Hamas says senior officials killed in latest round of Israeli strikes
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New York Post
12 hours ago
- New York Post
Israeli hostage families call for end to war, as President Trump promises another 10 hostages to be released ‘very shortly'
Tens of thousands of Israelis marched to the US Embassy in Tel Aviv Saturday night with renewed calls to bring the war in Gaza to a close — just one day after President Trump said another 10 hostages held by Hamas would be set free 'very shortly.' 'We got most of the hostages back,' Trump said. 'We're going to have another 10 coming very shortly, and we hope to have that finished quickly.' 4 Trump made the remarks during a dinner congressional lawmakers in the State Dining Room of the White House Friday. AP Trump made the comments during a dinner with congressional lawmakers at the White House Friday but didn't offer up any additional details. Einav Zanguaker, whose son Matan is being held hostage in Gaza, piggybacked on Trump's prediction, calling on Israel to 'abandon the madness of eternal war.' 'This is the time for Israel to join hands with the US … and to advance Trump's vision for ending the war and returning all the hostages,' she said ahead of the rally in Tel Aviv. As many as 50,000 Israelis joined in the rally Saturday night, local media reported, marching to the US Embassy carrying Israeli and American flags and chanting 'not right-wing, not left-wing, the hostages before everything else,' in Hebrew. 'President Trump,' urged Nadav Rudaeff in English, whose father Lior Rudaeff was killed on Oct. 7, 2023 and whose body is still being held by the terror group. 'Please use your power to make sure this deal will be made and don't let this opportunity pass. End the suffering. Bring all hostages home now.' It's believed 50 Israeli hostages remain in Hamas captivity, with 20 still alive and 30 believed to be dead. 4 Tens of thousands of Israelis marched in Tel Aviv Saturday night. REUTERS Israeli and Hamas delegations have been in ongoing truce talks in Qatar since July 6, discussing a US-backed proposal for a 60-day cease-fire — but failed to reach an agreement. The terror group has declared that if the two sides fail to reach a temporary deal during this round of talks, only a permanent cease-fire would be on the table in the future. Israel meanwhile is reportedly considering sending senior officials to Doha, in an effort to speed up negotiations, according to Haaretz. 4 The two sides have yet to reach a deal towards a cease-fire in Gaza. AFP via Getty Images 'If the enemy remains obstinate and evades this round as it has done every time before, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or the proposal of the 10 captives,' Hamas' armed wing spokesperson Abu Ubaida said Friday in a televised speech. 4 People marched to the US Embassy in Tel Aviv Saturday night, a day after Trump's comments on the hostages. REUTERS The latest proposal on the table calls for 10 Israeli hostages to be returned by Hamas — along with the bodies of 18 others — over the course of 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release a yet to be determined number of Palestinian prisoners. But the main sticking point remains the extent of the Israeli army's withdrawals from Gaza and the terror group's demands that they leave the region entirely One of the Israeli hostages who was released by Hamas in January spoke to a cheering crowd of thousands of people in English Saturday night, as she addressed Trump directly. 'We have met and spoken, I know how personally important this is to you, how deeply you are involved, and I know what you are capable of,' said ex-captive Doron Steinbrecher. 'Make it happen. Let everyone emerge through the gates of hell so that we may rise. 'Bibi and Trump. Close the deal, so that we could make Israel great again!' With wires
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gaza students sit exams for first time since war began in October 2023
Hundreds of Palestinian students in Gaza are taking a crucial end-of-secondary-school exam organised by the besieged enclave's Ministry of Education in the hope of entering university studies. Earlier this month, the ministry announced Saturday's exam, which will be the first since Israel began its genocidal war on Gaza after the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel in October 2023. The ministry confirmed that about 1,500 students are registered to take the exam, which will be conducted electronically using specialised software, adding that all necessary technical preparations have been carried out to ensure smooth administration. Some students are sitting the online exam at home, while others are taking it at venues depending on the region they are in, with safety considerations in mind, given the daily Israeli bombardment. Al Jazeera's Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah, stressed that for Palestinian students, the exam is a critical gateway to higher education, scholarships and a future beyond the Israeli blockade. He said: 'Even in a warzone, with no classrooms, no books and barely any internet, Gaza's students are showing up, logging in and sitting their final exam, refusing to let war erase their future.'After the war started, the education of many students in Gaza has been put on hold, and the results of Saturday's exam will allow them to continue their studies at university. Many should have been at university by now, but remained at the high school level due to the war, as Israeli attacks have devastated Gaza's education system, along with the rest of the territory's civilian infrastructure. In response, Gaza's Education Ministry has launched an online platform – the first of its kind in Gaza – to enable high school seniors to take their final exam. 'Students have downloaded the app to take their exam, but they face many challenges,' Morad al-Agha, the exams director of the Central Gaza Governorate, told Al Jazeera. 'We have raised these concerns with the ministry to make sure they're resolved, so students can sit for their exams without disruption.' 'It is so difficult' Students log in from cafes, tents and shelters – wherever they can find a charged device and a working internet connection. Before the final exam, they have completed a mock test, designed not only to test their knowledge but also the system's stability. However, students tell Al Jazeera that going digital in Gaza has not been easy. 'We are taking exams online, but it is so difficult,' student Doha Khatab said. 'The internet is weak, many of us do not have devices and there is no safe space to take the test. We also lost our books in the bombardment.' To support them, a few teachers have reopened damaged classrooms and are offering in-person guidance. 'It is the first time the ministry has done this online and students are confused, so we're trying to guide them step by step,' teacher Enam Abu Slisa told Al Jazeera. The war in Gaza and the destruction of 95 percent of educational infrastructure have left more than 660,000 children out of school – nearly all of Gaza's school-aged population, according to the United Nations. Many former UN-run schools are now being used as shelters for displaced people and also face relentless, deadly Israeli attacks. A report to the UN Human Rights Council found that Israeli forces systematically destroyed education infrastructure in Gaza. The report described these actions as potential war crimes.
