Latest news with #Taheral-Nunu
Boston Globe
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Hamas is open to a cease-fire. But Netanyahu says there's no room for Hamas in postwar Gaza
Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war — something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated. He said that a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas' response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting. Advertisement Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said that the militant group was 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.' He said Hamas was 'ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.' A Hamas delegation is expected to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn't authorized to discuss the talks with the media. Advertisement Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas said in a brief statement Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and is holding talks with them to 'bridge gaps' to return to the negotiating table to try to reach a cease-fire agreement. Hamas has said that it's willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. 'I am announcing to you — there will be no Hamas,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday. An Israeli official said that the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the US would provide assurances about talks to end the war, but Israel isn't committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the details of the proposed deal with the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. It wasn't clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. Some 50 hostages remain, many of them thought to be dead. 'I'm holding my hands and praying that this will come about,' said Idit Ohel, mother of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel. 'I hope the world will help this happen, will put pressure on whoever they need to, so the war will stop and the hostages will return.' Advertisement On Monday, Trump is set to host On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.' 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,' he said. Trump's warning may find a skeptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war's longest cease-fire in March, Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid for Gaza's civilians. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 57,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll passed the 57,000 mark Tuesday into Wednesday, after hospitals received 142 bodies overnight. The ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count, but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. Since dawn Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed a total of 40 people across the Gaza Strip, the ministry said. Hospital officials said four children and seven women were among the dead. Advertisement The Israeli military, which blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas, was looking into the reports. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The war has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. And the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands of people toward hunger. The director of the Indonesian Hospital, Dr. Marwan al-Sultan, was killed in an apartment in an Israeli strike west of Gaza City, a hospital statement said. The hospital is the Palestinian enclave's largest medical facility north of Gaza City and has been a critical lifeline since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The hospital was surrounded by Israeli troops last month, and evacuated alongside the other two primary hospitals in northern Gaza. The bodies of the doctor, his wife, daughter, and son-in-law, arrived at Shifa Hospital torn into pieces, according to Issam Nabhan, head of the nursing department at the Indonesian Hospital. 'Gaza lost a great man and doctor,' Nabhan said. 'He never left the hospital one moment since the war began and urged us to stay and provide humanitarian assistance. We don't know what he did to deserve getting killed.'
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hamas official doubles down on demands for end of war amid new hostage deal hopes
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said that Hamas was 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.' Hamas officials have doubled down on demands that a new hostage deal agreement would see a complete end to the war, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Wednesday, citing an official from the terror group. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said that Hamas was 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.' He added that the terror group was 'ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.' A delegation from Hamas is expected to meet with mediators in Cairo on Wednesday, an Egyptian official confirmed to AP. Negotiations continued based on an altered version of US envoy Steve Witkoff's framework that would see the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are still alive, released after being held for over 600 days in captivity. US President Donald Trump claimed that "Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War," in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday night. In the post, Trump confirmed that his "representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza." "The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal," he added. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he continued. While Trump's comments have reignited hopes of returning the remaining hostages, Israel has repeatedly refused agreements that would have seen the conflict end in the Gaza Strip with Hamas still in control. Hamas officials have repeatedly bragged to Arab media that they would repeat the October 7 attack, an invasion in 2023 which saw terrorists rampage through southern Israel and murder over 1,200 people.
New York Post
02-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Hamas says it's ‘ready' for deal to end war with Israel but doesn't commit to Trump's 60-day cease-fire
Hamas said Wednesday that it is 'ready' for a deal to end the war with Israel — without fully committing to the 60-day cease-fire brokered by President Trump. The terrorist group is 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement,' Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said in a statement soon after Trump said Israel had agreed to a cease-fire. However, he stressed that Hamas is only 'ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war,' suggesting it was not committed to Trump's temporary cease-fire plan. Advertisement The statement came hours after Trump claimed Israel had agreed on terms for the deal and urged Hamas to accept it before conditions worsen. 5 Hamas has signaled it is ready to accept a ceasefire with Israel. REUTERS 5 Trump revealed Tuesday that Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize a 60-day cease-fire with Hamas. Francis Chung/UPI/Shutterstock Advertisement The 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war in Gaza, Trump said, although Israel has insisted it won't end its bombardment until Hamas is defeated. Trump said a deal between the Israeli government and the Palestinian militant group could be finalized as soon as next week. Hamas officials are due to meet in Cairo today with mediators from Egypt and Qatar in order to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. 5 President Trump took to Truth Social to announce the ceasefire negotiations. Trump Truth Social Advertisement The US-proposed deal would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a huge increase in humanitarian aid to the besieged territory, an Israeli official said. Hamas has said it is willing to free the remaining 50 hostages — less than half of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the 21-month conflict. 5 Previous negotiations have occurred as the latest ceasefire agreement has Hamas vowing Israel to withdraw its troops from Gaza. Jack GUEZ/UPI/Shutterstock But Israel has said it will only agree to an end to hostilities if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group has refused to do. Advertisement Israel has yet to comment publicly on Trump's announcement. 5 The two sides have been fighting since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to fly to Washington next Monday for talks with the president. With Post wires.
Boston Globe
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Hamas says it's ready for a cease-fire but it must put an an end to the war in Gaza
Advertisement But Hamas' response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.' He said Hamas was 'ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.' A Hamas delegation is expected to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the talks with the media. Israel and Hamas disagree about how the war should end Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Advertisement Hamas has said it is willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less then half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the U.S. would provide assurances about talks on an end to the war, but Israel is not committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details of the proposed deal with the media. It was not clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. Israel has yet to publicly comment on Trump's announcement. On Monday, Trump is set to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top U.S. officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. Trump issues another warning On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.' 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,' he said. Advertisement Trump's warning may find a skeptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza's civilian populace. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 56,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. The Gaza Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count, but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The war has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. And the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands of people toward hunger. Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Josef Federman contributed from Jerusalem. ___ Follow the AP's war coverage at
New Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Hamas says Gaza ceasefire talks 'intensified in recent hours'
GAZA CITY: A senior Hamas official told AFP Wednesday that talks for a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group "intensified in recent hours" with mediator countries. "Our communications with the brother mediators in Egypt and Qatar have not stopped and have intensified in recent hours," Taher al-Nunu said, adding that the group had "not yet received any new proposals" to bring an end to the war now in its 21st month. (Further details awaited)
