4 h. ago Israel vows NO ceasefire or Palestinian prisoner release in return for US hostage being freed as Netanyahu warns fighting will be 'intensified' in Gaza

The militant group said it would release Edan Alexander, a US-Israeli soldier held in Gaza, later today as it engages in direct ceasefire talks with Washington.

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16 h. ago Hamas says last American hostage in Gaza will be freed as part of ceasefire push

Hamas has announced it will release Edan Alexander — believed to be the last living American hostage held in Gaza — as part of a broader effort to secure a ceasefire and reopen key crossings into the war-torn territory.

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16 h. ago Hamas says it will release last living American hostage in Gaza

Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier kidnapped on 7 October, reportedly set to be released on TuesdayHamas announced on Sunday that it will release the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier who was kidnapped on 7 October 2023.The 21-year old’s release is set to take place on Tuesday, Reuters reports, citing a source familiar with the matter. Continue reading...

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20 h. ago The Guardian view on Israel and Gaza: Trump can stop this horror. The alternative is unthinkable | Editorial

The US president has the leverage to force through a ceasefire. If he does not, he will implicitly signal approval of what looks like a plan of total destructionDonald Trump would like a big foreign policy win as he embarks on his tour of the Middle East this week. He could secure one – and save lives – by demanding that Israel agree to a lasting ceasefire in exchange for the release of all hostages held in Gaza. He might prefer to avoid the issue, but no other leader has the leverage to force its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to end this war. If Mr Trump instead backs Israel’s current proposals, he will put the US imprimatur on what looks like a plan of total destruction.Israel’s attacks have already killed more than 52,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities – the vast majority of them civilians, many of them children. Bakeries, hospitals and schools have been obliterated. Aid has been blocked for two months. Gaza faces famine. Last week, Isr...

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24 h. ago ‘Never again war’: Pope Leo calls for peace in Ukraine in first Sunday address

New pontiff also urges a ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza and welcomes truce between India and PakistanPope Leo XIV has called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and pleaded for an end to global conflicts, which he likened to a “third world war in pieces”.In his first Sunday address at the Vatican, the new pontiff urged an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza and the release of all hostages. He also welcomed the truce between India and Pakistan and referenced the end of the second world war in 1945. Continue reading...

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27 h. ago Watch: Pope Leo calls for ceasefire in Ukraine and Gaza during first Sunday address

Pope Leo XIV used his first Sunday address from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages.

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4 d. ago Irish broadcaster requests discussion over Israel’s Eurovision participation

RTÉ asks European Broadcasting Union to discuss matter after 72 former contestants call for Israel’s exclusionIreland’s public broadcaster has asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for a discussion about Israel’s inclusion in the Eurovision song contest, as 72 former contestants called for the Israeli broadcaster Kan to be banned from next week’s event in the Swiss city of Basel.The director general of Ireland’s RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst, said in a statement on Wednesday that he was “appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages”. Continue reading...

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4 d. ago Mother of Gaza hostage is furious over mixed signals on how many captives are dead

Families of hostages held in Gaza were surprised and angered to hear U.S. President Donald Trump say that three of the hostages who Israel had said were alive had died

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5 d. ago Israel corrects Trump after he wrongly claims that more hostages have died in Gaza

Trump’s surprise comments caused panic amongst the families of hostages

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1 week ago King Charles and Queen Camilla send 'thoughts and prayers' to hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza as Israel celebrates Independence Day

The husband and wife penned a moving letter to President Isaac Herzog to celebrate Israel's 77th Independence Day, offering him their 'best wishes' in the year ahead.

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1 week ago Middle East latest: Israeli families appeal for return of loved ones' remains from Gaza

The families of deceased Israeli hostages whose bodies are being held by Hamas in Gaza made a plea for the return of the remains of their loves ones

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1 week ago I used to run Israel’s security agency – now I’m sounding the alarm about our extremist government | Ami Ayalon

Israel’s genuine friends abroad, from governments to Jewish communities, must mobilise to help us end this terrible war• Ami Ayalon is a former director of Shin Bet and a former commander-in-chief of Israel’s navyI spent close to 40 years working as a public servant for the state of Israel, including as commander of the navy and head of the Shin Bet, protecting Israel and defending it from external and internal threats. Several weeks ago, along with 17 other colleagues who have also dedicated their lives to Israel’s security and welfare, I made a decision that the future of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state is so under threat that it is not just my responsibility, but obligation, to sound the alarm.The 18 of us took out a full-page advert in two major Israeli broadsheet papers. In it, we made clear that the very fabric of the state of Israel and the values on which it was founded are being eroded. The truth is that our hostages in Gaza have been abandoned in favour of the gove...

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2 w. ago Conservatives fighting ‘antisemitism’ are actively targeting US Jews. Why? | Josh Schreier

The pro-Israel campaign to ‘protect’ Jews by punishing anti-Zionist speech often targets Jews. That is no surpriseThe Trump administration claims that its moves to defund universities, arrest and deport students and force schools to demote or monitor professors are meant to combat antisemitism, protect Jewish students and remove “Hamas-supporting” foreign nationals from the country. American pro-Israel groups including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Hillel International, Aipac and the Heritage Foundation have united behind Republican measures to crack down on higher education and its putative antisemitism. Religiously identified groups such as the Orthodox Union and Christians United for Israel have joined the chorus, celebrating the punishment of supposedly antisemitic students and professors. Whatever their varied pasts, today’s pro-Israel groups are not about protecting American Jews. Instead, they are allies in Maga’s war on free speech, academic freedom and the US’s democrat...

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3 w. ago Hamas blames Israeli strike after ‘losing contact’ with American hostage Edan Alexander

Palestinian group claims Israel is ‘deliberately trying to kill’ captive soldier

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3 w. ago Sa'ar meets UK counterpart in London to discuss Iranian nuclear issue, Gaza hostages

Sa'ar meets UK counterpart in London to discuss Iranian nuclear issue, Gaza hostages  The Jerusalem Post

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3 w. ago Israel strikes Gaza hospital as pressure mounts on Benjamin Netanyahu over hostages

Israeli troops have hit another Palestinian hospital in Gaza as pressure from loved ones and military campaigners mounts on PM Netanyahu to enter into ceasefire talks with Hamas

Events

4 w. ago Hundreds of former Mossad operatives criticise Israel’s return to war in Gaza

Over 250 former intelligence agency figures back letter urging prioritising return of hostages held in GazaHundreds of former operatives from Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency have criticised the return to war in Gaza amid growing frustration over the failure to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas.A group of more than 250 former Mossad figures – including three ex-chiefs – gave their backing to a letter first signed by air force veterans and reservists that urged the Israeli government to prioritise bringing back the hostages over fighting Hamas in Gaza. Continue reading...

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