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Arab News
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Mourners bury one of the last hostages released from Gaza as talks start for ceasefire future
JERUSALEM: Mourners in Israel on Friday buried the remains of one of the final hostages released in the first phase of the ceasefire between Hamas militants and Israel, as negotiators discussed a second phase that could end the war in Gaza and see the remaining living captives returned home. The funeral procession for Tsachi Idan, an avid soccer fan who was 49 when he was abducted by Hamas militants, began at a Tel Aviv football stadium en route to the cemetery where he was buried in a private ceremony. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Idan, taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 2023 attack that left 1,200 dead in Israel and sparked the war in Gaza, was killed in captivity. His body was one of four released by Hamas early Thursday in exchange for over 600 Palestinian prisoners, the last planned swap of the ceasefire's first phase, which began in January. Idan was the only one of his family taken to Gaza. His eldest daughter, Maayan, was killed as militants shot through the door of their saferoom. Hamas militants broadcast themselves on Facebook live holding the Idan family hostage in their home, as his two younger children pleaded with the militants to let them go. 'My brother is the real hero. He held on,' Idan's sister, Noam Idan ben Ezra, said in an interview on Israeli radio Friday. She said Idan had been 'a pace away' from being released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023, when more than 100 of the 251 people abducted on Oct. 7 were released. 'Tsachi was forsaken twice. The first time when he was kidnapped from his home and the second time when the deal blew up,' she added. 'The fact that Tsachi is not standing next to me today is the outcome of the decision-making and the policy here in Israel. They did not listen to us then, but it's not too late to listen to us today.' Concern for remaining hostages With the first phase of the ceasefire deal set to end Saturday, relatives of hostages still held in Gaza are ramping up pressure on Netanyahu to secure the release of their loved ones. According to Israel, 32 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza are dead, and there has been growing concern about the welfare of an unknown number who are still alive, particularly after three hostages released Feb. 8 appeared emaciated. One of the three, Eli Sharabi, said in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 Friday that he and other hostages had been held in iron chains, starved and sometimes beaten or humiliated. 'During the first three days, my hands are tied behind my back, my legs are tied, with ropes that tear into your flesh, and a bit of food, a bit of water during the day,' he said, in one of the first interviews by a hostage released under the current deal. 'I remember not being able to fall asleep because of the pain, the ropes are already digging into your flesh, and every movement makes you want to scream.' Sharabi found out after his release that his wife and daughters had been killed during the Oct. 7 attack. The next phase of the ceasefire Officials from Israel, Qatar and the United States have started 'intensive discussions' on the ceasefire's second phase in Cairo, Egypt's state information service said Thursday. The agreement calls for those talks to bring an end to the war, with the return of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Hamas said in a statement released Friday that it 'reaffirms its full commitment to implementing all terms of the agreement in all its stages and details.' It called on the international community to pressure Israel to 'immediately proceed to the second phase without any delay or evasion.' Hamas has rejected an Israeli proposal to extend the first phase by 42 days, saying it goes against the ceasefire agreement, according to a member of the group who requested anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. The Israeli proposal calls for extending the ceasefire through the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in return for an additional hostage exchange, the Hamas member said. Netanyahu's office confirmed he had sent a delegation to Cairo. Mediators in the talks are 'also discussing ways to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as part of efforts to alleviate the suffering of the population and support stability in the region,' the statement from Netanyahu's office said. Israel's negotiators were to return home Friday night, said an Israeli official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks. Negotiations are set to continue Saturday, the official said. But it was not clear if the Israeli team would travel back to Cairo to attend them. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that the coming days are 'critical,' and urged Israel and Hamas to fulfill their commitments. The first phase of the ceasefire, which paused 15 months of fighting, saw the release of 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu has vowed to return all the hostages and destroy the military and governing capabilities of Hamas, which remains in control of Gaza. But it's unclear how Israel would destroy Hamas without resuming the war, and Hamas is unlikely to release the remaining hostages — its main bargaining chips — without a lasting ceasefire. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, who don't differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths but say over half the dead have been women and children. Palestinians prepare for Ramadan amid destroyed homes Palestinians who returned to destroyed homes in Gaza City started Friday to prepare for Ramadan, shopping for essential household goods and foods. Some say the Islamic holy month feels better than one spent last year, but still far from normal. 'The situation is very difficult for people and life is very hard. Most people — their homes have been destroyed. Some people can't afford to shop for Ramadan, but our faith in God is great as he never forgets to bless people,' said Gaza City resident Nasser Shoueikh. Ramadan is a holy Islamic month during which observant Muslims around the world practice the ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset. It's often known for increased prayers, charity and spirituality as well as family gatherings enjoying different dishes and desserts during Iftar, when Muslims break their fasting, and Suhoor, the last meal before sunrise.
