Latest news with #Ezzedineal-QassamBrigades
Al-Ahram Weekly
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Hamas says Israel blocking ceasefire and captive release talks - War on Gaza
Palestinian group Hamas on Friday accused Israel of blocking a deal in talks for a temporary ceasefire and the release of Israelis held in captivity in Gaza. Negotiators from both sides have been in indirect talks in Qatar since July 6 to try to agree on a 60-day truce in Israel's genocidal war, which would see 10 Israelis freed. But after nearly two weeks, there has been no breakthrough and each side has blamed the other for refusing to budge on their key demands. For Israel, those demands include dismantling Hamas as a fighting force while Hamas wants firmer guarantees on a lasting peace, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the freer flow of aid. In a video statement broadcast on Friday, the spokesman for Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obaida, said the group had "always proposed a comprehensive deal that will return all the captives at once". But he said Israel "rejected what we proposed", urging it to reconsider. "If the enemy remains obstinate in this round of negotiations we cannot guarantee a return to the partial-deal proposals -- including the 10-prisoner (hostage) exchange offer," he added. Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on Tuesday that the talks remained in their "first phase" and that mediators were stepping up efforts to reach an agreement. The Qatari spokesman refused to accept there was a stalemate and said there was no set timeframe for the talks. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would be prepared to enter talks for a longer-term ceasefire once a temporary halt to the war is agreed. Israel killed at least 58,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 140,000 others, since October 2023. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Express Tribune
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Five Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza
Some of the soldiers killed in Gaza were buried in Jerusalem on Tuesday, July 9, 2025. Photo AFP Listen to article Five Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, the military said Tuesday, in one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory this year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lamented a "difficult morning" as he visited Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, who is pressing for a ceasefire in the more than 21-month war. "All of Israel bows its head and mourns the fall of our heroic soldiers, who risked their lives in the battle to defeat Hamas and free all our hostages," Netanyahu posted on X. The Israeli military said the five soldiers, aged between 20 and 28, "fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip". Two others were severely wounded and "evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment", it said, adding their families had been notified. "The investigation indicates that the force was hit by three (improvised explosive devices) that were activated within a matter of minutes," military spokesman Effie Defrin said. A force that was deployed to rescue the troops, "encountered fire that opened towards it, wounding some of the fighters", Defrin added. He said Israeli troops were now "surrounding the Beit Hanoun area from all directions, above and below ground," and that dozens of militants were located there. Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, said "the complex Beit Hanun operation is yet another blow delivered by our valiant fighters". "The war of attrition our fighters are waging against the enemy — from the north of the Strip to its south — will inflict additional losses on it every day," the spokesman of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement. One of the soldiers who was killed, Noam Musgadian, 20, was buried in Jerusalem's Mount Herzl cemetery on Tuesday, his coffin carried by soldiers while family members mourned. "A huge thank you for almost 20 perfect years," his brother, Roi, said. "I don't know how they manage to fit such a big heart into such a small coffin." In a post on X, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said "the unbearable news of the fall of five heroic sons in Gaza — most of them fighters of the ultra-Orthodox 'Netzach Yehuda' battalion — pierces the heart". Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for an end to the war "for the sake of the fighters, for the sake of their families, for the sake of the hostages, for the sake of the State of Israel". According to the Israeli military, 450 soldiers have been killed in the Gaza campaign since the start of the ground offensive on October 27, 2023. Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Five Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza combat
Five Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, the military said Tuesday, in one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory this year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lamented a "difficult morning" as he visited Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, who is pressing for a ceasefire in the more than 21-month war. "All of Israel bows its head and mourns the fall of our heroic soldiers, who risked their lives in the battle to defeat Hamas and free all our hostages," Netanyahu posted on X. The Israeli military said the five soldiers, aged between 20 and 28, "fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip". Two others were severely wounded and "evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment", it said, adding their families had been notified. "The investigation indicates that the force was hit by three (improvised explosive devices) that were activated within a matter of minutes," military spokesman Effie Defrin said. A force that was deployed to rescue the troops, "encountered fire that opened towards it, wounding some of the fighters", Defrin added. He said Israeli troops were now "surrounding the Beit Hanoun area from all directions, above and below ground," and that dozens of militants were located there. Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, said "the complex Beit Hanun operation is yet another blow delivered by our valiant fighters". "The war of attrition our fighters are waging against the enemy -- from the north of the Strip to its south -- will inflict additional losses on it every day," the spokesman of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement. - Tributes - One of the soldiers who was killed, Noam Musgadian, 20, was buried in Jerusalem's Mount Herzl cemetery on Tuesday, his coffin carried by soldiers while family members mourned. "A huge thank you for almost 20 perfect years," his brother, Roi, said. "I don't know how they manage to fit such a big heart into such a small coffin." In a post on X, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said "the unbearable news of the fall of five heroic sons in Gaza -- most of them fighters of the ultra-Orthodox 'Netzach Yehuda' battalion -- pierces the heart". Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for an end to the war "for the sake of the fighters, for the sake of their families, for the sake of the hostages, for the sake of the State of Israel". According to the Israeli military, 450 soldiers have been killed in the Gaza campaign since the start of the ground offensive on October 27, 2023. Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,575 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable. bur-acc/lba/phz/kir
Nahar Net
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Israel army announces 4 soldiers killed in Gaza, thousands more troops needed
by Naharnet Newsdesk 11 hours Israel's military has announced the deaths of four soldiers in Gaza, saying it needed thousands more troops to press its offensive, just as the premier's coalition faces the prospect of collapse over ultra-Orthodox conscription. News of the soldiers' deaths came as Gaza's civil defense agency reported 38 killed Friday in Israeli attacks across the territory, where Palestinians observed the Eid al-Adha holiday under the shadow of war for a second consecutive year. Military spokesman Effie Defrin said the four soldiers were killed as they "were operating in the Khan Yunis area, in a compound belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization." "Around six in the morning, an explosive device detonated, causing part of the structure to collapse," he said, adding that five other soldiers were wounded, one of them severely. "The losses suffered today by the occupation in Khan Younis... illustrate what the occupation forces will face wherever they are present," said a statement attributed to Abu Obeida, spokesman for the armed of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, while urging the Israeli public to "force its leaders to end the war of extermination or prepare to receive more of its sons in coffins". The deaths bring to 429 the number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza since the start of the ground offensive in late October 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended his condolences to the soldiers' families, saying they "sacrificed their lives for the safety of all of us". Israel recently stepped up its Gaza campaign in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack sparked the war. - Conscription row - Asked by a reporter about the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription, which has emerged as a thorn in the side of Netanyahu's government, Defrin said "this is the need of the moment, an operational necessity". The army was short around 10,000 soldiers, he added, including about 6,000 in combat roles, adding that "tens of thousands more notices will be issued in the upcoming draft cycle". The conscription issue has threatened to sink Netanyahu's government, with ultra-Orthodox religious parties warning they will pull out of his coalition if Netanyahu fails to make good on a promise to codify the military exemption for their community in law. At the same time, much of the public has turned against the exemption amid the increasing strain put on reservists' families by repeated call-up orders during the war. In April, a military representative told a parliamentary committee that of 18,000 draft notices sent to ultra-Orthodox individuals, only 232 received a positive response. Netanyahu's office announced shortly after 1:00 am on Friday that he had met with a lawmaker from his Likud party who has recently pushed for a bill aimed at increasing the ultra-Orthodox enlistment and toughening sanctions on those who refuse. The premier's office said "significant progress was made", with "unresolved issues" to be ironed out later. Netanyahu also faced scrutiny after he admitted to supporting an armed group in Gaza that opposes Hamas. Knesset member and ex-defense minister Avigdor Liberman had told the Kan public broadcaster that the government, at Netanyahu's direction, was "giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons". The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank describes the group a "criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks". - 'He wears a white shroud' - The humanitarian situation in Gaza, meanwhile, has reached dire lows, with residents enduring severe shortages of food and other essentials, even after a more than two-month Israeli blockade on aid was recently eased. The shortages have made it all but impossible for many Gazans to celebrate Eid al-Adha, which fell on Friday and is traditionally marked with huge family meals and gifts of new clothes. Suad al-Qarra told AFP from Nasser Hospital on Friday that her son never got a chance to wear his new clothes. "He went to get dressed and there was an explosion," she said, her soft voice breaking. "I took him to the hospital and (they) found him dead." "They took the children from us," she continued. "I bought him Eid clothes yesterday and he didn't wear them, instead he wears a white shroud." In the Muslim faith, Eid commemorates the sacrifice Ibrahim -- known to Christians and Jews as Abraham -- was about to make by killing his son, before the angel Gabriel intervened and offered him a sheep to sacrifice instead. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on Friday's strikes. Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4,402 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18 after a brief truce, taking the war's overall toll to 54,677, mostly civilians.