Boston Globe
13 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Syria's leader urges Bedouin tribes to commit to a ceasefire ending clashes with the Druze
In his second televised address since the fighting started, al-Sharaa blamed 'armed groups from Sweida' for reigniting the conflict by 'launching retaliatory attacks against the Bedouins and their families.' He also said Israeli intervention 'pushed the country into a dangerous phase.' Advertisement Israel had launched dozens of airstrikes on convoys of government fighters and even struck the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in central Damascus, saying it was in support of the Druze, who form a substantial community in Israel and are seen as a loyal minority, often serving in the Israeli military. Reports had surfaced of Syrian government-affiliated fighters executing Druze civilians and looting and burning homes over the four-day violence. The U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire early Saturday. Al-Sharaa made no direct reference to the agreement in his speech, but said 'American and Arab mediations stepped in' to restore calm. Addressing the Bedouins, al-Sharaa said they 'cannot replace the role of the state in handling the country's affairs and restoring security.' He also said: 'We thank the Bedouins for their heroic stances but demand they fully commit to the ceasefire and comply with the state's orders.' Advertisement Meanwhile, a prominent Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, who opposes the current government and has distanced himself from the two ceasefires announced on Tuesday and Wednesday, said that an agreement brokered under the sponsorship of guarantor states contained several measures aimed at de-escalating tensions in Sweida. They include the deployment of checkpoints outside the province's administrative borders to contain clashes and prevent infiltration, a 48-hour ban on entry by any party into border villages, and safe, guaranteed passage for remaining members of the Bedouin tribes still inside the province. Sharaa reiterated that Sweida 'remains an integral part of the Syrian state, and the Druze constitute a fundamental pillar of the Syrian national fabric,' vowing to protect all minorities in Syria. He also thanked the United States for its 'significant role in affirming its support for Syria during these difficult times,' as well as Arab countries and Turkey, which mediated Wednesday's truce. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. The U.N. estimates more than 87,000 people have been displaced in Sweida province since July 12 due to heavy shelling, sniper fire and abductions. Entire communities have fled on foot, with many now crammed into overcrowded schools, churches and public buildings under dire conditions, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a report. Infrastructure damage has cut electricity, water and telecommunications in much of the area, it said. The main hospital in Sweida was operating at just 15% capacity due to staff shortages and a lack of fuel. Advertisement The security situation is also endangering humanitarian workers. The White Helmets, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, reported that one of its emergency team leaders went missing on July 16 while responding to a call for help from a U.N. team, OCHA said. Meanwhile, Jordan, Syria, and the U.S. agreed on a set of practical steps to bolster the ceasefire, including the deployment of Syrian security forces and the release of detainees from all sides, Jordan's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. The announcement came after a meeting between Barrack, Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. For his part, Syria's Minister of Information Hamza Al-Mostafa on Saturday said the first phase of the ceasefire, expected to take 48 hours, involves deploying internal security forces to key areas to prevent clashes. He acknowledged ongoing fighting in Sweida and said every ceasefire 'begins fragile.' Subsequent phases will open humanitarian crossings and gradually restore state institutions and security to ensure a return to normalcy, al-Mostafa said in a press conference in Damascus. Al-Mostafa acknowledged that some security personnel committed violations after deploying in Sweida. He rejected reports that the violence in Sweida was 'premeditated operation' by the Syrian government. 'The armed groups present in Sweida insisted on a provocative approach, rejecting any solutions and relying on a closed-off model that disregards Syria's unity,' Al-Mostafa said. He accused Al-Hijri and his supporters of being 'armed with Israeli support' and blamed them for 'steering the situation toward its current state,' despite previous government attempts to reach an agreement. Advertisement Al-Mostafa also denied that Syria and Israel are in direct peace talks. 'All discussions that are happening with Israel are fixated on one issue related to the urgent Israeli withdrawal from the areas that it occupied and advanced in after Dec. 8 and its commitment to the 1974 agreement of disengagement,' he said. But even as officials called for calm, signs of unrest spread to the capital. On Friday, men armed with sticks stormed a peaceful protest outside Syria's parliament in Damascus, beating demonstrators and tearing up a banner that read, 'Syrian blood should not be shed by Syrians,' according to one of the organizers. The protest was held in response to the deadly clashes in Sweida, which journalist and filmmaker Zein Khuzam described as a grim echo of the 2011 Syrian civil war. 'We felt like we needed to do something,' Khuzam told The Associated Press. 'We started receiving help messages from our friends in Sweida, that they are trapped there.' The demonstration began Thursday as a spontaneous act by Khuzam and two others, who stood in front of parliament holding signs, including slogans rejecting Israeli interference. Photos of the protest circulated online, drawing a larger crowd the next day. Khuzam said the group noticed a man acting suspiciously on Friday. After making a phone call, he left, and shortly afterward, the attackers arrived in cars, some with women inside who cheered them on, she said. She added that guards outside the parliament stood by as someone fired shotgun rounds to disperse the crowd. 'People are still carrying the traumas of Assad's actions during such peaceful protests,' she said. 'In that moment, it felt like history was repeating itself. It is very, very sad.' Advertisement ___ Abou AlJoud reported from Beirut. Associated Press journalist Omar Sanadiki in Damascus contributed to this report.
