza City, allowing hundreds to return to the main urban centre after a month of Israeli assault

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

UK PM in India, cough syrup deaths case, Bihar elections, Israel-Hamas peace deal & more

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai today. The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the India-UK trade deal,

World leaders hopeful as Trump says Israel, Hamas agree on Gaza peace plan

World leaders on Thursday expressed hope for peace and urged Israel and Hamas to fulfil their commitments in the hours after US President Donald Trump announced that the parties had agreed to the first phase of a deal signalling a major breakthrough in the two-year war in Gaza. Hamas will release all 20 living hostages in the coming days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace, Trump wrote on social media. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media: With God's help we will bring them all home. Here's how other leaders responded. United Nations The United Nations will support the full implementation of the agreement and will scale up the delivery of sustained and principled humanitarian relief, an

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

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

Day 2 of Gaza peace talks: Hamas seeks 'guarantees' Israel will end war

The talks will continue on Wednesday, with senior officials from the US and Qatar set to join the negotiations in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh

Hamas says it's serious about Gaza deal talks, but conditions remain

In the absence of a ceasefire, Israel has pressed on with its offensive in Gaza, increasing its international isolation

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