Israel

Israel Resumes Strikes on Gaza After Ceasefire Breakdown; Over 100 Reported Dead

Israel Resumes Strikes on Gaza After Ceasefire Breakdown; Over 100 Reported Dead

(National Times Bureau), March 18, 2025 : Israel launched airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, ending weeks of ceasefire negotiations that had stalled since January. The Palestinian health ministry reported at least 100 dead, including children, after strikes in Gaza City, northern Gaza, and the Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah areas.The Israeli military said it hit dozens of Hamas targets and warned that operations would continue beyond airstrikes for as long as necessary. The strikes follow failed attempts to extend the January 19 ceasefire, with Israel accusing Hamas of refusing to release 59 hostages.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office blamed…
Read More
Hundreds Mourn Oded Lifshitz, Veteran Journalist and Former Hostage, at Kibbutz Nir Oz

Hundreds Mourn Oded Lifshitz, Veteran Journalist and Former Hostage, at Kibbutz Nir Oz

Kibbutz Nir Oz, February 25, 2025 – Hundreds gathered at the small cemetery in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Tuesday to bid farewell to Oded Lifshitz, a founding member of the kibbutz who died while being held hostage in Gaza.His body was returned by Hamas to Israeli authorities on Thursday as part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement aimed at securing the release of hostages and halting the war in Gaza.Lifshitz, 83 years old at the time of his capture, was taken hostage from his home during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. His wife, Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, was also…
Read More
Israel Halts Palestinian Prisoner Release Over Hamas Ceremonies

Israel Halts Palestinian Prisoner Release Over Hamas Ceremonies

February 23, 2025 – Israel has delayed the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners, citing concerns over Hamas' "humiliating ceremonies" during hostage handovers. The move raises doubts about the future of the Gaza ceasefire. Hostage Exchange Sparks Controversy The decision came after six Israeli hostages were freed on Saturday. However, five were handed over in public, staged ceremonies featuring masked Hamas fighters, a move condemned by Israel and the United Nations as cruel and exploitative.Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the prisoner release would not proceed until "the release of the next hostages has been assured" and Hamas stops using captives…
Read More