Latest news with #Al-Aqsa
LeMonde
27-05-2025
- General
- LeMonde
In Gaza, studying lets you 'not think about death all the time'
Narmin al-Zeitonia earned her bachelor's degree in agricultural science in early May, graduating at the top of her class at Gaza's Al-Azhar University. Yet the university, just like the other 11 higher education institutions in the Gaza Strip, had been reduced to rubble by Israeli bombings in the fall of 2023. After having been damaged three times by previous Israeli offensives, the agriculture department in which Narmin had attended her classes – which had recently been rebuilt, thanks to a donation from the king of Morocco – was completely destroyed this time. Despite this, the 23-year-old student managed to continue her studies, thanks to an online teaching program launched by the three main universities in the Palestinian enclave – Al-Azhar, Al-Aqsa, and the Islamic University of Gaza – in the summer of 2024 In the first six months of the war in Gaza, after it was triggered by the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, the entire education sector was paralyzed by chaos. Three university heads, hundreds of professors and thousands of students were killed, while the rest – just like all of Gaza's population – were displaced, following evacuation orders by the Israeli army. All of a sudden, nearly 90,000 students saw their academic careers interrupted.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Conflicting Claims Over Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Talks Sow Confusion
JERUSALEM -- Israel, the United States and Hamas have sent conflicting messages in recent days about progress in ceasefire talks that would free hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, amid mounting pressure from President Donald Trump to end the war. As they press a renewed offensive, Israeli forces have continued to launch strikes across the enclave. More than 70 people were killed Monday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The deadly strikes came amid a series of contradictory comments about negotiations. On Monday, the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television channel said that the group had accepted a ceasefire proposal from Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy. Witkoff, however, quickly rejected that claim. 'What I have seen from Hamas is disappointing and completely unacceptable,' he told the Axios news site. Later that evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was hoping to announce progress in the talks 'if not today, then tomorrow.' But he later suggested that he had been speaking figuratively and blamed Hamas for the impasse. On Tuesday, Basem Naim, a Hamas official, doubled down on the group's claim. 'Yes, the movement has accepted Mr. Witkoff's proposal,' he wrote on social media, adding that Hamas was awaiting Israel's response. The exchange reflected the confusion surrounding the indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas to free the dozens of remaining hostages held in Gaza and end Israel's offensive. Israel and Hamas refuse to negotiate directly. The result has been a yearlong process of back-channel discussions involving Middle Eastern intelligence chiefs, U.S. government officials and various other middlemen. Qatar, which hosts members of Hamas' political leadership, and Egypt, which borders Gaza, have passed messages along between the two sides. The United States has also been involved in the talks, first under the Biden administration and now under Trump. Trump has appeared to become increasingly impatient with the protracted war in Gaza. 'Israel, we've been talking to them, and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible,' Trump told reporters in New Jersey on Sunday. Earlier this month, the U.S. administration opened its own communication channel with Hamas to negotiate the release of Edan Alexander, the last living hostage with American citizenship. Some of Israel's other traditional allies have become increasingly critical and denounced Netanyahu's plans to launch a massive new ground offensive in Gaza against Hamas, as well as the country's two-month blockade on all aid entering the territory. Last week, Israel finally began allowing some aid into the territory, but aid agencies say it is far from enough for Palestinians, who have faced widespread hunger and deprivation. The war in Gaza began Oct. 7, 2023, when a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and led to about 250 others being taken hostage. The subsequent Israeli campaign in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. In January, Israel and Hamas agreed to a multiphase ceasefire deal that would have ultimately ended the war and freed the remaining hostages. Israel ended the truce in mid-March when it launched a new offensive, citing deadlock in talks over details of the next phase of the agreement. In recent days, Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian American businessperson, has sought to broker a new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas on behalf of Witkoff, according to two Israeli officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. After Hamas said it had accepted the proposal, one of the Israeli officials said that the offer Bahbah had floated to Hamas differed significantly from earlier U.S.-backed frameworks acceptable to Israel. The back-and-forth and lack of clarity has left both Palestinians in Gaza and the families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas alternating between hope and despair. Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was abducted during the Hamas-led attacks, accused Netanyahu of 'psychological terrorism' for his remarks Monday evening. 'I'm fed up,' she wrote on social media. 'Just bring my son back already.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Copyright 2025
Al Jazeera
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Israeli military kills Hamas spokesman as Gaza assault continues
