6 d. 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

9 d. ago Israel reportedly halts supply of aid into Gaza as it launches ‘massive wave of attacks’ – Middle East crisis live

Ceasefire close to total collapse as Israeli military says it has launched strikes in response to ‘blatant violation’ of agreement by HamasIsraeli airstrikes on Gaza as ceasefire comes under threatFreed Israeli hostage David Cunio received a hero’s welcome in the city of Yavne, where residents lined the streets waving Israeli and American flags as he was driven from hospital to rejoin his family, The Times of Israel reports.Cunio, who was abducted from kibbutz Nir Oz with his family during the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, leaned out of the car window to shake hands and thank supporters as music played and people applauded. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Gaza ceasefire under pressure as Israel says repatriated body is not that of a hostage

Confusion surrounded aid deliveries into Gaza on Wednesday amid a row over the return of deceased hostages

Events

2 w. ago Marco Rubio interrupts Trump with handwritten note on Gaza deal

Note from secretary of state says ‘you need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first’Follow the latest updates liveThe text of the note handed to Donald Trump by Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, on Wednesday afternoon, captured in a photograph, suggested the president could soon announce a ceasefire deal in Gaza on his social media platform.“Very close,” the note read, according to an image of the handwritten note taken by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci. “We need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Photos from 2 years of war between Israel and Hamas bear witness to its horrors

It's been two years since Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, plunging the region into war. Photos taken by Associated Press journalists have charted the turmoil and devastation.

Events

3 w. ago US envoys head to Egypt for Gaza ceasefire talks as Trump says ‘we are very close’ to deal

US president says he will push to finalize agreement in the coming days even as scores of Palestinians killed in latest Israeli attacksDonald Trump’s son-in-law and a senior envoy are heading to Egypt to begin ceasefire negotiations, the White House has said, as the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he hoped to bring all remaining hostages home in the coming days.A White House official said the US president was sending his envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, to Egypt on Saturday to finalise the technical details of a hostage release and discuss a lasting ceasefire deal a day after Hamas said it was ready to free hostages under Trump’s plan to end the two-year-old war. In an interview, Trump said “we are very close” to reaching an agreement. Continue reading...

Politics

last month Israel presses on with Gaza assault as Trump again claims ceasefire is close

IDF launches 140 airstrikes in last 24 hours as tanks advance in Gaza City and death toll for same period is put at 77Israel has pressed on with its offensive in Gaza as Donald Trump claimed again to be on the brink of a breakthrough in negotiations for a ceasefire in the devastated territory.Witnesses and medics said Israeli tanks were advancing through central and western neighbourhoods of Gaza City towards crowded coastal areas where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering. Continue reading...

Politics