South Africa expulsion of Israeli diplomat elicits reciprocal action as relations between the nations sour further
Analysts say the mutual expulsions signal that relations have escalated into a direct diplomatic confrontation. Since South Africa downgraded its diplomatic ties with Israel to liaison-office level in 2019, the two countries have maintained only limited political and diplomatic contact, making near-term rapprochement unlikely.
Human rights groups read ethnic cleansing in Gaza after charter flight lands in South Africa with 150 Palestinians
The Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories said the Palestinians on the chartered plane to South Africa left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave. It didn’t name the third country.
Freed Palestinians prisoners, some in Israeli jails for 20 years, arrive home in Gaza under ceasefire deal
Several thousand people gathered inside and around the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, awaiting the arrival of freed prisoners, with some waving Palestinian flags and others holding pictures of their relatives.
Sigh of relief to Israeli families as Hamas hands over all living hostages to Israel as Trump declares ‘Gaza war over’
The Israeli military said it had received all hostages confirmed to be alive after their transfer from Gaza by the Red Cross, prompting cheering, hugging and weeping among thousands waiting at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv.
How Trump’s family mega-dollar business interests in Qatar kowtowed Netanyahu into signing Israel-Hamas peace deal
Qatar has also played an increasingly critical role in helping the US broker diplomatic deals. In recent years, Qatar played a role in helping Nato and US arrange the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Iran–US prisoner swap, and the release of Ukrainian children from Russia. More recently, it has been a key mediator and drafter of ceasefire plans to end the genocide in Gaza.
How Trump bulldozed Netanyahu to apologise to Qatari emir that earned him Hamas trust, peace deal
An important development during the talks was the mediators’ success in convincing Hamas that its continued holding of hostages had become a liability for it rather than leverage, the senior US official and the Palestinian official in Gaza said. Hamas came to a view that continuing to hold hostages undermined global support for Palestinians, and that without them, Israel would have no credibility to restart fighting, the Palestinian official said.
Sissi invites Trump to visit Egypt to witness Israel-Hamas deal signing ‘in a ceremony befitting the occasion’
In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded during the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half of the deaths were women and children.
US President Trump mute as Israel approves plan to take control of Gaza City
Israeli officials described a previous meeting this week with the head of the military as tense, saying military chief Eyal Zamir had pushed back on expanding Israel’s campaign. Among the scenarios being considered ahead of the security meeting was a phased takeover of areas in Gaza not yet under military control, one government source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Israeli parliament approves apartheid as US Republicans and Democrats close ranks against PM Netanyahu
Despite its most powerful ally and arms dealer’s stated preference for a two-state solution, Israel’s Parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday in favour of a symbolic measure to annex the occupied West Bank,
Preliminary intelligence report contradicts Trump’s claims US strikes obliterated Iran’s nuclear capability
The White House said the intelligence assessment was “flat out wrong.” According to the report, which was produced by the Defence Intelligence Agency, the strikes sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities, but did not collapse underground buildings, said one of the people familiar with its findings.