Boston Globe
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Mourners bury one of the last hostages released from Gaza as talks start for cease-fire future
His body was one of four released by Hamas early Thursday in exchange for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, the last planned swap of the cease-fire's first phase, which began in January. Idan was the only one of his family taken to Gaza. His eldest daughter, Maayan, was killed as militants shot through the door of their saferoom. Hamas militants broadcast themselves on Facebook live holding the Idan family hostage in their home, as his two younger children pleaded with the militants to let them go. Advertisement 'My brother is the real hero. He held on,' Idan's sister, Noam Idan ben Ezra, said in an interview on Israeli radio Friday. She said Idan had been 'a pace away' from being released during a brief cease-fire in November 2023, when more than 100 of the 251 people abducted on Oct. 7 were released. 'Tsachi was forsaken twice. The first time when he was kidnapped from his home and the second time when the deal blew up,' she added. 'The fact that Tsachi is not standing next to me today is the outcome of the decision-making and the policy here in Israel. They did not listen to us then, but it's not too late to listen to us today.' With the first phase of the cease-fire deal set to end Saturday, relatives of hostages still held in Gaza are ramping up pressure on Netanyahu to secure the release of their loved ones. Advertisement According to Israel, 32 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza are dead, and there has been growing concern about the welfare of an unknown number who are still alive, particularly after three hostages released Feb. 8 appeared emaciated. One of the three, Eli Sharabi, said in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 Friday that he and other hostages had been held in iron chains, starved, and sometimes beaten or humiliated. 'During the first three days, my hands are tied behind my back, my legs are tied, with ropes that tear into your flesh, and a bit of food, a bit of water during the day,' he said, in one of the first interviews by a hostage released under the current deal. 'I remember not being able to fall asleep because of the pain, the ropes are already digging into your flesh, and every movement makes you want to scream.' Sharabi found out after his release that his wife and daughters had been killed during the Oct. 7 attack. Under the terms of the truce Israel and Hamas agreed to, Phase 2 of the cease-fire is to involve negotiations on ending the war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. That includes the return of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the Palestinian territory. The return of the bodies of the remaining deceased hostages would occur in Phase 3. Hamas said in a statement released Friday that it 'reaffirms its full commitment to implementing all terms of the agreement in all its stages and details.' It called on the international community to pressure Israel to 'immediately proceed to the second phase without any delay or evasion.' Advertisement Officials from Israel, Qatar, and the United States have started 'intensive discussions' on the cease-fire's second phase in Cairo, Egypt's state information service said Thursday. Netanyahu's office confirmed he had sent a delegation to Cairo. Israel has reportedly been seeking an extension of the first phase to secure the release of additional hostages. 'The mediators are also discussing ways to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as part of efforts to alleviate the suffering of the population and support stability in the region,' said the statement from the prime minister's office. Israel's negotiators will return home Friday night, said an Israeli official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks. Negotiations are set to continue Saturday, the official said. But it was not clear if the Israeli team would travel back to Cairo to attend them. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that the coming days are 'critical,' and urged Israel and Hamas to fulfill their commitments. The first phase of the cease-fire saw 33 hostages, including eight bodies, released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu has vowed to return all the hostages and destroy the military and governing capabilities of Hamas, which remains in control of Gaza. The Trump administration has endorsed both goals. But it's unclear how Israel would destroy Hamas without resuming the war, and Hamas is unlikely to release the remaining hostages — its main bargaining chips — without a lasting cease-fire. After suffering heavy losses in the war, the militant group has nonetheless emerged intact, and says it will not give up its weapons. The cease-fire, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, ended 15 months of war that erupted after Hamas's 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. Advertisement Israel's military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, who don't differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths but say more than half the dead have been women and children. The fighting displaced an estimated 90 percent of Gaza's population and decimated the territory's infrastructure and health system. Palestinians who returned to destroyed homes in Gaza City started Friday to prepare for Ramadan, shopping for essential household goods and foods. Some say the Islamic holy month feels better than one spent last year, but still far from normal. 'The situation is very difficult for people and life is very hard. Most people — their homes have been destroyed. Some people can't afford to shop for Ramadan, but our faith in God is great as he never forgets to bless people,' said Gaza City resident Nasser Shoueikh. Ramadan is a holy Islamic month during which observant Muslims around the world practice the ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset. It's often known for increased prayers, charity, and spirituality as well as family gatherings enjoying different dishes and desserts during Iftar, when Muslims break their fasting, and Suhoor, the last meal before sunrise.
