HOSTAGE RELEASE DEAL
US urges Israel's defense minister to avoid Lebanon escalation
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to avoid escalating tensions in Lebanon during a meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. They discussed efforts to free hostages in Gaza, emphasizing the importance of a diplomatic resolution. Tensions have risen with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Israel is winding down the Gaza conflict, redeploying forces to the northern border. President Joe Biden proposed a ceasefire and hostage release plan on May 31, but Hamas has its own demands. Gallant also met with CIA chief Bill Burns to discuss hostage negotiations.
Netanyahu says he won't agree to a deal that ends the war in Gaza, testing the latest truce proposal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent comments about only agreeing to a "partial" cease-fire in Gaza have cast doubt on a U.S.-backed proposal to end the eight-month-long conflict. Netanyahu stated he is open to a temporary pause to secure the release of some of the roughly 120 hostages held by Hamas but insisted that Israel must continue its military operations to fully eliminate Hamas. This stance contrasts with U.S. President Joe Biden's proposed three-phased plan, which includes a permanent cease-fire and the release of all hostages.
Israel: Thousands of people hold anti-govt protests, demand new elections and return of hostages
Tens of thousands protested across Israel on Saturday, demanding new elections and the return of hostages held in Gaza. In Tel Aviv, author David Grossman and former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu, calling for immediate elections. Demonstrations also occurred outside Likud party headquarters and Netanyahu’s residence. Protests included calls to end the Gaza conflict and highlighted the plight of hostages. Hostages and Missing Families Forum held rallies nationwide, demanding hostages' release. Protests have persisted since the war began on October 7.
Blinken says some Hamas proposals unworkable but work on ceasefire to continue
Hamas proposed changes to a U.S. ceasefire proposal for the Gaza war, with some deemed unworkable by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Despite this, mediators aim to bridge gaps between Hamas and Israel. Hamas wants a ceasefire to lead to a permanent end to hostilities, Israeli withdrawal, Gaza's reconstruction, and Palestinian prisoner release. Blinken believes the remaining gaps can be bridged, and negotiations with Egypt and Qatar continue to secure a deal. The conflict has resulted in over 1,200 deaths and the capture of more than 250 hostages by Hamas, with ongoing efforts to free them.
US considering unilateral talks on hostage deal with Hamas, NBC reports
U.S. officials are considering a direct deal with Palestinian Hamas militants to free five American hostages held in Gaza if ceasefire talks with Israel fail. It's unclear what the U.S. might offer Hamas in return. The hostages were taken during a deadly Hamas incursion into Israel, prompting a retaliatory Israeli response. Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes the best way to secure their release is through the current ceasefire proposal. Any talks would be facilitated by Qatar and exclude Israel, potentially straining U.S.-Israel relations.
The other war: How Israel scours Gaza for clues about the hostages
All the while, at a "fusion cell" quietly formed in Israel last fall, U.S. and Israeli intelligence and military analysts share imagery from drones and satellites, along with communications intercepts and any other information that comes their way that might offer a hint to the hostages' locations.
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Israel pounds Gaza refugee camp as war enters ninth month
Israeli forces bombed a Gaza refugee camp following a deadly strike on a UN-run school, leading to international condemnation. The conflict, sparked by Hamas's attack on Israel, has killed thousands and displaced millions in Gaza. Efforts to mediate a ceasefire have stalled, with Hamas yet to respond to US President Biden's proposal. The conflict has escalated, with Gaza facing attacks from land, sea, and air, as Israel accuses Hamas of using civilian infrastructure for military purposes.
Israel bombs Gaza as mediators to discuss truce-hostage plan
Israel's military intensified air strikes in central Gaza while US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators prepared for truce and hostage release talks. The situation remained tense in east Jerusalem due to Israel's "flag March," which has previously led to clashes. The ongoing Gaza conflict, triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, has resulted in significant casualties and destruction. Amid renewed fighting, the US proposed a three-phase plan to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners and increase aid, but Hamas demands a permanent truce and full Israeli withdrawal.
Israeli strikes kill 11 in Gaza, US pushes for 3-phase truce plan
Israeli strikes killed 11 people in central Gaza, including a woman and three children. US President Joe Biden mentioned Israel's ceasefire offer to Hamas to end fighting. Netanyahu emphasizes the priority of destroying Hamas in a plan to wind down the war.
PM Netanyahu aide: Joe Biden's Gaza plan 'not a good deal' but Israel accepts it
In an interview with Britain's Sunday Times, Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy advisor to Netanyahu, said Biden's proposal was "a deal we agreed to — it's not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them". "There are a lot of details to be worked out," he said, adding that Israeli conditions, including "the release of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas as a genocidal terrorist organisation" have not changed.
Israel battles Hamas as mediators urge both to accept Gaza truce plan
Palestinian militant group Hamas, meanwhile, has said it "views positively" what Biden described as an Israeli proposal. Netanyahu, a hawkish political veteran leading a fragile right-wing coalition government, is under intense domestic pressure from two sides.
Despite mediators' push, Israel PM not relenting on Gaza truce
Netanyahu is under pressure from two sides. Protesters supporting the hostages, who rallied again in their tens of thousands in Tel Aviv on Saturday, are urging him to strike a truce deal - but right-wing extremist allies are threatening to bring down his fragile coalition government if he does.
Israel far-right ministers threaten to quit if Biden plan goes ahead
Far-right Israeli ministers threaten to quit Netanyahu's government over a potential hostage release deal with Hamas militants outlined by Biden, risking coalition instability amid Gaza war tensions.