A Hamas spokesperson has been killed by an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza, news outlets have confirmed, as Israel's army continues its renewed assault on the besieged enclave. Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua was killed when Israeli fighter jets bombed his tent shelter in the northern city of Jabalia in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to Al-Aqsa television and the Shehab News Agency. Several more people were wounded in the strike, including children, according to Hind Khoudary, an Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza. Khoudary said the attack was one of several carried out by the Israeli military across the Strip over recent hours, including a strike on a home in the as-Saftawi area of Gaza City, which killed six members of the same family. On March 18, Israel abruptly ended a fragile two-month ceasefire as it resumed its intense bombing campaign and ground operations in Gaza. Israel has since killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians in an attempt to pressure Hamas into freeing the remaining captives held in the war-torn enclave. Several senior Hamas officials have also been killed over the past week. On Sunday, an Israeli air strike on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed five people, including Ismail Barhoum, the head of finances and institutions within Hamas's political office. That same day, Israeli fighter jets also bombed tents housing displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis. Salah al-Bardaweel, a prominent Hamas political leader and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was killed in that attack alongside his wife. Both men were part of Hamas's political office – a 20-member decision-making body, 11 of whom have been killed since the start of the war in late 2023, according to the Reuters news agency. Hamas still holds 59 of the roughly 250 captives the group took during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas assault while the Israeli military has now killed at least 50,183 Palestinians and wounded 113,828 others since launching its ground and air assault on the Palestinian enclave. About 830 people have been killed since Israel resumed attacks 10 days ago, according to statistics from Gaza's Ministry of Health, with women and children making up more than half of the casualties. The United Nations' humanitarian agency (OCHA) also announced on Tuesday that 142,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced by the Israeli military since March 18, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation caused by Israel's ongoing restrictions on aid entering Gaza. The rising death toll in Gaza comes amid weeks of slow-moving and fractious ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Mediators – the United States, Qatar and Egypt – have failed to secure an extension to the first stage of the three-phase agreement, which expired on March 1. Hamas has accused Israel of intentionally jeopardising truce discussions, aimed at bringing about a permanent end to fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed he ordered Israeli forces to renew attacks on Gaza after Hamas rejected proposals to secure an extension. On Wednesday, Netanyahu repeated threats that Israel would seize territory in Gaza if Hamas failed to release the remaining captives.
Asharq Al-Awsat
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hamas Spokesperson Qanoua Killed in Israeli Airstrike
Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza, Hamas-affiliated media said early on Thursday, the latest group figure to be killed since Israel resumed its operations in the enclave. Al-Qanoua was killed when his tent was targeted in Jabalia, the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television said, according to Reuters. The same strike wounded several people, while separate attacks killed at least six in Gaza City and one in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, medical sources said. Earlier this week, Israel killed Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas' political office, and Salah al-Bardaweel, another senior leader. Both Bardaweel and Barhoum were members of the 20-member Hamas decision-making body, the political office, 11 of whom have been killed since the start of the war in late 2023, according to Hamas sources. Last week, Israel ended a two-month-old ceasefire by resuming bombing and ground operations, increasing pressure on Hamas to free the remaining hostages in its captivity. At least 830 people, over half of them children and women, have been killed since Israel resumed major military strikes in Gaza on March 18, according to Gaza's health ministry. Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaching the truce. It had broadly held since January and offered respite from war for the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble. Hamas, which still holds 59 of the 250 or so hostages Israel says the group seized in its October 7, 2023 attack, accused Israel of jeopardizing efforts by mediators to negotiate a permanent deal to end the fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered strikes because Hamas had rejected proposals to secure a ceasefire extension. He repeated threats on Wednesday to seize territory in Gaza if Hamas failed to release the remaining hostages it still holds.
Express Tribune
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua killed in Israeli airstrike
Listen to article Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza, Hamas-affiliated media said early on Thursday, the latest group figure to be killed since Israel resumed its operations in the enclave. Al-Qanoua was killed when his tent was targeted in Jabalia, the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television said. The same strike wounded several people, while separate attacks killed at least six in Gaza City and one in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, medical sources said. Earlier this week, Israel killed Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas' political office, and Salah al-Bardaweel, another senior leader. Both Bardaweel and Barhoum were members of the 20-member Hamas decision-making body, the political office, 11 of whom have been killed since the start of the war in late 2023, according to Hamas sources. Last week, Israel ended a two-month-old ceasefire by resuming bombing and ground operations, increasing pressure on Hamas to free the remaining hostages in its captivity. At least 830 people, over half of them children and women, have been killed since Israel resumed major military strikes in Gaza on March 18, according to Gaza's health ministry. Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaching the truce. It had broadly held since January and offered respite from war for the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble. Hamas, which still holds 59 of the 250 or so hostages Israel says the group seized in its October 7, 2023 attack, accused Israel of jeopardising efforts by mediators to negotiate a permanent deal to end the fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered strikes because Hamas had rejected proposals to secure a ceasefire extension. He repeated threats on Wednesday to seize territory in Gaza if Hamas failed to release the remaining hostages it still holds.
