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The Israeli military said Wednesday that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas a day earlier under a ceasefire deal was not that of a hostage held in Gaza, adding new strain to the fragile truce in the two-year war. Hamas turned over four bodies on Tuesday following four others on Monday, hours after the last 20 living hostages were released. Israel has been waiting for the return of 28 deceased hostages in total. The military said examinations showed the fourth body “does not match any of the hostages.” Officials gave no details about the person’s identity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Hamas to fully meet the conditions of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which requires the return of all hostages, living and dead. “We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage,” he said. Earlier this year, Hamas mistakenly returned the wrong body during a previous truce, prompting renewed scrutiny of its identification process. The group and the Red Cross say recovering remains has been complicated by Gaza’s widespread destruction. Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem said on Telegram that the group was “working to return the bodies as agreed,” while accusing Israel of violating the truce with shootings in Gaza City and Rafah. Meanwhile, forensic teams in Gaza began identifying 45 Palestinian bodies Israel handed over through the Red Cross on Tuesday. It was unclear whether they were prisoners who died in custody or people killed in Gaza. Humanitarian aid deliveries also resumed Wednesday after a two-day pause linked to the prisoner and hostage exchanges. The Egyptian Red Crescent said 400 trucks carrying food, fuel, and medicine were bound for Gaza.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the rebel offensive that toppled former President Bashar Assad last year, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday in his first visit to the country that granted asylum to the ousted leader. Putin welcomed al-Sharaa at the Kremlin, highlighting the historic relationship between Russia and Syria and expressing hope to deepen bilateral cooperation. The meeting signaled Moscow’s intent to build working ties with Syria’s new leadership and maintain its military foothold in the war-torn nation. Despite being on opposing sides during the Syrian conflict, the interim government in Damascus has adopted a pragmatic stance toward Moscow, which still operates air and naval bases along Syria’s coast and has continued limited energy shipments to the country. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said discussions included the future of Russia’s military bases in Syria. According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, al-Sharaa and Putin discussed regional and international developments and explored avenues for cooperation “to serve the common interests of both nations.” Al-Sharaa, in his televised remarks, underscored the “long historic relationship” and “common interests” between the two countries, saying Syria continues to rely on Russian expertise, especially in energy. “We are trying to restore and redefine the nature of this relationship,” he said. Putin praised Syria’s recent parliamentary elections as a “big success” that would help consolidate national unity. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier this week that Moscow offered Assad asylum on humanitarian grounds, rejecting speculation that the former president had been poisoned. For Damascus, maintaining relations with Moscow is seen as crucial for post-war reconstruction and balancing foreign partnerships. For Russia, Syria remains strategically vital as the location of its only military bases outside the former Soviet Union and a key asset in expanding influence across the Middle East.

World leaders gathered in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday for the “Summit for Peace,” co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, to back a landmark ceasefire aimed at ending more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Neither Israel nor Hamas were present, as both sides lack direct communication. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu skipped the summit due to a Jewish holiday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, however, attended the meeting amid growing global pressure for a political roadmap to follow the fragile truce. The summit followed key developments in recent days: Hamas released the last 20 living Israeli hostages, while Israel began freeing hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons — steps required under the first phase of the ceasefire that began on Friday. El-Sissi’s office said the gathering aims to “end the war in Gaza and open a new chapter of peace and regional stability,” echoing Trump’s vision for a broader Middle East peace framework. Egypt and the US, supported by Arab and Turkish mediators, helped broker the initial truce through negotiations in Qatar. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said full implementation of this first phase is vital before talks on the next phase begin. “We need American engagement — even deployment on the ground — to define the mission and mandate of a peacekeeping force,” Abdelatty told the Associated Press. The two-hour summit was expected to conclude with a joint statement from Trump and el-Sissi, reaffirming their commitment to a lasting peace. Under the first phase, Israeli forces withdrew from parts of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return home, while aid agencies began preparing to deliver long-blocked humanitarian supplies. The next round of negotiations will focus on Hamas’ disarmament, Gaza’s postwar governance, and the extent of Israel’s withdrawal. Trump’s plan envisions the creation of a new Palestinian security force with regional and international training and support, backed by a UN Security Council resolution authorizing its deployment. Reconstruction is another major challenge. The World Bank and Egypt estimate Gaza’s rebuilding and recovery needs at around $53 billion. Egypt plans to host a donor conference soon. Among the attendees were Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Jordan’s King Abdullah, whose country will help train the new Palestinian security force. