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The Border Security Force (BSF) has finalized its winter preparedness strategy to counter infiltration attempts from Pakistan-based terror groups along the Jammu frontier.With intelligence inputs indicating that outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are regrouping after facing severe setbacks during Operation Sindoor in May, the BSF has intensified its deployment and
Israel has declared a ceasefire in Gaza, marking the first halt in fighting after two years of relentless conflict. The truce, brokered and promoted by US President Donald Trump, was accompanied by the beginning of an Israeli military pullback from positions across Gaza.By noon Friday (0900 GMT), the Israeli army announced it had ceased fire “in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the
ISRAELI troops began pulling out of Gaza yesterday as a senior medic warned the freed hostages would need a lifetime to recover.
Israel Defence Forces were given a day to withdraw…
Terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has announced the creation of its first-ever women’s wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, aimed at increasing female participation in its militant operations. The unit will be led by Sadiya Azhar, sister of JeM chief Masood Azhar. The official announcement came through JeM’s propaganda platform Al-Qalam Media on Telegram, supplemented by pamphlets and a video
DONALD Trump has been denied the Nobel Peace Prize – despite his deal yesterday bringing an end to the war between Israel and Hamas.
The prize instead was awarded to María C…
In a significant foreign policy development, India has restored full diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, upgrading its mission in Kabul to an official Embassy. The move marks the culmination of gradual re-engagement efforts since 2022, when India reopened its technical mission after the fall of the previous Afghan government."India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity
India has welcomed the US-brokered peace deal between Israel and Hamas, which aims to secure the release of hostages and facilitate a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.The agreement, announced earlier today by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seeks to bring an end to the two-year-long conflict that began with Hamas’ surprise offensive on Israeli
A landmark ceasefire and hostage release agreement has been reached for Gaza, marking a major breakthrough in efforts to end the conflict and advance President Donald Trump’s peace plan. International leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President
THE world cautiously awaits the breakthrough ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to come into effect – ending the devastation in war-torn Gaza.
The peace process began last night after Donald Trump announced a historic peace agreement had been reached between Tel Aviv and the terror group.
United States President Donald J. Trump convened a roundtable on Antifa in the State Dining Room of the White House[/caption]
And it has kicked off the first phase of his comprehensive 20-point peace plan.
The deal marks a historic turning point in the two-year Gaza war that has killed tens of thousands and devastated the enclave.
Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild celebrations after Trump announced the peace deal.
Relatives of those still held in Gaza also hailed the announcement as a “historic breakthrough”.
In the next few days, both Israel and Hamas will take major steps that will cement the peace deal in place.
The Israeli security cabinet will convene today at 5pm Jerusalem Time (3pm BST) to discuss the Gaza agreement, before passing it on to the full cabinet for voting.
If the plan is approved formally – which it is widely expected to be – the ceasefire will go into effect within 24 hours, and Israeli troops will withdraw
The IDF will then withdraw its soldiers from the current frontlines to the agreed-upon lines.
Once that is complete, the 72-hour clock begins for Hamas to release the hostages it holds in Gaza, as per the comprehensive peace plan.
Hamas is then expected to release the hostages starting on Monday.
However, some officials think the terror group may start the process over the weekend.
Currently, 48 hostages remain in Hamas’ captivity, 20 of whom are believed to be still alive.
Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian revealed in a news briefing that a final draft of phase one of the deal was signed by all parties this morning.
Bedrosian said that a ceasefire will come into effect in Gaza within 24 hours after this evening’s Israeli cabinet meeting.
Previously, the ceasefire was expected to start immediately after the Israeli cabinet’s approval.
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
While the conflict between Israel and Palestine dates back decades, the current fighting erupted two years ago when Hamas fanatics attacked Israel in a massive terror attack.
On October 7, 2023, Islamists terrorists stormed the border between Gaza and Israel, slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 250 civilians.
Since then, Israel has almost completely destroyed the strip in an effort to eradicate the group and bring home its trapped people.
Tel Aviv’s retaliatory assault and siege on Gaza created a devastating humanitarian crisis, perpetuating a brutal cycle of attack and counter-attack.
Amid international cries for peace, Israeli PM Netanyahu vowed not to stop until Hamas is destroyed.
His goal to deradicalise Gaza – and the terror group’s existential struggle – created a political and military stalemate in the narrow strip.
The sheer scale of destruction and hardening of positions made it difficult for diplomats to adopt a political solution.
However, with Donald Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan for Gaza, an end to the bloody war looks near.
Fleets of trucks carrying food and medical aid would be allowed to surge into Gaza to relieve civilians, hundreds of thousands of whom have been sheltering in tents after Israeli forces destroyed their homes and razed entire cities to dust.