Observer
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Hamas pressure Israel for next Gaza truce phase
Hamas called on Friday for international pressure on Israel to enter the next phase of a ceasefire that has largely halted the war in Gaza, as negotiations were resuming in Cairo. With hours to go before the first phase of the truce is due to expire, mediator Egypt said on Thursday that Israeli, Qatari and US delegations were in the capital Cairo for "intensive" talks on a second phase that should bring a permanent end to the war. In Israel, a day after the military acknowledged its "complete failure" to prevent the 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war, mourners gathered for the funeral of Tsachi Idan, a hostage whose remains have been returned from Gaza. Hamas said in a statement that "with the end of the first phase of the ceasefire", the group "affirms its full commitment to implementing all the provisions of the agreement in all its stages and details". "We call on the international community to pressure the Zionist occupation (Israel) to... immediately enter the second phase of the agreement without any delay," it said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday "instructed the negotiation delegation to depart for Cairo", his office said shortly after Hamas handed over the remains of Idan and three other hostages under the truce, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli custody. The ceasefire, reached following months of gruelling negotiations, has largely halted the war that erupted with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Fighters broke through Gaza's security barrier that day, launching a deadly attack on residential communities, army bases and other sites, and seizing dozens of hostages. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and to bring home all the hostages after the attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally of official figures. The Israeli retaliation has killed more than 48,000 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the UN has deemed reliable. An internal Israeli army probe into the October 7 attack, released, acknowledged the military's "complete failure" to prevent it, according to a military official who briefed reporters about the report's contents on condition of anonymity. "Too many civilians died that day" in Israel when the military failed to protect them, the official said. A senior military official said at the same briefing that the military acknowledges it was "overconfident" and had misconceptions about Hamas's military capabilities before the attack. Following the scathing probe's release, Israel's military chief General Herzi Halevi said: "The responsibility is mine." Halevi had already resigned last month citing the October 7 "failure". On Friday, a crowd gathered at a football stadium in Israel's commercial hub of Tel Aviv to bid a final farewell to former hostages Idan, 49, waving flags and holding scarves of the local team he supported. After his body was repatriated, Israeli authorities said that he was "murdered while held hostage in Gaza". Israel Berman, a businessman who lived in the Nahal Oz kibbutz community where Idan was abducted, has said that "until the very last moment, we were hoping that Tsachi would return to us alive". - AFP
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands mass for funeral procession of Israeli hostage killed in Gaza
Thousands lined the streets around the Israeli commericial hub Tel Aviv on Friday for the funeral procession of Tsachi Idan, a hostage killed in captivity in Gaza. The development engineer was abducted from his kibbutz of Nahal Oz during Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. He was taken to Gaza with his hands covered in the blood of his 18-year-old daughter Maayan Idan, who had been shot dead in front of him as the family hid in a safe room. Hamas handed over his body and those of three other hostages on Thursday in exchange for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners. It marked the final swap under the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect on January 19 and ended more than 15 months of war in the Palestinian territory. Mourners gathered for a memorial service at Bloomfield Stadium, home ground of Hapoel Tel Aviv, the football club Idan supported. Hundreds of fans stood in the stands, many of them weeping and waving the clubs red colours alongside the national flag. "Tsachi Idan, red forever," banners around the stadium proclaimed. In their speeches, Idan's relatives asked for forgiveness for not having been able to bring him back alive from the Gaza Strip. "I am parting from my older brother and I ask his forgiveness, on behalf of all of us, for returning in a coffin and not on his feet as he left," said his sister Noam Idan Ben Ezra. Photographs of Idan with his family were projected on a giant screen, with the words "Tsachi Idan our hero". Uncle Yigal Idan also asked for forgiveness and criticised Israel's leaders who "did not know how to bring you back in time". "Sorry I didn't shout loud enough... and that the state forgot you," he said. Between the speeches, Idan's family and supporters sang the national anthem in hushed tones. Afterwards, the funeral procession made its way to the burial site in Kibbutz Einat, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) away. lsb-dms/acc/lba/kir
Washington Post
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Middle East latest: Hundreds gather as hostage remains are buried
Hundreds of people gathered in the stadium of hostage Tsachi Idan's favorite soccer team in Tel Aviv Friday to pay their respects ahead of his burial. The body of Idan was returned Thursday as Hamas handed over what it said were the remains of four Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinian detainees held by Israel. It was the last planned swap of the ceasefire's first phase, which began in January.