Nahar Net
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Israel army announces 4 soldiers killed in Gaza, thousands more troops needed
by Naharnet Newsdesk 07 June 2025, 11:43 Israel's military has announced the deaths of four soldiers in Gaza, saying it needed thousands more troops to press its offensive, just as the premier's coalition faces the prospect of collapse over ultra-Orthodox conscription. News of the soldiers' deaths came as Gaza's civil defense agency reported 38 killed Friday in Israeli attacks across the territory, where Palestinians observed the Eid al-Adha holiday under the shadow of war for a second consecutive year. Military spokesman Effie Defrin said the four soldiers were killed as they "were operating in the Khan Yunis area, in a compound belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization." "Around six in the morning, an explosive device detonated, causing part of the structure to collapse," he said, adding that five other soldiers were wounded, one of them severely. "The losses suffered today by the occupation in Khan Younis... illustrate what the occupation forces will face wherever they are present," said a statement attributed to Abu Obeida, spokesman for the armed of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, while urging the Israeli public to "force its leaders to end the war of extermination or prepare to receive more of its sons in coffins". The deaths bring to 429 the number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza since the start of the ground offensive in late October 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended his condolences to the soldiers' families, saying they "sacrificed their lives for the safety of all of us". Israel recently stepped up its Gaza campaign in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack sparked the war. - Conscription row - Asked by a reporter about the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription, which has emerged as a thorn in the side of Netanyahu's government, Defrin said "this is the need of the moment, an operational necessity". The army was short around 10,000 soldiers, he added, including about 6,000 in combat roles, adding that "tens of thousands more notices will be issued in the upcoming draft cycle". The conscription issue has threatened to sink Netanyahu's government, with ultra-Orthodox religious parties warning they will pull out of his coalition if Netanyahu fails to make good on a promise to codify the military exemption for their community in law. At the same time, much of the public has turned against the exemption amid the increasing strain put on reservists' families by repeated call-up orders during the war. In April, a military representative told a parliamentary committee that of 18,000 draft notices sent to ultra-Orthodox individuals, only 232 received a positive response. Netanyahu's office announced shortly after 1:00 am on Friday that he had met with a lawmaker from his Likud party who has recently pushed for a bill aimed at increasing the ultra-Orthodox enlistment and toughening sanctions on those who refuse. The premier's office said "significant progress was made", with "unresolved issues" to be ironed out later. Netanyahu also faced scrutiny after he admitted to supporting an armed group in Gaza that opposes Hamas. Knesset member and ex-defense minister Avigdor Liberman had told the Kan public broadcaster that the government, at Netanyahu's direction, was "giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons". The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank describes the group a "criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks". - 'He wears a white shroud' - The humanitarian situation in Gaza, meanwhile, has reached dire lows, with residents enduring severe shortages of food and other essentials, even after a more than two-month Israeli blockade on aid was recently eased. The shortages have made it all but impossible for many Gazans to celebrate Eid al-Adha, which fell on Friday and is traditionally marked with huge family meals and gifts of new clothes. Suad al-Qarra told AFP from Nasser Hospital on Friday that her son never got a chance to wear his new clothes. "He went to get dressed and there was an explosion," she said, her soft voice breaking. "I took him to the hospital and (they) found him dead." "They took the children from us," she continued. "I bought him Eid clothes yesterday and he didn't wear them, instead he wears a white shroud." In the Muslim faith, Eid commemorates the sacrifice Ibrahim -- known to Christians and Jews as Abraham -- was about to make by killing his son, before the angel Gabriel intervened and offered him a sheep to sacrifice instead. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on Friday's strikes. Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4,402 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18 after a brief truce, taking the war's overall toll to 54,677, mostly civilians.
