47 h. ago Trump’s envoys arrive in Israel as Gaza ceasefire teeters after deadly strikes

The top US envoys to the Middle East conflict arrived in Israel on Monday to inspect progress on the Gaza plan after weekend violence threatened to wreck the hard-won ceasefire. Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza for aid shipments, a security official and a humanitarian source said, after it was closed briefly on Sunday following the killing of two Israeli soldiers. In response, Israel carried out dozens of strikes targeting Hamas across Gaza, accusing the militant group...

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3 d. ago Hamas is planning attack on Gaza civilians in violation of ceasefire, US warns

The US State Department said Saturday that it has “credible reports” that Hamas could violate the ceasefire with an attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. If the attack takes place, it “would constitute a direct and grave violation” of the agreement forged by US President Donald Trump to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas, the statement said. No further details were disclosed about the potential attack. ”Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the...

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4 d. ago Hamas and Israel’s Gaza ceasefire hangs by a thread as Trump warns of war

Hamas moved on Friday to shore up its brittle ceasefire agreement with Israel by reaffirming its commitment to the terms of the deal that includes a pledge to hand over the remains of all dead Israeli hostages. The militant group’s statement released in the early hours on Friday follows a dire warning from US President Donald Trump that he would approve Israel to resume the war if Hamas doesn’t live up to its end of the deal and return all the hostages’ bodies. Hamas, however, maintains that...

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5 d. ago Trump threatens to ‘go in and kill’ Hamas if Gaza killings continue

US President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to “go in and kill” Hamas if it keeps killing people in Gaza, in an apparent reference to recent shootings of Palestinian civilians following a ceasefire deal with Israel. Trump’s comments come just days after he said that the Hamas shootings – which include public executions – “didn’t bother me much” and described them as killings of gang members. “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go...

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6 d. ago Trump and Israel warn of resumed fighting in Gaza if Hamas does not respect deal

Israel’s defence minister threatened on Wednesday to resume fighting if Hamas does not honour the terms of a US-backed ceasefire that halted the war in Gaza. The statement from Defence Minister Israel Katz’s office came after Hamas handed over the remains of two more deceased hostages, and said it would be unable to retrieve any more bodies from the ruins of Gaza without specialised equipment. Since Monday, under a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, the Palestinian...

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7 d. ago ‘History shows otherwise’: Anwar casts doubts about Gaza ceasefire deal

As US President Donald Trump continues to hail the peace plan to end the Israel-Gaza conflict, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged caution, saying he was not invited to the ceasefire signing ceremony in Egypt due to his concerns over the deal’s details and its durability. On Monday, Israel began releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners during the first phase of the deal, while Hamas militants released 20 surviving Israeli hostages kidnapped during its assault on southern Israel...

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8 d. ago Trump hails ‘tremendous day for Middle East’ as leaders sign Gaza declaration

US President Donald Trump hailed a “tremendous day for the Middle East” as he and regional leaders signed a declaration on Monday meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners. Trump made a lightning visit to Israel, where he lauded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an address to parliament, before flying to Egypt for a Gaza summit where he and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey signed the declaration as guarantors to the Gaza...

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8 d. ago Trump hails ‘peace in the Middle East’ as leaders sign Gaza declaration

US President Donald Trump hailed a “tremendous day for the Middle East” as he and regional leaders signed a declaration meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners. Trump made a lightning visit to Israel, where he lauded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an address to parliament, before flying to Egypt for a Gaza summit where he and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey signed the declaration on Monday as guarantors to the ceasefire...

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9 d. ago Hamas begins releasing Gaza hostages as Trump arrives in Israel

Hamas handed over the first seven of 20 surviving Israeli hostages on Monday, sparking cheers of joy in Tel Aviv where a huge crowd was gathered to support hostage families. Under a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump after two years of war, Hamas is due to release all surviving hostages on Monday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The first seven living hostages were released by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, who then...

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9 d. ago Hamas releases 20 living hostages as Trump declares Gaza war over

Hamas handed over the 20 surviving Israeli hostages on Monday under a ceasefire agreement, as US President Donald Trump and other world leaders geared up for a summit on Gaza. In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd which gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke of the first releases, though the pain for the loss of those who had not survived was palpable. The releases are part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by Trump, with Israel due in return to free nearly 2,000...

