Latest news with #IsraeliHostages
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Gesture politics will not end Gaza's agony
No country is more acutely aware of its history than Israel. And for good reason. Created as a permanent Jewish homeland after the horrors of the Nazi holocaust, it has constantly had to fight for survival against belligerent Arab neighbours. In 1948, 1967 and 1973, those neighbours tried to destroy it. They failed, but ever since there have been countless terrorist outrages and rocket attacks on Israeli civilians, many carried out by militant groups directed and funded by Iran. The UK has always sympathised with Israel's existential struggle and staunchly backed its right to self-defence. Until now. Sir Keir Starmer 's announcement that Britain will recognise Palestine as a sovereign state unless Israel 'ends the suffering in Gaza ' seriously undermines the Jewish state and gives succour to terrorists. The PM wants to put pressure on Israel to stop bombarding Gaza and commit to a future two-state solution. But how can there be a lasting ceasefire while Hamas is still holding up to 50 Israeli hostages? Their unconditional release – or return of their bodies – must surely come before any discussion of statehood. And what does a two-state solution mean in practice? What would be the boundaries of this new Palestinian state? What would prevent it being ruled by Islamist extremists like Hamas? What safeguards would Israel have against being attacked by it? None of this detail is addressed by Sir Keir. Released hostage Ilana Gritzewsky with photos of her boyfriend, Matan Zangauker, who is being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip The assumption is that Israel should retreat to its pre-1967 borders, giving up Gaza and the West Bank. But this ignores both history and present-day reality. Israel occupied these areas after the Six-Day War, because they are of vital strategic importance and could provide a launchpad for further enemy attacks. Handing them over to a potentially hostile government would still be a very real threat to Israeli national security. Furthermore, 600,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, some of whom have been there more than half a century. Should they all be evicted? And if so, where to? Then there is East Jerusalem, also occupied in 1967 and housing the Old City and the Wailing Wall, Judaism's holiest site. It had previously been annexed (illegally) by Jordan, which expelled Jews, destroyed synagogues and restricted access to the holy places. What is to stop similar human rights abuses happening again? There are still 28 UN countries that don't even recognise Israel's right to exist. Like Hamas and Hezbollah, they favour a one-state solution – with no Jews. No one could fail to be moved by the plight of Gazans since Hamas launched its blitzkrieg of rape, slaughter and abduction on October 7, 2023. Israel has retaliated with extreme force – many would say too extreme – in its bid to eliminate the terror threat and free the remaining hostages. But recognising Palestinian statehood will do nothing to alleviate Gaza's agony. Indeed, it could prolong it, emboldening militants to carry on the struggle. It's obvious Sir Keir made this announcement to appease the large anti-Zionist faction within his party. In doing so he has alienated the only democracy in the Middle East, rewarded terrorism and made British Jews feel less safe. It's gesture politics of the most desperate kind from a Prime Minister who is clearly losing control of his party. Instead of showing courage and leadership, he has cravenly abandoned a longstanding ally in time of need.
LBCI
4 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Under pressure: Israel weighs options as ceasefire talks stall
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi With minimal hope, Israeli officials familiar with the ongoing ceasefire negotiations hinted at a possible breakthrough, despite the complexity of the disagreements between Hamas and Israel. At the heart of the deadlock is a fundamental divergence: Hamas is demanding a comprehensive agreement that would bring an end to the war. At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on a partial deal that does not bring the war to a conclusion. Contrary to public statements by Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump blaming Hamas for the failed negotiations, many families of Israeli hostages, along with military, security, and political figures, hold Netanyahu responsible for obstructing a deal. Meanwhile, Israel's security establishment has drafted a new military plan expected to be executed within days, following the conclusion of "Operation Gideon's Chariots." However, warnings have been issued about the potential danger such operations pose to the remaining living hostages in Gaza. Adding to Netanyahu's mounting challenges are harrowing images of famine and starvation in Gaza, which have dominated international media coverage and intensified public and diplomatic scrutiny. For the first time in nearly two years since the launch of the "Al-Aqsa Flood" war, some Israeli journalists are breaking ranks with what critics have long described as a complicit media narrative. These journalists have vowed not to remain silent and have pledged to expose what they claim are hidden truths about the Israeli military's actions in Gaza. While some Israeli officials have warned of the repercussions of such revelations, others are closely watching Netanyahu's next move—especially whether he will dispatch the negotiation team back to Doha. In the lead-up to a high-level security assessment scheduled for Sunday, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, alongside senior military leadership, is expected to present the Israeli government with three possible paths forward: securing a hostage deal, encircling Gaza and continuing attrition operations, or launching a full-scale reoccupation of the enclave.
