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'Gaza is uninhabitable': Palestinians decry complete destruction of enclave

Gaza has become a place of complete destruction and desolation after over a year of war between Israel and Hamas. Few places in the enclave are still inhabitable and residents are in dire need of aid.

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Lebanon calls for Israel's full withdrawal from territory

Lebanese leaders said Beirut was in contact with Washington and Paris to press Israel to fully withdraw from south Lebanon, branding its presence in five points an "occupation" after a ceasefire deadline expired on Tuesday.

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Saudi Arabia consolidates soft power as Riyadh hosts US-Russia talks

Saudi Arabia's crown prince wasn't in the room for the first high-level talks between Russia and the United States over Moscow's war on Ukraine on Tuesday, but Mohammed bin Salman still won the day for hosting the gathering that could be a game-changer i

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Syria returns three French children to Paris

Three French children born to jihadist parents have arrived in France Monday evening. Found living in an orphanage in the Syrian capital of Damascus since 2019, French authorities have negotiated with the new Syrian government for their return. FRANCE 24

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Hamas to return 4 bodies of hostages on Thursday, 6 alive on Saturday

Hamas's top negotiator said on Tuesday the militant group will release the bodies of four dead captives on Thursday and six living Israeli hostages on Saturday. Senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said the bodies of the four hostages would include the Bi

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British couple detained in Iran charged with spying

Detained Britons Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been charged in Iran on Tuesday with espionage, after being arrested in Kerman province earlier this year. An Iranian spokesman said the pair had entered the country "posing as tourists" and had gathered in

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Syrian refugees in Egypt prepare to return home after years of exile

Since 2011, some 1.5 million Syrians have found refuge in Egypt, where they have succeeded in creating new lives for themselves. But two months after the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, many are ready to return to their largely destroyed country.

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Saudi Arabia's stunning transformation from global pariah to diplomatic power

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, February 18: Saudi Arabia emerges as a key diplomatic power as it hosts Russian and US officials for talks on Ukraine this Tuesday and a Gaza summit on Friday. How did Riyadh go from global pariah to key partner? Also: France's 20

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Iran mulls moving capital from Tehran to south coast

Faced with myriad problems including gridlocked traffic and a sinking earth surface in its current capital, Iran is considering a drastic solution – moving it to an altogether different location on the Gulf of Oman. FRANCE 24's Saeed Azimi reports from T

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Villagers prepare to return home as Israeli troops withdraw

Israeli forces withdrew from border villages in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, under a deadline spelled out in a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war. “People are expected to go back to their villages within the next f

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Archaeologists push to restore Syria’s war-torn heritage sites, including Palmyra

Some of Syria’s most renowned heritage sites coud soon undergo restoration as experts return to the sites decimated by nearly 14 years of war. Conservationists hope the historical and cultural significance of once-thriving landmarks such as the ancient c

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Yesterday

Family and friends fear for fate of Nepali hostage Bipin Joshi held by Hamas

Bipin Joshi was one of the dozens of foreign workers kidnapped alongside Israelis during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. His family and friends fear for his fate after 500 days in captivity, especially since there has been no information of the 24-year-o

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Israel to remain in five 'strategic points' in Lebanon despite withdrawal deadline

Israel said on Monday its forces will remain in five strategic points inside Lebanon after Tuesday's deadline for their full withdrawal, an Israel Defence Forces spokesman has said. Lebanon's president on Monday called for countries that helped reached t

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Trump’s Gaza plan a 'negotiating ploy' for annexation in West Bank, expert says

President Trump’s plan for the US to takeover Gaza is likely a “negotiating ploy” for annexation in the West Bank, said Hussein Ibish, Senior Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Pointing to a possible nuclear deal with Iran

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Archaeologists push to restore Syria's war-ravaged heritage sites

Experts are returning to Syria’s war-ravaged heritage sites, hoping to lay the groundwork for restoring them and reviving tourism, which they say could provide a much-needed boost to the country’s decimated economy after nearly 14 years of war. One of Sy

