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People gathered in Paris Saturday in support of the hostages held in Gaza, describing being torn between hope and fear hours before a truce set to allow their release takes effect. The ceasefire, intended to pave the way to an end of the Israel-Hamas war, was scheduled to begin at 0630 GMT Sunday.Under the deal, 33 hostages taken by militants during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel will be returned from Gaza during an initial 42-day period. In Paris, hostage supporters gathered opposite the Eiffel Tower anxiously awaiting the ceasefire.”It’s a mix of hope and fear,” said Jean-David Ichay, president of the “Tous 7 Octobre” association.”There’s already the fact that only 33 hostages have been announced so far… The rest will either happen later or not at all,” he said.Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.Two sources close to Hamas told AFP that the first group of hostages to be released would be three Israeli women soldiers.- ‘Fall into euphoria’ -In Paris, Ichay expressed worries about “the health of the hostages — those who will be alive, those who will return deceased.”Participants at the rally held up “bring them home” placards with the faces of some of the hostages while a digital counter marked the days, hours and minutes they have been held captive.”Now, at last, we have hope. Please support us until the last hostage is home,” Efrat Yahalomi, sister of French-Israeli hostage Ohad Yahalomi, said from a stage.French President Emmanuel Macron has said Yahalomi and another dual national, Ofer Kalderon, are among those due to be freed in the first phase.That stage will also see the release of 737 Palestinian prisoners, Israel’s justice ministry said, starting from 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Sunday.Moshe Lavi said his brother-in-law Omri Miran, 47, was not among those expected to be released.”We rejoice for those who will be reunited. But for us and for so many others, our fight continues,” he said. “We call on the public to not fall into euphoria but to continue to come to rallies and speak up for the hostages.”Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war and resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

A ceasefire in the Gaza war will begin on Sunday morning, mediator Qatar said, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to bring back “all the hostages” held in the Palestinian territory.The truce is intended to end more than 15 months of fighting and devastating bombardment, but in a televised address Saturday evening, the hawkish premier stressed Israel had US support to return to war if necessary.During an initial 42-day ceasefire, Palestinian militant groups will hand over 33 hostages, three of them on Sunday, and Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, some of whom will be deported.”As coordinated by the parties to the agreement and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30 am (0630 GMT) on Sunday,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.Israeli strikes on Gaza continued on the eve of the truce, with Gaza’s civil defence agency saying at least five members of one family were killed when a strike hit their tent in Khan Yunis.Explosions were heard over Jerusalem as Yemen’s Huthi rebels launched a barrage of missiles at Israel in a show of support for Palestinians.The Huthis said they targeted the defence ministry in Tel Aviv and also fired two missiles at the Red Sea port city of Eilat.They also targeted an American aircraft carrier in the Red Sea on Sunday and warned of “consequences” should there be any retaliation during the ceasefire period.In more than 15 months of war between Hamas and Israel, there has been only one previous truce, for one week, in November 2023. That deal also saw the release of hostages held by the militants in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.Netanyahu said Israel had “changed the face of the Middle East” since the war began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.He called the 42-day first phase that starts Sunday a “temporary ceasefire”.”If we are forced to resume the war, we will do so with force,” he said.But Hamas said Israel had “failed to achieve its aggressive goals” and “only succeeded in committing war crimes that disgrace the dignity of humanity”. Israel’s justice ministry said 737 Palestinian prisoners and detainees would be freed as part of the deal’s first phase — none before 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Sunday. – Trump -Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani told Sky News the framework signed this week was the same as one agreed in December 2023, adding it amounted to 13 months of “waste”.The truce is to take effect on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration for a second term as US president. On US network NBC on Saturday, Trump said he told Netanyahu that the war “has to end”. “We want it to end, but to keep doing what has to be done,” he said.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had completed preparations “to assume full responsibility in Gaza” after the war.Israel has expressed no definitive stance on post-war governance beyond rejecting any role for either Hamas or the PA. Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Gaza should be under PA control.Ahead of the truce, displaced Gazans prepared to return home.”I will go to kiss my land,” said Nasr al-Gharabli, who fled Gaza City for a camp farther south. “If I die on my land, it would be better than being here as a displaced person.”Jerusalem residents said the deal had been a long time coming.”Hopefully a maximum amount of hostages will be coming back”, said Beeri Yemeni, a university student. “Maybe this is the beginning of (the) end of suffering for both sides, hopefully,” he said, adding that “the war needed to end like a long, long time ago.”Hamas’s 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.- Aid-starved -Mediators had worked for months to reach a deal but the efforts were fruitless until Trump’s inauguration neared.Brett McGurk, the point man for outgoing President Joe Biden, was joined in the region by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in an unusual pairing to finalise the agreement, US officials said.Netanyahu said most of the 33 captives to be released in the first phase are alive.”With this agreement, we will bring back 33 of our brothers and sisters, the majority alive,” he said.Israeli forces will withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza and allow displaced Palestinians to return “to their residences”, the Qatari prime minister said.Biden said a second phase of the agreement not yet finalised would bring a “permanent end to the war”.In aid-starved Gaza, humanitarian workers caution that a monumental task lies ahead.Hundreds of trucks loaded with aid have lined up on the Egyptian side of the Gaza border.Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said 600 trucks a day would enter Gaza after the ceasefire takes effect, including 50 carrying fuel.burs-it/lb/cwl

