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Middle East Eye
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli forces encircles school housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza
Israeli forces surrounded a school housing displaced Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Al Araby new outlet. According to reports, the Israeli army has also carried out continuous shelling in Jabalya and Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza.
Washington Post
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Israel and Hamas talks stall as Gaza ceasefire set to expire
JERUSALEM — The likelihood of Israel and Hamas returning to war crept higher on Saturday, as Hamas officials said they had rejected Israel's last-minute proposal to extend the first stage of the ceasefire agreement that was set to expire on March 1. A Hamas spokesman, Hazim Qasem, also said early Saturday that Hamas was demanding that Israel discuss the second phase of the ceasefire as per the agreement signed in January, but that there were no negotiations underway. A lack of talks between the two sides could have serious implications: under the terms of the three-phase framework signed in January, Israel and Hamas agreed to not immediately return to fighting on March 1 — as long as the two sides were still in negotiations about the second phase. But 'currently, there are no negotiations regarding the second phase, and Israel bears responsibility for this,' Qasem told the Qatari television network Al Araby on Saturday. 'Hamas remains committed to the agreement, while Israel is backing out of initiating the second phase.' January's agreement did not specify what time on March 1 the ceasefire agreement would expire. As of midday on Saturday, there were no reports of fighting or hostilities resuming. Hopes of the ceasefire holding have dimmed in recent days after Israeli and U.S. officials began to openly discuss the possibility of extending the first phase, underscoring the reluctance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enter the second, more politically fraught stage of the deal. The second phase calls for Hamas to release all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent cessation of hostilities. But Netanyahu has vowed not to end the war before Israel eliminates Hamas as a governing and military force and its fighters lay down their arms — something the militant group has flatly refused. While a majority of the Israeli public supports the second phase and the families of Israeli hostages have urged Netanyahu to do a deal, however unpalatable, to secure the remaining hostages, the Israeli leader has faced intense pressure from his far-right flank to resume fighting immediately and with even greater intensity to achieve what he describes as 'total victory' in Gaza. In recent days, Netanyahu has proposed extending the first phase by another 42 days to get more hostages out — roughly 22 hostages are thought to remain alive in Gaza — while keeping the option to resume his military campaign. Hamas officials argue that it does not make sense to release any more hostages — their biggest bargaining chip — without Netanyahu agreeing to withdraw from Gaza and to formally declare an end to the war.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel indefinitely delays Palestinian prisoner return after hostages ‘humiliated'
Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners indefinitely, in response to 'humiliating' ceremonies choreographed by Hamas as it returns Israeli hostages. Israel was expected to free 620 Palestinians, including 50 serving life sentences, but they remained behind bars. On Saturday, vehicles apparently carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison, only to turn around and go back in, hours after another cruel handover by the terror group. Benjamin Netanyahu's office said: '[Because of] repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.' Ezzat El Rashq, a Hamas official, said the Israeli prime minister's statement was a 'deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement, represents a clear violation of its terms, and shows the occupation's lack of reliability in implementing its obligations'. Abdul Latif al-Qanou, another Hamas spokesman, told Al Araby, the Qatari TV channel, that there were 'positive signs' the prisoners would be released soon, and called on mediators to act 'immediately' to free them. Qanou also said that Hamas will be ready to move to phase two of the ceasefire and release all hostages when 'the attack is completely stopped, Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip in full and the reconstruction process begins'. The Telegraph understands that negotiations over phase two have begun, but that Israel wants to expand the first phase and have more hostages released. Saturday's hostage handover was met with fury in Israel, in part because Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen looked pale and emaciated. Mr Shem Tov was seen waving, smiling and kissing the forehead of an armed Hamas member on a stage, a moment orchestrated and filmed by the terror group for its propaganda. Mr Shem Tov's father later said: 'Omer said they told him what to do. You can see in the footage that someone came up to him and told him what to do.' Abera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, the other two hostages released on Saturday, had spent more than 10 years in captivity and were both suffering from mental illnesses. Mr Sayed, an Israeli Bedouin, was the only hostage returned from Gaza in this round of the ceasefire who was not humiliated and put on a stage in front of a large crowd. Mr Sayed's father, Sha'ban al-Sayed, said on Sunday