Page 27 - Palestine

Gaza cease-fire enters second day with more hostages to be exchanged

Hamas was expected to swap more of its hostages Saturday for prisoners held by Israel on the second day of a cease-fire that has allowed critical humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and given civilians their first respite after seven weeks of war. On the first day of the four-day cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the about 240 hostages taken during its Oct 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed from captivity in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and citizen of the Philippines. During the four days, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed something United States President Joe Biden said he hoped would come to pass. The start of the truce Friday morning brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling and desperate from relentless Israeli bombardment that has kill

Cease-fire swap: Hamas frees 24 hostages in exchange for 39 Palestinians

Hamas on Friday released 24 hostages who had been held captive in Gaza for weeks, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison in the first stage of a swap under a four-day cease-fire deal. The freed hostages included 13 Israelis, 10 people from Thailand and one from the Philippines, according to Qatar. The agreement opened the way for sorely needed aid to flow into Gaza for beleaguered residents. It was also a moment of hope for families in Israel and elsewhere worried about loved ones taken captive during Hamas' Oct 7 attack, which triggered the war. With the truce's start Friday morning, Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians saw quiet for the first time after seven weeks of relentless Israeli bombardment, which has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and flattened vast swaths of residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel went silent as well. The freed Israeli hostages included eight women six of them in their 70s and 80s and

Truce begins in Israel-Hamas war; stage set for release of hostages

A temporary truce in the Israel-Hamas war took effect early Friday, setting the stage for the exchange of dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The halt in fighting began at 7 am local time (0500 GMT) and is to last at least four days. During the truce, Gaza's ruling Hamas group pledged to free at least 50 of the about 240 hostages it and other militants took in their deadly Oct 7 attack on Israel. In turn, Israel is to free three Palestinian prisoners for each released hostage. The releases are to take place in stages over the next four days. The truce deal was reached in weeks of intense indirect negotiations, with Qatar, the United States and Egypt serving as mediators. If it holds, it would mark the first significant break in fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas seven weeks ago. About 1,200 people were killed by Hamas attackers in Israel on Oct 7. Israel responded with a massive air and ground offensive that has devastated lar

More than 13,000 died in Gaza, say officials as detailed count resumes

The director of the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza says it has resumed its detailed count of casualties from the Israel-Hamas war, and has documented more than 13,000 deaths. Medhat Abbas confirmed the resumption to The Associated Press on Thursday. The Health Ministry had stopped updating its figures on Nov. 11 after the breakdown of access and communication in northern Gaza, where Israeli ground troops are battling Palestinian militants. The latest count is based on updated figures from hospitals in the south and Nov. 11 figures from the northern hospitals. The real toll is likely higher. The Health Ministry says another 6,000 people have been reported missing, and are feared buried under the rubble.

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Gaza war: Four day cease-fire to start Thu morning, 50 hostages to be freed

Egypt's state-run Qahera TV says the Israel-Hamas truce will take effect at 10 am local time(0800 GMT) on Thursday. Egypt helped mediate the four-day cease-fire, which will facilitate the release of dozens of hostages captured by Hamas during its October 7 attack into southern Israel. The deal will also see the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and the entry of more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israeli media also reported that the truce would begin Thursday at 10 am.

Pak prez sparks controversy, proposes one-state solution to Palestine issue

Pakistan President Arif Alvi has stirred a controversy by proposing a one-state solution to the Palestine problem in a significant departure from established policy, prompting the caretaker government to distance itself from the remarks and calls for his resignation. The presidential office made waves on Friday by advocating for a "one-state solution" to the Palestine issue. However, Alvi's office retracted the statement within a few hours, marking an abrupt about-face in the official position. The presidency initially released a statement attributing to President Alvi the suggestion of a "one-state solution" during a telephonic conversation with Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas. If the two-state solution was not acceptable to Israel, then the one-state solution was the only way where Jews, Muslims and [a] good percentage of Christians could live to exercise equal political rights, the original press release quoted Alvi as telling the Palestinian president. Almost all news TV

What will happen in Gaza Strip after Israel stops its war on Hamas?

