CONFLICTSMIDDLE EAST
Israel-Hamas war: More Rafah strikes as truce talks underway
Published 16 hours agoPublished 16 hours agolast updated 5 hours agolast updated 5 hours ago
Israel has carried out overnight airstrikes on Rafah, where some 1.4 millon Palestinians have sought refuge. An Israeli minister sees signs of new cease-fire talks that could bring a pause to the war. DW has more.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ciYC
People climb over the ruins of the destroyed Al-Farooq Mosque in Rafah, Gaza
Israeli attacks on Rafah destroyed the Al-Farooq Mosque and several other buildingsImage: Ahmed Zaqout/Anadolu/picture alliance
Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
Overnight airstrikes on Rafah have killed several and destroyed buildings
There are signs of renewed cease-fire talks, says Israeli Minister Benny Gantz
United Airlines is set to resume flights to Israel
Skip next section Several die in Israeli strikes on Rafah as Gaza death toll rises
5 hours ago5 hours ago
Several die in Israeli strikes on Rafah as Gaza death toll rises
People walking among the debris from the destroyed mosquePeople walking among the debris from the destroyed mosque
Israel is ramping up strikes on Rafah ahead of an anticipated ground offensiveImage: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images
Israeli airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah have destroyed a mosque and several homes, with several people killed and injured, according to authorities and witnesses.
Some 1.4 million Palestinians are estimated to have sought shelter in the city on the Egyptian border, which was declared a “safe zone” by Israel in the first weeks of its war on Hamas.
Residents told Reuters news agency the bombing overnight to Thursday was the heaviest since an Israeli raid on the city 10 days ago in which two Israeli hostages were freed and scores of civilians were killed.
Reuters reported seeing at least seven corpses in body bags outside a morgue in the city.
The attacks come as Israel threatens to launch a ground offensive in the city in its bid to root out militants from Hamas, which carried out deadly attacks in the south of Israel on October 7, when around 1,200 were killed.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza now says that at least 29,410 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since the Israeli military operation in October began.
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Skip next section Gunmen kill one Israeli and injure several others in West Bank
7 hours ago7 hours ago
Gunmen kill one Israeli and injure several others in West Bank
Three gunmen have fired on several vehicles near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, killing one Israeli and wounding at least eight other people, Israeli police said on Thursday, calling the incident a “terror attack.”
The shootings occurred near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, police said.
They said that two of the gunmen were “neutralized” at the scene and the third was also killed after he tried to escape.
According to the Israeli domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, the perpetrators were three Palestinians from Bethlehem in the West Bank.
Violence in the West Bank has escalated dramatically amid the war between Israel and the Islamist militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, with frequent Palestinian attacks on Israelis and raids by the Israeli military. The Israeli military often conducts the raids on what it says are areas where armed groups are operating in the West Bank.
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Skip next section Suspected Houthi attack sets ship ablaze: UK maritime security agency
8 hours ago8 hours ago
Suspected Houthi attack sets ship ablaze: UK maritime security agency
A suspected missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has caused a fire on board a ship transiting the Gulf of Aden, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.
“A vessel was attacked by two missiles, resulting in a fire onboard,” the center said, adding that “coalition forces are responding.”
The ship has so far not been named.
Yemeni Houthis have been carrying out attacks on ships in the region in what they say are acts of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s offensive there against the Islamist-militant group Hamas.
The ship attack comes as as Israel intercepted what appeared to be another Houthi attack near the port city of Eilat.
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Skip next section Israel intercepts suspected Houthi attack on Eilat
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Israel intercepts suspected Houthi attack on Eilat
Israel’s military says its Arrow missile defense system has “successfully intercepted a launch which was identified in the area of the Red Sea” near the port city of Eilat.
Although no group has so far claimed responsiblity for the attack, Eilat has in the past been the target of long-distance aerial attacks by Yemeni Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s war against the Islamist militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The statement came after sirens were heard early on Thursday in Eilat, and videos were alter posted online appearing to show a target being intercepted in the sky over the city.
According to the Israeli military, “the target did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat to civilians.”
The Houthis normally delay claiming attacks for several hours after they have been carried out.
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Skip next section Israeli minister sees first signs for a hostage deal
16 hours ago16 hours ago
Israeli minister sees first signs for a hostage deal
New attempts are underway to reach a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas that could pause the war in Gaza, a member of Israel’s war cabinet said.
“Initial signs indicate a possibility of moving forward,” said Benny Gantz, a former military chief and defense minister who is a minister without portfolio in the Israeli government. It’s the first Israeli indication of renewed cease-fire talks since negotiations stalled a week ago.
But Gantz repeated his vow that Israel will launch a ground offensive on the crowded southern town of Rafah during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan unless Hamas agrees to release the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.
According to Israeli sources, at most 100 of the remaining hostages are still alive.
Egypt, Qatar and the US are again trying to negotiate an extended cease-fire in the Gaza war. Under an agreement, hostages still held in Gaza would be exchanged in stages for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Negotiations with Hamas are currently underway in Cairo. According to Israeli media, senior mediators will also meet in Paris on Friday.
During a weeklong cease-fire last November, 105 hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners under an agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Israeli anger grows over hostage crisis
03:13
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Skip next section First US air carrier to resume flights to Israel in March
16 hours ago16 hours ago
First US air carrier to resume flights to Israel in March
United Airlines announced that it will resume flights to Israel next month. The airline will be the first US carrier to resume flights since they were suspended last fall with the outbreak of war in Gaza.
United plans initial flights to Tel Aviv from its New York-area hub in Newark, New Jersey, on March 2 and 4. The goal is to restore daily nonstop service by March 6.
“United conducted a detailed safety analysis in making this decision, including close work with security experts and government officials in the United States and Israel,” the US carrier said in a press release.
United and US rivals Delta Air Lines and American Airlines suspended service to Israel after the October 7 attack by Hamas, which was followed by an ongoing Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip.
Other airlines that have resumed service to Israel include British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and Ryanair.
dh/sms (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)