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, European Council President António Costa, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also joined the summit. Starmer announced a £20 million ($27 million) aid pledge for Gaza’s water and sanitation needs and said the UK would host a three-day reconstruction conference. Iran, a key backer of Hamas, was notably absent. The Islamic Republic — weakened by internal unrest and international isolation — described the ceasefire as a “Hamas victory,” though analysts said it underscored Tehran’s waning influence. Monday’s meeting, the first peace summit under President el-Sissi, took place in Sharm el-Sheikh — a symbolic venue that has hosted numerous peace efforts since the 1970s. The city, known today for its luxury resorts, was once a flashpoint in Arab-Israeli conflicts but now serves as a backdrop for renewed international efforts to secure lasting peace in the Middle East. Source: AP

U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday to highlight the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, declaring that the agreement had effectively ended the war and opened the door to lasting peace in the Middle East. As Trump stepped off Air Force One, a convoy brought the first hostages released by Hamas into Israel under the agreement. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed him on the tarmac while a military band played. In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, which has witnessed continuous demonstrations over the past two years of conflict, crowds cheered his arrival. The ceasefire remains fragile, with both Israel and Hamas in the early stages of implementing the first phase of the plan aimed at ending the war that erupted on October 7, 2023. This phase calls for the release of the remaining 48 hostages held by Hamas, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel, an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza’s main cities. Trump said the ceasefire presents a narrow window to reshape the region and improve long-strained relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. “The war is over, OK?” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I think people are tired of it,” he added, expressing confidence that the truce would hold. The Republican president credited his administration’s support for Israel’s strikes on Iranian-backed groups, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as creating the conditions for peace. The White House also noted growing momentum as Arab and Muslim states increasingly focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while in some cases deepening ties with the United States. Earlier this year, Trump had envisioned Gaza being redeveloped into what he called “the Riviera of the Middle East.” On Sunday, however, he acknowledged the scale of destruction. “I don’t know about the Riviera for a while,” he said. “It’s blasted. This is like a demolition site.” He expressed hope to visit Gaza one day. During his visit, Trump will meet with the families of hostages and address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament—a privilege last given to President George W. Bush in 2008. He will then travel to Egypt, where he and President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will host a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries to discuss peace in Gaza and the wider region. Both Israel and Egypt have announced that Trump will receive their highest civilian honors. Despite the ceasefire, key issues remain unresolved, including Gaza’s postwar governance, reconstruction plans, and Israel’s demand for Hamas to disarm. Any breakdown in these negotiations could lead to renewed military operations. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, and its roughly 2 million residents continue to face severe humanitarian challenges. Under the agreement, Israel has agreed to reopen five border crossings to facilitate the flow of food and supplies into Gaza, where some areas are experiencing famine conditions. Approximately 200 U.S. troops, along with partner nations, NGOs, and private-sector actors, will help monitor and support implementation of the ceasefire deal. Source: AP

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Monday it had begun a “multi-phase operation” to oversee the exchange of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, marking a major breakthrough in the ceasefire deal that aims to end two years of devastating war. Israelis on Monday prepared to welcome home the last 20 surviving hostages from Gaza while mourning those confirmed dead, as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were also set for release. The exchange follows an agreement reached under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan, with President Donald Trump and other world leaders arriving in the region to discuss postwar arrangements. The truce is also allowing a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where widespread destruction and famine have left hundreds of thousands homeless. Hostages released firstHamas on Monday published the names of 20 living hostages it would release, alongside a list of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners expected to be freed by Israel. The Red Cross said it was moving toward collection points in northern Gaza to receive the first group of hostages. The Israeli military confirmed the handover of seven hostages and said more would follow