Talks on bringing an end to the war in Gaza are on the verge of reaching a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday. Turkish, Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators are working to realise an American plan that calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. If an agreement is reached today, a ceasefire will be declared, Fidan told a news conference in Ankara with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Fidan earlier said that a lot of progress has been achieved so far in the negotiations. What is good news is that the parties have showed great will for the release of the prisoners and the hostages, he added. All sides have expressed optimism for a deal to end the two-year war that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and most of Gaza destroyed. But key parts of the peace plan still haven't been agreed, including a requirement that Hamas disarm, the timing and extent of an Israeli
Indirect negotiations are focused on the mechanisms to halt the conflict, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the swap deal, Hamas said
The Israel–Hamas conflict began on October 7, 2023. Since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, and much of Gaza’s 2.2 million population has been left homeless and facing severehunger
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
In the absence of a ceasefire, Israel has pressed on with its offensive in Gaza, increasing its international isolation
Modern versus conventional war systems
Since the war broke out after Hamas attacked Israel, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,000 Palestinians and left the majority of 2.2 million homeless and hungry
The United States under the Biden and Trump administrations has provided at least USD 21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel since the start of the Gaza war two years ago, according to a new academic study published Tuesday, the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel that provoked the conflict. Another study, also published by the Costs of War project at Brown University's Watson School of International and Public Affairs, says the US has spent roughly USD 10 billion more on security aid and operations in the broader Middle East in the past two years. While the reports rely on open source material for most of their findings, they offer some of the most comprehensive accountings of US military aid to close ally Israel and estimated costs of direct American military involvement in the Middle East. The State Department had no immediate comment about the amount of military aid provided to Israel since October 2023. The White House referred questions to
During the meeting, which was held indirectly in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, a roadmap was drawn regarding how the talks would move forward
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel took credit for an emerging agreement, but it was clear that President Trump was calling the shots
Neither Israel nor Hamas fully supports the deal, with both sides issuing caveats and misrepresenting or ignoring key terms regarding Gaza's future
Trump says global negotiations with Hamas for hostage release and ending Gaza war are "very successful and proceeding rapidly"
Israeli forces warned residents who have left the city against returning, saying it was a 'dangerous combat zone'
Trump said on Friday he believed Hamas had shown it was 'ready for a lasting PEACE' and he called on Netanyahu's government to halt airstrikes in Gaza
Hundreds of thousands of people across several European cities marched Sunday in support of Palestinians and an aid flotilla's attempt to reach Gaza. Istanbul held the largest of multiple demonstrations being staged in Turkiye. Footage showed crowds walking from the iconic Hagia Sophia to the banks of the Golden Horn, where they were greeted by dozens of boats decked in Turkish and Palestinian flags. The marchers called for Muslim solidarity with Palestinians following midday prayers in front of the former Byzantine cathedral, now converted to a mosque. The protests were among others planned Sunday in European cities to mark the second anniversary of Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. Israel's attacks have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry that is part of the Hamas-run government. In the Turkish capital Ankara, protesters held up flags and placards condemning the genocide in Gaza. This oppression, which
Egypt, a key intermediary in truce talks, said it would host delegations from both sides to discuss a possible exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners
Minutes after journalists gathered outside a Gaza hospital to survey the damage of an Israeli strike, Ibrahim Qannan pointed his camera up at the battered building as the others climbed its external stairs. Then Qannan watched in horror while broadcasting live as a second strike killed the friends and colleagues he knew so well. We live side by side with death, Qannan, a correspondent for the Cairo-based Al-Ghad TV said in an interview. I still cannot believe that five of our colleagues were struck in front of me on camera and I try to hold up and look strong to carry the message. May no one feel such feelings. They are painful feelings. The deaths of the five journalists in the August 25 strikes on Nasser Hospital add to a toll of nearly 200 news workers killed by Israeli forces while working to bring Gaza's story to the world. Those killed in the attack, which left a total of 22 people dead, included Mariam Dagga, 33, a visual journalist who freelanced for The Associated Press
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza in the coming days, as Israel and Hamas prepare for indirect talks in Egypt on Monday on a new US plan to end the war. In a brief statement late Saturday, Netanyahu said he has sent a delegation to Egypt to finalise technical details, adding that our goal is to contain these negotiations to a time frame of a few days. But Netanyahu signalled there would not be a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, something Hamas has long demanded. He said Israel's military will continue to hold territories it controls in Gaza, and that Hamas will be disarmed in the plan's second phase, diplomatically or through a military path by us. The prime minister spoke after Hamas said it has accepted some elements of the US plan. President Donald Trump welcomed the militant group's statement but on Saturday warned that Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. Trump also ordered Israel to st
I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again, he said
Israeli bombing of Gaza City has significantly subsided though at least five Palestinians were killed, a hospital official said Saturday, as Israel's army said the country's leaders had instructed it to prepare for the first phase of the US plan to end the war in Gaza. Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike, said an official who was not authorised to speak to the media on the record. The official said no forces have been removed from the territory. Still, Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiyah told the AP that Israeli strikes killed five Palestinians across Gaza City, while bombing had "significantly subsided. The army statement came hours after President Donald Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza once Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan. Trump welcomed the Hamas statement but on Saturday warned that Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. He noted that Israel had temporarily stopped the ...