Netanyahu says no Gaza ceasefire until Hamas destroyed
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the idea of a permanent ceasefire with Hamas until the group's military and governing capabilities are destroyed, despite a proposed truce involving an initial six-week ceasefire. Biden had mentioned Israel's proposal for a temporary truce and partial withdrawal. Netanyahu's stance contrasts with Hamas, which seeks a permanent ceasefire, Israeli troop withdrawal, and prisoner release. The conflict, ongoing since October 7, has led to significant casualties and displacement, with peace talks struggling to find common ground.
What's in the new Israel ceasefire proposal Biden announced?
U.S. President Joe Biden proposed a three-phase ceasefire plan to end the war in Gaza, involving a ceasefire, release of hostages and prisoners, and Gaza reconstruction, amidst a humanitarian crisis.
Israel's new proposal provide roadmap to ceasefire, hostage release: US President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden announced Israel's proposal for a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, involving the release of hostages. The proposal outlines a six-week plan for a ceasefire and hostage release, with involvement from Qatar and a diplomatic source. The White House clarified criteria for US policy regarding a ground invasion in Rafah.
Israel war cabinet to discuss new push for Gaza hostage deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes war cabinet to discuss Gaza truce and hostage release deal despite ongoing fighting and Hamas rocket barrage at Tel Aviv.
Scuffles erupt between police, protesters demanding return of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza
Protests erupted in Tel Aviv as thousands demanded the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, criticizing Prime Minister Netanyahu's handling of the conflict. Meanwhile, a US military vessel washed up near Ashdod, disrupting humanitarian aid efforts. Israeli bombardments continued in Gaza, resulting in casualties, and the conflict has claimed over 35,000 Palestinian lives. Humanitarian aid is struggling to meet the needs of the displaced population amid ongoing tensions and calls for new elections in Israel.
Israel strikes eastern Rafah as ceasefire talks end with no deal
Israeli tanks and warplanes have bombarded areas of Rafah, Palestinian residents said, following President Joe Biden's statement that the US would withhold weapons from Israel if its forces mounted a major invasion of the southern Gaza city. A senior Israeli official said that the latest round of indirect negotiations in Cairo had ended and Israel would proceed with its operation in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip as planned. Israel has submitted to mediators its reservations about a Hamas proposal for a hostage release deal, and the Israeli delegation is returning from the Egyptian capital.
Hamas accepts Qatar-mediated proposal on hostage release, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire proposal mediated by Qatar and Egypt, potentially easing tensions in Gaza. The agreement, detailed in a document obtained by CNN, outlines a three-phase plan. It includes the release of Israeli hostages, gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and improved aid access. Each phase lasts 42 days, with a focus on achieving peace and rebuilding Gaza. International efforts are underway to facilitate the ceasefire, with optimism for a swift resolution and sustainable aid flow into Gaza.
US president holds separate calls with leaders from Qatar, Egypt over Gaza ceasefire talks
Biden urged Sisi and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, whom he spoke to separately, to exert all efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas "as this is now the only obstacle to an immediate ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza," the White House said.
Hamas armed wing releases video of two hostages held in Gaza
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, released a video showing two hostages, Keith Siegel and Omri Miran, alive in Gaza. The hostages were abducted during a Hamas attack in southern Israel in October. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called for their release and urged the Israeli government to negotiate before Independence Day on May 14. The video follows another released by Hamas showing another hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, also alive. Hamas is reportedly considering Israel's latest counterproposal for a Gaza ceasefire.
Team from Gaza mediator Egypt arrives in Israel for truce talks
Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to find a ceasefire for the war in Gaza without success since a one-week halt to the fighting in November. That truce saw the exchange of 80 Israeli captives in return for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Since then, global criticism of the toll on Palestinian civilians in Gaza has escalated, as have calls for Hamas militants to release the remaining hostages being held since their October 7 attack triggered the war.
Hamas proposes new ceasefire deal, demands six-week break from hostilities before release of hostages
Hamas presents a ceasefire and hostage release deal to mediators after rejecting an Israeli proposal amid hostilities in Gaza. The proposal demands a six-week ceasefire, IDF retreat, and prisoner releases based on specific ratios.
Dutch police arrest man exiting nightclub, last hostage released
Journalists at the scene said a man left the nightclub with his hands in the air and was detained and put in a police vehicle. Special police units had been deployed to the scene, a building in the centre of the town of Ede, to deal with a hostage situation, police said on social media.
UN Security Council to vote on new Gaza ceasefire resolution
The UN Security Council is set to vote on a new draft resolution on an "immediate" ceasefire in Gaza, following Russia and China's veto of an earlier text proposed by the United States. The Council has been divided over the Israel-Hamas war since the October 7 attacks, approving only two of eight resolutions, mainly dealing with humanitarian aid to the devastated Gaza Strip.
Hunger grips north of war-torn Gaza amid ongoing truce talks
Dire food shortages sent hundreds of Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza on Sunday as Israel's war against Hamas raged on despite stuttering efforts towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal. Hundreds fled northern Gaza Sunday and headed south whichever way the could, walking down garbage-strewn roads between the blackened shells of bombed-correspondent.
Hamas says 200 killed in 24 hours of Israeli strikes on Gaza
In the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, over 200 deaths occurred in Gaza within 24 hours, while Israel mourned five soldiers. Despite a UN aid resolution, fighting continues, displacing millions and devastating Gaza. Civilians plead for a ceasefire amid alleged massacres. Israel aims to eliminate Hamas, demanding hostages' release. The UN struggles to deliver aid as the situation worsens. Outside Gaza, maritime attacks escalate tensions, attributed to Houthi rebels and alleged Iranian involvement.
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