later in the day. Crowds gathered before dawn in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, watching live coverage on big screens as anticipation grew. “It’s very exciting,” said Meir Kaller, who said he had stayed up all night awaiting news. The hostages’ return marks a painful conclusion to a two-year ordeal that began when Hamas militants stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Tens of thousands of Israelis have since joined weekly demonstrations urging their government to secure the captives’ release. Under the deal, the freed hostages will first be handed to the Red Cross, then to the Israeli military at the Reim base for medical checks and reunions with families. Palestinians return home as aid convoys begin entering Gaza under ceasefire Authorities expect the remains of up to 28 hostages still unaccounted for to be located later. An international task force has been formed to search for them, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and missing. The timing for the Palestinian prisoner release has not yet been confirmed. Those set to go free include 250 serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis and about 1,700 detainees from Gaza held without charge. While Israel labels them as terrorists, many Palestinians regard them as freedom fighters opposing occupation. Israeli authorities have reportedly warned against public celebrations in the West Bank after the releases. Trump visits region amid peace pushTrump landed in Israel early Monday, meeting families of freed hostages and addressing the Knesset, saying he believes “the war is over” and expressing confidence the ceasefire will hold. He was scheduled to travel to Egypt later in the day to co-chair a peace summit with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and regional leaders. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is also expected to attend, despite Israeli opposition to any PA role in Gaza’s postwar governance. Under the U.S. plan, Gaza’s administration would be overseen by an international body, supported by Palestinian technocrats and an Arab-led security force with police trained by Egypt and Jordan. Around 200 U.S. troops are in Israel to monitor the truce. The proposal also hints at a future Palestinian state, a condition that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to reject. Gaza devastatedThe U.N. said Israel has approved 190,000 metric tons of aid for entry into Gaza, with the daily number of aid trucks expected to rise to 600 under the new agreement. UN chief to attend Gaza peace summit in Egypt “Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” said U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, noting that plans are underway to restore basic health services, bring in food and fuel, and remove rubble over the next two months. The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, nearly half of them women and children. About 90% of Gaza’s 2 million residents have been displaced, while vast sections of Gaza City and southern towns like Khan Younis and Rafah lie in ruins. Despite ongoing questions about Gaza’s governance and Hamas’s disarmament, Monday’s exchange represents the most significant step yet toward ending the region’s deadliest conflict in decades. Source: AP 

Israel said Sunday that it expected all of the living hostages held in the Gaza Strip to be released Monday in its breakthrough ceasefire deal with Hamas, as Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held in Israel and a surge of aid into the famine-stricken territory. “In a few hours, we will all be reunited,” Israel’s military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump planned to leave later in the day to visit Israel and Egypt to celebrate the ceasefire announced last week that offered hope for an end to the two-year war. “We are expecting all 20 of our living hostages to be released together at one time to the Red Cross and transported among six to eight vehicles,” Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said, noting that Israel did not expect militants to stage the exchanges in the same public manner as previous rounds. Bedrosian said the hostages will be driven to a military base to reunite with their families or, if needed, immediately to a hospital. After the hostages are freed, Israel was ready to release about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and receive the 28 hostages believed to be dead. The military planned a ceremony on their behalf in Gaza, Bedrosian said. An international task force will start working to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing. Officials have said the search for the bodies of hostages, some of which may be under rubble, could take time. Timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel who are to be freed. They include 250 people serving life sentences in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. Dr. Mounir al-Boursh, head of Gaza’s Health Ministry, said he hoped the bodies of medical personnel who died in Israeli detention centers will be among those handed over. Preparing a surge of aid On Gaza's borders, preparations were underway to ramp up aid entering the war-battered territory. The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza said the amount of aid entering was expected to increase Sunday to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement. “Much of Gaza is a wasteland," U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told The Associated Press. He said the U.N. has a plan for the next two months to restore basic medical and other services, bring in thousands of tons of food and fuel and remove rubble. Egypt said it was sending 400 aid trucks into Gaza on Sunday. AP footage showed dozens of trucks crossing the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing. The Egyptian Red Crescent said the vehicles carried medical supplies, tents, blankets, food and fuel. The trucks will head to the inspection area in the Kerem Shalom crossing for screening by Israeli troops. The United Nations has said it has about 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine and other humanitarian aid ready to enter once Israel gives the green light. Abeer Etifa, a World Food Program spokesperson, said workers were clearing and repairing roads inside Gaza to make way for deliveries. The fate of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli- and U.S.