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Syrian leader al-Sharaa tours former Assad strongholds on surprise visit

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Latakia and Tartus on Sunday, his office said, making his first official trip to the coastal provinces formerly known as strongholds of ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad. Despite the tour being unannounced, Sha

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'Netanyahu in a bind': Israeli delegation in Cairo for Gaza talks

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appears to be “in a bind” as talks over phase two of the Gaza ceasefire deal are due to start with the arrival of an Israeli delegation in Cairo, FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky said. Torn between hardline ministers

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Israelis mark 500th day since October 7 attacks

Israelis marked the 500th day since the October 7 attacks on Monday as families called for the return of the remaining hostages in Gaza. A tenuous ceasefire in the enclave has held for nearly a month and seen the release of over a dozen hostages in excha

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Jihadist Nemmouche back on trial in France for Islamic State kidnappings

Jihadist Mehdi Nemmouche, who is already serving a life sentence for a anti-Semitic terrorist attack, is back on trial Monday in France. Nemmouche and four others are accused of holding four French journalists, kidnapped in Syria in 2013, hostage.

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Israel security cabinet to discuss second phase of Gaza ceasefire

Israel's security cabinet was set to discuss on Monday the next phase of the ceasefire with Hamas, as top US diplomat Marco Rubio began a visit to Saudi Arabia where he will push Donald Trump's proposal for a US takeover of Gaza.

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US says it killed senior al-Qaeda affiliate official in Syria

The US military said on Sunday that it killed a senior official of an al Qaeda affiliate during an airstrike in northwest Syria the day before. US Central Command described the person in a statement as a "senior finance and logistics official in the terr

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Sunday, february 16, 2025

Zelensky lands in UAE as US and Russia prepare for Ukraine peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky touched down in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for an official visit ahead of planned talks between US and Russian officials, expected to take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. The UAE has been an import

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Hezbollah leader says Lebanon's government must ensure Israeli withdrawal

Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem said that the Lebanese government had a responsibility to "make Israel withdraw" in keeping with its commitment under the ceasefire deal to pull its troops out of the country before February 18.

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Trump's plan for Gaza: 'Ethnic cleansing is not acceptable,' UN chief Guterres says

In an interview with FRANCE 24, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed US President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, saying that "ethnic cleansing is not acceptable in our world".

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Netanyahu and top US diplomat Rubio affirm ‘common strategy’ to eliminate Hamas in Gaza

Israel's security cabinet is due to discuss phase two of the Gaza ceasefire on Monday, following a meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday. In a joint statement, Netanyahu and

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Saturday, february 15, 2025

More than 25 people arrested in Lebanon after attack on UN convoy

More than 25 people have been arrested in Lebanon after a convoy carrying United Nations peacekeepers came under attack on Friday. The force’s outgoing deputy commander and a Nepalese soldier were both wounded after the vehicle they were travelling in wa

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Three Israeli hostages freed in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners under ceasefire deal

Three Israeli hostages were freed early on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of 369 Palestinian prisoners. The first groups of Palestinian prisoners were bussed shortly thereafter to the West Bank city of Ramallah. R

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Hamas and Israel complete sixth hostage-prisoner swap after tense week

Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad released three Israelis held in captivity since October 7, 2023 in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas last week threatened to delay the planned swap, accusing Israel of having violate

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Friday, february 14, 2025

UN Lebanon force demands 'immediate' inquiry into torching of vehicle in Beirut

A deputy commander of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon was injured and a UN vehicle torched late Friday by Hezbollah protesters blocking the road to Beirut airport. Demonstrators had been protesting against a decision by Lebanese authorities to revok

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After Trump's comments on Gaza, why were some media afraid of using the term ethnic cleansing?

