Author: Gulf News Week

Here is what needs to happen to put Palestinians and Israelis on the path to peace.On Friday, Hamas sent its response to the “20-point Gaza peace plan” put forward by United States President Donald Trump. Importantly, the Palestinian group agreed to hand over the administration of Gaza to a group of technocrats and free all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.The US president welcomed the response and told Israel to “immediately stop bombing”. Yet, in the 48 hours after Hamas submitted its response, Israeli attacks killed at least 94 Palestinians in Gaza.While the Trump plan may bring a temporary…

War-weary Palestinians are sceptical yet cautiously hopeful that Trump’s ceasefire plan might ease their suffering.Deir el-Balah, Gaza – A wave of cautious hope spread through Gaza when United States President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan was announced.Many feared Hamas might reject it, but the group agreed. Yet the short-lived celebrations faded as Israeli bombings continued, leaving residents confused and uncertain about what the deal would actually mean for their lives.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israel strikes Gaza, killing 24 before Egypt talks on Trump ceasefire planlist 2 of 3I have lost everything, all I have left is hope…

I have sold my last valuable – my engagement ring – to feed my starving child. All I can do now is wait, pray and hope.On Friday, the resistance announced it was accepting a ceasefire plan in Gaza. Some people celebrated in the streets.Whenever a ceasefire proposal is brought up in Gaza, we briefly feel as though a glimmer of hope is glancing at us from a distance. Many no longer have much hope because we are accustomed to elevating our hopes, waiting for the end, and then being struck with a harsh reality that forces us to start over.…

Population in the besieged city of el-Fasher has plummeted by 62 percent as RSF attacks intensify, marking one of the worst humanitarian crises triggered by the vicious civil war.Displacement has surged in el-Fasher as paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified attacks on North Darfur’s capital, according to a United Nations report.More than one million people have fled el-Fasher since the start of Sudan’s civil war, with the exodus dramatically accelerating as the RSF has increased attacks following its loss of control of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, earlier this year, according to data published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM)…

Iranian FM warns that Europe has ‘eliminated justification for talks’ with UN nuclear watchdog after triggering snapback sanctions.Iran’s foreign minister has declared that cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog is “no longer relevant” after Western countries reinstated international sanctions on the country.“The Cairo agreement is no longer relevant for our cooperation with the IAEA,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, referring to a deal signed last month with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran executes six fighters accused of ties to Israel: State medialist 2 of 3Analysis: How happy is…

Hundreds of thousands across Europe and the Middle East marched against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.Hundreds of thousands of people have poured onto the streets across Europe, demanding an end to Israel’s two-year war on Gaza that has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians and left the enclave on the brink of famine.The largest protest took place in the Netherlands, where around 250,000 people filled Amsterdam’s Museum Square on Sunday before marching through the city centre. Draped in Palestinian flags and dressed in red, demonstrators demanded that their government take a harder line against Israel and stop arms exports to the…

Activists deported from Israel following their arrest in the aid flotilla to Gaza say they were treated ‘like monkeys’.International activists deported from Israel after joining an intercepted Gaza aid flotilla have given further accounts of mistreatment by guards during their detention.The latest claims made by participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla added to the growing scrutiny of Israel on Sunday for its treatment of the activists.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Greta Thunberg mistreated by Israeli forces in detention, activists saylist 2 of 3How the world is responding to Israel’s interception of Gaza flotillalist 3 of 3Global protests…

Western states have condemned the famine. They can end it by refunding UNRWA, the only agency capable of fairly and efficiently distributing aid.The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) was created in December 1949, almost two years after the UN voted for the partition of Palestine. It was, and still is, the only UN agency dedicated solely to one dispossessed population — the Palestinians.In the decades following its creation, UNRWA was engaged in almost all aspects of Palestinian life — from food distribution to healthcare and education to utilities provision. Amid the genocide in Gaza, the agency was sidelined,…

Syria will select the People’s Assembly on Sunday in the country’s first elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December.The elections are a historic moment after more than 50 years of dynastic, oppressive al-Assad rule and are another test for the new government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Is an end to war in sight in Gaza?list 2 of 3Week in Pictures: From Pro-Gaza protests in Europe to floods in Sudanlist 3 of 3At least 47 killed in Nepal as heavy rains trigger landslides, flash floodsend of listHowever, the electoral process…

Donald Trump urges Hamas to move quickly to release captives and finalise negotiations over his plan to end the war.Israeli attacks across the besieged Gaza Strip have killed at least 70 Palestinians, medical sources said, despite calls from United States President Donald Trump for Israel to stop its bombardment after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of Trump’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s war.At least 45 of the victims killed in bombardments and air strikes on Saturday were in the famine-struck Gaza City, where the Israeli army has been pressing an offensive in recent weeks, forcing some one million…