Israel preparing to receive bodies of four hostages on Thursday, security official says
Jerusalem Reuters Israel is preparing to receive the bodies of four hostages from Gaza on Thursday and is working on bringing back six living captives on Saturday, an Israeli security official said on Monday. If the two handovers are successful, only four hostages, all presumed dead, would remain in Gaza of the 33 due to […]
Israel’s Netanyahu signals he’s moving ahead with Trump’s idea to transfer Palestinians from Gaza
Jerusalem AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday signalled that he was moving ahead with US President Donald Trump’s proposal to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza, calling it “the only viable plan to enable a different future” for the region. Netanyahu discussed the plan with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who […]
Three Israeli hostages freed in Gaza, Israel releases 369 Palestinians in exchange
Updated: 7:10am, 16th February, 2025 (AEDT) Cairo, Egypt/Jerusalem Reuters Hamas released Israeli hostages Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel Chen and Sasha (Alexander) Troufanov in Gaza on Saturday and Israel freed some 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange, after mediators helped avert a collapse of the fragile ceasefire. The three Israelis were led onto a stage […]
“No deportations”: Vatican’s top diplomat rebukes Trump’s Gaza plan
Vatican City Reuters The Vatican’s lead diplomat on Thursday criticised President Donald Trump’s plan for the US to displace Palestinians from Gaza and “take over” the territory, in the second rebuke of a Trump policy by a top Catholic official this week. The Vatican’s Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin speaks in Rome, Italy, on […]
Hamas says it is willing to move ahead with Gaza ceasefire
Cairo, Egypt/Jerusalem Reuters Hamas signalled on Thursday that a crisis threatening to unravel an already fragile ceasefire in Gaza could be avoided even after trading accusations with Israel this week of ceasefire breaches. The 42-day ceasefire has appeared close to failure since Hamas on Monday unexpectedly announced it would stop releasing hostages, leading Israel to […]
Record number of journalists killed in 2024, Israel mostly responsible, CPJ says
Washington DC, US Reuters A record number of journalists was killed around the world last year, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday, adding that Israel was responsible for nearly 70 per cent of the deaths. At least 124 journalists in 18 countries died in 2024, the deadliest year for reporters and media workers […]
Israel calls up reservists as fears for fragile Gaza ceasefire rise
Jerusalem/Dubai, United Arab Emirates Reuters Israel has called up military reservists to brace for a possible re-eruption of war in Gaza if Hamas fails to meet a Saturday deadline to free further Israeli hostages and a nearly month-old ceasefire unravels. Concern that the truce will collapse is growing as fury mounts in the Arab world […]
“Hell worse than what we have already?” Gazans reject Trump plans
Cairo, Egypt/Ramallah, West Bank/Gaza Reuters With his Gaza home destroyed in Israel’s military offensive, Shaban Shaqaleh had intended to take his family on a break to Egypt once the Hamas-Israel ceasefire was firmly in place. He changed his mind after US President Donald Trump announced plans to resettle Gaza’s Palestinian residents and redevelop the enclave, […]
Netanyahu says Israel will end Gaza ceasefire if hostages not returned on Saturday
Cairo, Egypt/Jerusalem Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Tuesday the ceasefire in Gaza would end and the military would resume fighting Hamas until it was defeated if the Palestinian militant group did not release hostages by midday Saturday. Following Netanyahu’s ultimatum, Hamas issued a statement renewing its commitment to the ceasefire and accusing […]
Trump says Hamas should free all hostages by midday Saturday or “let hell break out”
Washington DC, US Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Hamas should release all hostages held by the militant group in Gaza by midday Saturday or he would propose cancelling the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and “let hell break out”. Trump cautioned that Israel might want to override him on the issue and said he […]