Hamas launches war on Israel

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

A group of 28 premature babies, evacuated from a besieged hospital in Gaza on Sunday, have crossed into Egypt.

It's thought they are travelling to an Egyptian airport, before being assessed and moved onto hospitals.

The babies were patients at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, now occupied by Israeli forces after heavy fighting.

Earlier, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said an Israeli air strike on a different hospital killed at least 12 people.

Israel has not commented, but says it's attacking "terrorists" and "terrorist infrastructure" in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Qatar - which is trying to broker a deal - says only "very minor" obstacles remain to Israeli hostages being released.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 13,000 people have been killed in the territory since Israel began its campaign against Hamas.

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

The leader of Hamas says the group is close to reaching a "truce agreement" with Israel, raising hopes of a pause in hostilities in Gaza that could see hostages freed.

Israel has not commented. Earlier PM Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would not stop fighting until hostages are brought home.

A deal could see Hamas returning hostages in exchange for Israel's release of jailed Palestinians, according to AFP and Al Jazeera.

US President Joe Biden on Monday said he believed a deal was close - the White House spoke of temporary pauses in fighting to allow hostages safely out.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which helped facilitate previous deals, has been meeting Hamas leaders in Qatar - raising further hopes.

Meanwhile, fighting continues to rage in Gaza, with the Israeli military saying it has surrounded the city of Jabalia in the north.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says 13,300 people, including more than 5,000 children, have been killed in Israel's campaign.

[Jimbuna]

[Skybird]

They seem to have agreed a "temporary" seize fire and exchnaging 50 female and kid hostages for 150 female and juvenile prisoners.

I think that after these day Israel will find it immensely - immensely - difficult to reopen combat actions again. I expect that instead the world will mount tremendous pressure on Israel to just extend the seize-fire, and trading more hostages, and not to reopen the combat.

Hamas will get plenty of fuel, food, medical aid. They will try to reorganize and regroup. They will rechannel it, they will steal it.

You cannot just switch on and off military offensive movements like this. Thats just not how it works. When the machinery was brought to a halt, it needs much time again to swing back into forward movement at a later time.

[Jimbuna]

Israel and Hamas have agreed a deal to release 50 hostages being held in Gaza during a four-day pause in fighting.

The start of the pause will be announced in the next 24 hours - if successful it will be the first break in fighting since 7 October.

On Wednesday morning, Israel confirmed its ground and air operation in Gaza is continuing, before the pause starts.

Hamas says 150 Palestinian women and teenagers will be released from Israeli jails under the deal.

Up to another 150 Palestinians could be released - as well as another 50 hostages from Gaza - after the initial four-day pause.

Israel's government insists that this isn't the end of the war, reiterating its commitment to "complete the elimination of Hamas"

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

The four-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas will begin at 10am on Thursday, Hamas says.

Israel has not yet commented on when the pause will begin, but Foreign.

Minister Eli Cohen said he expected the first hostages to be received on Thursday.

Under the agreement, 50 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas will be released and 150 Palestinian women and teenagers held in Israeli jails freed.

Families of those held in Gaza have said every captive "needs to come home" and that each hour is "critical"

[Jimbuna]

Israel says its offensive in Gaza continues, after a four-day pause in fighting was delayed.

The pause was expected to start on Thursday - an Israeli government source says they believe the deal will go ahead on Friday.

Qatar - which helped broker the deal - says the start time will be announced "within the next few hours"

In the first phase of the pause, Hamas will release 50 hostages from Gaza, and Israel will free 150 Palestinian detainees.

On Thursday morning, Israel said its aerial strikes hit 300 Hamas targets in the past day, including tunnels and weapons sites.

Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has arrived in Israel - visiting Kibbutz Be'eri, the sight of a Hamas massacre on 7 October.

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Shadowy Hamas leader in Gaza is at top of Israel's hit list after last month's deadly attack

The mastermind of the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the worst Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed in generations is a secretive figure, feared on both sides of the battle lines.

In Gaza, no figure looms larger in determining the future trajectory of the war than Yehya Sinwar. Obsessive, disciplined and dictatorial, he is Hamas’ top leader inside the Palestinian territory, a rarely seen veteran militant who learned fluent Hebrew during years in Israeli prisons and carefully studied his enemy.

Israeli officials have vowed to kill him and crush the militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007. But seven weeks into the war, the 61-year-old Sinwar remains alive, in hiding and at the helm of Hamas’ fighters as they battle Israeli forces. He also controls the group’s negotiations over the fate of nearly 240 hostages that militants captured during the Oct. 7 attack.
With the devastating toll from Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion, Sinwar’s political fate may now depend on how the war ends and whether Palestinians feel they gained anything from their immense losses.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...39552656&ei=34

[Rockstar]

What the hell?

Israeli aggressors don't consider Palestinians fully human, which is why they exchange 3 Palestinians for every Israeli hostage

[Skybird]

half an hour after the truce came into force, air sirens were heard again.

[Jimbuna]

Lorries carrying medical supplies, fuel and food have made their way into Gaza from Egypt, after a four-day pause in fighting by Israel and Hamas comes into effect.

Under the deal - which has been mediated by Qatar - 13 Israeli hostages are due to be released later today, with 50 being released over the four days.

As part of the agreement, Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Small arms and mortar fire, as well as an air strike, were heard by a BBC reporter close to Gaza moments before the pause was due to come into effect.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron is meeting Palestinian leaders today, and says Britain is looking into all avenues to get support into Gaza.