17 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

17 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

17 h. ago Hamas freed five Israeli hostages under phase one of ceasefire

Hamas has released five Israeli hostages, including Avera Mengistu, who had been held captive in Gaza for over ten years.

Events

19 h. ago Middle East crisis live: Hamas releases six hostages as Israel prepares to free hundreds of Palestinians

Hisham al-Sayed, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert have now been releasedA masked militant has sat down at a table on the stage with a Red Cross representative and they appear to be signing documents.Live images from Rafah are showing masked Hamas fighters taking to the makeshift stage, with one speaking into a microphone. Continue reading...

Events

21 h. ago Israeli hostage kisses his Hamas captive on the head as he and two other prisoners are handed over in highly emotional public ceremony

A traumatised Israeli hostage has today been seen kissing a Hamas fighter on the head as he and two other prisoners were handed over in an emotionally charged ceremony

Events

21 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

23 h. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel says body of Shiri Bibas returned as Hamas releases more hostages

Hamas has released two hostages so far today, with another four to come laterA masked militant has sat down at a table on the stage with a Red Cross representative and they appear to be signing documents.Live images from Rafah are showing masked Hamas fighters taking to the makeshift stage, with one speaking into a microphone. Continue reading...

Events

23 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

23 h. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel says body of Shiri Bibas returned as Hamas begins release of six more hostages

Hamas says six captives to be freed from Gaza in swap for about 600 Palestinian prisoners and detaineesA masked militant has sat down at a table on the stage with a Red Cross representative and they appear to be signing documents.Live images from Rafah are showing masked Hamas fighters taking to the makeshift stage, with one speaking into a microphone. Continue reading...

Events

24 h. ago Hamas hands over first of six Israeli hostages during tense prisoner exchange

Hamas has today handed over two of six Israeli hostages due to be freed from the Gaza Strip, as the body of murdered mother-of-two Shiri Bibas was handed back to her grieving family

Events

24 h. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel says body of Shiri Bibas handed over as Hamas begins release of six more hostages

Hamas says six captives to be freed from Gaza in swap for about 600 Palestinian prisoners and detaineesA masked militant has sat down at a table on the stage with a Red Cross representative and they appear to be signing documents.Live images from Rafah are showing masked Hamas fighters taking to the makeshift stage, with one speaking into a microphone. Continue reading...

Events

24 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

25 h. ago Body of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas returned after Hamas release her remains

Ms Bibas was kidnapped with her sons from Niz Or kibbutz during Hamas's terror attack in October 2023

Politics

25 h. ago Hamas set to release six Israeli hostages in return for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners

As preparations moved forward, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for 'a cruel and malicious violation' of the agreement centered on the wrong identification released by militants

Events

25 h. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel says body of Shiri Bibas handed over as Hamas prepares to release six more hostages

Hamas says six captives expected to be freed from Gaza on Saturday in swap for about 600 Palestinian prisoners and detaineesA convoy of Red Cross vehicles is now heading to a hostage handover site set up by Hamas in Rafah in southern Gaza, the Times of Israel is quoting an Israeli defense official as saying.The Red Cross is expected to receive two hostages there, the report says. According to Al Jazeera, hostages Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu will be freed in Rafah. The other four — Omer Shem-Tov, Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert and Hisham al-Sayed — will be released later in central Gaza’s Nuseirat.On the stage prepared by Hamas in Rafah are the usual placards with messages including “We are the flood” as well as military weapons and equipment the group claims were stolen from the IDF on October 7 2023.One piece is a gun on which the group wrote “Ravshatz,” the Hebrew acronym for the head of a community’s local security team, indicating it was taken from such an individual killed by terr...

Events

25 h. ago Family confirms body of hostage handed over by Hamas was Israeli mother Shiri Bibas

Hamas returns remains of Israeli hostage after mixup that threatened the ceasefire

Politics

26 h. ago Body of hostage Shiri Bibas identified, Israeli Army radio says

Authorities in Israel have reportedly identified the body of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, who was likely killed in Hamas captivity with her two children.

Politics

27 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

33 h. ago Body of hostage Shiri Bibas finally 'returned to Israel', Hamas claims

The mix up, as well as the public handover of the bodies, threatened to throw the fragile ceasefire out of the window after it caused outrage in Israel.

Politics

37 h. ago Israel vows Hamas will ‘pay the price’ after 24 hours of chaos rocks fragile ceasefire deal

Hamas denies deliberately handing over wrong body and blames Israeli bombings for deaths of hostages

Economics