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Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Israel studying Hamas reply to Gaza ceasefire proposal
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: An aerial view from a Jordanian military aircraft shows the Gaza Strip, before humanitarian aid is airdropped over it, in Gaza, August 17, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni/File Photo JERUSALEM/CAIRO - Israel is studying Hamas' response to a Gaza ceasefire proposal, two officials said on Tuesday of a potential deal for a 60-day truce and the release of half the Israeli hostages still held in the battered enclave. Efforts to pause the fighting gained new momentum over the past week after Israel announced plans for a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City, and Egypt and Qatar have been pushing to restart indirect talks between the sides on a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan. The proposal includes the release of 200 Palestinian convicts jailed in Israel and an unspecified number of imprisoned women and minors, in return for 10 living and 18 deceased hostages from Gaza, according to a Hamas official. Two Egyptian security sources confirmed the details, and added that Hamas has requested the release of hundreds of Gaza detainees as well. The proposal includes a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, which presently control 75% of Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid into the enclave, where a population of 2.2 million people is increasingly facing famine. The last round of indirect talks between the sides ended in deadlock in July, with the sides trading blame for the collapse. Israel had previously agreed to the outline, advanced by U.S. special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, but negotiations faltered over some of its details. Israel's plans to seize control of Gaza City in the heart of the Palestinian enclave have since stirred alarm abroad and among the estimated one million people presently living there. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore What led to Changi Airport runway incident involving 2 China Eastern Airlines planes in Aug 2024 Singapore Singapore seals carbon credit deal with Thailand, its first South-east Asian partner Singapore CPIB nabs 9 suspects for alleged match-fixing in national basketball league Singapore Live Singapore-raised seafood on sale at 3 Giant supermarkets from Aug 19 Asia Singaporean man sentenced to 72 years' jail in Malaysia for murdering wife and stepson Singapore Court to assess if teen who advertised vapes for sale on WhatsApp can receive probation Life Local indie theatre The Projector ceases operations from Aug 19 after a decade On the ground, there were no signs of a ceasefire nearing as Israeli gunfire, tank shelling and airstrikes killed at least 20 Palestinians on Tuesday, according to Gaza health officials. Tanks completed taking control of the Zeitoun suburb, an eastern neighbourhood on Gaza City's outskirts, and continued to pound the nearby area of Sabra, killing two women and a man, medics said. Local health authorities said dozens of people had been trapped in their houses because of the shelling. The Israeli military said it was checking the report. ISRAELI PROTESTERS DEMAND DEAL On Friday, it said its forces were operating in nearby Zeitoun to locate weapons, tunnels and gunmen. "It has been one of the worst nights in Sabra and Gaza City as the explosions are heard throughout the city," said Nasra Ali, 54, a mother of five, who lives in Sabra. "I was planning to leave my house when I heard there is a possible ceasefire. I might stay for a day or two, if nothing happens, then I will run away with my kids," she told Reuters via a chat app. Thousands of people are estimated to have fled the area in the past few days. In Israel, the threatened offensive prompted tens of thousands of Israelis on Sunday to hold some of the largest protests since the war began, urging a deal to end the fighting and free the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene discussions about the ceasefire proposal soon, the two Israeli officials said. He faces pressure from his far-right government partners who object to a truce with Hamas. Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have called for Israel to keep the war going until Hamas' defeat, and annex Gaza. Hamas official Izzat El-Reshiq said that the truce proposal it has agreed to is an interim accord that would pave the way for negotiations on ending the war. A source close to the talks said that, unlike previous rounds, Hamas accepted the proposal with no further demands. But prospects for agreeing an end to the war appear remote, with gaps remaining on the terms. Israel is demanding the group lay down its arms and its leaders leave Gaza, conditions which Hamas has so far publicly rejected. The war began when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, plunged Gaza into humanitarian crisis and displaced most its population. REUTERS

