Israel has warned it will hold parts of Gaza until Hamas releases the remaining hostages.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned that Israel will maintain a permanent presence in parts of Gaza unless the hostages held by Hamas are released.
The ceasefire between Israel and Gaza ended on Tuesday after Israeli forces launched renewed attacks, killing nearly 600 Palestinians and ending two months of relative calm during which dozens of hostages were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, though at least 35 are believed to be dead.
Katz said he has ordered the military to push further into Gaza, pledging to hold more territory until the remaining hostages are freed.
Hamas has stated it will release the remaining hostages only in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, as outlined in a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar.
Read next
18:30
AI-powered blood test
A highly accurate blood test that uses artificial intelligence to detect multiple cancers from just a few drops of blood is now entering clinical trials across the UK’s National Health Service.
15:51
Earthquakes
A magnitude-6.3 earthquake jolted Ecuador’s Pacific coast near Esmeraldas early Friday, sending residents into the streets but causing no immediate damage or tsunami alert, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
15:26
Trump
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
14:53
U.S.- China trade
U.S. President Donald Trump told *Time* on Friday that he and China’s Xi Jinping are negotiating a tariff deal and have spoken by phone—an account Beijing continues to challenge.
14:32
A top envoy from President Donald Trump’s administration arrived in Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, just hours after a high-ranking Russian general was assassinated in a rare car bomb attack in the capital.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment