Page 2 - Israel-palestine

Israel has set up nearly 1,000 new barriers across West Bank since 2023

Since Israel's war with Hamas began more than two years ago, Israel has erected nearly 1,000 barriers in cities and towns in the occupied West Bank, further stifling movement for Palestinians and hindering daily lives, a local government body says. While Israel's military has long imposed movement and access constraints after capturing the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, the number of new barriers is unprecedented, residents say. According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, an official Palestinian governmental body, 916 gates, barriers and walls have been installed since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. Israeli military raids throughout the West Bank have also increased, with Palestinians killed or detained. Israel says it is trying to root out militancy. Among the new barriers are metal gates stationed at many village and town entrances and between cities, blocking access in and out. Sometimes the Israeli military is stationed at them. Palestinia

Israel's military kills three Palestinian militants in West Bank raid

Israeli authorities said they had killed three Palestinian militants early on Tuesday during an operation in the northern part of the occupied West Bank. Israeli police said the three men were shot as they came out of a cave near Jenin, a town in the northern West Bank known as a militant stronghold. A statement claimed the militants were planning an attack, but gave no further details. The statement said the Israeli military carried out an airstrike shortly afterward to destroy the cave. The army confirmed an airstrike in the area but gave no further details. Israel has stepped up its military activity in the occupied West Bank since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war in Gaza. Israel says the operations have cracked down on militants in the West Bank. But Palestinians and human rights groups say scores of uninvolved civilians have also been among the dead, while tens of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes.

British political commentator Sami Hamdi detained at California airport

Sami Hamdi, a British political commentator, was being held Monday by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was detained by ICE officers at San Francisco International Airport, according to federal officials. One senior US official said the detention was related to comments he has made about the Middle East. Hamdi, who is Muslim, was on a speaking tour in the US and on Saturday had addressed the annual gala for the Sacramento, California, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. Earlier this morning, ICE agents abducted British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi at San Francisco Airport, apparently in response to his vocal criticism of the Israeli government during his ongoing speaking tour, the group said in a Sunday social media post. The detention is the latest in the Trump administration's ramped up efforts to identify and potentially expel thousands of foreigners in the United States who it says have either fomented or ...

Hamas handed over another hostage's body to Red Cross in Gaza, says IDF

Israel's military late Monday said that Hamas has handed over the remains of another hostage to the Red Cross in Gaza. Since the ceasefire began on October 10, the remains of 15 hostages have been returned to Israel. After the latest body is returned to Israel, another 12 bodies still need to be recovered in Gaza and handed over. Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told journalists in Hungary that Israel will not allow Turkish troops to take part in an international force the United States has proposed to oversee the ceasefire agreement in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The 20-point deal brokered by US President Donald Trump earlier this month calls for a force to monitor the ceasefire but does not mention which countries would provide troops. It says the US would work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force to deploy in Gaza. The force would train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces" and will consul

Gaza ceasefire mediators shared intel to foil recent threat, says Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Israel, the U.S. and the other mediators of the Gaza ceasefire deal are sharing information to disrupt any threats and that allowed them to identify a possible impending attack last weekend. The State Department said a week ago that it had credible reports Hamas could violate the ceasefire with an attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. We put out a message through State Department, sent it to our mediators as well, about an impending attack, and it didn't happen, he told reporters en route from Israel to Qatar, where he met up with President Donald Trump for a multistop tour in Asia. So that's the goal here, is ultimately to identify a threat before it happens." Rubio said multiple countries are interested in joining an international stabilization force that aims to deploy to Gaza but that they need more details about the mission and rules of engagement. The U.S. could call for a U.N. resolution supporting the force so more nation

Trump warns Hamas of major consequences if Israel-Palestine deal breached

President Trump also highlighted the wide support for the peace plan, with multiple people agreeing to join the Stabilisation Force to help maintain peace in the region

Israeli PM meets US Secretary of State Rubio to discuss Gaza peace plan

Meanwhile, as per The Times of Israel, a US official said that US President Donald Trump will "f**k" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli leader jeopardizes the Gaza ceasefire deal

