Category: World

Hamas returns two more bodies but says it cannot retrieve remaining dead hostages1 hour agoShareSaveShareSaveReutersHamas says it needs specialised equipment to recover the remaining bodies of the hostages Hamas says it has handed over the bodies of two more Israeli hostages under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire deal, but says it needs time and specialised equipment to recover the rest of the deceased from the ruins of Gaza
The group's armed wing said in a statement it was committed to the deal but had returned all the bodies of hostages it was able to reach.
US President Donald Trump has said Israeli forces could resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas does not uphold the agreement.
In a statement, the Israeli PM's office said Israel had received – through the Red Cross – coffins containing the bodies of hostages which were now awaiting official identification.
“The IDF urges the public to act with sensitivity and wait for official identification, which will first be communi..

'Worse than starting from scratch': How big is the task of rebuilding Gaza?5 hours agoShareSavePaul Brown,Kayleen Devlin,Erwan Rivault andBarbara MetzlerBBC VerifyShareSaveGetty ImagesAs thousands of Gazans made the journey back to their neighbourhoods following the ceasefire, many of them already knew their homes were in ruins.
The prospect of rebuilding homes, businesses and all the institutions and services needed for a return to normal life in Gaza is daunting by any measure: the UN estimates that the damage amounts to $70bn.
As Prof Andreas Krieg, a Middle East security expert from King's College London, says: “It's worse than starting from scratch – here you aren't starting in the sand, you are starting with rubble.”
The level of destruction on the strip is “now in the region of 84%. In certain parts of Gaza, like in Gaza City, it's even up to 92%”, says Jaco Cilliers, UN Development Programme special representative for the Palestinians.
This damage ..

Bowen: Trump's role in Gaza ceasefire was decisive, but not a roadmap to peace4 hours agoShareSaveJeremy BowenInternational editorShareSaveEPA/ShutterstockSpeaking to the Israeli parliament, Trump declared “the historic dawn of a new Middle East”Donald Trump's quick trip to Israel and Egypt was the victory lap he wanted.
Anyone watching the speeches he made in Jerusalem and Sharm el-Sheikh could see a man luxuriating in his power – enjoying the applause in Israel's parliament, and in Egypt, basking in the fact that so many heads of state and government had flown in.
One veteran diplomat in the room said it looked as if Trump saw the role of the world leaders there as extras on his film set.
Trump's message at Sharm was, in effect, that he had created a historical turning point.
“All I've done all my life is deals. The greatest deals just sort of happen… That's what happened right here. And maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all,” he said…

My friend Bipin threw back Hamas grenade – and saved my life6 hours agoShareSavePhanindra DahalBBC Nepali in KathmanduShareSaveDhan Bahadur ChaudharyDhan Bahadur (left) and Bipin, seen here in their bachelor level college year at Far Western University in NepalBipin Joshi threw back a grenade from Hamas attackers before being taken hostage in the assault on Israel two years ago, says the fellow Nepalese student he saved.
“I may not have survived if both grenades had exploded. Bipin showed courage and threw the grenade out,” Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary told BBC Nepali.
He was speaking after the Israeli military identified his friend's body as being among four dead hostages returned by Hamas under the Gaza ceasefire accord.
Bipin was 23 and working on a kibbutz when he was taken by Hamas into captivity along with 250 others on 7 October 2023. It's unclear how or when he died.
His family and friends hoped right up to the release deadline that he might be among living hostages returne..

Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees freed as Trump hails 'historic dawn' in Middle East57 minutes agoShareSaveTom BennettJerusalemShareSave'Peace in the Middle East': Trump signs ceasefire deal in EgyptThere have been celebrations across Israel and the Palestinian territories as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza.
In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
There were emotional scenes as families of the Israeli hostages screamed and cried with happiness as they embraced their freed loved ones.
And for the Palestinians who were freed from Israeli jails, huge crowds waving flags and playing patriotic music greeted them as they arrived on buses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
US President Donald Trump landed in Israel minutes after the first hostage..

'You're my life, my hero': Hostages reunite with families after two years5 hours agoShareSaveAlice CuddyTel AvivShareSaveWatch: Emotional reunions as freed hostages return to IsraelMatan Zangauker, 25, walks grinning into his mother's arms.
“You're my life,” she exclaims, hugging him tightly in footage filmed by the Israeli military. “My life. My hero. Come, come.”
Matan was one of 20 living hostages remaining in Gaza after being taken during the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, who were freed on Monday after two years in captivity.
His mother, Einav, has campaigned fiercely for Matan's return. She became among the best-known faces of the movement, and demanded the Israeli government agree a hostage exchange with Hamas.
Last week, she and her daughter lit fireworks in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate the ceasefire deal that had been agreed between Israel and Hamas as part of Donald Trump's peace plan.
On Monday, crowds gathered and cheered..