US President Donald Trump's plan to take control of the Gaza Strip and clear out Palestinians has drawn international condemnation. Western and Arab governments, the United Nations and human rights groups were all quick to say it was tantamount to ethnic

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US-Israeli among three hostages to be released Saturday, Hamas says

Three hostages, including the American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, are set to be freed on Saturday as part of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, an official from the Gaza-based militant group said on Friday. In exchange, 369 Palestinians jailed b

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'New steps, new commitments would be proof of good faith from this new Syrian authority'

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday urged Syria's new leaders to ensure "governance that is representative and respectful of all" at a Paris conference on the transition in the war-torn country after Bashar al-Assad's fall. For in-depth analysis

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Syria's quest for 'national unity': On paper, principles of diversity & inclusivity 'almost perfect'

The Paris conference to chart Syria’s political future will include all segments of Syrian society except for the Kurdish-led administration in the northeast and loyalists of the repressive former government of Bashar Assad. Interim president Ahmad al-Sh

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Lebanon marks 20th anniversary of Rafik Hariri’s assassination

Lebanon on Friday marked 20 years since former prime minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a suicide bombing blamed on Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Hariri’s son Saad, also a former Lebanon premier, is led the commemorations, which came as Hezbolla

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Thursday, february 13, 2025

Trump's Gaza plan 'is not acceptable', Iraqi FM Hussein says

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein reacted to US President Donald Trump's plan to "own" the Gaza Strip and to relocate its inhabitants to countries like Egypt and Jordan. "We are with the right of self-determination of th

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Hamas commits to Gaza ceasefire, including hostage release on Saturday

Hamas on Thursday said it was committed to honouring the Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel, including the release of the next group of three hostages this weekend as planned under the terms of the deal. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolde

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Wednesday, february 12, 2025

Trump's Gaza plan: Will Arab allies push back?

Remember the run-up to Inauguration Day in the US, when Donald Trump's envoy twisted arms to push a Gaza ceasefire over the line? How did we so quickly go to Trump not only doubling down on his plan to forcibly deport the entire Palestinian population of

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Trump's Gaza reconstruction plan completely 'unworkable, illegal and dangerous for region'

Behind US President Donald Trump’s vows to turn Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East” lies a plan to forcibly drive two million from their land, rights groups say, warning it could be a war crime under international law. For in-depth analysis and a de

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Syria to have new government on March 1, foreign minister says

Syria will have a new government as of March 1, the country's interim foreign minister announced on Wednesday. Syria has been led by interim president Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the leader of former al Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, since the group led a co

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Resumption of Gaza war will 'allow the realisation' of Trump plan, Israel says

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said the resumption of hostilities in the devastated Palestinian territory would allow for the realisation of US President Donald Trump’s plan to seize control of Gaza and permanently displace the people

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If Jordan took in more Palestinians, there would be 'security, economic, and political implications'

President Donald Trump is hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House as he escalates pressure on the Arab nation to take in refugees from Gaza as part of his audacious plan to remake the Middle East. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspecti

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Tuesday, february 11, 2025

Jordan to take 2,000 sick Gaza kids as Trump pushes plan to expel Palestinians

King Abdullah II of Jordan on Tuesday told US President Donald Trump that his country would be willing to take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza. Abdullah's visit to the White House comes after Trump announced that the US would "take over" the Palestinian

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Jordan accepting refugees from war-torn Gaza would be viewed as 'betrayal of the Palestinian cause'

Donald Trump meets Jordan's King Abdullah on Tuesday for what is likely to be a tense encounter following the U.S. president's Gaza redevelopment idea and threat to cut aid to the U.S.-allied Arab country if it refuses to resettle Palestinians. For in-de

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Trump to meet King Abdullah after pressuring Jordan to accept displaced Gazans

U.S. President Donald Trump meets Jordan's King Abdullah for talks on Tuesday after Trump floated plans to "clean out" Gaza while threatening to cut aid to Jordan and Egypt if they refused to accept displaced Palestinians.