TikTok has pledged to “go dark” in the United States on Sunday, threatening access for 170 million app users without 11th-hour guarantees from the government, as President-elect Donald Trump says he is considering a reprieve — after he takes office.After months of legal tussles, the US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that would …

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Thousands of people gathered and over 70 were arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally in central London Saturday, on the eve of the start of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.The majority were detained on suspicion of breaching the authorised perimeter for the protest near key government buildings in central London.The ceasefire, which comes into effect Sunday morning, involves the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas of Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid deliveries to the war-ravaged region. “We desperately want to be optimistic” about the truce, Sophie Mason told AFP.”And so we need to be out on the streets in order to make sure the ceasefire holds,” said the 50-year-old, who is a regular at the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the British capital.The 70 arrests at the demonstration were the largest number since the rallies began in London in October 2023, according to the Metropolitan police.The demonstration was set to be a static rally in Whitehall, site of the main British government offices, after police rejected the route initially proposed by organisers — which the Met police said would have been in the vicinity of a synagogue.However, police said there was a “coordinated effort” by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) to breach the conditions, after some protesters moved away from Whitehall and towards Trafalgar Square.”This is the highest number of arrests we have seen, in response to the most significant escalation in criminality,” police commander Adam Slonecki said in a statement.”Investigations are now underway and we will make every effort to bring prosecutions against those we identify.”The PSC has previously called the policing restrictions “repressive”.- ‘Too late’ -At the protest, participants held up placards bearing slogans including “Stop arming Israel” or “Gaza, stop the massacre” amid regular chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.”Obviously, we’re delighted there’s a cease fire”, said Linda Plant, a retiree from London, however, pointing out that Israeli strikes on Gaza have continued since the ceasefire deal was announced Wednesday.”We need to make pressure to make that ceasefire hold” and for international aid to reach Gaza, said Ben, 36, a workers union member who only shared his first name.For Anisah Qausher, a student, the ceasefire is “too late, I think it’s too little”. While she hopes it will bring “temporary relief”, she believes that “we’re gonna need to do a lot more”, citing the challenge of rebuilding Gaza.According to the Met, 65 protesters were arrested on suspicion of breaching protest conditions, while others were arrested suspected of offenses including assault, support of a proscribed group and obstructing police.A counter-demonstration with around 100 protesters waving Israeli flags also gathered nearby.Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war and resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv to demand freedom for hostages held in Gaza, anxious the ceasefire deal would collapse, with many dwelling on the fate of Kfir Bibas, the youngest captive whose second birthday fell on Saturday.”Today, I tried to write a birthday message for Kfir for the second time,” his aunt Ofri Bibas Levy said. “A message for a child who cannot celebrate… A child trapped in hell. A child who might not even be alive. But no words come out, only tears.”Taken alongside his now four-year-old brother Ariel and his mother and father, Shiri and Yarden, he has become a symbol of the suffering of the hostages.”I have two orange ballons on my car,” said Sigal Kirsch in Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square”. The colour has become symbolic of the Bibas boys, both of whom are red-heads.”I don’t have the words,” she said, visibly overcome with emotion.Hamas said in November 2023 that the two boys and their mother were killed in an Israeli air strike, but the Israeli military has not confirmed their deaths.Coming together to protest barely 12 hours before the first three hostages are due to be released, many couldn’t bring themselves to believe after so much false hope that the ordeal of the hostages might finally be over.”Once they cross the (Gaza) border and they will be rejoined with their families then maybe we can breathe again,” said Shahar Mor Zahiro, the nephew of slain hostage Avraham Munder.- ‘Hell’ -Anxiety was the overwhelming mood.”This past week was hell,” said Kirsch, who had been every week to the gatherings at Hostage Square, across the road from Israeli military headquarters.”On Tuesday we were sure that the deal would be signed… and it took until last night. So we’re very, very anxious,” she said.The deal agreed between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, via mediators, is broken into three phases.But, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under pressure from far-right elements of his government opposed to a ceasefire, protesters and families of the hostages expressed fears that the deal would collapse.”In one sense (the mood) is a little more hopeful, and in another sense, it’s very sad. Because for the people who aren’t in the first phase, I can’t imagine how their hearts bleed at this point,” said Neil Trubowiz, 75, from Tel Aviv, in Hostage Square.Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who opposed the deal, said he would remain in the government but that the prime minister had promised him the war would continue.Mor Zahiro demanded that what he called “extremist elements” in the cabinet be prevented from collapsing the deal.”Tell them to shut up!” he said. “Let the people come back to their loved ones.”He denounced the idea that the war could start again. “Stop the fighting. Stop the war. Stop everything. Don’t shoot another bullet, let us heal. This is really crucial, otherwise there will be hell here for the next 50 years.”- ‘Dim light’ -On Saturday night, Netanyahu gave protesters and hostage families further cause for anxiety, saying the ceasefire deal could not go ahead until Hamas handed over a list of hostages to be released.He also said in a televised address that Israel “reserved the right to return to war”.Palestinian militants took 251 people hostage during Hamas’s surprise October 7 attack, 94 of whom remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.The lengthy ceasefire process, with the first 33 hostages released in small groups over 42 days, followed by a second and third phase that are still to be negotiated, leaves multiple opportunities for the process to collapse.”We’re anticipating some good news tomorrow, but on the other hand, we’re very wary of what could happen in the meantime,” said Guy Perry, 58, also from Tel Aviv.He described the possibility of a final end to the war and the return of all hostages as a “very, very dim light” at the end of the tunnel.Despite their fears the deal could collapse at any moment, many couldn’t help but hope.”I cannot wait to see my uncle, I really hope he managed to survive,” said Efrat Machikawa, whose uncle Gadi Moses turned 80 while held hostage in Gaza.”I have to trust my hope. This has to happen, they have to come back.” 

Thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters gathered in central London Saturday, on the eve of the start of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, hoping to put “pressure” to ensure the ceasefire holds.”We desperately want to be optimistic” about the truce, Sophie Mason told AFP.”And so we need to be out on the streets in order to make sure the ceasefire holds,” said the 50-year-old, who is a regular at the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the British capital.The ceasefire, which comes into effect Sunday morning (0630 GMT), involves the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas of Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid deliveries to the war-ravaged region. The London rally took place in Whitehall, site of the main British government offices, after police rejected the route initially proposed by organisers — which the Met police said would have been in the vicinity of a synagogue.Participants held up placards bearing slogans including “Stop arming Israel” or “Gaza, stop the massacre” amid regular chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.- Some arrests -“Obviously, we’re delighted there’s a cease fire”, said Linda Plant, a retiree from London, however, pointing out that Israeli strikes on Gaza have continued since the ceasefire deal was announced Wednesday.”We need to make pressure to make that ceasefire hold” and for international aid to reach Gaza, said Ben, 36, a workers union member who only shared his first name.For Anisah Qausher, a student, the ceasefire is “too late, I think it’s too little”. While she hopes it will bring “temporary relief”, she believes that “we’re gonna need to do a lot more”, citing the challenge of rebuilding Gaza.Around 20-30 protesters were “being arrested” for breaching the authorised perimeter for the protest, and at least seven other protesters had already been arrested for various offences, the Metropolitan police said on X.A counter-demonstration with around 100 protesters waving Israeli flags also gathered nearby.Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war and resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

Israeli police said that an assailant stabbed and seriously wounded a person in the centre of commercial hub Tel Aviv on Saturday, before being shot and “neutralised” by a civilian.The attack came hours before a ceasefire is set to take effect in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been fighting Palestinian militant group Hamas for more than 15 months.The police had initially spoken of a shooting with several wounded but clarified in a later statement that the “terrorist” was armed only with a knife. Israeli police use the term “terrorist” to refer to Palestinians who carry out attacks for political motives.”Initial investigations reveal that a terrorist armed with a knife arrived at the restaurant area on Levontin Street and stabbed a civilian,” the later statement said.”An armed civilian nearby shot and neutralised” the attacker.Police said the stabbing victim was taken to hospital with serious wounds.Emergency service provider Magen David Adom said its staff were providing medical treatment to a 30-year-old male “injured from stabbing” in the 4:30 pm (1430 GMT) attack.It said he was taken to hospital in a conscious state.