This is Beirut

Israel Says 'Will Not Be Deterred' after Hamas Issues Hostage Video

This is Beirut, 01/03 19:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Gaza Israeli Hostages

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed on Saturday as "Hamas propaganda" new footage released by the Palestinian militant group, showing what appeared to be Israeli hostages in Gaza alongside a ceasefire message. "The Hamas terrorist organisation released another cruel propaganda video this evening, in which our ...

Hamas Declares Readiness to Complete 'Remaining Stages' of Gaza Truce Deal

This is Beirut, 01/03 18:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Hamas Gaza

Hamas reiterated on Saturday its readiness to go ahead with the "remaining stages" of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, as the first phase drew to a close with uncertainty over the next steps. "We affirm our keenness to complete the remaining stages of the ceasefire agreement, leading to a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, full ...

Investigation Conclusion: Israeli Army Acknowledges its "Complete Failure" on October 7

This is Beirut, 27/02 22:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Hamas Gaza Benjamin Netanyahu

An internal Israeli army investigation into Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack released on Thursday acknowledged the military's "complete failure" to prevent the deadly assault, saying that for years it had underestimated the group's capabilities. The attack, which left hundreds of Israelis dead, sparked a devastating war in Gaza, which killed tens ...

Israel Frees Hundreds of Palestinian Prisoners after Body Handover

This is Beirut, 27/02 09:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hamas Gaza Palestine Israel

Israel freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Thursday, shortly after saying Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over coffins believed to contain the bodies of four hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel had received the coffins of "four fallen hostages", and a process to formally identify them had ...

Israel Ready to Resume Gaza War, PM Warns after Truce Delay

This is Beirut, 24/02 09:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Palestine Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was prepared to resume fighting against Hamas after the Palestinian group accused it of endangering a five-week-old Gaza truce by suspending prisoner releases. The first phase of the truce, which has largely halted more than 15 months of devastating war in the Gaza Strip, is due to ...

Hamas Frees 6 Israeli Hostages in Latest Transfer Under Truce

This is Beirut, 22/02 15:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hamas Gaza Israel

Palestinian militants on Saturday freed six Israeli hostages, the last living captives to be released under the first phase of a fragile truce that is also expected to see Palestinian prisoners released. Freedom for the captives caps an emotional two days in Israel, where the family of another hostage, Shiri Bibas, earlier on Saturday confirmed ...

Israel to Release 602 Prisoners in Exchange for 6 Israeli Hostages Under Gaza Truce Deal

This is Beirut, 21/02 20:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Israel Hamas Gaza Hostages

Israel will free 602 inmates from jails on Saturday as part of a hostage-prisoner swap with Hamas under an ongoing Gaza ceasefire deal, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group. Among those released, 445 are people from Gaza who were arrested after Hamas' October 7 attack that sparked the war, 60 are serving long ...

Israel Says Hostage Body Returned by Hamas not Bibas Mother

This is Beirut, 21/02 12:17 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel said Friday that one of the bodies returned from Gaza is not that of Shiri Bibas, as claimed by Hamas, and accused Palestinian "terrorists" of killing her two boys who have become symbols of the hostages' ordeal. Thousands of mourning Israelis had observed a moment of silence Thursday in honour of four dead hostages returned ...

Hamas Accuses Netanyahu of Delaying the Second Phase of the Truce

This is Beirut, 20/02 21:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Israel Palestine

Hamas on Thursday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "procrastinating" on negotiations for the second phase of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, after Palestinian militants returned the bodies of four deceased hostages to Israel. "The second phase negotiations have not practically begun, and we are ready to engage in them as ...

Israel: Ongoing Identification of the Remains of Hostages Handed Over by Hamas

This is Beirut, 20/02 21:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Palestine

Israel's national forensic centre said Thursday that it was still working to identify the bodies of three hostages returned earlier in the day by Hamas, after verifying the identity of a fourth. "We have been working since this morning to provide definitive answers to the families. The staff of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine ...

Hamas Returns Bodies of Four Israeli Hostages

This is Beirut, 20/02 13:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Hamas Palestine israel

On Thursday, Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages – including Shiri Bibas and her two young children – to the Red Cross. This marks the first transfer of remains since the October 7 attack that triggered the conflict. Armed and masked Hamas fighters displayed the four black coffins on a stage set up in Khan Yunis, each ...

Arab Leaders meet to Counter Trump's Gaza Plan

This is Beirut, 20/02 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Palestine Hamas Israel

Arab leaders will gather in Saudi Arabia on Friday to counter President Donald Trump's plan for US control of Gaza and the expulsion of its inhabitants, diplomatic and government sources said. The plan stirred rare unity among Arab states which roundly rejected the idea, but they could still disagree over who will govern the Palestinian territory ...

Hamas