-backed contractor that replaced the U.N. aid operation in May as the primary food supplier in Gaza, remained unclear. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, which has the equivalent of 6,000 trucks of aid waiting in Egypt and Jordan, also had no clarity on its role in the relief effort. A spokesperson for the agency known as UNRWA, Jonathan Fowler, said the organization has enough food in its warehouses for Gaza's entire population for three months. Preparations for Trump's visit Trump, who pushed to clinch the ceasefire deal, was expected to arrive Monday morning in Israel. He will meet with families of the hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, according to a schedule released by the White House. Trump will continue to Egypt, where the office of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has said he will co-chair a “peace summit” Monday with regional and international leaders. While both Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza welcomed the halt to the fighting and plans to release the hostages and prisoners, the longer-term fate of the ceasefire remains murky. Key questions about governance of Gaza and the post-war fate of Hamas, including its proposed disarmament, have yet to be resolved. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that he had instructed the military to prepare to begin destroying the network of tunnels built by Hamas under Gaza “through the international mechanism that will be established under the leadership and supervision of the U.S.” once the hostages are released. How that will be achieved with Israeli forces having pulled back within Gaza was not immediately clear. Gaza residents return to rubble Palestinians continued to move back to areas vacated by Israeli forces. Many were returning to homes reduced to rubble. Mohamed Samy said he immediately went back on foot to see if his home in Jabaliya was still standing. “It was flattened, just like everything else in Jabaliya,” Samy said. It was an empty plot of land. “It was like the building never even existed in that place. I questioned my sanity.” Satellite photos taken Saturday and analyzed by the AP showed a line of vehicles traveling north to Gaza City along the strip’s coastline. Armed police in Gaza City and southern Gaza patrolled the streets and secured aid trucks driving through areas where the Israeli military had withdrawn, residents said. The police force is part of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The ministry said in a statement Sunday that it would allow members of armed gangs not involved in the killing of Palestinians to turn themselves in as early as Monday, “repent and be pardoned.” The pause in fighting allowed first responders to search previously inaccessible areas for bodies under rubble. Health officials said 233 had been recovered and brought to hospitals since Friday, when the truce went into effect. Some were brought in as only bones. Yasser el-Bureis, at the morgue in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, said he and his relatives had finally retrieved the remains of two cousins who were killed as they tried to flee their homes. “For five months, we didn’t manage to recover the bodies,” he said. 2 years of war The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.    

A fragile ceasefire in Gaza held for a third consecutive day on Sunday, allowing aid agencies to deliver urgently needed supplies to the war-torn territory and paving the way for the release of hostages and prisoners under a truce deal. U.N. officials said significant progress was being made as cooking gas entered Gaza for the first time since March, alongside shipments of flour, fruit and meat. “We are also moving medical equipment and relocating residents from flood-prone areas ahead of winter,” said Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire, is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday to meet families of hostages and address the Knesset before heading to Egypt for a regional “peace summit” co-chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry has deployed thousands of police across areas vacated by Israeli troops. Satellite images showed lines of vehicles heading north toward Gaza City as displaced Palestinians began returning home. The Associated Press filmed dozens of trucks crossing from Egypt into Gaza carrying food, fuel, tents and medical aid. The U.N. said about 600 trucks of supplies are expected to enter daily under the new arrangement. Meanwhile, preparations were underway for the release of Israeli hostages and about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli officials said roughly 20 of the 48 hostages are believed to be alive and will be freed Monday, while Gaza health authorities said many returning prisoners would need urgent medical treatment. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and several other world leaders are set to attend Monday’s summit in Egypt to support the truce agreement and discuss Gaza’s reconstruction. Germany’s Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said Berlin was ready to assist with rebuilding Gaza, emphasizing the need for private sector participation. “It won’t work without private capital,” she told Handelsblatt. As the ceasefire holds, Gazans cautiously return to shattered homes, aid convoys expand, and diplomatic efforts intensify to secure a longer-term peace in the region.

