3 h. ago In the shadow of Gaza, Israel’s new offensive in the West Bank threatens to break out into all

Overshadowed by Gaza, the latest West Bank offensive - which Israel launched on January 21, two days after the current ceasefire in Gaza took hold - threatens to open a new, bloody chapter

Politics

4 h. ago Gaza ceasefire shaky as Israel's battle tanks enter West Bank with 40,000 made homeless

Threat of war again as Isareli tanks enter the West Bank for the first time in decades - and the fragile Gaza ceasefire teeters towards failure and a new outbreak of violence and bloodshed

Events

9 h. ago UN ‘gravely concerned by rising violence’ in West Bank; Gaza ceasefire in doubt as first phase nears end – Middle East crisis live

Israeli tanks in West Bank for first time in more than two decades amid tensions over ceasefire agreement with HamasThe UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has been speaking at the UN human rights council in Geneva.“I am gravely concerned by the rising violence in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers and other violations, as well as calls for annexation,” Guterres said, as he urged for the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel to remain intact.The ministry of foreign affairs and expatriates warns of the Israeli occupation army’s deployment of heavy tanks around Jenin, viewing it as a prelude to expanding its crimes against the Palestinian people – particularly in the northern West Bank and its refugee camps. This escalation comes as Israeli ‘defence’ minister Israel Katz boasts that the Israeli occupation army will prevent displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes and has ordered an extended military presence in the area. Israeli occupation forces have al...

Events

49 h. ago Steve Witkoff: from property developer to global spotlight as Trump’s tough

His friendship with the president dates back to a late-night encounter in a deli. Now he is a loyal envoy brokering the Gaza ceasefire and peace talks on UkraineWith the first phase of the ceasefire nearing its end, an American property developer has emerged as a key figure in determining whether Gaza attains a more enduring peace or slips back into war.Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s typically idiosyncratic pick as special Middle East envoy, has also found his way into the midst of talks with Russia over Ukraine’s future, sitting opposite Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, instead of the official special envoy for the region, Keith Kellogg. Continue reading...

Politics

51 h. ago Hamas hands over six hostages but Israel delays release of 600 Palestinians

Ceasefire in jeopardy as Israel waits for meeting of security cabinet under pressure from right-wingersMiddle East crisis – live updatesHamas released six Israeli hostages on Saturday, but Israel delayed the handover of more than 600 Palestinians it was due to free from its prisons in exchange, putting the five-week-old ceasefire agreement once more in jeopardy.The government said the release would be delayed until after a scheduled meeting of the security cabinet on Saturday evening at the earliest. Continue reading...

Politics

51 h. ago Hamas hands over six hostages but Israel suspends release of 600 Palestinians

Ceasefire in jeopardy as Israel says it will wait ‘until release of next hostages is guaranteed’ and Hamas scraps ‘degrading’ handover ceremoniesHamas released six Israeli hostages on Saturday, but Israel suspended the handover of more than 600 Palestinians it was due to free from its prisons in exchange, putting the five-week-old ceasefire agreement once more in jeopardy.In a statement on Sunday, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said: “In light of Hamas’ repeated violations – including the disgraceful ceremonies that dishonour our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda – it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday [Saturday] until the release of the next hostages is ensured, without the humiliating ceremonies.” Continue reading...

Politics

55 h. ago Three more Israeli hostages released by Hamas as Israel to free Palestinian prisoners

The hostages are among the final living captives to be freed under phase one of a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire, over 600 Palestinians are due to be released from Israeli prisons

Events

57 h. ago Two Israeli hostages released by Hamas as Israel to free Palestinian prisoners

The hostages are among the final living captives to be freed under phase one of a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire, over 600 Palestinians are due to be released from Israeli prisons as well

Events

58 h. ago Six Israeli hostages released by Hamas as Israel to free Palestinian prisoners

The hostages are among the final living captives to be released under phase one of a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire

Events

61 h. ago Shiri Bibas remains identified as Israel and Hamas prepare for another hostage

Gaza ceasefire deal still on track amid uproar over fate of two Israeli boys and initial false return of their mother’s bodyThe body of the Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas has been identified, Israel’s army radio reported early on Saturday, adding that Bibas was likely killed in captivity with her children.The confirmation came as Israelis and Palestinians braced for another tense exchange of hostages, prisoners and detainees on Saturday after uproar in Israel over allegations that two child hostages were “brutally murdered” by Hamas, and the group’s initial failure to deliver the body of their mother, instead returning the corpse of an unidentified woman. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Hamas 'will pay the full price' for not returning the body of Shiri Bibas, Netanyahu warns after terror group blamed 'mix up' for sending the wrong remains

The remains of four people, whom Hamas said were Israeli hostages, were handed over on Thursday, the first such transfer under the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Events

3 d. ago Hamas offers horrific explanation after Israel revealed body returned to grieving family was NOT missing hostage Shiri Babas

The remains of four people, whom Hamas said were Israeli hostages, were handed over on Thursday, the first such transfer under the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Events

