2 h. ago What to know about the 13 hostages whose remains are still inside Gaza

Palestinian militants have so far released 15 bodies of hostages that were held in Gaza for the past two years as part of the ceasefire agreement in the Israel-Hamas war

Events

2 h. ago Gaza ceasefire not like monitoring a toddler, says JD Vance during Netanyahu meeting

JD Vance has said monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza is not like monitoring a toddler, as he met with Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu.

Events

3 h. ago Gaza ceasefire live: JD Vance has ‘great optimism’ truce will hold as he meets Netanyahu

On a visit to Israel, the US vice-president said Washington would not set a deadline for the group to disarm under the US-brokered dealIsrael has completed the identification of the bodies of two more hostages, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Wednesday, the Associated Press (AP) reports. 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 7 October 2023, attack by Hamas militants, which triggered the two-year war. Since the ceasefire began on 10 October, 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 m...

Events

6 h. ago Gaza ceasefire live: JD Vance has ‘great optimism’ truce will hold as he prepares to meet Netanyahu

On a visit to Israel, the US vice-president said Washington would not set a deadline for the group to disarm under the US-brokered dealHello and welcome to our continuing Middle East coverage.JD Vance has expressed “great optimism” that the Gaza truce would hold, during a visit to Israel aimed at shoring up support for a ceasefire and postwar reconstruction plans.The top United Nations court will rule on Wednesday on Israel’s obligations towards agencies providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, as aid groups scramble to scale up assistance after a ceasefire. Judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague have been asked for an “advisory opinion” laying out Israel’s duty to facilitate aid in Gaza.At a press conference in Israel on Tuesday, JD Vance referred to Hamas as a “terrorist organisation” and said the Israeli army was “defending itself” throughout the conflict. He said there is “a lot of work left to do” and that it is going to take a “long time” a...

Events

17 h. ago British troops sent to Israel to help maintain Gaza ceasefire after US request

British troops have been sent to Israel to help monitor a ceasefire in Gaza after a request from the US, Defence Secretary John Healey said

Politics

18 h. ago British troops sent to Israel to help monitor Gaza ceasefire

A small number of planning officers including a senior commander have been deployed to the region.

Politics

19 h. ago JD Vance expresses ‘great optimism’ over Gaza ceasefire deal during Israel visit

US vice-president to visit Netanyahu while Hamas joins talks in Cairo meant to iron out differencesThe US vice-president, JD Vance, expressed “great optimism” over the Gaza truce plan which he described as “durable” and “going better than expected”, during a visit to Israel on Tuesday, two days after Israeli airstrikes killed 26 Palestinians.Vance’s trip, as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to strengthen the ceasefire agreement, comes as Hamas officials joined talks in Cairo meant to bridge outstanding differences with Israel. Continue reading...

Politics

22 h. ago Trump claims allies in Middle East will send troops into Gaza and ‘straighten out Hamas’ if ceasefire fails

US president claimed leaders told him ‘explicitly’ they would act against militant group ‘at his request’

Events

25 h. ago Charles and Camilla make third donation to Middle East humanitarian appeal

Since the Gaza ceasefire agreement earlier this month, the DEC said its charities have begun scaling up their work.

Politics

26 h. ago Gaza ceasefire live: Vance arrives in Israel as Qatar condemns ‘continued violation’ of ceasefire

US vice-president’s trip comes a day after two Trump envoys met NetanyahuUS vice-president JD Vance has arrived in Israel with his wife, Usha.Vance is expected to meet top US Middle East envoys and military experts monitoring the truce on Tuesday. He is expected to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and president Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem tomorrow. Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago Hamas release another dead hostage to Israel after Trump warns ‘behave or be eradicated’

Trump warned the Palestinian militants to ‘be nice’ as US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Tel Aviv to salvage a fragile ceasefire

Events

42 h. ago British troops to shoot down drones over military bases to thwart Kremlin incursions in UK airspace

British troops to shoot down drones over bases amid fears of Russian invasions of UK airspace. New powers will be drafted following Kremlin incursions into Polish and Estonian airspace.

Events

42 h. ago Hamas to release another dead hostage to Israel after Trump warns ‘behave or be eradicated’

Trump warned the Palestinian militants to ‘be nice’ as US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Tel Aviv to salvage a fragile ceasefire

Events

48 h. ago British troops given powers to shoot down drones near bases to counter Russia threat

The British government will consider extending the powers to other important sites, like airports

Events

48 h. ago US envoys arrive in Israel to shore up the Gaza ceasefire after a major flareup

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy says that Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the U.S. president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have arrived in Israel

Politics

51 h. ago Gaza ceasefire live: Trump’s envoys arrive in Israel amid scramble to shore up fragile truce – Middle East crisis live

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner expected to meet members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s governmentUS President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner have returned to Israel, a US embassy spokesperson has said.They are overseeing the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which they helped broker, and are expected to meet members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Continue reading...

Politics

52 h. ago British troops ‘given powers to shoot down drones near bases’

The British government will consider extending the powers to other important sites, like airports

Events

54 h. ago Truce resumes after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza amid scramble to shore up ceasefire – Middle East crisis live

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly heading to Israel on Monday Donald Trump said yesterday the ceasefire he brokered was still in place.The US president 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 properly,” he said. Continue reading...

Events

56 h. ago In Gaza, and now Ukraine, Donald Trump may be peace activists' greatest ally. That deserves our backing | Simon Jenkins

It’s a fool’s game trying to understand the president’s true motives, but do our misgivings matter if the outcome is a speedy end to war?Donald Trump is sensible and he is right. Basking in glory after his Gaza ceasefire, he was on Friday evening flying to Florida with his entourage of reporters. The drums of war were beating across Europe and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had pleaded with him for Tomahawk missiles. What was his reply?Trump was clearly fed up. He had told Zelenskyy: go make a deal. He had said, “They should stop the war immediately. You go go by the battle line wherever it is and both sides should go home. Go to their families, stop the killing and that should be it.” Matter closed. Tomahawks would merely mean escalation and more killing. Get a deal.Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

60 h. ago Two Israeli soldiers and a reported 44 Palestinians dead as ceasefire threatens to collapse: Netanyahu orders 'wave of strikes' on Gaza and stops aid after Hamas attacks

The BBC said Gaza hospitals sources claimed 44 people were killed in the Israeli air strikes on Sunday. However, Israel said it would resume its enforcement of the ceasefire.

Events