Page 28 - Latest Updates on Iran-Israel conflict: What to expect next

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 .

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

Israel committed to getting all hostages: Netanyahu after 3 women released

Three women who had been in captivity for 471 days since October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel killing over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting over 200 others

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 .

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

Israel's security Cabinet recommends Gaza ceasefire, awaits full approval

Israel's security Cabinet on Friday recommended approval of a ceasefire that would pause the fighting in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by militants. The deal will now go to the full Cabinet. The prime minister's office said Friday that if the deal is passed, ceasefire could start as soon as Sunday with the first hostages released then.

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

Cabinet won't meet over ceasefire until Hamas drops new demands: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Thursday his Cabinet won't meet to approve the agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages until Hamas backs down, accusing the group of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions. His office did not elaborate. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 72 people since the ceasefire deal was announced, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli bombardment overnight as people were celebrating the ceasefire deal. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires go into effect as a way to project strength. Under the deal expected to begin Sunday, 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 ..

Donald Trump, Joe Biden both claim credit for Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are both claiming credit for Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal in Gaza after the White House brought Trump's Middle East envoy into negotiations that have dragged on for months. Trump wasted no time in asserting he was the moving force behind the deal, whose final details were still being ironed out, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies, Trump wrote on social media. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones. Trump added that his incoming Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, would continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a ...

Gaza deal to take effect on Jan 19, Israel says details in flux: Qatari PM

Qatar's prime minister on Wednesday announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that will pause the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clear the way for dozens of Israeli hostages to go home. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the agreement in the Qatari capital of Doha, the site of weeks of painstaking negotiations. He said the deal would go into effect on Sunday. Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal to pause the devastating war in the Gaza Strip, multiple officials announced on Wednesday, raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies. The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in the Qatari capital, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes. It also would flood badly needed ..

Following Gaza ceasefire deal, IMEC Corridor can become reality: Biden

With the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza Strip, the path-breaking IMEC Corridor that stretches from India to Europe through the Middle East could now become a reality, US President Joe Biden said Wednesday. At the G20 in Delhi on September 23, I rallied key countries behind a vision of an economic corridor from India across the Middle East to Europe. That vision can now become a reality, Biden told reporters at the White House as he announced the agreement between Israel and Hamas on Gaza and hostages. The India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) is seen as an alternative to China's One Belt, One Road Initiative. Signed by eight countries India, US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, European Union, France, Germany and Italy in New Delhi on September 9, 2023, it aims to bolster transportation and communication links between Europe and Asia through rail and shipping networks. The IMEC Corridor project immediately hit a roadblock with the Hamas attack on Israel in October ...

Global leaders welcome Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, express need for peace

Following the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, global leaders have expressed optimism while emphasising the need for further efforts toward peace.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, while former US President Barack Obama called the agreement a positive step. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the deal, stressing the need for a long-term political solution based on a two-state framework to secure lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.In a statement, Guterres said, "I welcome the announcement of a deal to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. I commend the mediators -- Egypt, Qatar and the USA -- for their dedicated efforts in brokering this deal. I call on all to uphold their commitments & ensure that this deal is fully implemented. From the outset of the violence, I have called for an immediate ceasefire & the ...

Ceasefire agreement not complete, working on final details, says Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Wednesday that the ceasefire agreement with Hamas is still not complete and the final details are being worked out. Netanyahu's statement comes hours after the United States and Qatar announced the deal, which would pause the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clear the way for dozens of hostages to go home. The conflict has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests. Large crowds of joyful Palestinians took to the streets in Gaza when the agreement was announced, cheering and honking car horns. No one can feel the feeling that we are experiencing now, an indescribable, indescribable feeling, said Mahmoud Wadi in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah before joining a chanting crowd. The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities there. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, but says women and children make up more than half the ...

Gaza ceasefire still elusive as negotiators try to hammer out deal

During months of on-off talks to achieve a truce in the devastating 15-month-old war both sides have previously said they were close to a ceasefire only to hit last-minute obstacles

Israeli lawmakers divided on ceasefire deal, terms for hostage release

Discussions focus on the release of Palestinian prisoners, with Israel seeking to have those serving life sentences deported to countries such as Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt

Israeli strike in Gaza kills 11 as Hamas accepts draft for ceasefire

An Israeli airstrike on a house in the Gaza Strip killed at least 11 Palestinians, health officials said on Tuesday. Earlier strikes in Gaza killed at least 18 people, including two women and four children, according to local health officials, who said one woman was pregnant and the baby died as well. The latest attacks came as Israel and Hamas appeared to be narrowing in on a ceasefire deal to end the 15-month war and release dozens of hostages. Two officials involved in the talks told AP that Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages. An Israeli official said progress has been made but the details are being finalised. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead. The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaz