gaza

Mitigated or Stifled Transitions?

The transitions in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza are still controversial, and their actors are undecided about their outcomes. Observers ask whether the various actors are genuinely interested in the transformative courses and to what extent. The newly set dynamics that have taken place throughout the Near East have not yet been relayed by steadier, ...

Hamas and Israel Complete Fourth Hostage-Prisoner Swap Under Gaza Ceasefire

Hamas freed three Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for more than 180 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody, marking the fourth such swap under a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Hostages Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were paraded on stage by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in the ...

Egypt's Sisi Tells Trump the World is 'Counting on' Him for Middle East Peace

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on Saturday that the world was relying on him 'to reach a permanent and historic peace agreement' to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Saturday's phone call marked the first between the two leaders since Trump repeatedly floated a plan to relocate Palestinians from ...

Five Arab Foreign Ministers Reject Forced Displacement of Palestinians

Top diplomats from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar rejected any forcible displacement of Palestinians during a meeting in Cairo on Saturday, according to a joint statement. The meeting came after US President Donald Trump floated an idea to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt and Jordan. The foreign ...

Gaza: 50 Patients Left Through Rafah Crossing to Egypt

The health ministry in Gaza said 50 Palestinian patients went through the Rafah crossing to Egypt on Saturday, as the key gateway reopened as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel. Egyptian state-linked channel Al-Qahera News showed footage of the first of 50 evacuees and 53 companions, including a child with an autoimmune disease, crossing the ...

Three Buses of Freed Palestinians Arrive in Gaza's Khan Younes

Three buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of a ceasefire deal arrived in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younes on Saturday, an AFP correspondent reported. The prisoners, many wearing gray prison uniforms, were greeted by hundreds of Gazans who gathered around the buses as they approached the city's European ...

Israel to Release 183 Prisoners on Saturday, Doubling Previous Figure

Israel is set to release 183 prisoners on Saturday in the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange under the Gaza ceasefire deal, a Palestinian advocacy group said, more than doubling the previous reported figure. "The updated number of prisoners to be released tomorrow is 183," said Palestinian Prisoners' Club spokeswoman Amani Sarahneh on Friday, after ...

Who is Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Envoy to the Middle East

Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the hostage release agreement and ceasefire. Trump appointed the 67-year-old New Yorker to this role last November. Choosing a trusted businessman, specifically a major real estate investor ...

Gaza: Rafah Crossing to Reopen on Saturday

Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt is to reopen Saturday following a fourth exchange of hostages and prisoners under a truce agreement, a Hamas official and a source with knowledge of discussions told AFP. The Rafah crossing was a vital entry point for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza before the Israeli military seized the Palestinian side of ...

Eight Hostages Freed in Gaza as Israel Releases 110 Palestinian Prisoners

Three Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals were released on Thursday in Gaza in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a process marked by scenes of chaos during the release of captives in the Palestinian territory. This exchange is the third under the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, brokered by international ...