Rubio to visit Israel after Vance, ensure fragile Gaza ceasefire holds

As US Vice President JD Vance's visit to Israel comes to a close, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would be travelling to the country to keep the momentum on the US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Earlier this week, Vance announced the opening of a civilian military coordination centre in southern Israel where some 200 US troops are working alongside the Israeli military and delegations from other countries planning the stabilisation and reconstruction of Gaza. Rubio told journalists at Joint Base Andrews late Wednesday that he plans to visit the centre and appoint a Foreign Service official to work alongside the top US military commander in the Middle East, Vice Adm Brad Cooper. The US is seeking support from other allies, especially Gulf nations, to create an international stabilisation force to be deployed to Gaza and train a Palestinian force. We'd like to see Palestinian police forces in Gaza that are not Hamas and that are going to do a good jo

Israel to resume ceasefire, aid after it launched deadly strikes in Gaza

Gaza's fragile ceasefire faced its first major test Sunday as Israeli forces launched a wave of deadly strikes, saying Hamas militants had killed two soldiers, and an Israeli security official said the transfer of aid into the territory was halted. The military later said it resumed enforcing the ceasefire, and the official confirmed that aid deliveries would resume Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to discuss the issue with the media. A little over a week has passed since the start of the U.S.-proposed ceasefire aimed at ending two years of war. U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire remained in place and we want to make sure it's going to be very peaceful. He told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that Hamas has been quite rambunctious and they've been doing some shooting. He suggested that the violence might be the fault of rebels within the organization rather than its leadership. It's going to be handled toughly but

US V-P Vance visits Israel, says Gaza ceasefire going better than expected

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and other envoys projected optimism Tuesday about Gaza 's fragile ceasefire agreement, calling progress better than anticipated as they visited a new center in Israel for civilian and military cooperation. Vance noted flareups of violence in recent days but said the ceasefire that began on Oct. 10 is going better than I expected after two years of war between Israel and Hamas. The Trump administration's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, added that we are exceeding where we thought we would be at this time. They are in Israel as questions remain over the long-term plan for peace, including whether Hamas will disarm, when and how an international security force will deploy to Gaza and who will govern the territory after the war. Vance tried to downplay any idea that his visit his first as vice president was urgently arranged to keep the ceasefire in place. He said he feels confident that we're going to be in a place where this peace lasts, but warned tha

Israel identifies 2 more hostages as Vance prepares to meet Netanyahu

Israel has completed the identification of the bodies of two more hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Wednesday, as US Vice President JD Vance sounded a buoyant note about progress in Gaza's fragile ceasefire during a visit to Israel. Authorities identified the deceased hostages as Arie Zalmanovich and Tamir Adar. Their bodies were transported in coffins by the Red Cross and handed over to the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. A military ceremony attended by the chief rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces was planned for later in the day, Netanyahu's office said. The two were killed in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants, which triggered the two-year war. Since the ceasefire began on October 10, the remains of 15 hostages have been returned to Israel. Another 13 still need to be recovered in Gaza and handed over, a key element to the ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, the burial of more than 50 Palestinians is set for Wednesday at

Nepali town mourns native son who died as a Hamas captive in Gaza

Bipin Joshi was 23 when he left Nepal for Israel as part of an agricultural study program. Less than three weeks into his time there, he was taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023

Vance on Israel visit, says Gaza ceasefire holding better than expected

US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday visited a newly opened centre in Israel for civilian and military cooperation that he called central to keeping the US-backed ceasefire plan for Gaza on track. Vance, who visited with top US envoys, said the fragile ceasefire is going better than I expected. Envoy Steve Witkoff added that we are exceeding where we thought we would be at this time. Vance, Witkoff and others are in Israel to shore up the ceasefire following a burst of deadly violence and questions over the plan for long-term peace. Vance was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials and is expected to stay in the region until Thursday. Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and one of the architects of the ceasefire agreement, is also in Israel. Also on Tuesday, Hamas said it has recovered the remains of two more hostages and planned to hand them over Tuesday evening. Vance urged a little bit of patience' amid growing Israeli frustrat

