Displaying items by tag: Hamas

After months of deadlock, there are new signs that Israel and Hamas could be moving closer to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The USA, Qatar, and Egypt are reporting greater willingness by both sides to conclude a deal. Talks are reportedly in a decisive stage. Israel’s defence minister has indicated that they are close to an agreement, though challenges remain, including far-right Israeli cabinet opposition and Hamas's conditions. A three-phase plan proposes releasing civilian and women hostages, with Israeli troop withdrawals and a mechanism for displaced Gazans to return. Subsequent stages include freeing remaining hostages and a broader troop withdrawal. Of 96 hostages in Gaza, 62 are believed to be still alive; a hundred others have been freed through negotiation or military action. The negotiations have been given a new push by Donald Trump’s election; he has warned that a ceasefire deal should be reached before he takes office, because otherwise ‘it’s not going to be pleasant’.

As Israeli forces intensify their offensive centred on the Jabaliya refugee camp, over 400,000 civilians remain trapped in northern Gaza, according to the head of UNRWA. He expressed concerns about repeated evacuation orders and worsening humanitarian conditions, including hunger and the closure of key medical services. Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas has led to widespread displacement, with hospitals forced to close and critical aid deliveries disrupted. The USA has called on Israel to urgently address the ‘catastrophic conditions’ in Gaza. Journalists and civilians continue to be casualties of the violence. Humanitarian groups have condemned the forced displacements, describing northern Gaza as turning into a ‘lifeless desert’ while southern regions struggle to cope with the influx of displaced people. There have been more than 42,000 Palestinian casualties since October 2023.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have recovered the bodies of six hostages from tunnels in Khan Younis, bringing heartbreaking confirmation to their families. Meanwhile, on 20 August at least twelve Palestinians were killed in an airstrike on a school: see Over 40,000 Palestinians have now died since the conflict began. As the situation escalates, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has been involved in ceasefire negotiations, warning that this may be the last opportunity to secure a hostage and prisoner swap. While a potential agreement appears close, with Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly accepting a US ‘bridging proposal’, there still appear to be large gaps between the two sides. On the central issue of the hostages, Hamas is demanding assurances that Israel will not begin military operations again after thirty of the most vulnerable are released. Israel is concerned that Hamas will drag out a second phase in which the remaining hostages, including male soldiers, are freed.

On 31 July Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, along with his bodyguard, was killed in an airstrike in Iran, an act labelled a ‘severe escalation’ by the Palestinian terror group. His death came hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for new president Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian vowed to defend Iran's integrity and retaliate against the perpetrators. This assassination, attributed to Israel, follows the killing of Hezbollah’s top military leader in Beirut; Israel claimed that he was responsible for a rocket attack on 27 July which killed twelve people, mainly children. Haniyeh, based in Qatar and the face of Hamas’ international diplomacy, was the highest-ranking official killed since the conflict began; his three sons have also been killed.

At least fifty Palestinians have been killed and many wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The strikes targeted areas in south and central Gaza, including the humanitarian zone of al-Mawasi and a UN-run school in a refugee camp. The Israeli military (IDF) claimed the strikes targeted Hamas fighters, and it accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields. It also says that half of Hamas’s military leaders and approximately 14,000 ‘terrorists’ have been killed in the last nine months. Since October, over 38,000 people have died in Gaza, with 14,680 identified as children, women, and elderly. The violence has resulted in significant civilian suffering and displacement, with both sides continuing hostilities. In a recent BBC interview, a mother in Gaza has described how her adult son with Down’s Syndrome died after being attacked by an IDF dog: see

A video of a bloodied academic doctor openly criticising Hamas highlights a shift in Gaza. Filmed after an Israeli operation, and illustrating growing frustration, the video has gone viral. Critics accuse Hamas of endangering civilians by hiding hostages in populated areas and launching rockets from civilian zones. Some Gazans are now calling for a ceasefire with Israel, and even within Hamas's ranks discontent is rising. The group's longstanding control is weakening, with criminal gangs and chaos increasing. Despite ongoing support from some, many are now criticising Hamas for the war's devastation and their lack of preparedness. The situation remains complex, with a significant portion of the population still blaming Israel and its allies. The internal battle for public opinion within Gaza is intensifying, with Hamas sensitive to criticism and actively managing its image on social media.

Hundreds of rockets were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel on 12 June, hours after an Israeli airstrike which killed a senior Hezbollah commander. The Israeli military reported detecting about 215 projectiles, with some intercepted and several causing fires. The death of the commander, Hajj Abu Taleb, has intensified clashes along the border, with Hezbollah using more advanced weaponry and Israeli airstrikes penetrating deeper into Lebanon. Over 400 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, including more than seventy civilians. On the Israeli side, fifteen soldiers and ten civilians have died since the conflict began. Meanwhile, Antony Blinken stated that mediators are working to finalise a cease-fire deal after Hamas proposed amendments to a US-backed proposal which aims to ensure a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The proposal, announced by Joe Biden, includes these provisions, but Hamas remains sceptical about Israel’s commitment to implementing the terms.

Joe Biden has proposed a ceasefire plan for Gaza comprising three stages: negotiating a captive exchange, achieving a permanent cessation of hostilities, and rebuilding homes and public facilities. He has urged immediate acceptance of the deal by Israel and Hamas, linking his reputation to its success. While Hamas responded positively, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government remains ambiguous. Biden has claimed Hamas's military capabilities are diminished, suggesting Israel can now withdraw from Gaza. His absence from the Ukraine peace summit (see Europe article) and his focus on Gaza reflect his desperation to improve his political standing amid declining approval. Netanyahu also faces pressure, risking imprisonment for corruption and needing to appease various factions. The ceasefire plan faces numerous obstacles; the complex dynamics and divergent interests involved make achieving a lasting resolution challenging. Meanwhile, Israel has confirmed the deaths of four more hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October: see

On 20 May, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced plans to seek arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli ministers, and also for three senior Hamas officials. Hamas is charged with atrocities on 7 October and mistreatment of hostages, while Israel is accused of the starvation of Gaza's civilians. Khan, known for his conservative approach, has said that he has not seen compelling evidence that Israeli courts were probing alleged violations of international law). There have been predictable responses from supporters of both sides, but there is a long history of war crime charges facilitating peace by marginalising hardliners. That might help to advance the frustratingly stalled ceasefire negotiations. Within Israel, whose officials’ conduct in Gaza has increasingly made it a pariah state in the minds of many worldwide, the proposed charges will strengthen the movement for a leadership change. Far from an impediment to a ceasefire, Khan’s actions could be a spur.

The Israeli military has claimed it now controls the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, a crucial point for aid entry and civilian exit amid the ongoing conflict with Hamas. An Israeli tank brigade has secured the crossing. The UN has expressed concern about the significant restriction of Gaza's main aid routes, but the White House has announced the expected reopening of Kerem Shalom, Hamas has criticised the seizure of Rafah, viewing it as a move to thwart ceasefire negotiations led by Egypt and Qatar, which proposed a temporary halt in hostilities and the release of hostages. Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Hamas's ceasefire claims as inadequate, focusing on stringent security conditions for any deal. UN secretary-general António Guterres said a ceasefire was ‘essential to stop the unbearable suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and of the hostages and their families’.