that his son was not well. He told Walla, the Israeli news site: 'He is broken and may have been held alone. It is strange for him to see people. He does not speak…' Mr Sayed senior told Channel 12 news: 'He is not well. He was not in our world. A kind of Tarzan after living for 10 years with animals. He does not communicate.' Hamas also brought two hostages, Eviatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, to watch their fellow captives being freed in Gaza on Saturday, filming them inside a car where they were heard pleading to be released themselves. Mr Gilboa-Dalal's father, Ilan Dalal, said on Sunday: 'They forced them to watch their friends being released and then returned them to the tunnels. There is no greater cruelty. They can't continue. It's simply inhumane.' Donald Trump also slammed Hamas for the way it treated the Israeli hostages. The US president said: 'We had the hostages given back today, it's disgraceful what's going on there. They're not in great shape, but we've also seen them in worse shape. What a terrible situation it is.' The bodies of hostages Itzik Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, Tsahi Idan, and Shlomo Mantzur are expected to be returned next week in accordance with the ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, Israel Katz, Israel's defence minister, said on Sunday that he has instructed the military to prepare to remain in some of the occupied West Bank's urban refugee camps 'for the coming year'. The Israeli military said it was expanding the raid in the West Bank to other areas and was sending tanks to Jenin, a militant stronghold. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Israel indefinitely delays Palestinian prisoner return after hostages ‘humiliated'
Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners indefinitely, in response to 'humiliating' ceremonies choreographed by Hamas as it returns Israeli hostages. Israel was expected to free 620 Palestinians, including 50 serving life sentences, but they remained behind bars. On Saturday, vehicles apparently carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison, only to turn around and go back in, hours after another cruel handover by the terror group. Benjamin Netanyahu's office said: '[Because of] repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies. ' Ezzat El Rashq, a Hamas official, said the Israeli prime minister's statement was a 'deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement, represents a clear violation of its terms, and shows the occupation's lack of reliability in implementing its obligations'. Abdul Latif al-Qanou, another Hamas spokesman, told Al Araby, the Qatari TV channel, that there were 'positive signs' the prisoners would be released soon, and called on mediators to act 'immediately' to free them. Qanou also said that Hamas will be ready to move to phase two of the ceasefire and release all hostages when 'the attack is completely stopped, Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip in full and the reconstruction process begins'. The Telegraph understands that negotiations over phase two have begun, but that Israel wants to expand the first phase and have more hostages released. Saturday's hostage handover was met with fury in Israel, in part because Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen looked pale and emaciated. Mr Shem Tov was seen waving, smiling and kissing the forehead of an armed Hamas member on a stage, a moment orchestrated and filmed by the terror group for its propaganda. Mr Shem Tov's father later said: 'Omer said they told him what to do. You can see in the footage that someone came up to him and told him what to do.' Abera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, the other two hostages released on Saturday, had spent more than 10 years in captivity and were both suffering from mental illnesses. Mr Sayed, an Israeli Bedouin, was the only hostage returned from Gaza in this round of the ceasefire who was not humiliated and put on a stage in front of a large crowd. Mr Sayed's father, Sha'ban al-Sayed, said on Sunday that his son was not well. He told Walla, the Israeli news site: 'He is broken and may have been held alone. It is strange for him to see people. He does not speak…' Mr Sayed senior told Channel 12 news: 'He is not well. He was not in our world. A kind of Tarzan after living for 10 years with animals. He does not communicate.' Hamas also brought two hostages, Eviatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, to watch their fellow captives being freed in Gaza on Saturday, filming them inside a car where they were heard pleading to be released themselves. Mr Gilboa-Dalal's father, Ilan Dalal, said on Sunday: 'They forced them to watch their friends being released and then returned them to the tunnels. There is no greater cruelty. They can't continue. It's simply inhumane.' Donald Trump also slammed Hamas for the way it treated the Israeli hostages. The US president said: 'We had the hostages given back today, it's disgraceful what's going on there. They're not in great shape, but we've also seen them in worse shape. What a terrible situation it is.' The bodies of hostages Itzik Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, Tsahi Idan, and Shlomo Mantzur are expected to be returned next week in accordance with the ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, Israel Katz, Israel's defence minister, said on Sunday that he has instructed the military to prepare to remain in some of the occupied West Bank's urban refugee camps 'for the coming year'. The Israeli military said it was expanding the raid in the West Bank to other areas and was sending tanks to Jenin, a militant stronghold.
Boston Globe
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Netanyahu decries release of wrong body as a cease-fire violation. Hamas pledges to investigate
Later on Friday, the Red Cross said in a short statement it had received human remains inside Gaza and transferred them to Israeli authorities. The remains were expected to be taken to Israel's national forensics lab for testing. It was not immediately known how long it would take to confirm identification. Advertisement Speaking during a phone interview with Al Araby, a Qatar-based television network, Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi confirmed the militants handed over the body of Shiri Bibas to the Red Cross. Dr. Salem Attalah, deputy secretary general for the Palestinian Mujahedeen Brigades, said it handed over Bibas' remains to the Red Cross. The militant group, which collaborates with Palestinian Islamic Jihad inside Gaza, is thought to have been holding the mother and her two boys, Kfir and Ariel Bibas. In other developments, President Trump said Friday that he will not try to muscle through his plan for the United States to take over and rebuild the Gaza Strip into a tourist destination, displacing Palestinians. The plan was welcomed by Netanyahu but universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries. Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it would go ahead with the release of the six Israeli hostages Saturday. People gather during a vigil hours after the bodies of four Israeli hostages were handed over by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza to Israel on Feb. 20. Ohad Zwigenberg/Associated Press Hamas turned over four bodies Thursday as part of the cease-fire deal. They were supposed to have been those of Shiri Bibas, her sons, Kfir and Ariel, and Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that ignited the war. Advertisement Israeli authorities said they had positively identified the remains of the two boys and of Lifshitz. However, the fourth body was determined to be that of an unidentified woman from Gaza. 'We will work with determination to bring Shiri home together with all our hostages — both living and dead — and ensure that Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and malicious violation of the agreement,' Netanyahu said. 'The sacred memory of Oded Lifshitz and Ariel and Kfir Bibas will be forever enshrined in the heart of the nation. May God avenge their blood. And so we will avenge.' Hamas said it had 'no interest in retaining any bodies,' adding that it had 'demonstrated full compliance with the agreement' in recent days and remained 'committed to all its terms.' 'We reject Netanyahu's threats, which serve only to manipulate Israeli public opinion,' Hamas said, calling on mediators to ensure the continued implementation of the ceasefire. The group also called for the return of the unidentified remains. Netanyahu's vow for revenge was rejected by the aunt of the Bibas children, who said Israeli officials had failed to protect them on the day of the attack and then abandoned them in captivity. 'Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we did not receive an apology from you in this painful moment,' Ofri Bibas Levy said in a video statement released Friday by a group representing the families of hostages. 'We are not seeking revenge right now. We are asking for Shiri.' Advertisement The confusion over the body's identity was a shocking twist in the saga of the Bibas family, which has been widely viewed as a symbol of the Israeli hostages' plight. During the cease-fire, which began in January, Hamas has been releasing living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails. Thursday's release marked the first time the group has returned the remains of dead hostages. The Israeli army said Thursday that the fourth body released by Hamas was an 'anonymous, unidentified body.' It said the Bibas family had been notified, including Yarden Bibas, Shiri's husband and father of the two boys, who had been taken captive separately from his wife and children and was released early this month as part of the cease-fire deal. Hamas has claimed Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas and her sons were killed in Israeli airstrikes. But Israel said tests found the two boys and Lifshitz were killed by their captors. US envoy Adam Boehler described the release of the wrong body as 'horrific' and a 'clear violation' of the cease-fire. 'If I were them, I'd release everybody or they are going to face total annihilation,' Boehler, who serves as the US envoy for hostages, told CNN. The six Israeli men set for release Saturday are expected to be the last living hostages freed during the cease-fire's first phase. They include Eliya Cohen, 27; Omer Shem Tov, 22; and Omer Wenkert, 23. All three were abducted from a music festival during the Oct. 7 attack. Tal Shoham, 40, who was taken from the community of Kibbutz Beeri, is also set to be released. In addition, Avera Mengistu, 39, and Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, who have been held since crossing into Gaza on their own years ago, are scheduled to be returned. The names, released by Hamas, were confirmed earlier this week by the Hostages and Missing Families forum, the group representing hostage families. Advertisement More than 600 Palestinians jailed in Israel will be freed in exchange, the Palestinian prisoners media office said Friday. The prisoners set for release include 50 serving life sentences, 60 with long sentences, 47 who were released under a previous hostage-for-prisoner exchange and 445 prisoners from Gaza arrested since the war began. Hamas has said it will also release four more bodies next week, completing the first phase of the cease-fire. It is unclear whether the truce will be extended. Palestinians gather as Hamas fighters deploy ahead of handing over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, in the southern Gaza Strip. Abdel Kareem Hana/Associated Press In a potential blow to the deal, a series of explosions struck three parked, empty buses in central Israel overnight. There were no injuries and no claim of responsibility. But the Israeli military said in response that it was beefing up its forces in the West Bank, raising the likelihood of further escalation in the area. Israel has been carrying out a broad military offensive in the occupied territory since the cease-fire took effect. If the current phase of the cease-fire goes according to plan, Hamas would retain about 60 hostages living and dead. About half — all men — are believed to be alive. Hamas has said it won't release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, with the full backing of the Trump administration, says he's committed to destroying Hamas' military and governing capacities and returning all the hostages, goals widely seen as mutually exclusive. Advertisement Hamas could be reluctant to free more hostages if it believes that the war will resume. Israel's military offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. The offensive destroyed vast areas of Gaza, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At its height, the war displaced 90 percent of Gaza's population. Many have returned to their homes to find nothing left and no way of rebuilding.
