Page 29 - Israel-palestine

'Will relocate them to beautiful areas of Middle East': Trump on Gaza plan

Donald Trump had proposed US control over Gaza, pledging reconstruction and economic revival; Netanyahu calls it a 'historic shift' that could reshape the region's future

Hamas brushes off Trump's threat, says all must be committed to ceasefire

Hamas has brushed off President Donald Trump's threat that all hell will break out if it does not release the remaining Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip by Saturday. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Tuesday that the dozens of hostages would only be returned if all parties remain committed to a ceasefire deal reached last month. Trump must remember there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties, he said, adding that threatening language only complicates matters. Hamas has threatened to delay the next release of three Israeli hostages, due Saturday, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement, including by not allowing a surge of tents and shelters into the devastated territory. While Trump said the ceasefire should be cancelled if Hamas doesn't release all the remaining hostages Saturday, he also said such a decision would be up to Israel. During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas has committed to freeing a total of 33 hostages captured in its

Delay in next hostage release by Hamas threatens fragile Gaza ceasefire

The Hamas announcement that it will delay the next planned release of Israeli hostages from Gaza has threatened a fragile truce that's seen as having the potential to wind down 16 months of war. It has brought new dismay for Israelis who watched the latest Hamas handover of hostages in growing horror over the weekend as the three emaciated men came into sight. Of the hostages yet to be released from Gaza under this phase of the ceasefire, Israel has said eight are dead. The next handover of three hostages had been scheduled for Saturday, and families say time is running out for those still alive. Israel now awaits what comes from a security Cabinet meeting Tuesday morning, moved up in response to Monday's Hamas announcement. The developments also have led to new fear in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have surged to what remains of their homes in the territory's north after being evacuated in the war's earliest weeks. The uncertainty, just over halfway i

Trump threatens to cut aid to Jordan, Egypt if they refute Gaza relocation

US President Donald Trump doubled down on his redevelopment plan for Gaza, stating that Palestinians relocated would not be allowed to return

Hamas should free all hostages by Saturday or 'let hell break out': Trump

Trump expressed frustration with the condition of the last group of hostages freed by Hamas and by the announcement by the militant group that it would halt further releases

Close encounters in Israel-Palestine: Original Sin traces history, conflict

The book is structured around the pivotal events of October 7, 2023-the Hamas attack that reshaped regional discourse-and is divided into seven chapters

Hamas accuses Israel of ceasefire breaches, to delay next hostage release

A Hamas spokesman on Monday accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement with the group, including targeting Palestinians in Gaza with airstrikes, and said that next Saturday's hostage release would be delayed. A Hamas spokesperson said Monday that the group will delay the next hostage release after accusing Israel of violating ceasefire agreement. Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas is releasing dozens of the hostages captured in its October 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 prisoners. The next exchange was scheduled for Saturday, releasing three Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, accused Israel on Monday of systematically violating the ceasefire agreement over the past th

Netanyahu backs Trump's plan to relocate Gazans, calls it a 'fresh idea'

Netanyahu has said that Palestinians relocated from Gaza must "renounce terrorism" before being permitted to return, framing it as a condition for long-term stability in the region

'We were treated like animals': Freed Israeli hostages reveal Hamas abuse

Freed Israeli hostages recount brutal captivity under Hamas, describing starvation, torture, and emotional trauma

After ceasefire in Gaza, West Bank Palestinians face more Israeli barriers

Abdullah Fauzi, a banker from the northern West Bank city of Nablus, leaves home at 4 a.m. to reach his job by 8, and he's often late. His commute used to take an hour until Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, after which Israel launched its offensive in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military also ramped up raids against Palestinian militants in the northern West Bank, and diverted its residents through seven new checkpoints, doubling Fauzi's time on the road. Now it's gotten worse. Since the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas took effect, Fauzi's drive to the West Bank's business and administrative hub, Ramallah, has become a convoluted, at least four-hour wiggle through steep lanes and farm roads as Israel further tightens the noose around Palestinian cities in measures it considers essential to guard against militant attacks. You can fly to Paris while we're not reaching our homes," the 42-year-old said from the Atara checkpoint outside Ramallah last week, as Isr

