Gaza Archives - WPTF-AM

US envoys arrive in Israel to shore up the Gaza truce after violence flares

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Two of U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys traveled to Israel to shore up the tenuous ceasefire that’s holding in Gaza, a day after the fragile deal faced its first major flareup. On Sunday, Israel had threatened to halt aid transfers, and its forces killed dozens in strikes after accusing Hamas militants of killing two soldiers. By Monday, an Israeli security official said the delivery of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza would resume through multiple crossings after Israeli inspection. It was not immediately clear if the flow of aid had restarted. The U.S.-proposed truce aims to end two years of war, but tensions remain high.… Continue Reading

Israel strikes Gaza in the first major ceasefire test, saying Hamas attacked troops

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel has struck targets in the southern Gaza Strip after it said its troops came under fire from Hamas militants, in the first major test of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire meant to halt more than two years of war. Members of the Palestinian group used an RPG and Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery on Sunday, the military said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with Israel’s security heads and directed the military to take “strong action” against any ceasefire violations, but did not threaten to return to war. Hamas said that it was not connected to any clashes in Rafah in southern Gaza.… Continue Reading

Hamas reaffirms commitment to ceasefire as delays in returning hostages’ bodies fray nerves

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas has moved to shore up its brittle ceasefire agreement with Israel by reaffirming its commitment to the terms of the deal that includes a pledge to hand over the remains of all dead Israeli hostages. The militant group’s statement, released in the early hours Friday, follows a dire warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would green-light Israel to resume the war if Hamas doesn’t live up to its end of the deal. The militant group has also defended the killings in Gaza of alleged gang members who one official accused of causing death and destruction. Meanwhile, the U.N. says a large infusion of aid into Gaza is still being held up.… Continue Reading

Trump urges leaders to put ‘old feuds’ aside as he calls for a new era of harmony in the Middle East

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — President Donald Trump is calling for a new era of harmony in the Middle East. Trump spoke Monday during a global summit in Egypt on Gaza’s future, trying to advance broader peace in the region after visiting Israel to celebrate a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas. Trump urges world leaders at the summit to put “the old feuds” to rest and seize momentum, calling the Israel-Hamas ceasefire the first steps to peace. The summit marks a fragile moment of hope for Middle East peace. Trump says there’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance “to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.”… Continue Reading

Israel lays out plans for hostage release and prisoner swap expected on Monday

CAIRO (AP) — Preparations are underway for aid to enter Gaza and for the release of hostages under a new ceasefire deal. The truce has brought cautious calm to the area. On Monday, all the living hostages among the 48 still held by Hamas are expected to be freed. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Israel to witness the release and will later attend a peace summit in Egypt. The release of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel is also part of the deal. The United Nations has aid ready to enter Gaza once Israel approves. The war, which began in 2023, has caused significant destruction and loss of life.… Continue Reading

Israeli military says ceasefire takes effect in Gaza, raising hopes for ending the war

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military says a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has come into effect in Gaza. The announcement came Friday, hours after Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal to pause the fighting and exchange the remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Tens of thousands of people who had gathered in central Gaza in the morning started walking north after the military’s announcement. Beforehand, Palestinians reported heavy shelling in parts of Gaza throughout Friday morning, but no significant bombardment was reported after. The ceasefire marks a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, and left dozens of hostages, living and dead, in the territory.… Continue Reading

Israel’s military begins its ground offensive in Gaza City and thousands of residents flee

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military has begun its ground offensive in Gaza City, slowly closing in on the Palestinian territory’s largest city. Tuesday’s operation marked another escalation in the war. Thousands of people streamed out of the city in vehicles laden with their belongings, but hundreds of thousands more remain. The conflict has already decimated much of the Gaza Strip and roiled the Middle East for nearly two years, and the new operation likely pushes any ceasefire farther out of reach. The military wouldn’t offer a timeline for the offensive, but Israeli media suggested it could take months. The military says it aims to “destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure.”… Continue Reading

Trump wants Jordan and Egypt to accept more Palestinian refugees and floats plan to ‘clean out’ Gaza

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump says he would like to see Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from the Gaza Strip, potentially moving out enough of the population to “clean out” the area to create a virtual clean slate. He told reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday that he has discussed his vision on a call with King Abdullah II of Jordan and would speak Sunday with Egypt’s president. Trump also says he has ended his predecessor’s hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. That lifts a pressure point meant to reduce civilian casualties during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza that is now halted by a tenuous ceasefire.… Continue Reading

A rare Israeli strike on central Beirut kills Hezbollah’s spokesman, official says

BEIRUT (AP) — A rare Israeli airstrike on central Beirut has killed Hezbollah’s chief spokesman. An official with the militant group confirmed that Mohammed Afif was killed on Sunday. The latest in targeted killings of senior Hezbollah officials came as Lebanese officials consider a United States-led cease-fire proposal. Israel also bombed several buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has long been headquartered. In Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 12 people. And two flares fired overnight at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence have been blamed on domestic critics as frustrations over the war in Gaza remain high.… Continue Reading

Palestinian officials say 87 dead or missing after Israeli strikes on northern Gaza

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza’s Health Ministry says 87 people are dead or missing after Israeli strikes on multiple homes in northern Gaza. It says another 40 people were wounded in the strikes on the town of Beit Lahiya overnight and into Sunday. Beit Lahiya, on the northern edge of Gaza, was among the first targets of Israel’s ground invasion nearly a year ago. There was no immediate comment on the strikes from the Israeli military, which said it was “continuing to operate across Gaza in both aerial strikes and ground operations.”… Continue Reading