All posts tagged: Israel

Yes, Germany supports Israel – but not uncritically, and not for the reasons you think | Joerg Lau

Published by Sam

Who could have anticipated such a twist in Germany’s fraught relationship with its dark past? The German government is coming under increasing pressure to break free of the constraints of German guilt. And it is Turkey that wants the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, to deliver the reversal. On a visit to Germany earlier this month, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, standing next to Scholz in Berlin, claimed that Germany was too absorbed by historical remorse to grasp the reality of the Middle East. Before his arrival in Germany, Erdoğan had called the Hamas terrorists “freedom fighters” and said that Israel’s legitimacy was in doubt due to its “own fascism”. Scholz had staunchly resisted calls to cancel the visit, but made clear before Erdoğan’s arrival that he considered the president’s view of the conflict “absurd”. What followed was an awkward visit that highlighted how tricky the navigation of German foreign policy has become. Erdoğan is fully aware of his leverage in Berlin: almost 3 million people in Germany are of Turkish heritage. Ankara provides close to …

‘Overjoyed’: nine-year-old hostage Emily Hand returns to family in Israel | Israel-Hamas war

Published by Sam

The family and friends of Emily Hand have spoken of their joy after Hamas released the nine-year-old Israeli-Irish girl from captivity in Gaza late on Saturday. “Emily has come back to us,” her father, Thomas Hand, said after an emotional reunion at a hospital in Israel. In a statement, Emily’s family said: “We can’t find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.” Later on Sunday, her father gave an update on her recovery: “She has lost a lot of weight, from her face and body, but generally doing better than we expected. “We’d like to thank everyone that has helped and supported us throughout this whole 50 days. It’s been great, we can’t do it without you.” Emily was initially feared dead after the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October, but was later counted among the hostages. She was one of a group of 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals who were released late on Saturday night as part of a deal that saw Israel free 39 Palestinian prisoners. …

Israel told us to move to south Gaza. Then it said it would bomb the south too. So where do we go now? | Rozan

Published by Sam

As I began to write this, here in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Israeli missiles were striking nearby. Once you get over the initial shock of the loud explosions, the shaking of the house and your knees, the first instinct is to immediately rush to calm the children whose cries somehow seem louder and more painful than the strikes themselves. Throughout Israel’s invasion, people in northern Gaza have been told to move to the “safety” of the south. But our day-to-day lives here are testament to the fact that in Gaza, nowhere is safe. As missiles fall, our house is filled with relatives, including lots of children – some of whom lost their homes nearby to Israeli airstrikes, others who have fled the bombardment in northern Gaza for the “safety” of the south. It was here in the south that I lost my closest relatives on my father’s side. Three brothers and their wives and children were struck by Israeli missiles, and their entire building was reduced to rubble. Only a few of them survived, mainly …

Israel-Hamas war live: 17 hostages freed by Hamas arrive in Israel; 39 Palestinian prisoners released | Israel-Hamas war

Published by Sam

Seventeen freed hostages arrive in Israel as 39 Palestinian prisoners released Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals arrived in Israel on Sunday in the second release of hostages from Hamas captivity in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in a deal briefly endangered by a dispute about aid delivery into Gaza. Reuters reports the dispute was overcome by the mediation of Egypt and Qatar but that it threatened the truce to free captives, underscoring the fragility of the pact meant to release 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant groups and 150 prisoners held in Israeli jails over four days. Television images showed hostages on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing after leaving Gaza, as Hamas handed the hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross late on Saturday. Six of the 13 Israelis released were women and seven were children and teenagers. “The released hostages are on their way to hospitals in Israel, where they will reunite with their families,” the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement. Israel released 39 Palestinians …

‘It brings hope’: in Tel Aviv plaza cheers greet news of hostage release | Israel

Published by Sam

In the heart of Tel Aviv, several hundred people waited in the plaza now called Hostages Square. As darkness fell the mood was melancholic but hopeful as people waited for a confirmation that 13 women and children held by Hamas had been freed as planned. Then came a cheer as news of their release was confirmed. People sang Shabbat or old folklore songs as they waited outside the Museum of Art, where among the most poignant displays was an empty dinner table, surrounded by 240 empty seats, representing each of the missing hostages, not just the handful in the slow process of coming home. “I’m just looking at these pictures and seeing that Israeli children and women and whoever are coming back to their families. I mean, it’s amazing for us,” Gil Dickmann told the BBC, even though his cousin Carmel Gat was not going to be one of those released in the first wave. Gradually the names of those being released began to filter out, their ages ranging from two to 85. First confirmed …

From a judicial coup to the Hamas attack: the year that tore apart, then reunited, Israel | Israel

Published by Sam

The war is paused, but it is not over. There will be relief at the promised four days of quiet between Israel and Hamas, and there will be joy for the families waiting to be reunited with loved ones, thanks to Friday’s planned exchange of hostages held in Gaza for prisoners held in Israel. But even if the ceasefire is extended, perhaps in return for the release of more Hamas-held captives, this war will not be over anytime soon. If anything, it is likely to intensify. It is too big to stop now, it runs too deep. And it has already turned Israel upside down. You only have to spend a few days in the country to see that. The war is everywhere. In the airport, signs direct you to the nearest bomb shelter in case the siren should sound. Open Google Maps and, unprompted, it shows you where to go to take cover. By the roadside, huge billboards carry patriotic slogans – “We Will Triumph”, “We Are All One Israel” – against the rippling …

Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas comes into effect ahead of expected Gaza hostage release | Israel-Hamas war

Published by Sam

The ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Friday at 7am, ahead of the expected release of the first group of Israeli hostages held by the militant Islamist organisation in return for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Underlining the fragility of the four day pause in hostilities, an alert sounded in Israel at 7.15am local time warning of a possible incoming rocket from Gaza targeting a village in southern Israel. The diplomatic breakthrough, delayed by 24 hours, marks the first pause in seven weeks of war in Gaza and offers some relief both for the 2.3 million Palestinians in the territory who have endured intensive Israeli bombardment, and for families in Israel fearful for the fate of their loved ones taken captive during the bloody attack launched last month by Hamas that triggered the conflict. Officials in Qatar, which has played a key role as an intermediary, said an operations room their will monitor the truce and the release of hostages from Gaza. They have direct and real-time lines of communication with …

Israel-Hamas war live: Israel and Hamas agree four-day ceasefire and release of 50 hostages held in Gaza | Israel-Hamas war

Published by Sam

Israel and Hamas agree four-day ceasefire and release of 50 hostages held in Gaza The Israeli government has announced the deal for the release of 50 hostages, all of whom are women and children, over four days, during which there will be pause in fighting. Groups of 12-13 hostages will be released per day, the Times of Israel reports. Here is the full statement on the deal from the Israeli Government: The Government of Israel is obligated to return home all of the hostages. Tonight, the Government has approved the outline of the first stage of achieving this goal, according to which at least 50 hostages – women and children – will be released over four days, during which a pause in the fighting will be held. The release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause. The Government of Israel, the IDF and the security services will continue the war in order to return home all of the hostages, complete the elimination of Hamas and ensure that there …