•Pope Francis during a meeting with relatives of Israeli hostages Pope Francis yesterday met relatives of several Israelis taken hostage by Hamas in the October 7 attacks. The 87-year-old pontiff had previously met a group of relatives of hostages at the Vatican in November, the same day as meeting Palestinians who have family in Gaza, [&helli...
Israel killed a top commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in a strike on south Lebanon, a security source told our correspondent today, adding to fears the conflict in Gaza could spread. Hezbollah later announced the killing of a “commander” for the first time, naming him as Wissam Hassan Tawil. It said he died “on […]
Hamas deputy leader, Saleh al-Arouri, has been killed in an attack on Hamas office in Beirut. Hamas’ Al Aqsa Radio and Lebanon’s pro-Iranian Mayadeen TV confirmed word from security sources that Arouri, a member of the Palestinian Islamist movement’s politburo based abroad and a co-founder of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, was kill...
The Israeli military has said it expects the conflict in Gaza to continue throughout 2024. In a New Year’s message, Israel Defence Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said troop deployments were being adjusted to prepare for “prolonged fighting”. He said some troops – especially reservists – would be withdrawn to allow them to regroup, reports AFP....
•Israeli bombardment in southern Gaza Strip today Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted peace can only be achieved in Gaza if Hamas is destroyed, the territory demilitarised and Palestinian society “deradicalised”, after warning the war is set to intensify. The declarations came as the World Health Organization yesterday repor...
Israeli forces were encircling southern Gaza’s main city today, battling Hamas militants through streets and buildings in some of the most intense combat of the two-month war. The focus of the conflict has shifted into the besieged territory’s south following fierce fighting and bombardment that reduced much of the north to rubble and forced n...