Tag: conflict

Hamas frees hostages as Gaza truce takes hold

By Adel Zaanoun with Marc Jourdier in Jerusalem GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories, Nov 24, 2023 (AFP) – Hamas on Friday freed a first batch of hostages seized in the deadliest attack in Israel’s history under a deal that saw a temporary truce take hold in war-ravaged Gaza. Thirteen Israeli hostages captured during Palestinian militants’ cross-border raids were back in Israeli territory where they would undergo medical checks before being reunited with their families, the army […]

Russia says downed 16 Ukrainian drones in south, Crimea

MOSCOW, Nov 24, 2023 (AFP) – Russia said Friday it had destroyed 16 Ukrainian drones in the south of the country and over the annexed Crimean peninsula. On Thursday night, “an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using aerial drones against sites on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted,” Russia’s defence ministry said. “Air defence systems destroyed 16 drones, including 13 over the Crimean peninsula and three over […]

Israel-Hamas truce begins, hostages to be released

By Adel Zaanoun with Hazel Ward in Jerusalem GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories, Nov 24, 2023 (AFP) – A four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war began on Friday, with hostages set to be released in exchange for prisoners in the first major reprieve in seven weeks of war that have claimed thousands of lives. The two sides had agreed to silence guns and stop bombings from 7:00 am (0500 GMT) in a conflict that erupted after […]

Germany says raids underway on homes of Hamas supporters

FRANKFURT, Germany, Nov 23, 2023 (AFP) – Germany on Thursday said police raided the homes of members and supporters of Hamas and another Palestinian organisation which are banned in the country. Around 500 members of the security forces led the operation, with 13 places searched in the capital Berlin, the interior ministry said. Four other regions were targeted to a lesser extent as police seized smartphones, laptops and various writings, the ministry added. “We are […]

Over 280,000 displaced in expanding Myanmar clashes: UN

UNITED NATIONS, United States, Nov 22, 2023 (AFP) – More than 286,000 people in Myanmar have been displaced so far by recent fighting between the junta and ethnic groups, the UN said Wednesday, describing it as the biggest escalation since the 2021 coup. “Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that intense fighting between ethnic armed organizations and the Myanmar Armed Forces continues and has expanded into more areas, including densely populated urban centres,” said Farhan Haq, […]

US intercepts multiple attack drones launched from Yemen: Pentagon

BAGHDAD, Nov 23, 2023 (AFP) – A US warship patrolling the Red Sea intercepted multiple attack drones launched from Huthi-controlled areas in Yemen on Thursday, the US Central Command said. “On the morning (Yemen time) of November 23, the USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen,” CENTCOM said on X. “The ship and crew sustained no damage or injury,” it added. The Huthis have […]

North Korea to send new weapons to border after spy satellite launch

SEOUL, Nov 23, 2023 (AFP) – North Korea said Thursday it would deploy new weapons and stronger armed forces to the border with the South, as Seoul’s spy agency said Pyongyang had received Russian help to successfully put a military spy satellite into orbit. Tuesday’s launch of the “Malligyong-1” was Pyongyang’s third attempt at securing a military eye in the sky after two failures in May and August. North Korean state media claimed within hours […]

Babies, over-80s, entire families: the Gaza hostages

JERUSALEM, Nov 22, 2023 (AFP) – Following the announcement that Gaza militant group Hamas will release at least 50 hostages as part of a deal with Israel, here is what we know about the captives. Based on interviews with relatives and Israeli media reports, AFP has confirmed the identities of 210 of the around 240 people abducted on October 7 during Hamas attacks on military posts, communities and a desert music festival. The hostages, who […]

Teenage boys, 59-year-old woman: the Palestinian prisoners listed for release

JERUSALEM, Nov 22, 2023 (AFP) – The vast majority of Palestinians slated for release under an Israel-Hamas swap deal to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza, are teenage boys, an official Israeli list shows. Israel released the names on Wednesday of 300 Palestinian detainees who could be set free under the agreement. Under the terms of the deal, the first phase will see 50 Israeli hostages released over the course of four days, […]

US strikes kill eight pro-Iran fighters in Iraq, angering Baghdad

By Ammar Karim BAGHDAD, Nov 22, 2023 (AFP) – US fighter jets struck two targets in Iraq early on Wednesday, killing eight pro-Iran fighters in retaliation for repeated attacks on American troops, US and Iraqi sources said. The twin strikes, which followed similar bombardment of Iran-backed forces on Tuesday, drew condemnation from the Iraqi government, which said it had not been consulted about the military action on its soil. The US military “conducted discrete, precision […]

Israel, Hamas agree to truce, 50 hostages to be released

By Adel Zaanoun GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories, Nov 22, 2023 (AFP) – Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day truce that would see the Palestinian group release dozens of hostages taken on October 7, both sides announced Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet approved the accord after a near-all-night meeting, in which he told reticent ministers this was a “difficult decision but it’s a right decision.” A government spokesman told AFP that under the […]

Israeli ships ‘legitimate target’, Yemen’s Huthis warn after seizure

HODEIDA, Yemen, Nov 20, 2023 (AFP) – Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels said on Sunday that they had seized in the Red Sea a ship owned by an Israeli businessman and rerouted it to Yemen’s coast. The vessel is operated by a Japanese firm, prompting Tokyo to intervene and “directly” approach the rebels. The announcement came days after the rebel group threatened to target Israeli vessels in the waterway over Israel’s war with Hamas in the […]