Gaza peace deal brokered by Trump faces collapse as violence resumes

A good way to find the answer would be to look at what's probably also the best model for creating a peacekeeping force for Gaza: the Kosovo Force, better known as KFOR

Israel renews ceasefire enforcement after strikes on Hamas sites in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences to the families of two IDF soldiers, Major Yaniv Kula and Staff Sergeant Itay Ya'avetz, who were killed in the Rafah incident

Israel strikes Gaza, accuses Hamas of attacks in gravest test of truce

Israel's military said it struck multiple targets on Sunday in Gaza, using aircraft and artillery, after it said Hamas militants shot at Israeli soldiers who were inside the area still under Israeli control, the first major test of the ceasefire reached over a week ago. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with Israel's security heads and directed the military to take strong action against any ceasefire violations, but did not threaten to return to war. Hamas said that it was not connected to any clashes in Rafah in Southern Gaza. The strikes came as Israel identified the remains of two hostages released by Hamas overnight, and the Palestinian group said talks to launch the second phase of ceasefire negotiations have begun. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the bodies belonged to Ronen Engel, a father of three from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker killed at Kibbutz Be'eri. Both were believed to have been killed duri

Israel identifies body of hostage as major Gaza crossing remains closed

Israel identified the body of a deceased hostage Sunday morning, after Hamas handed over two bodies of what the militant group said are deceased hostages to the Red Cross late Saturday night. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the body was identified as Ronen Engel. The second body is still undergoing identification at Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine. Engel, 54, was killed during the Oct 7 attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on the Gaza border. His wife, Karina, and two of his three children were kidnapped and released in a ceasefire in November 2023. The move comes as Israel threatened to keep the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt closed until further notice. The statement by Netanyahu's office said reopening Rafah would depend on how Hamas fulfills its ceasefire role of returning the remains of all 28 deceased hostages. Hamas has handed over the remains of 11 identified hostages. Israel has returned the bodies of 135 Palestinians to Gaza. The handover of rema

US warns Hamas planning attack on Palestinians in violation of ceasefire

The US State Department said on Saturday that it has "credible reports" that Hamas could violate the ceasefire with an attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. If the attack takes place, it "would constitute a direct and grave violation" of the agreement forged by President Donald Trump to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas, the statement said. No further details were disclosed about the potential attack. "Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire," the State Department said. Trump previously warned on social media that "if Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.

Rafah crossing to reopen Monday for returnees to Gaza: Palestinian embassy

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will reopen Monday for people returning to Gaza, the Palestinian embassy in Egypt said Saturday, but the territory's sole gateway to the outside world will remain closed to people trying to leave. The number of people registering to return to Gaza is very big, Naji al-Naji, cultural counselor at the embassy, told The Associated Press without saying how many. There was no immediate comment from Israel. The Rafah crossing is the only one not controlled by Israel before the war. It has been closed since May 2024, when Israel took control of the Gaza side. A fully reopened crossing would make it easier for Gazans to seek medical treatment, travel internationally or visit family in Egypt, home to tens of thousands of Palestinians. Meanwhile, Gaza's ruins were being scoured for the dead, over a week into a ceasefire. Newly recovered bodies brought the Palestinian toll above 68,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, part o

Daily struggles persist in Gaza even as ceasefire offers some respite

Bassil Naggar can finally sleep without getting jolted awake by the sounds of Israeli airstrikes. For Naggar and his displaced family, and for many in Gaza facing similar challenges, the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war has provided a much-needed respite from a two-year war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left much of the territory in ruins. But many daily struggles, big and small, persist from how to put an actual roof over one's head and what to wear as winter approaches, to how to secure proper food, to worries over whether the fragile ceasefire will hold. The extent of some of the personal and communal losses has become clearer since the ceasefire went into effect on October 10, allowing many to return to their neighbourhoods and discover what remains of their homes. Life after the ceasefire is still anxious. Is the war really over? said Naggar, who has been displaced about a dozen times since the war began. Fuelling his fears are memories of the deadly