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9 d. ago Trump, hailed in Israel, declares Gaza war ‘over’ as hostages return in ceasefire

Israel said the last 20 surviving hostages returned home on Monday after two years in captivity in Gaza, as US President Donald Trump received a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers after brokering a ceasefire with Hamas. Trump’s lightning visit to Israel came ahead of a summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh co-chaired by the American president, who has declared the war in Gaza “over”. In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd that gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears...

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9 d. ago Trump says ‘nightmare’ for Israelis, Palestinians over, sparking Gaza peace hope

US President Donald Trump hailed an end to a “painful nightmare” in a speech to Israel’s parliament on Monday, as the last surviving hostages returned home from Gaza and a group of Palestinian prisoners were freed under a ceasefire deal he spearheaded. The US president’s lightning visit came ahead of a summit on Gaza in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, with Trump departing Israel just hours after he had arrived. “From October 7 until this week, Israel has been a nation at war,...

Politics

9 d. ago Trump sets off for the Middle East to mark Gaza ceasefire deal

US President Donald Trump headed off on a high-stakes trip to Israel and Egypt on Sunday, saying “the war is over” in Gaza. Air Force One took off from Joint Base Andrews near Washington in light rain, Agence France-Presse reporters said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA chief John Ratcliffe were also aboard the plane, the White House said. “This is going to be a very special time,” Trump told reporters. “Everybody’s very excited about this moment in...

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9 d. ago Trump says ‘war is over’ as he heads to Middle East to mark Gaza ceasefire deal

US President Donald Trump headed off on a high-stakes trip to Israel and Egypt on Sunday, saying “the war is over” in Gaza. Air Force One took off from Joint Base Andrews near Washington in light rain, Agence France-Presse reporters said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA chief John Ratcliffe were also aboard the plane, the White House said. “This is going to be a very special time,” Trump told reporters. “Everybody’s very excited about this moment in...

Events

9 d. ago Trump says Gaza ‘war is over’ as he heads to Middle East on high

The war in Gaza has ended and the Middle East is going to “normalise”, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday as he flew to Israel, which was waiting for Hamas to release Israeli hostages as world leaders were gathering to discuss the next steps toward peace. “The war is over, you understand that,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he began a flight from Washington to Israel. Asked about prospects for the region, Trump said: “I think it’s going to normalise”. A ceasefire between...

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1 week ago Cheers for Trump, boos for Netanyahu as Witkoff speaks at rally in Israel

US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday lauded US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire in a speech at a rally in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, with hundreds of thousands in attendance. “We all owe a debt of deep gratitude to President Trump,” Witkoff said, before being interrupted by prolonged applause and shouts of “Thank you, Trump”. A spokesman for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said there were around 400,000 people in the square, with the rally coming one day...

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1 week ago Israeli military says Gaza ceasefire in effect, as troops begin withdrawal

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas for the Gaza Strip came into effect at noon local time, the Israeli military said on Friday, adding that troops were withdrawing to agreed-upon deployment lines. The announcement came hours after Israel’s cabinet approved President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of the remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Palestinians reported heavy shelling in parts of Gaza throughout Friday morning. The Israeli...

Events

1 week ago Trump’s Gaza deal forged by diplomacy blitz, help from Arab and Muslim allies

After months of gridlock, US President Donald Trump finally landed a long-sought Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza - an agreement that only came together after a weeks-long diplomacy blitz and a whole lot of help from some Arab and Muslim allies. The breakthrough is designed to bring about a pause in the fighting unleashed by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The group is expected to release 48 hostages - about 20 of them believed to be alive - in the coming days. The...

Politics

1 week ago Trump to head to Middle East, says hostages to be freed Monday or Tuesday

US President Donald Trump said he expected to travel to the Middle East on Sunday to celebrate the first phase of the Gaza peace deal and be there for the release of hostages by Hamas. Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump said the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian armed group had “ended the war in Gaza”. The US leader added that “nobody’s going to be forced to leave” the Palestinian territory under his 20-point peace plan, which formed the basis for indirect negotiations...

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1 week ago Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to first phase of Gaza peace deal

Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of the US-proposed Gaza deal, allowing for the release of all Israeli hostages, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday. “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump said on social media. “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...

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