Authorities began preparing Sunday to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip following a new ceasefire deal, raising hopes that the devastating two-year war may be nearing an end. Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), responsible for managing humanitarian aid, said the daily flow of aid trucks is expected to rise to about 600 per day under the agreement. Egypt announced it will send 400 aid trucks into Gaza on Sunday, all of which must undergo inspection by Israeli forces before entry. Footage from the Rafah crossing showed dozens of trucks carrying medical supplies, food, fuel, tents, and blankets. These will be checked at the Kerem Shalom crossing before distribution. In recent months, only about 20% of needed aid reached Gaza due to fighting, border closures, and Israeli restrictions. The blockade and ongoing offensives had triggered a severe hunger crisis in Gaza, including famine in some areas. The UN has roughly 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, and other aid ready to enter once Israel approves. The future of the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), a U.S. and Israel-backed contractor that replaced UN operations as the primary food distributor in May, remains uncertain. Several distribution sites in Rafah, Khan Younis, and the Netzarim corridor have been dismantled following the ceasefire, leaving many Palestinians without immediate access to aid. Preparations are also underway for the release of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Israel’s coordinator for hostages, Gal Hirsch, informed families that the release of living hostages—estimated at 20 of 48—would begin Monday. Dead hostages will be transferred to the Forensic Institute for identification, and an international task force will search for those not immediately recovered. U.S. President Donald Trump, who helped negotiate the ceasefire, is scheduled to visit Israel on Monday to meet hostages’ families and address the Knesset, before continuing to Egypt to co-chair a regional peace summit with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and other leaders. Some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences and 1,700 detained during the war, are also expected to be released under the agreement, though the timing has not yet been announced. Gaza health authorities are preparing for the return of 1,900 prisoners, many needing urgent medical attention, as well as for the repatriation of bodies held by Israel. Officials have called for the release of medical personnel detained during the war. As Palestinians returned to areas vacated by Israeli forces, many found their homes destroyed. Satellite imagery showed long lines of vehicles traveling north to Gaza City, while makeshift tents along the coastline housed residents seeking shelter from prior bombardment. Hamas-run police were patrolling the streets and escorting aid trucks to ensure security. The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israel’s counteroffensive has killed over 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the local Health Ministry, which counts both civilians and combatants. About 90% of Gaza’s 2 million residents have been displaced, and large areas have been destroyed. Although both sides welcomed the initial halt to fighting and plans for prisoner and hostage releases, the long-term stability of the ceasefire remains uncertain. Key issues such as Gaza’s governance and Hamas’ future have yet to be resolved. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military has been instructed to prepare to dismantle Hamas’ tunnel network in Gaza under U.S.-supervised international mechanisms once hostages are released.

