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Early in the week, an Egyptian official described the proposal to The Associated Press, saying Hamas would release five living hostages, including an American-Israeli, from Gaza in return for Israel allowing aid into the territory and a weekslong pause in fighting. Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media on the closed-door talks. On Saturday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no details about Israel's counter-proposal, which it said was offered after Netanyahu held consultations on Friday. Israel a week and a half ago ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise wave of strikes that killed hundreds of people. The White House blamed Hamas for the renewed fighting. Israel has vowed to escalate the war until Hamas returns the 59 hostages it still holds — 24 of them believed to be alive. Israel also wants Hamas to give up power, disarm and send its leaders into exile. On Saturday, Israel widened its ground operations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.IN THE RUN-UP to Israel’s independence day, the motorway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv is always festooned with flags. But this year, between the blue-and-white Israeli pennants hangs a another kind of star-spangled banner: that of America. Israel’s government had hoped that Donald Trump, the American president, would arrive on April 22nd to celebrate the 78th anniversary of its independence.

The US-Iran ceasefire, framed as a two-week conditional truce, offers relief but is less of a resolution than a pause in a fast-escalating crisis. It follows nearly 40 days of sustained US-Israeli military pressure on Iran, itself an extension of the unresolved tensions that persisted after the 2025 Iran-Israel confrontation. In that sense, this ceasefire is simply a momentary recalibration in a longer strategic contest.At its core, the arrangement reflects a transactional bargain.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Iran has sought for years to build closer military ties with China and Russia, but its powerful friends are proving reluctant to step forward as the regime faces the most acute U.S. threat to its survival in decades.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Israel. Undeterred by the region's unrest, these devotees undertook a journey to the Holy Sepulchre, which houses Christ's tomb, driven by faith. For centuries, Christians worldwide have flocked to this revered site, and for Keralites, especially Christian faithfuls, its appeal remains strong. The data from the Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) reveals that 9,600 Indian tourists visited Israel in 2024, with 50 per cent of them travelling for pilgrimage--most of them from Kerala.

Simone Basile, a self-styled “influencer” known as the “8th King of Rome,” disguised himself to infiltrate the Rome hospital where Francis is being treated. Basile, a former funeral worker, livestreamed his attempt to “expose” the pope’s absence, despite Vatican officials sharing daily health updates, photos, and even an audio recording of Francis.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Avera Mengistu, his image on a TV screen, became a symbol for Israelis of Ethiopian descent of their marginalized position in Israeli society. At Tel Aviv’s makeshift Hostage Square, a clock counts the days, hours, minutes and seconds that Hamas has held captives since its attacks in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza.

Hamas on Thursday released the bodies of four Israeli hostages, said to include a mother and her two children who have long been feared dead and had come to embody the nation's agony following the October 7, 2023, attack. The militants displayed four black coffins on a stage surrounded by banners as Red Cross vehicles arrived at the scene in the Gaza Strip. The fighters then carried the coffins over to Red Cross vehicles, where staffers in red vests covered them in white sheets before placing them inside. The convoy headed back to Israel, where authorities will identify the remains.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TEL AVIV—The Israeli military began a full withdrawal from a sprawling security zone within the central Gaza Strip as part of a cease-fire agreement with Hamas, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. The withdrawal, which began overnight between Saturday and Sunday, leaves Israel with a small footprint inside the enclave as the two sides look toward extending the deal that would end the war and release the remaining Israeli hostages.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TEL AVIV : When President Trump proposed to empty Gaza of close to two million Palestinians, he revived an idea that has long been taboo in mainstream Israeli politics. But this week, no Jewish leader of a political party in Israel condemned the comments.

ceasefire deal would collapse, with many dwelling on the fate of Kfir Bibas, the youngest captive whose second birthday fell on Saturday.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Protesters on Tuesday Tel Aviv, called for the return of hostages held by Hamas. The finalizing of the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas owes much to the impending transfer of power from President Biden to President-elect Donald Trump, sparking a pointed debate over who deserves the credit.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TEL AVIV—As the war against Hamas dragged into 2024, there were worries here that investment would dry up in Israel’s globally important technology sector, as much of the world became angry against the casualties in Gaza and recoiled at the unstable security situation. In fact, a new survey found investment into Israeli technology startups grew 28% last year to $10.6 billion.

Donald Trump as the next US President was greeted in the Middle East with a mixture of rapture and dread, especially among Palestinians.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TEL AVIV—After a year marked by war and calls for isolating Israel on the world stage, its defense industry is on track to sell more weapons than ever in its history, spurred by foreign demand for its aerial-defense systems and significant government spending aimed at funding Israel’s ongoing military campaigns.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TEL AVIV—Over the past year, Israel’s military has proved adept at taking down threats to the country’s security. After the initial shock of the Oct.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TEL AVIV—Since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has dealt a series of damaging setbacks to its most dangerous regional adversaries.