Trump says losing patience, compares freed Israelis to Holocaust survivors

New details and growing shock over emaciated hostages renewed pressure Sunday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a fragile Gaza ceasefire beyond the first phase, even as US President Donald Trump repeated his pledge that the US would take control of the Palestinian enclave. Talks on the second phase, meant to see more hostages released and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, were due to start February 3. But Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress, even as Israeli forces withdrew Sunday from a Gaza corridor in the latest commitment to the truce. Netanyahu sent a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator, but it included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won't lead to a breakthrough. Netanyahu, who returned after a U.S. visit to meet with Trump, is expected to convene security Cabinet ministers on Tuesday. Speaking on Sunday, Trump repeated his pledge to take control of the Gaza Strip. I'm committed to buying and owning Gaza. As far as

Saudi Arabia rejects Netanyahu's proposal for Palestinian state on its land

Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there, said Netanyahu

Pressure mounts on extending Gaza ceasefire as details on hostages emerge

New details and growing shock over emaciated hostages renewed pressure Sunday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a fragile Gaza ceasefire beyond the first phase ending in three weeks. Talks on the second phase, meant to see more hostages released and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, were due to start Feb. 3. But Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress, even as Israeli forces withdrew Sunday from a Gaza corridor in the latest commitment to the truce. Netanyahu sent a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator, but it included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won't lead to a breakthrough. Netanyahu, who returned after a U.S. visit to meet with President Donald Trump, is expected to convene security Cabinet ministers on Tuesday. Trump himself suggested he was losing patience with the deal after seeing the emaciated hostages released this week. I watched the hostages come back today and they looked like Holocaust survivors. They were i

UAE strongly condemns provocative Israeli statements against Saudi Arabia

Khalifa Bin Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, underlined the UAE's full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Hamas frees three more Israeli hostages in exchange for 183 Palestinians

Hamas-led militants released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages on Saturday, and Israel freed 183 Palestinian prisoners as part of a fragile agreement that has paused the war in the Gaza Strip. The hostages' emaciated condition and scenes of Hamas forcing them to speak in a staged release ceremony sparked outrage in Israel and could increase the pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend the ceasefire beyond its current six-week phase. Netanyahu has previously signalled he would resume the war, even if that meant leaving dozens of remaining hostages in Hamas captivity. Before a crowd of hundreds, armed Hamas fighters led Eli Sharabi, 52, Ohad Ben Ami, 56, and Or Levy, 34, onto a stage to make public statements before handing them over to the Red Cross. The three civilian men were among about 250 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that sparked the war. They appeared in much poorer physical condition than the previous 18 ..

Hamas names 3 hostages to be freed, accuses Israel of breaching ceasefire

The Hamas prisoners' media office said Israel was expected to free 183 Palestinians in exchange, including 18 who have been serving life sentences

We are determined to stay here: Gaza residents on Trump's displacement plan

Amid the devastation, Gazans vowed to remain steadfast in their homeland, rejecting US President Donald Trump's controversial proposal to seize the enclave

Future looks dire for UN Palestinian refugee agency amid ban: UNRWA chief

The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Thursday that while an Israeli ban has not yet forced the agency to cease operations, it faces an existential threat in the long run. I have been very clear that despite all the obstacles and the pressure the agency is under, our objective is to stay and deliver until we are prevented to do so, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, also known as UNRWA, said in an interview with The Associated Press during a visit to Beirut. Israel last week formally banned UNRWA from operating on its territory. As a result, Lazzarini said, international staff have had to leave East Jerusalem because their visas expired, but in Gaza and the West Bank there has been no immediate impact on operations. Even in East Jerusalem, he said, health care and other services provided by UNRWA "are continuing, though not necessarily at the same scope it used to be. UNRWA is also likely to face increased pressure from

Trump signs order imposing sanctions on ICC over investigations of Israel

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel, a close U.S. ally. Neither the U.S. nor Israel is a member of or recognizes the court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes over his military response in Gaza after the Hamas attack against Israel in October 2023. Tens of thousands of Palestinians, including children, have been killed during the Israeli military's response. The order Trump signed accuses the ICC of engaging in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel" and of abusing its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant. The ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States or Israel, the order states, adding that the court had set a dangerous precedent with its actions against both countries. Trump's action came as .

Israel to turn Gaza strip over to US after fighting ends, says Trump

Trump said that Gaza Strip would be turned over to US by Israel at conclusion of fighting. The Palestinians ... would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, he said