Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Hostages, Palestinian Detainees Freed on first Gaza Truce Exchange

Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Monday after Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages, completing the first exchange under a long-awaited truce aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in Gaza. The three hostages released Sunday, all women, were reunited with their families and taken to hospital in central Israel where a doctor said ...

Dispute with Iran: The Issues at Stake

There are none so deaf as those who will not hear, and none so blind as those who will not see. These adages resonate particularly well when reflecting on the “puppet masters” in both Tehran and the southern suburbs of Beirut, especially in the aftermath of significant geopolitical shifts that have reverberated throughout the Middle East in ...

Gaza Truce Takes Effect with Nearly a Three-Hour Delay

After 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip, Israel announced on Sunday the implementation of a ceasefire with Hamas, delayed by nearly three hours due to Hamas publishing the names of hostages scheduled for release that day. The Qatari mediator also confirmed on Sunday the enforcement of the ceasefire in Gaza, noting that the names of the three ...

A Truce Expected in Gaza At 06:30 GMT, After 15 Months Of War

After 15 months of deadly war in the Gaza Strip, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is due to come into force on Sunday morning, followed by the release of hostages, fuelling hopes of a lasting peace despite a warning from Benjamin Netanyahu. A few hours before the deadline, set for 08:30 local time (06:30 GMT), the Israeli Prime Minister ...

Netanyahu Says Israel Reserves ‘Right to Resume War if Necessary’ With US Support

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel reserves the right to resume fighting in Gaza with US support, as he pledged to bring home all hostages held in the Palestinian territory. "We reserve the right to resume the war if necessary, with American support," Netanyahu said in a televised statement, a day before a ...

Israeli Security Cabinet Approves Gaza Ceasefire Deal

Israel's security cabinet approved in a vote on Friday a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that should take effect this weekend, the prime minister's office said. The agreement, which must now go to the full cabinet for a final green light, would halt fighting and bombardment in Gaza's deadliest-ever war. It would also launch ...

Israel Accuses Hamas of Backtracking on Fragile Ceasefire Deal

Israel accused Hamas on Thursday of backtracking on parts of a fragile ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza war, and carried out fresh air strikes ahead of an expected vote by the cabinet. The truce, announced by mediators Qatar and the United States on Wednesday, would take effect on Sunday and involve the exchange of Israeli hostages ...

Behind The Truce In Gaza, ‘Remarkable’ Cooperation Between The Biden And Trump Teams

The agreement on a second truce in Gaza is the result of ‘remarkable’ cooperation between the teams of Joe Biden and Donald Trump, according to a senior US official on Wednesday. The official, who requested anonymity, lifted a corner of the veil behind the scenes of the fierce negotiations of the last few days. For example, he ...

Blinken Proposes a Post-War Plan For Gaza, With a Role For The UN And The Palestinian Authority

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken proposed sending an international security force to Gaza and placing the Palestinian territory under the responsibility of the UN, following the war with Hamas. As a ceasefire looks set to be signed after 15 months of war between Israel and the Palestinian movement that has left tens of thousands ...

Norway to Host Talks on Mideast Two-State Solution

Dozens of countries will send delegates to Norway on Wednesday as part of a global alliance aiming to find a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Norway's foreign ministry said on Monday. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini, and UN envoy ...

Renewed Hopes for ‘Imminent’ Agreement on Gaza Ceasefire

'Breakthroughs’ were made on Sunday night in Doha, Qatar, with negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza “close” to an agreement, according to sources close to the matter quoted by Reuters. This information was revealed by the agency after discussions between Israeli intelligence officials, Donald ...