Washington Post
15-07-2025
- Washington Post
Colorado prosecutors to lay out evidence in firebomb attack on demonstration for Israeli hostages
DENVER — Colorado prosecutors are set to lay out their evidence Tuesday against a man charged with murder , attempted murder and other crimes in a firebomb attack on demonstrators showing their support for Israeli hostages in Gaza. Investigators say Mohamed Sabry Soliman told them he intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration on Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall on June 1. But he threw just two of more than two dozen Molotov cocktails he had with him while yelling, 'Free Palestine!' Police said he told them he got scared because he had never hurt anyone before.
BreakingNews.ie
13-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Six children among 10 people killed at water collection point by Israeli strike
Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 19 people on Sunday, including six children at a water collection point, local health officials said, despite attempts by mediators to bring about a ceasefire. Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in talks meant to pause the 21-month war and free some Israeli hostages. Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington last week to discuss the deal with the Trump administration, but a new sticking point has emerged over the deployment of Israeli troops during the truce, raising questions over the feasibility of a new deal. Israel wants to keep forces in what it says is an important land corridor in southern Gaza. Hamas views the insistence on troops in that strip of land as an indication that Israel intends to continue the war once a temporary ceasefire expires. Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip attend a rally demanding their release from Hamas captivity in Tel Aviv, Israel (Oded Balilty/AP) Israel says it will only end the war once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something it refuses to do. Hamas says it is willing to free all the remaining 50 hostages, less than half said to be alive, in exchange for an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. Advertisement Throughout the war in Gaza, violence has also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where funerals were held Sunday for two Palestinians, including Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, 20, who was killed in an attack by Israeli settlers, according to the Palestinian health ministry. In Gaza, officials at Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza said it received 10 bodies after an Israeli strike on a water collection point in Nuseirat, also in central Gaza. Among the dead were six children, the hospital said. The Israeli military said it struck more than 150 targets over the past day, without commenting directly on the specific strikes. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the militant group operates out of populated areas. Advertisement In the October 7 2023 attack that sparked the war, Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 251. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 57,800 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry. The ministry, under Gaza's Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The UN and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
France 24
04-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Hamas says holding consultations on Gaza truce proposal
The statement came ahead of a visit on Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, where President Donald Trump is pushing for an end to the war. The conflict in Gaza began with Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive aimed at destroying Hamas and bringing home all the hostages seized by militants. Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have seen temporary halts in fighting, coupled with the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. "The movement is conducting consultations with leaders of Palestinian forces and factions regarding the proposal received... from the mediators," Hamas said in a statement early Friday. Hours earlier, Netanyahu vowed to bring home all the hostages held by militants in Gaza, after coming under massive domestic pressure over their fate. "I feel a deep commitment, first and foremost, to ensure the return of all our abductees, all of them," Netanyahu said. Trump said on Thursday he wanted "safety for the people of Gaza". "They've gone through hell," he said. 60-day truce proposal A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told AFP earlier this week there were no fundamental changes in the latest proposal compared to previous terms presented by the United States. The source said the proposal "includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip -- thought to number 22 -- in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees". Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the October 7 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The military said in a statement it had been striking suspected Hamas targets across the territory, including around Gaza City in the north and Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south. Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations against Hamas militants. Deadly Israeli fire Gaza civil defence official Mohammad al-Mughayyir said Israeli fire killed at least 40 people on Friday, updating an earlier toll of 15. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports, except two incidents for which it requested coordinates and timeframes. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency. Mughayyir said those killed included five who were shot while waiting for humanitarian aid near a US-run site near Rafah in southern Gaza and one who was waiting for aid near the Wadi Gaza Bridge in the centre of the territory. They were the latest in a spate of deadly shootings near aid distribution centres in the devastated territory, which UN agencies have warned is on the brink of famine. At Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, crowds mourned people killed on Thursday by what the civil defence agency said was shooting close to a nearby aid centre. "I lost my brother in the American distribution centre that they set up to feed people," cried one mourner, Narmin Abu Muammar. "They are killing people, not feeding them." Bereaved mother Nidaa al-Farra said her 19-year-old son Eyad too had been killed while waiting for food. "My son went to get flour and they say: 'Here is the aid, come here.' And when they go, they shoot them." The US- and Israeli-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distanced itself from reports of deadly incidents near its sites. Strikes reported on displacement camps The civil defence official told AFP that eight people, including a child, were killed in an Israeli air strike on the tents of displaced civilians near Khan Yunis. Mughayyir said eight more people were killed in two other strikes on camps on the coast, including one that killed two children early Friday. Contacted by AFP on the earlier toll, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific attacks without precise coordinates, but noted it was "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities". The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,130 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