Meanwhile, Israel will release almost 2,000 Palestinians who were taken as prisoners.
Hamas demanded the release of the bodies of their terror masterminds, Yahya and Mohammad Sinwar, as part of the Gaza peace deal.
However, a senior Israeli official told CNN their bodies will not be handed over to the terror group.
Yahya was the mastermind behind the horrific October 7 attack, and continued to lead Hamas inside Gaza during the conflict.
He was taken out by a squad of trainee commandos on October 16, 2024 – just over a year into the fighting – and the assassination was caught on camera.
Mohammed, his brother, then assumed the role of Hamas’s leader in the Gaza Strip until he too was assassinated in May this year.
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip celebrate after the announcement[/caption]
People in Israel celebrate after Trump announced the historic deal[/caption]
Palestinians celebrate on a street following the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of the peace deal[/caption]
But there is so much that could still go wrong
Uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of the plan advanced by Donald Trump.
Israel and Hamas are yet to sign off on the final peace deal in full, which still requires Hamas to agree to complete disarmament.
The deal also seeks a complete demilitarisation and deradicalisation of Gaza- and demands that Gaza be ruled by a transitional authority headed by Donald Trump.
These points have yet to be addressed in any discussions – and will likely cause friction in hammering out a final peace deal.
Hamas long refused to give up its weapons, saying it had a right to armed resistance until Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories ends.
For Israel, it’s a key demand.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said his campaign will not end until Hamas’ military capabilities are dismantled, including the network of tunnels built around the territory.
However, top diplomats involved in the mediation process say they are confident that a breakthrough is within reach.
According to diplomats, the signing follows days of marathon negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, where US, Israeli, Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators hammered out the final details.
The 20-point Trump plan, long dismissed as wishful thinking, now appears to be edging toward reality.
It calls for a Gaza ceasefire, the release of all hostages, Israeli troop withdrawal and Hamas disarmament and exclusion from future governance.
It also sees the creation of a Trump-led international body to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and transition to a new Palestinian administration.
JOY erupted across Israel and Gaza as a historic deal to free hostages and stop the war was sealed.
Peacemaker Donald Trump said 20 living hostages and the bodies of 28 more remaining in the Hamas terror stronghold should be returned by Monday.
A woman was seen holding ‘I love Trump’ banners[/caption]
Happy Israelis were seen hugging after Trump’s announcement[/caption]
The world breathed a sigh of relief when Trump announced the peace deal[/caption]
And the bloodbath war in Gaza – which Hamas claims has killed 67,000 Palestinians since the October 7 attacks – will finally end.
Talks on both sides were continuing on Thursday amid anxiety that the fragile truce framework could still fall apart.
But Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a meeting of ministers to ratify the deal amid soaring hopes of a full ceasefire in the coming hours.
Once the guns fall silent, Hamas will be given 72 hours to free all Israeli hostages, alive and dead – which is likely to happen on Sunday or Monday.
Israel will then free 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained after October 7 – and up to 600 trucks-a-day will flood the blitzed strip with aid.
The next phase of the deal could then see a new “Board of Peace” run by ex-UK PM Tony Blair take control of Gaza before handing the enclave back to peace-loving Palestinians.
Jubilant scenes of celebration broke out as news first broke that Hamas had agreed to the peace deal after Trump was passed a note on live TV.
The US president was hosting a roundtable event with conservative influencers at the White House when his Secretary of State Marco Rubio was seen trying to catch his eye.
Moments later Rubio handed over a note and Trump announced: “I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal on the Middle East, and they’re gonna need me pretty quickly,”
Soon after, on the Truth Social site, Trump said: “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan.
“All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a great day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America.
“We thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen.
“Blessed are the peacemakers.”
The US president is expected to fly to the Middle East to seal his deal over the weekend and said he may even go to Gaza.
He added that fighting would stop “very soon” as Israeli troops begin withdrawing, taking the first steps to a “strong, durable, and everlasting peace.”
What we know so far…
Jubilant Trump – vying for the Nobel Peace Prize due to be announced later this week – later made a speakerphone call to grateful hostage families.
Relatives cheered and thanked him while gathered around a phone as he pledged their loved ones would be home “on Monday.”
Jubilant scenes erupted in Hostage Square in central Tel Aviv soon after as sombre “Bring Them Home” vigils were replaced by wild chanting and jigs of joy.
US stars and stripes banners were flown alongside Israeli flags while one woman paraded in all-American garb with an “I love Trump” banner.
Rebecca Bohbot, wife of father-of-one Elkana, 36, who is believed to be among the 20 Israelis still alive in Gaza beamed: “For two years I have been fighting for the life of my man.
People celebrating the news that a peace deal has been signed[/caption]
by Nick Parker, Foreign Editor
FOR two years it has been a place steeped in sadness and anxiety and the epicentre of a nation’s trauma.
Hostage Square in the centre of Tel Aviv is where families of snatched captives gathered to pray and plead for an end to their torment, backed by thousands of supporters.
But joy erupted amid the faded yellow ribbons and flickering candles for the first time on Thursday as news broke that a peace deal had finally been sealed.
And hostage families spoke of their hope and trepidation as Israelis dared to dream of the loved ones’ long awaited homecoming.
I have visited the square many times since the October 7 attacks launched by Hamas claimed 1,200 lives and detonated the Gaza conflict and seen their pain first hand.
And it was heartwarming to see a carnival atmosphere and smiles on so many faces in a place so long associated with heartbreak and suffering.
My hope now, shared by the vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians, is that the fragile deal can somehow begin to heal the hate.
Phase one may stop the war and bring the hostages home – but this is just the first step in what still promises to be a long and very rocky road.
“This is the moment that a little boy will return to hug his father, a moment when my family comes back to life.”
Silvia Cunio, mother of hostage David, 34, sobbed after Trump’s address: “I dream of the hugs, the kisses.
“I thank everyone for the warm embrace these past two years — it gave me the strength to keep going.”
David’s wife Sharon posted a picture of the couple with their two girls, writing: “Emma and Yulie, dad is coming home.”
Danny Miran, father of hostage Omri Miran, 48, said he was “smiling from ear to ear, but with tears of joy.”
He added, “My two eldest granddaughters came over, and we danced together in the hallway. I’ve been waiting more than two years for this moment.”
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, 24, shared an emotional message on social media, saying, “I have prayed for these tears – Matan is coming home.”
Israeli medical teams were on standby to receive living hostages amid fears many will be seriously ill and traumatised after two years in Hamas hell.
And families of all of those hoping to hug loved ones and rebuild their shattered lives, backed by medical care and counselling likely to take years.
Merav Gilboa-Dalal, mother of 24-year-old hostage Guy, said, “The main thing is that my son should come back healthy and on his own two feet. That’s what I wish for all of us.”
British hostage Emily Damari, 29, who was freed after 471 days in Gaza was also seen hugging Israeli pals as news of the breakthrough broke.
Hostage supporter Lee Zedik, 49, from Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, said as she danced in the square: “It’s for all of our brothers and sisters.
“They’re coming home to Israel after unimaginable suffering. We have wanted them back for so long and we are happy.
“We’re singing out of pure joy and happiness – we’re singing for our community and for peace.”
“This is what peace and happiness looks like.”
Israeli soldier’s wife Merav (pic) , 39, also from Ramat Gan, said: “I am so happy, along with everybody else that this looks like the war is over.
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
While the conflict between Israel and Palestine dates back decades, the current fighting erupted two years ago when Hamas fanatics attacked Israel in a massive terror attack.
On October 7, 2023, Islamists terrorists stormed the border between Gaza and Israel, slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 250 civilians.
Since then, Israel has almost completely destroyed the strip in an effort to eradicate the group and bring home its trapped people.
Tel Aviv’s retaliatory assault and siege on Gaza created a devastating humanitarian crisis, perpetuating a brutal cycle of attack and counter-attack.
Amid international cries for peace, Israeli PM Netanyahu vowed not to stop until Hamas is destroyed.
His goal to deradicalise Gaza – and the terror group’s existential struggle – created a political and military stalemate in the narrow strip.
The sheer scale of destruction and hardening of positions made it difficult for diplomats to adopt a political solution.
However, with Donald Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan for Gaza, an end to the bloody war looks near.
“My husband has 100 soldiers serving under him in Gaza and I worry for them all.
“I will hopefully no longer have to worry about whether he is safe or in danger.”
The outpouring of joy in Hostage Square was tinged with sadness for those preparing to receive the bodies of their loved ones.
Hamas claimed to have lost track of up to 15 of the bodies in the Gaza war zone – leaving Israeli families unsure whether they will be able to bury their dead.
Rotem Cooper, 59, who learned his 85-year-old father Amiram had died in captivity last June told The Sun: “Receiving my father’s both will give us some kind of closure.
“But if this deal had been done sooner he might still be alive today.
“No politician should get points for bringing my father’s body home in a bag.
“The priority should always have been to bring them all home alive and we now have a long list of funerals to get through.
“We’re celebrating today but there’s still a lot of anger.”
Israelis were chanting jigs of joy[/caption]
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas[/caption]
