Latest news with #FaresAwad
Al Bawaba
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Al Bawaba
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: Probable Lineups for Copa del Rey Semi-Final Second Leg 2024-25
Atletico Madrid is set to face Barcelona in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, a highly anticipated clash at Wanda Metropolitano. The tie remains wide open after an electrifying 4-4 draw in the first leg, leaving both teams eager to secure a spot in the grand final, where they will meet Real Madrid. Match Details: Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2025 Time: 7:30 PM (GMT) Broadcast: SSC Extra 1 HD Commentator: Fares Awad Barcelona's Expected Lineup vs Atletico Madrid: Goalkeeper: Wojciech Szczęsny Defenders: Jules Koundé, Iñigo Martínez, Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Balde Midfielders: Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha Atletico Madrid's Expected Lineup vs Barcelona: Goalkeeper: Juan Musso Defenders: Marcos Llorente, José María Giménez, Clément Lenglet, Reinildo Mandava Midfielders: Pablo Barrios, Rodrigo De Paul, Giuliano Simeone, Samuel Lino Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Julián Alvarez
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli troops advance in Gaza to retake part of corridor dividing north from south
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel said Wednesday its troops retook part of a corridor that bisects Gaza, and its defense minister warned that attacks would intensify until Hamas frees dozens of hostages and gives up control of the territory. The military said it had retaken part of the Netzarim Corridor that divides northern Gaza from the south, and from where it had previously withdrawn as part of a ceasefire that began in January. That truce was shattered Tuesday by Israeli airstrikes that killed more than 400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The advances on the ground by Israel on Wednesday — which included sending more troops to southern Gaza — threatened to drag the sides into all-out war again. The ceasefire had given war-weary Palestinians some respite, allowed a much-needed surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza — and led to the release of dozens of hostages who had been held for more than 15 months. Early Thursday, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace, the military said. Air raid sirens and several explosions were heard in Jerusalem, apparently the sounds of the interceptors in use. No injuries were reported. Yemen's Houthi rebels did not immediately claim the attack Thursday morning. Within Israel, the resumption of airstrikes and ground maneuvers in Gaza has raised concerns about the fate of roughly two dozen hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive. Thousands of Israelis took part in anti-government demonstrations in Jerusalem, with many calling for a deal to bring the captives home. A Hamas spokesman, Abdel-Latif al-Qanou, said the moves by ground forces in Gaza was a clear sign that Israel had backed out of the truce and was reimposing a 'blockade.' There have been no reports of rocket attacks by Hamas since Tuesday's bombardment. Also Wednesday, the United Nations said one of its employees was killed in Gaza and five others were wounded in an apparent strike on a guesthouse. It was not immediately clear who was behind the strike, the U.N. said. The military said its 'limited ground operation' in Gaza would create a 'partial buffer between northern and southern Gaza.' It wasn't immediately clear whether the move would entirely block Palestinians from traveling north or south through the Netzarim Corridor. Israel used the roughly 4-mile corridor as a military zone during the war. It ran from the Israeli border to the coast, just south of Gaza City, the territory's largest metropolitan area. Israel said airstrikes on Wednesday hit dozens of militants and militant sites, including the command center of a Hamas battalion. It denied Palestinian claims that it hit the U.N. guesthouse. Fares Awad, an official in the Gaza Health Ministry, said an Israeli strike on a gathering of mourners in the northern town of Beit Lahiya killed 17 and wounded 30. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Until Israel withdrew from Netzarim in January, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had fled northern Gaza for the south were prevented from returning throughout the war. Many of them have since returned. But Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister, said the military would soon order Palestinians to evacuate from combat zones. Katz said Tuesday's aerial bombardment 'was just the first step' in Israel's plan to ratchet up the pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages and give up control of Gaza. Until it does, Israel will attack 'with an intensity that you have not known.' Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the U.N. Office for Project Services, declined to say who carried out the strike in the central city of Deir al-Balah. He said the blast was not accidental or related to demining activity. He did not provide the nationalities of those killed and wounded. Moreira da Silva said strikes had hit near the compound on Monday and struck it directly on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. He said the agency had contacted the Israeli military after the first strike. 'Israel knew this was a U.N. premise, that people were living, staying and working there,' he said. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson, said the explosion was not caused by Israeli fire. After the strike Wednesday, the wounded were rushed to Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in central city of Deir al-Balah. One man was carried inside on a blanket held up by medical workers. Another lay on a hospital bed, his knee bandaged. In southern Lebanon, a U.N. peacekeeper was wounded after stepping on a mine. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the incident took place during 'operational activity' by the peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL in the village of Zibqin, adding that the injuries are not life-threatening. The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 436 people, including 183 children and 94 women, have been killed since Israel launched the strikes early Tuesday. It said another 678 people have been wounded. The military says it only strikes militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in densely populated areas. The war has killed nearly 49,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced 90% of Gaza's population. The Health Ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and militants but says over half of the dead have been women and children. The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals; 59 hostages remain, and more than half are believed to be dead. Before this week's attacks, Israel and Hamas were set to negotiate an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which lasted six weeks. But those talk never got off the ground. Hamas has demanded that Israel stick to the terms of the initial ceasefire deal, including a full withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel, which has vowed to defeat Hamas, has put forward a new proposal that would extend the truce and free more hostages held by Hamas, without a commitment to end the war. The breakdown of the ceasefire was met with anger in Israel, where many support the plight of the hostage families to free their loved ones. Israel's return to a military campaign came as Netanyahu faces mounting domestic pressure, with mass protests taking place over his handling of the hostage crisis and his plan to fire the head of Israel's internal security agency. Demonstrators massed around Israel's parliament on Wednesday and later marched near Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem, where police sprayed water to try to clear them.
Politico
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Israeli troops advance in Gaza to retake part of corridor dividing north from south
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel said Wednesday its troops retook part of a corridor that bisects Gaza, and its defense minister warned that attacks would intensify until Hamas frees dozens of hostages and gives up control of the territory. The military said it had retaken part of the Netzarim Corridor that divides northern Gaza from the south, and from where it had previously withdrawn as part of a ceasefire that began in January. That truce was shattered Tuesday by Israeli airstrikes that killed more than 400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The advances on the ground by Israel on Wednesday — which included sending more troops to southern Gaza — threatened to drag the sides into all-out war again. The ceasefire had given war-weary Palestinians some respite, allowed a much-needed surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza — and led to the release of dozens of hostages who had been held for more than 15 months. Early Thursday, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace, the military said. Air raid sirens and several explosions were heard in Jerusalem, apparently the sounds of the interceptors in use. No injuries were reported. Yemen's Houthi rebels did not immediately claim the attack Thursday morning. Within Israel, the resumption of airstrikes and ground maneuvers in Gaza has raised concerns about the fate of roughly two dozen hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive. Thousands of Israelis took part in anti-government demonstrations in Jerusalem, with many calling for a deal to bring the captives home. A Hamas spokesman, Abdel-Latif al-Qanou, said the moves by ground forces in Gaza was a clear sign that Israel had backed out of the truce and was reimposing a 'blockade.' There have been no reports of rocket attacks by Hamas since Tuesday's bombardment. Also Wednesday, the United Nations said one of its employees was killed in Gaza and five others were wounded in an apparent strike on a guesthouse. It was not immediately clear who was behind the strike, the U.N. said. The military said its 'limited ground operation' in Gaza would create a 'partial buffer between northern and southern Gaza.' It wasn't immediately clear whether the move would entirely block Palestinians from traveling north or south through the Netzarim Corridor. Israel used the roughly 4-mile corridor as a military zone during the war. It ran from the Israeli border to the coast, just south of Gaza City, the territory's largest metropolitan area. Israel said airstrikes on Wednesday hit dozens of militants and militant sites, including the command center of a Hamas battalion. It denied Palestinian claims that it hit the U.N. guesthouse. Fares Awad, an official in the Gaza Health Ministry, said an Israeli strike on a gathering of mourners in the northern town of Beit Lahiya killed 17 and wounded 30. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Until Israel withdrew from Netzarim in January, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had fled northern Gaza for the south were prevented from returning throughout the war. Many of them have since returned. But Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister, said the military would soon order Palestinians to evacuate from combat zones. Katz said Tuesday's aerial bombardment 'was just the first step' in Israel's plan to ratchet up the pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages and give up control of Gaza. Until it does, Israel will attack 'with an intensity that you have not known.' Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the U.N. Office for Project Services, declined to say who carried out the strike in the central city of Deir al-Balah. He said the blast was not accidental or related to demining activity. He did not provide the nationalities of those killed and wounded. Moreira da Silva said strikes had hit near the compound on Monday and struck it directly on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. He said the agency had contacted the Israeli military after the first strike. 'Israel knew this was a U.N. premise, that people were living, staying and working there,' he said. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson, said the explosion was not caused by Israeli fire. After the strike Wednesday, the wounded were rushed to Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in central city of Deir al-Balah. One man was carried inside on a blanket held up by medical workers. Another lay on a hospital bed, his knee bandaged. In southern Lebanon, a U.N. peacekeeper was wounded after stepping on a mine. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the incident took place during 'operational activity' by the peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL in the village of Zibqin, adding that the injuries are not life-threatening. The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 436 people, including 183 children and 94 women, have been killed since Israel launched the strikes early Tuesday. It said another 678 people have been wounded. The military says it only strikes militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in densely populated areas. The war has killed nearly 49,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced 90% of Gaza's population. The Health Ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and militants but says over half of the dead have been women and children. The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals; 59 hostages remain, and more than half are believed to be dead. Before this week's attacks, Israel and Hamas were set to negotiate an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which lasted six weeks. But those talk never got off the ground. Hamas has demanded that Israel stick to the terms of the initial ceasefire deal, including a full withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel, which has vowed to defeat Hamas, has put forward a new proposal that would extend the truce and free more hostages held by Hamas, without a commitment to end the war. The breakdown of the ceasefire was met with anger in Israel, where many support the plight of the hostage families to free their loved ones. Israel's return to a military campaign came as Netanyahu faces mounting domestic pressure, with mass protests taking place over his handling of the hostage crisis and his plan to fire the head of Israel's internal security agency. Demonstrators massed around Israel's parliament on Wednesday and later marched near Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem, where police sprayed water to try to clear them.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli airstrikes into Gaza kill at least 9, including journalists, Hamas says
March 15 (UPI) -- Israel on Saturday carried out airstrikes in northern Gaza's Beit Lahiya, killing at least nine people, including journalists, and wound several others, according to Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The death toll is the highest number of casualties in a single day since the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas began in January. Israeli Defense Force confirmed the strike of "two terrorists operating a drone that posed a threat to IDF troops in the area" but not the deaths, the Times of Israel reported. Then a little later, "a number of additional terrorists collected the drone operating equipment and entered a vehicle," the military said. The operatives that collected the equipment were targeted in a second strike, the IDF said. The Gaza Health Ministry also described what happened. "Nine people were martyred and several injured, including critical cases, were brought to the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza following the ongoing Israeli aggression on the strip," the ministry said in a statement. Fares Awad, head of emergency services in northern Gaza, identified one of the dead as Mahmoud Islim, a local reporter operating a drone. People in the car were on a mission for a charity called Al-Khair Foundation in Beit Lahia, with journalists and photographers accompanying them. The Palestinian Journalists' Protection Center said three journalists on a media team documenting relief efforts in northern Gaza were killed. The organization said in a statement that "the targeting of journalists prevents the world from being exposed to the truth about what is happening in Gaza. ... This assault constitutes a war crime that violates press freedom and endangers media and aid workers." Hamas called the attack a "horrific massacre" and "a continuation" of Israeli "war crimes against our people and a dangerous escalation that reflects its insistence on continuing its aggression and disregard for all international laws and conventions." Hamas added: "This criminal escalation, accompanied by deliberate killings and barbaric shelling across the Gaza Strip, reaffirms the occupation's intention to undermine the ceasefire agreement and its deliberate sabotage of any opportunity to complete the implementation of the agreement and exchange prisoners, in blatant defiance of the mediators and the international community." The Palestinian group also called on the mediators to pressure Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu to move forward with a cease-fire and prisoner exchange it proposed. Hamas said it will only release an American-Israeli and the bodies of four other hostages if Israel implements their cease-fire agreement. They called that an "exceptional deal." Phase one of the cease-fire ended March 1. Israel released 1,135 prisoners over the course of six exchanges since the first phase of the cease-fire began Jan. 25. Hamas has set 25 living Israeli hostages free. On Friday, Netanyahu claimed Hamas was manipulating hostage release talks with "psychological warfare" by refusing to release more living hostages. A hostage release plan proposed by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would have freed 10 living hostages. Hamas has refused the proposal, which would create a new cease-fire lasting until April 20. The next phase of the Israel-Hamas talks is supposed to reach agreements on Israel fully withdrawing from Gaza and ending the comprehensive war against Hamas in return for release of all remaining living hostages and a Palestinian prisoner release. Al Jazeera reported Israeli drones have been hovering above Rafah city. On Saturday, the Gaza Health Ministry said 19 were killed and 26 sent to hospitals with wounds during the past 48 hours. This brought the confirmed number of people killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023, to at least 48,543, with 111,981 others wounded, the ministry added.
The Hill
15-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Hamas says it will only release American-Israeli hostage if truce agreement is implemented
CAIRO — Hamas said Saturday it will only release an American-Israeli and the bodies of four other hostages if Israel implements their ceasefire agreement, calling it an 'exceptional deal' aimed at getting the truce back on track. Israeli strikes meanwhile killed nine people in the Gaza Strip, including a local reporter, according to medics. A senior Hamas official said long-delayed talks over the ceasefire's second phase would need to begin the day of the release and last no longer than 50 days. Israel would also need to stop barring the entry of humanitarian aid and withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt. Hamas would also demand the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks. Edan Alexander, 21, who grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, was abducted from his military base during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war, and is the last living American citizen held in Gaza. Hamas still has a total of 59 hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead. Two Israeli airstrikes in the northern town of Beit Lahiya near the border killed at least nine people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Fares Awad, a local health official, identified one of the dead as local reporter Mahmoud Islim, who was operating a drone. The Israeli military said it struck two people operating a drone that it said posed a threat to soldiers in the area. It said it launched another strike at a group of people who came to collect the drone equipment. The army identified all of those targeted as suspected militants, without providing evidence. There has been no major fighting since the ceasefire took hold on Jan. 19, but Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military said had entered unauthorized areas, engaged in militant activities or otherwise violated the truce. Israel has cast doubt on Hamas' offer There was no immediate comment on Hamas' offer from Israel, where government offices were closed for the weekly Sabbath. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Friday accused Hamas of 'psychological warfare' after the initial offer, before the militant group spelled out the conditions. The U.S. said it presented on Wednesday a proposal to extend the ceasefire a few more weeks as the sides negotiate a permanent truce. It said Hamas was claiming flexibility in public while privately making 'entirely impractical' demands. Negotiations continued in Egypt after senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo on Friday. Egypt and Qatar served as key mediators with Hamas in reaching the ceasefire and have continued to host talks aimed at getting it back on track. Under the ceasefire agreement reached in January, Israel and Hamas were to begin negotiations over a second phase — in which Hamas would release all the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting truce — in early February, but so far only preparatory talks have been held. After the first phase ended at the beginning of this month, Israel said it had agreed to a new U.S. proposal in which Hamas would release half the remaining hostages in return for a vague commitment to negotiate a lasting ceasefire. Hamas rejected that offer, accusing Israel of backtracking on the signed agreement and trying to sabotage the truce. Palestinian official says no fuel left for water wells Israel has barred the delivery of food, fuel and other supplies to Gaza's roughly 2 million Palestinians, and cut electricity to the territory, to pressure Hamas to accept the new proposal. The city of Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border, said it could no longer provide fuel needed to pump water from dozens of wells across the city. Ahmed al-Sufi, head of the municipality, said fuel shortages caused by the Israeli siege have forced it to 'suspend essential services, threatening the lives of thousands and exacerbating the health and environmental crisis.' The first phase of the truce saw the release of 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces pulled back to a buffer zone along Gaza's border and allowed a surge of humanitarian aid. An Israeli official said last month that Israel will not withdraw from the so-called Philadelphi corridor, along the Gaza-Egypt border, as called for in the ceasefire agreement. Israel has cited the need to combat weapons smuggling. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals, while Israel has rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more. Israel's military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced most of the population and left nearly everyone dependent on international aid to survive.