US President Joe Biden wants to bring the more moderate Palestinian Authority from the West Bank, led by Mahmoud Abbas, back into Gaza

Israel approves truce with Hamas; Palestinian prisoners also to be freed

Israel's Cabinet on Wednesday approved a temporary cease-fire with the Hamas militant group that is expected to bring the first halt in fighting in a devastating six-week war and win freedom for dozens of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the release of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons. The deal calls for a four-day cease-fire, during which Israel will halt its military offensive in Gaza while Hamas frees at least 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it and other militants are holding, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. The first hostages to be released are women and children. The government of Israel is committed to bringing all of the hostages home. Tonight, the government approved the outline for the first stage of achieving this goal, the office said in a statement. A statement released by Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, Wednesday morning said the deal includes the release of a number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli

Israel approves deal to free around 50 hostages and pause war with Hamas

In a second stage of the deal, Hamas would release more women and children in return for Israel prolonging the pause by several days, according to the government statement

Secret negotiations between Qatar, US, Israel led to Gaza hostages deal

The secretive effort included tense personal diplomatic engagement by US President Biden, who held number of urgent conversations with emir of Qatar and Israeli PM

Amid Gaza crisis, India donates $2.5 mn to UN for Palestinian refugees

India has donated USD 2.5 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, prompting the UNRWA on Tuesday to welcome the generous contribution at a "difficult time", particularly in Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), functional since 1950, carries out direct relief and work programmes for registered Palestine refugees. It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States. India on Monday gave UNRWA USD 2.5 million as part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2023-24 to support the agency's core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief, and social services provided to Palestinian refugees, the Representative Office of India at Ramallah said. The contribution was handed over by the Representative of India (ROI) to Palestine, Renu Yadav, to the Director of Partnerships, Department of External Relations of UNRWA, Karim Amer. The ROI underlined India's continued support

Israel-Hamas conflict: Watch how Houthi rebels hijacked Gujarat-bound ship

Yemen's Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, have seized the Bahamas-flagged cargo ship Galaxy Leader, linked to an Israeli company, in the Red Sea. Here's what happened

Israeli vessel's capture reignites fears over West Asia shipping

Ships have often been caught up in the tensions between various groups in West Asia, at times disrupting flows of energy and other goods

31 babies saved from Gaza's Shifa Hospital, '12 killed' as war continues

Heavy fighting erupted Monday around a hospital in northern Gaza where thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering for weeks, as Israel pressed an offensive it says is aimed at eradicating Hamas and uprooting their militant infrastructure. A shell struck the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing at least 12 people, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza and a medical worker inside the facility. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. The advance came a day after the World Health Organisation evacuated 31 premature babies from Shifa Hospital. At least 28 were transported to Egypt on Monday. More than 250 critically ill or wounded patients remain stranded at the compound, which Israeli forces stormed days ago. The plight of Gaza's hospitals is at the focus of a battle of narratives over the war's brutal toll on Palestinian civilians, thousands of whom have been killed or buried in rubble since the conflict was sparked by .

China welcomes Arab, Muslim foreign ministers for talk on war in Gaza

China's top diplomat welcomed four Arab foreign ministers and the Indonesian one to Beijing on Monday, saying his country would work with our brothers and sisters" in the Arab and Islamic world to try to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible. The ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia chose to start a tour of world capitals in Beijing, a testament to both China's growing geopolitical influence and its longstanding support for the Palestinians. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the foreign diplomats that their decision to start in Beijing shows their high level of trust in his nation. China is a good friend and brother of Arab and Islamic countries, Wang said in opening remarks at a state guest house before their talks began. We have always firmly safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Arab (and) Islamic countries and have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people. China has long backed the ...

Air defences intercept missile launched from Lebanon: Israel Defence Forces

The Israeli military said that "no crossing into Israeli territory was detected." It further said that the alerts were triggered by the interceptions, according to The Times of Israel report

Israeli troops kill 5 Palestinians, including 3 militants, across West Bank

Israeli forces on Friday killed five Palestinians, including three militants, across the West Bank, deepening a surge of violence in the occupied territory that has accompanied Israel's war in the Gaza Strip. The deaths raised to 205 the number of Palestinians killed in West Bank violence since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, making it the deadliest period in the territory since the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. Israel says the crackdown is aimed at Hamas, the ruling group in Gaza, and other militant groups active in the West Bank. But rights groups say the Israeli tactics, including deadly raids, home demolitions, and arrests, are being carried out with increased frequency. The war erupted on October 7 when Hamas militants in Gaza crossed into Israel and killed at least 1,200 people and kidnapped 240 others. Israel launched a war that has claimed over 11,000 lives in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory. At th

11,470 Palestinians killed, most from Israeli strikes: Health ministry

The Palestinian health authorities said on Thursday that 11,470 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the Israel-Hamas war broke out six weeks ago. The vast majority have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. The ministry said 4,707 of the dead were children and minors and that 3,155 were women. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. In recent days, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank has started updating the Gaza death toll. Until last week, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza was the main official source for the Palestinian death toll. It stopped publishing updates after key ministry officials based in Gaza City's Shifa Hospital lost electricity and connectivity. Israel troops stormed Shifa on Wednesday and were still searching the large medical complex on Thursday. Hamas runs the Gaza Strip while its political rival, the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority, runs parts of the occupied West Bank. But the healt

Israel prez suggests deploying force in Gaza; US warns against occupation

Joe Biden said that he had made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a two-state solution was the only way to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict.