Israel has released the first 90 Palestinian prisoners under the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal, hours after the agreement took effect on Sunday. This development is aimed at stopping the fighting that has devastated the coastal territory. According to local media outlets, the prison authority confirmed the release, stating that most of the freed prisoners were women and minors. …

The US Department of State has notified Congress of a planned $8 billion (£6.4 billion) arms sale to Israel, an American official confirmed it to the BBC. The weapons consignment, which needs approval from House and Senate committees, includes missiles, shells and other munitions. The move comes just over a fortnight before President Joe Biden leaves office. Washington has rejected …

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, yesterday urged 290 pilgrims departing the territory for Jordan and Israel to remember that a holy pilgrimage is neither a jamboree nor tourism. She said a holy pilgrimage should be a spiritual call to strengthen one’s faith and to attain a new level of spirituality and responsibility. Mahmoud spoke …

President Bola Tinubu has officially launched the 2024 main Christian pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan. The airlift of pilgrims was flagged off on Sunday at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State. This was disclosed in a statement by the Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka, and published on the Commission’s official X handle, #NGChrisPilgComm, on Monday. According …

President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that Iran did not seek war with Israel but was ready to deliver “an appropriate response” to strikes this week on Iranian military sites. “We do not seek war but we will defend the rights of our nation and country,” Pezeshkian told a cabinet meeting, adding: “We will give an appropriate response to the …

Israel launched multiple air strikes on Iran in the early hours of Saturday, in response to what the Israeli military called “months of continuous attacks” from Tehran and its proxies. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says Iran has been “relentlessly attacking Israel” since 7 October 2023. The IDF’s confirmation of strikes on Iran followed earlier reports by Iranian state media …

A drone was yesterday launched by Iran-backed Hezbolla towards the private residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coastal town of Caesarea, his office has said. “The prime minister and his wife were not at the location, and there were no injuries in the incident”, a statement said. It came after the Israeli military said three drones were …

UN peacekeepers in Lebanon warned Saturday against a “catastrophic” regional conflict as Israeli forces battled Hezbollah and Hamas militants on two fronts, on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Israel has faced a fierce diplomatic backlash over incidents in south Lebanon that saw five Blue Helmets wounded. On Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said Israeli air strikes on two …

The United States will not ease its “pressure” on Israel and Arab leaders in the Middle East to reach a deal on hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, Vice President Kamala Harris said in an interview released Sunday. Washington is working with Israel on humanitarian aid and “the need for a deal to be done which would release the hostages …

Lebanese health officials announced late Wednesday that Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of 46 people and left 85 others wounded across the country in the past 24 hours. The escalating violence, which has gripped the region since 7 October 2023, shows no signs of abating as Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange relentless cross-border fire. According to Lebanon’s Disaster …