Middle East
The psychological effect of being held hostage
By Julien Dury PARIS, Nov 24, 2023 (AFP) – How will the first group of hostages released by Hamas on Friday recover from the psychological trauma of being held captive since the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7? It is a difficult question to answer, experts say, because the capacity to recover from being held hostage varies enormously and unpredictably from one person to another. “Whilst many people released from captivity experience […]
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 […]
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 […]
Gaza truce and hostage release to start Friday
By Adel Zaanoun with Hazel Ward in Jerusalem GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories, Nov 23, 2023 (AFP) – A pause in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza will start on Friday morning and an exchange of hostages and prisoners will follow hours later, mediator Qatar said, after nearly seven weeks of fighting. The breakthrough four-day truce facilitated by Qatar with help from Egypt and the United States had been due to take effect on Thursday but was […]
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 […]
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 […]
Hamas leader says ‘close to reaching’ truce deal in Israel-Hamas war
DOHA, Nov 21, 2023 (AFP) – Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Tuesday his militant movement was nearing a truce agreement with Israel, according to a statement posted on Telegram. “We are close to reaching a deal on a truce,” Haniyeh said, according to the post. Negotiators have been working to seal a deal to allow the release of around 240 mostly Israeli hostages seized on October 7, during the deadliest assault on Israel in […]
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 […]
