2 h. ago Watch: Emotional moment Donald Trump tells Israeli hostage families their loved ones are coming home

The US president announced that Israel and Hamas will begin releasing hostages and prisoners, with Sir Keir Starmer calling it a ‘moment of profound relief felt around the world’

Politics

7 h. ago Starmer expresses ‘profound relief’ as first phase of Gaza peace plan agreed

The warring parties have agreed to the ‘first phase’ of Donald Trump’s peace plan, the US president has said.

Politics

7 h. ago Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire and release of hostages in major breakthrough

President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the "first phase" of his peace plan for Gaza, with the release of hostages and prisoners on both sides.

Events

8 h. ago Republican lawmakers praise Trump for Gaza deal as Palestinian Americans remain wary: ‘So much remains unclear’

Politicians, poets and academics make posts on social media to laud the US president or share concernsWhile Republican lawmakers lined up to praise Donald Trump on Wednesday for brokering a tentative deal on the “first phase” of an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the fighting in Gaza, and win the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, Palestinian American were more wary.“President Trump is the peace president! Finally, the living nightmare the hostages have been forced to endure will end and Americans Itay and Omer can be laid to rest,” Joni Ernst, the Iowa senator wrote on social media, referring to Israeli hostages who died in captivity. The tentative agreement would ensure the return of living Israeli hostages, and the remains of those who have died in Gaza since 7 October 2021. Continue reading...

Politics

8 h. ago A Gaza ceasefire deal could be Trump’s biggest diplomatic achievement – but the devil is in the detail

The plan attempts to thread the needle between creating the conditions for a ceasefire and negotiating a lasting end to the war but hard questions remainFor Donald Trump, a peace deal – or even a durable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas – could be the biggest diplomatic achievement of his presidency.The details and sequencing of a deal to end Israel’s war in Gaza remain murky, but the statement of purpose by both Israel and Hamas is meaningful. In agreeing to a deal with political backing from Arab states and other regional powers, this is the best chance for an end to the war since a ceasefire broke down in March returning Gaza to a grinding war that has left nearly 68,000 dead, most of them civilians. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Gaza ceasefire deal: What we know so far about the ‘first phase’ of the peace plan

US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the ‘first phase’ of his plan to pause fighting and release some hostages and prisonersFull story: ‘First phase’ of ceasefire deal to end war in Gaza agreed by Israel and HamasDonald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of a peace plan to pause fighting and release some hostages and prisoners held in Gaza.In a post on Truth Social, thanking mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. He said: “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”Hamas said it had reached the agreement, confirming the deal includes an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and a hostage-prisoner exchange. The group said in a statement the deal came after “responsible and serious negotiations” over the Trump’s proposal.Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu than...

Economics

11 h. ago Trump announces Gaza peace deal as Israel and Hamas sign off on 'first phase' of landmark plan

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that both Israel and Hamas had signed off on his proposed peace deal - a substantial step in ending the war in Gaza.

Politics

13 h. ago Trump says Israel peace deal ‘very close’ after Rubio slips him note as president reveals possible Gaza visit

Trump says he could visit Gaza as part of a trip to seal the peace deal this weekend

Politics

42 h. ago Kemi Badenoch refuses three times to answer if she admires Nigel Farage

The floundering Tory leader complained she was being asked questions about the Reform UK leader, instead telling a journalist they should ask questions about Keir Starmer

Politics

63 h. ago What are the sticking points that could sink Trump’s peace plan for Gaza?

Hamas and Israel have been brought to the table by the US president - but huge gaps remain between them on crucial issues

Politics

64 h. ago Cycling team Israel Premier Tech rebrands and drops national identity

Cycling team Israel Premier Tech has announced it is changing its name and moving away from its national identity

Politics

3 d. ago Gaza ceasefire talks live: Israeli airstrikes continue with negotiations due to begin in Egypt

Negotiators from the US, Israel and Hamas are set to begin talks, as the US president said the first phase should be completed this weekIsrael continues Gaza bombardment as Trump plan negotiators arrive in CairoEgyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has praised Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, saying it could mark the start of a path towards stability in the region.In an address to mark the 1973 war between Israel and Egypt that led to the end of Israel’s occupation of the Sinai peninsula, Sisi said on Monday:I can only extend my praise and appreciation for US President Donald Trump for his initiative that seeks a ceasefire in Gaza after two years of war, genocide, killing and destruction.A ceasefire, the return of prisoners and detainees, the reconstruction of Gaza and the launch of a peaceful political process that leads to the establishment and recognition of the Palestinian state means we are on the right path to lasting peace and stability. Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Trump reveals phone call that pushed Netanyahu to accept Gaza ceasefire: 'This is your chance for victory'

President Donald Trump told an Israeli news outlet that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted his plan for a ceasefire with Hamas because of a decisive phone call on Friday.

Politics

4 d. ago ‘I feel like we are in a trap’: Gaza residents hopeful but wary of Trump’s peace plan

Hamas’s agreement to release all hostages and surrender power hailed internationally as Israeli attacks continueWhen Arij al-Farra heard that Hamas had partially agreed to Donald Trump’s plan and that the US president had ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza, the first thing she felt was a flicker of hope. The second thing she felt was an explosion. An Israeli aircraft had dropped a bomb close to her tent in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.Though it was luck that saved al-Farra from death, she took the attack as a bad omen for the prospects for peace in Gaza. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago ‘I feel like we are in a trap’: Gaza residents hopeful but wary of Trump’s plan

Hamas’s agreement to release all hostages and surrender power hailed internationally as Israeli attacks continueWhen Arij al-Farra heard that Hamas had partially agreed to Donald Trump’s plan and that the US president had ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza, the first thing she felt was a flicker of hope. The second thing she felt was an explosion. An Israeli aircraft had dropped a bomb close to her tent in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.Though it was luck that saved Farra from death, she took the attack as a bad omen for the prospects for peace in Gaza. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Israel prepares for hostage release after Hamas agrees to parts of Trump’s peace plan

US president ordered Israel to cease bombing but Gaza residents report scattered explosions

Politics

6 d. ago President of Israel makes unprecedented plea to King Charles over rising antisemitism

Three days before today's Manchester terror attack, the Israeli President Issac Herzog pointed to a spike in antisemitism cases and called on the King to raise it with leaders.

Politics

6 d. ago Woman onboard Gaza flotilla intercepted by Israel slams British government for not intervening to help aid mission

Ewa Jasiewicz, a British-Polish activist and journalist, was on board the 2010 Gaza aid flotilla in which nine activists were killed. After being captured while sailing to Gaza for a second time, she tells Alex Croft that UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer must step in

Politics

7 d. ago Trump’s peace plan is everything Israelis dreamed of. But it’s a fantasy | Roy Schwartz

The president’s intervention promises a return to ‘normality’ – one that appeals to Israelis unconcerned with Gaza’s futureRoy Schwartz is a senior editor and op-ed contributor at HaaretzIt didn’t take long before the Gospel of Donald became a message that everyone in Israel could embrace. The 20-point plan to end the ongoing war in Gaza, presented on Monday by the US president, is everything the Israelis had dreamed of – even fantasised about. The hostages will finally return, some to their families, others to their graves. Hamas will be gone, at least as a ruling organisation, and the soldiers will come home. The “peace plan” will, supposedly, mean a return to normality.A brief read-through of the one-page plan might suggest that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his people were involved in phrasing it. At times, it reads more like a list of Israeli demands than diplomatic compromises. Perhaps that’s why Netanyahu gave it his blessing rather quickly, which seemed to...

Politics

8 d. ago ‘I hope Hamas will accept it’: Pope Leo praises Trump’s Gaza plan

The US President unveiled his plan during the Israeli prime minister’s visit to the White House on Monday

Politics