Latest news with #Israeli-Hamas
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Netanyahu says ‘alternative options' to Hamas war cease-fire may be needed after talks stall
CAIRO — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering 'alternative options' to cease-fire talks with Hamas after Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams, throwing the future of the negotiations into further uncertainty. Netanyahu's statement came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks alongside the United States, said the pause was only temporary and that talks would resume, though they did not say when. The teams left Qatar on Thursday as President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Hamas' latest response to proposals for a deal showed a 'lack of desire' to reach a truce. Witkoff said the U.S. will look at 'alternative options,' without elaborating. In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu echoed Witkoff, saying, 'Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal.' 3 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas is 'the obstacle' to peace. AP 'Together with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region,' he said. He did not elaborate. Israel's government didn't immediately respond to whether negotiations would resume next week. A breakthrough on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has eluded the Trump administration as experts warn Gaza is being pushed closer to famine, after months of Israel entirely blocking food or letting in only limited amounts. This month, deaths related to malnutrition have accelerated. More then two dozen Western-aligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticizing Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. The charities and rights groups said even their own staff were struggling to get enough food. 3 Protesters call for an end to the Israeli-Hamas war at a rally Thursday in Tel Aviv. AP On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize Palestine as a state. 'The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,' he said. Jordan has requested to carry out airdrops of aid into Gaza 'due to the dire situation,' a Jordanian official said. The official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. An Israeli security official said the military was coordinating the drops, which were expected in the coming days. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-finalized plans. Desperate Palestinians gathered at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on Friday, clutching empty pots waiting for a share of watery lentil soup. Such kitchens distributing cooked meals have been a main source of food for many Palestinians, but the number of meals they produce every day has plummeted to 160,000 from more than a million in April, according to the U.N. 'We've been living three months without bread,' said one woman in line, Riham Dwas. 'We're relying on charity kitchens, surviving on a pot of lentils and there are many times when we don't even have that.' When she can't find food, she takes her children to a hospital to be put on saline IV drips for sustenance. Hamas official Bassem Naim said Friday that the group was told that the Israeli delegation returned home for consultations and would return early next week to resume ceasefire negotiations. Hamas said that Witkoff's remarks were meant to pressure the group for Netanyahu's benefit during the next round of talks and that in recent days negotiations had made progress. Naim said several gaps had been nearly solved, such as the agenda of the ceasefire, guarantees to continue negotiating to reach a permanent agreement and how humanitarian aid would be delivered. In a joint statement, Egypt and Qatar also said progress had been made. 'It is a natural to pause talks to hold consultations before the resumption of the dialogue once more,' they said. 3 Palestinians carry the bodies of people who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza that has been used as a shelter on Friday. AP The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops from positions in Gaza after any ceasefire takes place. The deal under discussion is expected to include an initial 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting ceasefire. The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war. Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to end the conflict until Hamas gives up power and disarms. The militant group says it is prepared to leave power but not surrender its weapons.
International Business Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- International Business Times
Who is Samar Muhammad Abu Zamar? Former Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar's Widow escapes from Gaza, Remarries in Turkey
July 25, 2025 15:40 +08 Samar Muhammad Abu Zamar, the widow of former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, is believed to have fled Gaza in the early days of the exchange, the Israeli news outlet Ynet reported. She fled along with her three children and a large sum of money, using bogus passports. X She reportedly crossed over to the border of Rafah after paying thousands of dollars, then moved to Turkey and got married again. Her new marriage, also organized by Fathi Hammad, remains a closely guarded secret. Details about her new husband have not been revealed. Ynet reports that her escape involved "high-level coordination" and financial resources, which are beyond the reach of ordinary Gaza citizens. Most of the planning for her departure was done by Mohammed Hammad, a Hamas operative who helps in the movement of its members and their families. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in late 2023 published a clip according to which Yahya Sinwar, himself, his family, and others fled into an underground passageway in Khan Younis just before Hamas attacked on October 7 and killed a number of Israeli citizens. x Through marriage, Sinwar, in 2011, married Abu Zamar. She was said to be 18 years younger than he. Together, they had three children. Sinwar was one of the most powerful and controversial Hamas leaders, known for his role in military operations. Before rising in the Hamas leadership cadre, he had spent 20 years in Israeli jail. He was the key strategist in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict and was killed by the IDF in a drone strike in October 2024. Israel also said on Thursday that it had withdrawn its negotiators from ceasefire discussions with Hamas in Qatar. Mediators had been trying to arrange a truce for more than two weeks to no avail.
India Today
14-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Trump hopes to 'straighten out' Gaza ceasefire talks within a week
"The negotiations are moving slowly due to disagreements between Israel and Hamas. (File Photo) US backs 60-day ceasefire with phased hostage release Negotiations slow due to Israeli-Hamas withdrawal disputes Hamas rejects Israeli control over 40% of Gaza US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he hopes the ongoing talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will be resolved soon. He told reporters, "We are talking and hopefully we're going to get that straightened out over the next week." The United States has backed a plan for a 60-day ceasefire that includes a step-by-step release of hostages, Israeli troops pulling back from parts of Gaza, and talks aimed at ending the conflict. Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff also said that he was "hopeful" on Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Witkoff told reporters in Teterboro, New Jersey, that he planned to meet senior Qatari officials on the sidelines of the FIFA Club World Cup final. The negotiations are moving slowly, with disagreements between Israel and Hamas over how many Israeli forces should withdraw from Gaza. KEY STICKING POINTS STALL CEASEFIRE PROGRESS An Israeli official said the talks continued but blamed the slow progress on Hamas, calling them "stubborn" and unwilling to agree to terms that would help reach a deal. Hamas, on the other hand, has said Israeli demands are the main obstacle. According to news agency Reuters, Hamas rejected Israeli proposals that would leave about 40% of Gaza under Israeli control, including the southern area of Rafah and some northern and eastern parts. Hamas reportedly wants Israel to return to the borders set in a previous ceasefire before the conflict escalated in March. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages if there is a clear agreement to end the war. Israel demands that fighting will only stop after all hostages are freed and Hamas is dismantled both as a military force and as a governing body in Gaza. The conflict started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages who were taken into Gaza. Of these hostages, about 50 remain captive, and it is believed that at least 20 are still alive. Since then, Israel's military actions have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The conflict has displaced almost the entire population of over 2 million people living in Gaza, causing a severe humanitarian crisis. With inputs from Agencies US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he hopes the ongoing talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will be resolved soon. He told reporters, "We are talking and hopefully we're going to get that straightened out over the next week." The United States has backed a plan for a 60-day ceasefire that includes a step-by-step release of hostages, Israeli troops pulling back from parts of Gaza, and talks aimed at ending the conflict. Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff also said that he was "hopeful" on Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Witkoff told reporters in Teterboro, New Jersey, that he planned to meet senior Qatari officials on the sidelines of the FIFA Club World Cup final. The negotiations are moving slowly, with disagreements between Israel and Hamas over how many Israeli forces should withdraw from Gaza. KEY STICKING POINTS STALL CEASEFIRE PROGRESS An Israeli official said the talks continued but blamed the slow progress on Hamas, calling them "stubborn" and unwilling to agree to terms that would help reach a deal. Hamas, on the other hand, has said Israeli demands are the main obstacle. According to news agency Reuters, Hamas rejected Israeli proposals that would leave about 40% of Gaza under Israeli control, including the southern area of Rafah and some northern and eastern parts. Hamas reportedly wants Israel to return to the borders set in a previous ceasefire before the conflict escalated in March. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages if there is a clear agreement to end the war. Israel demands that fighting will only stop after all hostages are freed and Hamas is dismantled both as a military force and as a governing body in Gaza. The conflict started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages who were taken into Gaza. Of these hostages, about 50 remain captive, and it is believed that at least 20 are still alive. Since then, Israel's military actions have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The conflict has displaced almost the entire population of over 2 million people living in Gaza, causing a severe humanitarian crisis. With inputs from Agencies Join our WhatsApp Channel
New York Post
07-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
World's Jewish population still hasn't recovered from the Holocaust, shocking analysis shows: ‘Reminder of how many people we lost'
The world's Jewish population has yet to recover from the Holocaust that wiped out more than a third of its members, a stunning new analysis shows. There were an estimated 16.6 million Jews alive in 1939 before the Holocaust killed more than 6 million of them. By comparison, there are about 14.8 million Jews alive today, according to the Pew Research Center. 6 The world's Jewish population has yet to recover from the Holocaust that wiped out more than a third of its members, a stunning new analysis shows. Bettmann Archive The Jewish population did increase by 6.2%, going from 13.91 million to 14.8 million, between 2010 and 2020, figures show. But globally, the overall non-Jewish population jumped 12.3%, from 7 billion to 7.87 billion, during that same time frame, the study said. 'During this time, the rest of the world's population grew about twice as quickly,' Pew noted. Jews account for a tiny 0.2% of the global population. 6 There were an estimated 16.6 million Jews alive in 1939 before the Holocaust killed more than 6 million of them. Getty Images The study's findings come at a vulnerable time for Jews, who are battling a rise in antisemitism triggered by the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza. 'Have Jews made up for the loss of people killed in the Holocaust? The answer is no,' said Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University. 'It takes a long time to replace a third of the population. It still hasn't happened. It's a reminder of how many people we lost in the Holocaust,' he said. 6 The study's findings come at a vulnerable time for Jews, who are battling a rise in antisemitism triggered by the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza. AFP via Getty Images 6 Weak and ill survivors of the Buchenwald concentration camp after its liberation. AFP via Getty Images Pew acknowledged that precisely estimating the size of the world's Jewish population is difficult. Its estimates in Israel are based on the Israeli Ministry of Interior's population register of Jews. Outside of Israel, the definition of Jewishness is based on self-identification with Judaism as a religion. The overwhelming number of the world's Jews live in Israel/the Middle East/North Africa (6.8 million) and North America (6.1 million), mostly in the United States, the study says. The Jewish population jumped by nearly 18% in and around Israel but just 0.6% in North America in the previous decade. 6 'Have Jews made up for the loss of people killed in the Holocaust? The answer is no,' said Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University. Corbis via Getty Images But it dropped by 8% in Europe, from 1.39 million in 2010 to 1.28 million in 2020, and 37% in sub-Saharan Africa, from 80,000 to 50,000, for the same period. The population increased by 2% in the Asia-Pacific region, rising from 180,000 to 190,000. 'Between 2010 and 2020, the Middle East and North Africa surpassed North America to become the geographic region with the largest Jewish population,' Pew said. 'This is primarily because Israel added over 1 million Jews to its population between 2010 and 2020, compared with an increase of just 30,000 in the U.S.' 6 The overwhelming number of the world's Jews live in Israel/the Middle East/North Africa (6.8 million) and North America (6.1 million), mostly in the United States, the study says. REUTERS Israel and the United States are the only countries with millions of Jewish residents, with 85% of Jews worldwide living in one of the two countries combined. Sarna said the Jewish birth rate is lower in many Western societies as it is for non-Jews, with the exception of Orthodox Jews who marry younger and have larger families.
The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Super Bowl 59 halftime show protester arrested months later
During Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9, Lamar closed out his halftime show performance with his single "tv off." During the song, a man dressed in black went rogue on stage and ran around the set while he waved a Palestinian flag that read "Sudan" and "Gaza." The protester then stood atop a black lowrider vehicle and moved toward the 50-yard-line before security tackled him to the ground. The NFL confirmed to USA TODAY the day after Super Bowl 59 that the person had the flag hidden on himself before the show. Officials said state troopers began to investigate the incident after it occurred and identified the protester as Nantambu. An investigation revealed Nantambu confirmed he was hired as an extra for the performance and while he was allowed to be on the field, he "deviated from his assigned role" and did not have permission to perform the demonstration. Authorities added that law enforcement apprehended Nantambu during the show after he allegedly refused to comply with a stop order. After the incident, New Orleans police said the protester would not be arrested or charged, but it was the state police who conducted the action. Louisiana State Police arrested Nantambu and charged him with resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful assembly. He is currently booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center. The NFL previously told USA TODAY the protester would be banned for life from all of the league's stadiums and events. "We take any attempt to disrupt any part of an NFL game, including the halftime show, very seriously and are pleased this individual will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," the NFL said in a statement to the Associated Press. After the incident, Nantambu told NBC News he wanted to use the moment to "highlight the human suffering" related to the Israeli-Hamas war. Nantambu is also related to an incident involving a former NFL player, as he confirmed to TMZ Sports that he was the victim in an alleged shooting involving Antonio Brown. According to an arrest warrant in Miami-Dade County (Florida), first reported by the Washington Post, Brown is facing a charge of attempted murder with a firearm stemming from an altercation outside of a May 16 boxing event in Miami.
