Latest news with #TsachiIdan
Daily Tribune
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Hamas seeks ceasefire progress
Talks resume in Cairo as Hamas urges pressure on Israel to start next phase of Gaza truce Palestinian group Hamas called yesterday 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. Armed men 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 an AFP 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. 'Too many civilians died' An internal Israeli army probe into the October 7 attack, released on Thursday, 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.' Yesterday 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.'
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.
Arab News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Hundreds gather as hostage remains are buried
The body of Idan was returned ThursdayAbout 60 hostages remain in captivity, of whom Israel has declared 32 to be deadTEL AVIV: 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 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 office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Idan, who was taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 2023 attack that sparked the war in Gaza, was killed in Thursday, Egypt said that 'intensive discussions' between Israel and Hamas on the next phase of the ceasefire in Gaza have begun in Cairo. The first phase is set to expire this weekend, but the agreement says the truce remains in effect during the 60 hostages remain in captivity, of whom Israel has declared 32 to be Hamas said Friday it is committed to adhering to the ceasefire agreement with Israel, as negotiators tried to tackle the second phase of the with a fresh round of talks in militant group said it 'reaffirms its full commitment to implementing all terms of the agreement in all its stages and details' in a statement released Friday. It called on the international community to pressure Israel to 'immediately proceed to the second phase without any delay or evasion.'The statement came as talks on the second phase kicked off, though it was unclear if progress was being made. Israel and Hamas have accused one another of violating the ceasefire at various points during the first the terms of the truce Israel and Hamas agreed to in January, during the second phase Hamas is supposed to release all the remaining living hostages in exchange for Israel withdrawing all its troops from Gaza and ending the war.