3 d. ago Hamas accused of serious Gaza ceasefire violation after returning ‘anonymous’ body instead of hostage victim

Hamas says there is possibility of an error after Israel says ‘anonymous’ body returned rather than hostage Shiri Bibas

Events

3 d. ago Netanyahu slams 'cruel and malicious violation' of Gaza ceasefire deal over release of body

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed revenge for what he described as a “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire agreement after a body that Hamas released as part of the deal was found to not be that of an Israeli mother of two young boys, as the militants had promised

Economics

3 d. ago Hamas accused of 'serious violation' of Gaza ceasefire after returning ‘anonymous’ body instead of hostage victim Shiri Bibas

Hamas returned ‘anonymous’ body instead of that of hostage Shiri Bibas, Israel says

Events

4 d. ago The Guardian view on Gaza’s future: the ceasefire and hostage deal must not fizzle out | Editorial

As Donald Trump persists with a monstrous proposal to remove Palestinians, the immediate need is to prevent fresh conflictThe pain and damage wreaked in the last 16 months will reverberate through families, communities and the Middle East for decades to come. On Thursday, the bodies of two young children and their mother, and that of an 83-year-old peace activist, were returned to Israel by Hamas. They were kidnapped in the 7 October 2023 raid in which the militants killed around 1,200 Israelis and others. Around 48,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its war in response.It was always feared that the ceasefire deal, which has brought desperately needed respite for Palestinians in Gaza and the return of Israeli and foreign hostages, would be fleeting. The six-week opening stage is due to expire on 1 March. The talks on the more complicated second stage have yet to begin, more than a fortnight after the...

Events

4 d. ago Middle East crisis live: Hamas to return bodies of four Israeli hostages, including two children

Bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, who Hamas says were killed in an Israeli airstrike, as well as Oded Lifshitz, 83, to be handed overAhead of today’s release, Hamas said it is ready to release all its remaining hostages in a single exchange if the ceasefire agreement with Israel moves forward to a second phase next month.The offer came as the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, signalled his readiness to talk about a second phase of the Gaza ceasefire after an extended delay, by appointing one of his closest advisers, Ron Dermer, a US-born cabinet minister and former ambassador to Washington, to lead the Israeli delegation to the talks.Hamas has said it is ready to release all its remaining hostages in a single exchange if the ceasefire agreement with Israel moves forward to a second phase next month. A senior Hamas official, Taher al-Nunu, told Agence France-Presse “We have informed the mediators that Hamas is ready to release all hostages in one b...

Events

5 d. ago Hamas offers handover of all hostages to Israel if next phase of ceasefire agreed

Benjamin Netanyahu signals readiness for talks on second phase by appointing adviser Ron Dermer to lead delegationHamas has said it is ready to release all its remaining hostages in a single exchange if the ceasefire agreement with Israel moves forward to a second phase next month.The offer came as the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, signalled his readiness to talk about a second phase of the Gaza ceasefire after an extended delay, by appointing one of his closest advisers, Ron Dermer, a US-born cabinet minister and former ambassador to Washington, to lead the Israeli delegation to the talks. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Even Trump can be cajoled into advancing human rights – you just have to know which buttons to press | Kenneth Roth

The signs aren’t good so far, but playing on Trump’s desperation to be seen as a great dealmaker would pay dividendsKenneth Roth is a former executive director of Human Rights Watch. His book, Righting Wrongs, is published on 25 FebruaryThe common wisdom is that Donald Trump’s foreign policy will be a disaster for human rights. Certainly his penchant for embracing autocrats and breaching norms bodes poorly, such as his outrageous proposal to force two million Palestinians out of Gaza – which would be a blatant war crime – or his suggestion that Ukraine is to blame for Russia’s invasion. But Trump also likes to cut a deal, as shown by his paradoxically positive role in securing the current (precarious) Gaza ceasefire. If Trump the dealmaker can be nudged in the right direction, he might, against all odds, be brought to play a productive role for human rights.As executive director of Human Rights Watch, I spent more than three decades devising strategies to pressure or cajole leaders ...

Politics

5 d. ago Even Trump can be cajoled into doing the right thing – you just have to know which buttons to press | Kenneth Roth

In decades spent convincing world leaders to protect human rights, I’ve learned a thing or two about working with his typeKenneth Roth is a former executive director of Human Rights Watch and author of Righting WrongsThe common wisdom is that Donald Trump’s foreign policy will be a disaster for human rights. Certainly his penchant for embracing autocrats and breaching norms bodes poorly, such as his outrageous proposal to force two million Palestinians out of Gaza – which would be a blatant war crime – or his suggestion that Ukraine is to blame for Russia’s invasion. But Trump also likes to cut a deal, as shown by his paradoxically positive role in securing the current (precarious) Gaza ceasefire. If Trump the dealmaker can be nudged in the right direction, he might, against all odds, be brought to play a productive role for human rights.As executive director of Human Rights Watch, I spent more than three decades devising strategies to pressure or cajole leaders to better respect ri...

Politics