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UN suspends aid work in Houthi stronghold after staff taken in Yemen

The U.N. on Monday made the “extraordinary” decision to pause all operations and programs in northern Saada over security concerns after eight more of its staffers were detained. Houthi rebels in recent months have detained dozens of people associated wi

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Netanyahu threatens ‘intense fighting’ if hostages not freed by noon Saturday

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said Israel would resume "intense fighting" in Gaza if Hamas did not return hostages by Saturday noon, without specifying whether he was referring to all the captives held in the Palestinian enclave. Hamas has

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Netanyahu has been leading the Palestinians towards disaster, but mainly the Israelis'

The Gaza ceasefire appeared increasingly fragile after Hamas said US President Donald Trump's latest warning "further complicates" the agreement with Israel, which has so far led to five hostage-prisoner swaps. Meanwhile, Israeli police raided a long-est

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Monday, february 10, 2025

Trump warns 'all hell' will break out if Hamas does not free hostages

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that "all hell" would break out if every Israeli hostage was not released from Gaza by noon on Saturday and he would call for the end of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Trump said the final decision would,

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Hamas suspends hostage release after accusing Israel of violating ceasefire

Hamas's armed wing has accused Israel of systematically violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including by targeting Palestinians with air strikes, and declared that the upcoming hostage release planned for this Saturday will be delayed until further n

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Sunday, february 9, 2025

Scores of bodies uncovered in Libyan mass graves linked to human trafficking

Authorities in Libya uncovered nearly 50 bodies in two mass graves in the southeastern city of Kufra, officials said Sunday. The discovery followed a raid on a human trafficking site, where 76 migrants were freed and three suspects were arrested.

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Five freed hostages return home to Thailand

Five Thai nationals who were held captive in Gaza arrived home on Sunday after being released last month. Thirty-one Thais were abducted when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, with 23 released by the end of that year and two confirmed dead in May

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Israeli forces withdraw from key Gaza corridor under ceasefire deal

Israeli forces on Sunday pulled out from the Netzarim corridor, which separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Israeli and Hamas officials. The withdrawal is part of Israel's commitments under a shaky ceasefire deal with Hamas that despite movi

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Israel's Netanyahu calls Trump plan for US control of Gaza 'revolutionary, creative'

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hailed US President Donald Trump's proposal for US control of Gaza and the displacement of its residents as "revolutionary" on Sunday. This came as Palestinians were able to cross the Netzarim Corridor after Isra

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Palestinians return to key Gaza road as Israel withdraws forces

Displaced Palestinians returned to their homes on Sunday after Israel withdrew its forces from the strategic Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land that bisects northern Gaza from the south. The withdrawal, part of a fragile truce, allowed movement along Sal

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Saturday, february 8, 2025

Israelis protest slow pace of hostage-for-prisoner exchanges with Hamas

Demonstrations were held in Israel following the release of the three Israeli hostages by Hamas on Saturday. The poor physical condition of those freed sparked public anger at the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, blamed for the slow pace

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Lebanon forms new government after two years of political stalemate

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun on Saturday signed a decree to form a new government after more than two years of political stalemate and a devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah. Newly elected Aoun appointed Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to head the

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Three Israeli hostages freed in prisoner swap with Hamas

Three Israeli men, held captive in the Gaza Strip for 16 months, were released by Hamas on Saturday as part of a fragile ceasefire deal. Since the truce took effect on January 19, 16 Israeli and dual-national hostages have been freed, as have five Thais

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Hamas hands over Israeli hostages to Red Cross

Hamas on Saturday handed over three Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Gaza, the fifth hostage-prisoner swap under an ongoing ceasefire with Israel. Hostages Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami were released after they were brought onto a stage in th

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Israeli medical officials prepare to receive hostages released from Gaza

Reporting from Tel Aviv, FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky speaks to Dr. Hagai Levine, chairman of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians, who also heads the medical team for the Israeli Hostages Family Forum. Dr. Levine details some of the medic

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Israel releases 183 Palestinian detainees after Hamas frees 3 hostages

Israel on Saturday released 183 Palestinian detainees hours after Hamas freed three Israeli hostages, all civilian men, in the fifth hostage-prisoner swap under the Gaza ceasefire deal. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded.

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