As the Middle East broadly welcomes the newly brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Iran finds itself increasingly isolated and weakened — arguably at one of its lowest points since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. For decades, Tehran has maintained what it calls an “Axis of Resistance,” supporting militant groups and allied governments opposed to Israel and the United States. But during Israel’s latest offensive on Gaza, its forces also targeted senior militant leaders abroad, including figures from Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and even Iran’s own military and nuclear establishment — killing many and disrupting Tehran’s influence. As US President Donald Trump prepares for a Middle East visit where both Arab and Israeli leaders are expected to praise the ceasefire deal, Iran remains notably absent from the table, still reeling from June’s 12-day conflict. “How Iran’s leadership responds in the coming weeks — whether by retaliation or focusing on its struggling economy — will be crucial,” said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. “Undoubtedly, this is not a proud moment for Iran. Its alliance system lies in ruins, but that doesn’t mean the ‘Axis of Resistance’ is over.” Iran tries to save face Iranian state media has portrayed the ceasefire as a Hamas victory, despite Gaza’s devastation and over 67,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says about half the victims are women and children. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it welcomed “any decision that guarantees halting the genocide of Palestinians.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated the stance, telling state TV that Tehran has “always supported any plan or action that stops the crimes and genocide committed by Israel.” However, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested the truce could shift conflict elsewhere in the region. “The start of the ceasefire in Gaza may mark the behind-the-scenes end of the ceasefire somewhere else,” Ali Akbar Velayati wrote on X, hinting at potential escalations involving Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, or Iraqi militias. Public anxiety remains high in Iran amid fears of renewed Israeli strikes, particularly as much of its air defense system was reportedly destroyed in June. Khamenei has not resumed his customary public addresses, and Iran skipped its annual military parade marking the end of the Iran-Iraq war in September — an event typically showcasing its drones and missiles. Meanwhile, Iran’s sanctions-hit economy continues to falter as global energy prices decline. “Iran has always acted in its own interest, but now our resources are gone and our economy is weak,” said Tehran-based analyst Saeed Leilaz. “Our support for Hamas was a reaction to the US, aimed at diverting pressure from our borders.” Others are more blunt. “Iran is like a bankrupt gambler,” said Amir Kazemi, a university student in Tehran. “It celebrated when Hamas attacked Israel, but after the ceasefire, it finds nothing left in its pocket.” A changed Middle East After its 1979 revolution, Iran sought to export its Shiite ideology across the region. Following the devastating 1980s war with Iraq, Tehran instead pursued deterrence, as Arab neighbors armed themselves with US-supplied jets, bombs, and tanks. The 1991 Gulf War saw a growing US military presence across the Gulf, fueling Tehran’s resentment. Iran’s regional influence peaked after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and Yemen’s descent into civil war, when it could count on Hezbollah, Syria’s Bashar Assad, Yemen’s Houthis, Iraq’s militias, and even Hamas — a Sunni movement. Today, that landscape has shifted dramatically. Syrian rebels overthrew Assad last year, Israeli airstrikes have killed top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, and Iraqi militias have largely faded. The Houthis, while still capable of attacking Israeli or commercial targets in the Red Sea, are now facing precise Israeli counterstrikes. The June war also crippled Iran’s nuclear program, which Western powers have long suspected of weapons potential. ‘Collapsing regional clout’ Tehran has received little tangible support from its key partners China and Russia — despite supplying cheap oil to Beijing and drones to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. At home, authorities face growing defiance as more women reject the compulsory hijab, while executions of prisoners have surged to their highest level in decades. “The ceasefire underscores Tehran’s collapsing regional influence following the breakdown of its once-powerful ‘Axis of Resistance’ since 2024,” said Ali Fathollah-Nejad, director of the Berlin-based Center for Middle East and Global Order. “It will also free up Israeli military capacity, which could now be redirected against Iranian interests — either in Lebanon or inside Iran itself.” US President Donald Trump hailed Iran’s acceptance of the ceasefire as “terrific news,” though there has been no indication of renewed talks over Tehran’s nuclear program. “Iran is running out of time,” said Vaez of the International Crisis Group. “But the bigger problem is that no one is offering Tehran an exit ramp — and even if they did, it’s unclear whether its leaders would take it.” Source: AP

Three Qatari diplomats were killed and two others injured in a car accident on Saturday while traveling to Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, health officials said. The crash occurred when their vehicle overturned about 50 kilometers from Sharm el-Sheikh, the officials said, adding that the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The diplomats, members of Qatar’s protocol team, were on their way to the resort city ahead of a high-level summit celebrating the recently brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief the media. Israel airstrikes in southern Lebanon kill 1, wound 7 Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, played a key role in mediating the ceasefire, while Turkey joined the negotiations earlier this month in Sharm el-Sheikh. The talks resulted in a truce and the release of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, the upcoming summit in Sharm el-Sheikh will be co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and US President Donald Trump. More than two dozen world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, are expected to attend the meeting.   Source: AP