Skip next section Hostage families call for ‘leverage’ over Sinwar’s death to bring loved ones home
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Hostage families call for ‘leverage’ over Sinwar’s death to bring loved ones home
A group representing the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza — The Hostages and Missing Families Forum — welcomed the news about .
But the group added that families were still worried about the fate of their loved ones being held in Gaza.
“While acknowledging the significant achievement, the families of the hostages express grave concern for the fate of 101 men, women and children, still held captive by Hamas, and urge leveraging this major achievement into an immediate deal to secure hostages’ return,” the group wrote on X.
Families and supporters of the hostages also took to the streets of Tel Aviv calling for a deal to bring them home and end the war.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lvbb
Skip next section Netanyahu vows to continue fighting with ‘full force’ in Gaza
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Netanyahu vows to continue fighting with ‘full force’ in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister said the death of Yahya Sinwar offered the chance of peace in the Middle East but warned that the war in Gaza was not over.
“Today we have settled the score. Today evil has been dealt a blow but our task has still not been completed,” Netanyahu said in a recorded video statement.
“To the dear hostage families, I say: this is an important moment in the war. We will continue full force until all your loved ones, our loved ones, are home.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4lvb6
Skip next section Germany’s Baerbock calls for release of hostages after Sinwar’s death
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Germany’s Baerbock calls for release of hostages after Sinwar’s death
The Foreign Ministry posted on X that was a “brutal murder and terrorist who wanted to destroy Israel and its people.”
“As the mastermind of the terror on October 7, he brought death to thousands of people and immeasurable suffering to an entire region,” the ministry wrote, attributing quotes to Foreign Minister .
“Hamas must now immediately release all hostages and lay down its weapons; the suffering of the people in Gaza must finally end,” it added.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lvZv
Skip next section Sinwar was ‘major’ obstacle for ending the war in Gaza, expert tells DW
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Sinwar was ‘major’ obstacle for ending the war in Gaza, expert tells DW
Middle East analyst Avi Melamed told DW that the death of may raise hopes of held by militants in Gaza.
“It may encourage the process of bringing hostages home” and “an end” to the war in Gaza, Melamed said. “But for the time being, it is an open question.”
Melamed spoke to DW before Sinwar’s death was confirmed.
The Hamas leader, Melamed said, has long played a role in over decades. While there were camps within the militant group that may have chosen a more pragmatic approach in terms of dealing with Israel, Sinwar “was able to dictate his will.”
“Sinwar was a major obstacle for ending the war” in Gaza because he didn’t move the slightest on the issue of releasing hostages, Melamed said.
As long as he was in power in Gaza, he was able to “intimidate” factions in Gaza that may have contemplated replacing him or moving toward “some sort of an agreement” with Israel, he added.
However, the Wall Street Journal reported in August that Sinwar had been open to cease-fire negotiations, but set the condition that Israel end its military operations in Gaza first.
Melamed said it would be “interesting to see the ramifications of what seems to be like the elimination of Sinwar.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4lvV4
Skip next section Hamas chief Sinwar eliminated in Israeli strike, Israeli foreign minister says
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Hamas chief Sinwar eliminated in Israeli strike, Israeli foreign minister says
Yahya Sinwar, one of the chief architects of Hamas’ attack on Israel last year and the most wanted man by Israel’s military, was killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza, the IDF said on Thursday.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called Sinwar’s killing a “military and moral achievement for the Israeli army,” saying it would “create the possibility to immediately release the hostages.”
Read the here.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lvZW
Skip next section Iranian foreign minister in Egypt to discuss regional tensions
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Iranian foreign minister in Egypt to discuss regional tensions
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi and other officials in Cairo for talks on , according to an Egyptian statement.
It is the first visit by an Iranian foreign minister to Egypt in almost 12 years.
The statement from El-Sissi’s office said the pair discussed “the need to stop regional escalation” and “intensifying efforts toward cease-fires in Gaza and Lebanon,” where Israel is at war with the Iran-backed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
There have been fears the conflict could expand even further after Israel vowed to retaliate for a
Egypt has repeatedly called for a cease-fire and has been a key mediator between Israel and Hamas.
https://p.dw.com/p/4luj3
Skip next section Israel ‘checking’ if Hamas leader Sinwar killed in Gaza
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Israel ‘checking’ if Hamas leader Sinwar killed in Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it is looking into the possibility that leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in an operation in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the IDF said it killed three militants in the operation, but added that “the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed.”
“The IDF and ISA [Israeli Security Agency] are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar,” it said.
The Israeli military said there were no signs of Israeli hostages in the building where the militants were killed.
“The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution,” it said.
There was no immediate response from Hamas.
Sinwar is considered to be the mastermind behind the terror attack on Israel in October 2023 that .
https://p.dw.com/p/4lukN
Skip next section Hezbollah MP: Israel has not seized any villages in southern Lebanon
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Hezbollah MP: Israel has not seized any villages in southern Lebanon
member of parliament Hassan Fadlallah says the Israeli military has not managed to take control of any villages in southern Lebanon since .
However, Israeli media said on Thursday that it had taken the village of Aita al-Shab on Thursday, just across the line of demarcation with Israel. Israeli TV Channel 12 released a video showing the Israeli flag flying on a tower surrounded by damaged buildings.
Fadlallah told reporters that Hezbollah, which is backed by , would keep fighting “with all available means” to prevent Israel from achieving its goals.
He also said the group was working with the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament to secure a cease-fire.
“Our goal today is to end the aggression. We will not go into any detail related to the mechanism or solutions,” the legislator said.
Israel says it has killed dozens of Hezbollah fighters and seized thousands of weapons since it began its offensive in Lebanon.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lugV
Skip next section 345,000 Gazans facing ‘catastrophic’ hunger this winter: monitor
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
345,000 Gazans facing ‘catastrophic’ hunger this winter: monitor
The entire Gaza Strip is experiencing , with in the enclave hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid, a UN-backed global monitor said.
Analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that around 1.84 million people in or 86% of the population, were facing high levels of food insecurity. That included 133,000 people living with “catastrophic” levels of hunger.
The monitor warned that the number could rise to 345,000 this winter.
“One year into the conflict, the risk of famine persists throughout the whole Gaza Strip as conflict intensifies and winter approaches,” the IPC said in its report.
The recent “sharp decline” in aid “will profoundly limit the ability of families to feed themselves and access essential goods and services in the coming months, unless reversed,” it added.
The US warned Israel this week that it would cut off military support unless it does more to boost access to humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Israel has said it is acting in accordance with international law and facilitating aid deliveries. It has also accused aid groups and the UN of failing to deliver the aid, and blamed Hamas for stealing supplies.
The IPC was set up in 2004 and is an initiative involving UN agencies, national governments and aid groups.
https://p.dw.com/p/4luaW
Skip next section Israeli military says it may have killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Israeli military says it may have killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was checking whether Hamas leader had been killed in Gaza.
The IDF said “three terrorists were eliminated” during the Israeli military’s operations in Gaza, with it being possible one of them was Sinwar.
The military said, “the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed.”
Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, is believed to be the architect of the October 7 terror attacks on Israel.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lub1
Skip next section Israeli strike kills 15 at school-turned-shelter in Gaza, health authorities say
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Israeli strike kills 15 at school-turned-shelter in Gaza, health authorities say
At least 15 people, including children, have been killed in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in the northern , according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The ministry, which is run by , said dozens were also injured.
Israel’s military said the strike targeted a command center run by militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad inside the school, which is located in the refugee camp of Jabaliya.
Fares Abu Hamza, head of the Health Ministry’s emergency unit in northern Gaza, was cited by The Associated Press as saying that the nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital was struggling to treat the wounded.
“Many women and children are in critical condition,” he said.
Reuters cited Hamas as saying they did not use the school for fighting purposes.
It was not possible to verify the presence of militants in the school at the time of the strike. Israel has repeatedly said its strikes are precise and do not target civilians, but women and children are often killed.
https://p.dw.com/p/4luJe
Skip next section German chancellor: We will continue to supply arms to Israel
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
German chancellor: We will continue to supply arms to Israel
has reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to supplying arms to Israel, saying it means Berlin is “constantly ensuring Israel’s defense capability.”
“Israel has every right to defend itself against Hamas and to fight it militarily,” Scholz said, adding, however, that Israel must abide by international law in its war against the Palestinian militant group in Gaza.
Speaking on the sidelines of an EU leaders’ summit, the chancellor said a two-state solution, which envisages a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, was the goal.
EU leaders meeting in Brussels are expected to discuss the Middle East conflict, and .
https://p.dw.com/p/4luGi
Skip next section German ship shoots down drone off Lebanon
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
German ship shoots down drone off Lebanon
A German warship participating in the UN’s peacekeeping mission in (UNIFIL) has shot down a drone off the Lebanese coast, according to German military and defense officials.
The “Ludwigshafen am Rhein” corvette repelled an approaching drone at around 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), a spokesperson from Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, was cited by the German DPA news agency as saying.
The drone was reportedly shot down around 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of the port of Naqoura, in southern Lebanon,
The Bundeswehr spokesperson said German forces were in an “increased risk situation” in Lebanon and that “appropriate protective measures” are currently being taken.
The incident comes amid spiraling tensions in Lebanon, where Israel is carrying out a ground and air offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
UNIFIL says its , while has urged the UN to move its peacekeepers out of combat areas.
On Thursday, UNIFIL said an Israeli tank “directly” fired on its headquarters in Naqoura, knocking out a watchtower and injuring two peacekeepers.
More than 10,000 troops from more than 50 countries are currently deployed to UNIFIL.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ltvz
Skip next section Iranian commander warns Israel against retaliation for missile attack
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Iranian commander warns Israel against retaliation for missile attack
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Hossein Salami has threatened Israel with more if it attacks Iranian targets.
“Do not repeat your mistake … if you misbehave, if you strike anything of ours either in the region or in Iran, we will again hit you painfully,” he said.
Salami was speaking at the funeral of an IRGC general who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut last month that also killed .
for a massive Iranian missile attack earlier in October, sparking international fears of a
https://p.dw.com/p/4lu1s
Skip next section Israel says 45 Hezbollah fighters killed in 24 hours
10/17/2024October 17, 2024
Israel says 45 Hezbollah fighters killed in 24 hours
Israel’s army said it had killed more than 45 militants from in Lebanon in the past 24 hours.
In a statement, the army said it had “attacked 150 terrorist targets,” including weapons depots, rocket launch pads and other infrastructure.
It said the commander of a battalion in Bint Jubail in southern was among the dead.
The information could not be independently verified.
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands have been displaced in the in Lebanon.
Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the US and Germany, while the EU classifies only its armed wing as a terrorist group.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ltzk
The post Middle East: Israel says war not over after Sinwar death appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