Straits Times
17 hours ago
- Health
- Straits Times
US charity says halt in visitor visas for Gazans will harm wounded kids
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian child in need of medical treatment is evacuated through the King Hussein Bridge crossing, amid an impasse over the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Jordan, March 4, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni/File photo WASHINGTON - U.S.-based charity HEAL Palestine and other rights groups criticized the State Department's decision to stop visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza, saying it will harm wounded children seeking medical treatment on short-term U.S. visas. The State Department said on Saturday it was halting all visitor visas for Gazans while it conducted "a full and thorough" review, after far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer said Palestinian refugees were entering the U.S. HEAL Palestine said there was no refugee resettlement program as stated by Loomer and that the group's efforts were part of a medical treatment program. It also said the program was run on donations and did not use U.S. government money. The charity sponsored and brought "severely injured children to the U.S. on temporary visas for essential medical treatment not available at home," it said in a statement. "After their treatment is complete, the children and any accompanying family members return to the Middle East." The U.S. has issued more than 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas, which permit foreigners to seek medical treatment in the U.S., to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents so far in 2025. That figure includes 640 visas issued in May. The Palestinian Authority issues travel documents to residents of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump says arrangements being made for Putin, Zelensky to meet over Russia-Ukraine peace deal Singapore 'I vaped when I woke up until I slept': More youth vaping to cope with stress, say social workers Singapore 'I'd have phone in one hand, vape in the other': Youth addicted to vapes gets help to quit habit Singapore 'We don't want youth to enter darker places': Counsellors say support key to kicking vaping habit World Hamas accepts proposed deal for ceasefire with Israel and hostage release, Egyptian source says Singapore Jobs, infrastructure and homes at the core of Singapore's resilience: Economists The State Department said a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas were issued to people from Gaza in recent days but did not provide a figure. The Council on American Islamic Relations and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund condemned the decision to stop the visas. Loomer told the New York Times she spoke to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to warn about what she called a threat from "Islamic invaders." Rubio said the government was evaluating the process of granting such visas after concerns by some members of Congress regarding alleged ties to extremism. He said their offices had presented evidence of such ties but he gave no details. Gaza has been devastated by Israel's military assault, which has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis, and prompted genocide and war crimes accusations at international courts. The U.S. ally denies the accusations and says its offensive is in self-defense after an October 2023 attack in Israel by Hamas militants in which 1,200 were killed and about 250 taken hostage. REUTERS

Barnama
2 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Egypt Rejects Participating In Displacement Of Palestinians
An aerial view from a Jordanian military aircraft shows the Gaza Strip, before humanitarian aid is airdropped over it, in Gaza, August 17, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni CAIRO, Aug 18 (Bernama-WAFA) -- Egypt has reiterated its categorical rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people and called on countries not to participate in this heinous crime. According to the Palestine News and Info Agency (WAFA), the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that it "is following with deep concern the recent reports of Israeli consultations with some countries regarding accepting the displacement of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip to their territory. This is part of an unacceptable Israeli policy aimed at emptying the Palestinian land of its inhabitants, occupying it, and liquidating the Palestinian cause." bootstrap slideshow The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified in a statement issued on Sunday that Egypt, through its contacts with countries that have reportedly agreed to receive the Palestinian people, has indicated its rejection of these reprehensible plans. Egypt reiterated its categorical rejection of any Israeli plans aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from their historic land, whether in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, under any pretext, justification, or label, whether the displacement is forced or "voluntary" through policies of starvation, land confiscation, settlement, and making life impossible on Palestinian land. Egypt also affirmed that it will not accept or participate in such displacement, considering it a historical injustice with no moral or legal justification. It will not allow it, as it will inevitably lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause. It called on all peace-loving countries of the world to refrain from involvement in this immoral crime, which contravenes all principles of international humanitarian law, constitutes a war crime and ethnic cleansing, and represents a clear violation of the four Geneva Conventions. It also warned of the historical and legal responsibility that will fall on any party involved in this heinous crime, and the political consequences and repercussions it may have with regional and international dimensions. -- BERNAMA-WAFA

Straits Times
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says Israel blocking Ramallah meeting proof of ‘extremism'
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, attends the Ministerial Committee Assigned by the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza as they meet in Amman, Jordan, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni AMMAN - Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government's refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers to the occupied West Bank showed its "extremism and rejection of peace". His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. "Israel's refusal of the committee's visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway .. It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance," the Saudi minister said. On Saturday, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on Sunday that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. Bin Farhan's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a "provocative meeting" to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was "killing any chance of a just and comprehensive" Arab-Israeli settlement. An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them. Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries which favour a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.