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Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar

Update The remnants of an Iranian missile intercepted over Qatar. (AFP)
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Update Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar
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Israel’s military said early on June 24 that it was working to intercept Iranian missiles launched a “short while agoâ€, without specifying the exact time of the attack. (AFP)
Update Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar
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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday. (AP)
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Updated 25 June 2025

Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar

Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar
  • Trump says ceasefire now in place after angrily rebuking Israel for breaking the agreement
  • GCC foreign ministers meet in Doha day after Iran targeted US air base in Qatar

A fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel held though Tuesday, a day after Iran attacked a US air base in Qatar in retaliation for America's bombing of Tehran's nuclear program sites.

The agreement to end the fighting was put in place by President Donald Trump late on Monday, and early signs on Tuesday that it was about to collapse were swiftly snuffed out.Ìı

Trump angrily rebuked Israel for sending jets to attack Iran in response to what its military said were two Iranian missiles fired from Iran.Ìı

Netanyahu's office said the prime minister had held a call with Trump and “Israel refrained from further strikesâ€Ìıon Iran.

In a day or intense diplomacy, the GCC's foreign ministers met in Doha to discuss Iran's attacks on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The Iranian PresidentÌıMasoud Pezeshkian also held a series of phone calls with Gulf leaders, including the emir of QatarÌıSheikh Tamim bin Hamad.Ìı

Saudi FM takes part in GCC emergency meeting

º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated in an emergency meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers on Tuesday.

The meeting discussed Iranian aggression against Qatar, developments in the region, and their security repercussions, the Saudi foreign ministry said.

During their meeting, GCC countries affirmed their solidarity with Qatar and condemned Iranian aggression on its territory.

They said the attack constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the principles of good neighborliness,Ìıand cannot be justified under any circumstances.

Netanyahu: Israel removed Iran's nuclear threat in 12-day war

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel in its 12 days of war with Iran had removed the threat of nuclear annihilation and was determined to thwart any attempt by Tehran to revive its programme.

"We have removed two immediate existential threats to us - the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles," he said in video remarks issued by his office.

“If anyone in Iran tries to revive this project, we will work with the same determination and strength to thwart any such attempt. I repeat, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.â€

He called it a historic victory that would stand for generations.

Saudi crown prince, Iranian president discuss ceasefire in phone call

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on the phone on Tuesday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which he welcomed a ceasefire between Iran and Israel announced earlier in the day, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Mohammed expressed the Kingdom’s hope that theÌıtruce would help restore security and stability in the region and prevent the risk of further confrontation, SPA added.

He underscored º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s consistent position in supporting diplomatic dialogue as the preferred path to resolving disputes.

Qatari emir holds calls with Iranian and US presidents, condemns targeting Al-Udeid

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, received separate phone calls from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday following the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile attack on Al-Udeid Air Base.

Sheikh Tamim strongly condemned the Iranian attack at the outset of his call with Pezeshkian. He said the act was “a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as a breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.â€

Sheikh Tamim said that Iran’s action contradicted the principles of good neighborliness and highlighted Doha’s ongoing commitment to dialogue with Iran.

He urged an immediate halt to military operations and a return to negotiations to resolve the crisis and ensure regional security and safety, the Qatar News Agency reported.

Israel's military chief: Airstrikes set Iran's nuclear project back 'by years'

The head of Israel's military said Tuesday that the country had set back Iran's nuclear programme "by years" during 12 days of strikes and the campaign against the country was now "entering a new phase".

"We have concluded a significant phase, but the campaign against Iran is not over. We are entering a new phase based on the achievements of the current one," Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said.

"We've set Iran's nuclear project back by years, and the same applies to its missile program."

Lebanon’s prime minister hails success in staying out of Iran-Israel conflict

ÌıDuring an official visit to Qatar on Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the fact that his country had managed to avoid being pulled into the conflict between Iran and Israel that began on June 13.

When he met the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Salam hailed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran announced on Monday, and thanked Doha for its efforts to help end the hostilities. Both leaders agreed that the end of the conflict would help foster stability in Lebanon, Palestine and the wider Gulf region, the prime minister’s media office said.

During a joint press conference with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Salam said: “We in Lebanon, all of us, have succeeded in preventing the country from being drawn into a new war amid the ongoing regional conflict over the past two weeks.

Iranians welcome ceasefire but fearful for future

After 12 days of Israeli airstrikes that echoed in cities around the country, killing hundreds and sending waves of people fleeing their homes, Iranians voiced relief on Tuesday at the surprise overnight announcement of a ceasefire, Reuters reported.

For those in the Iranian capital it brought the prospect of a clean-up, a return to normal life and the soothing — for now at least — of anxiety about a further escalation and sustained warfare.

Many Iranians who fled the strikes were also glad, able to return home after tiring, expensive stays outside the city in rented accommodation or with relatives.

Doha, Dubai airports face delays after airspace shut

Operations at two of the world's busiest airports in Doha and Dubai slowed to a crawl on Tuesday as thousands of travellers queued for hours, facing long delays and flight cancellations after the temporary closure of airspace a day earlier.

Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait shut their airspace late on Monday after Iran's strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar's capital Doha, forcing airlines to cancel or reroute hundreds of flights and creating a backlog of stranded passengers.

Airports across Dubai briefly halted operations.

Iran says not seeking nuclear weapons but will assert 'legitimate rights'

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that his country was not seeking nuclear weapons but will continue to defend its "legitimate rights" as a ceasefire took hold with Israel.

"We expect you to explain to them, in your dealings with the United States, that the Islamic Republic of Iran is only seeking to assert its legitimate rights," Pezeshkian said during a phone call with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, according to the official IRNA news agency. He added that Iran was "ready to resolve the issues... at the negotiating table."

Saudi foreign minister arrives in Doha for emergency GCC meeting

º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Doha on Tuesday to take part in an emergency meeting ofÌıGulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The emergency session has been convened to discuss Monday’sÌıIranian missile attack on US bases inÌıQatar. The meeting will address the implications of the incident for regional security, as well as collective efforts to restore stability across the Gulf, SPA added.

Iran says it will not violate ceasefire deal unless Israel does

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Tehran would not violate the ceasefire deal unless Israel does, Iran's state-run Nournews said.

US President Donald Trump earlier announced that the ceasefire deal had been reached between Israel and Iran.

Tehran is prepared to talk and defend the rights of the Iranian people at the negotiating table, Nournews cited Pezeshkian as saying.

Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire is in effect

President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in effect Tuesday after the deal initially faltered, and he expressed deep frustration with both sides.

Israel had earlier accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the truce was supposed to take effect, and the Israeli finance minister vowed that “Tehran will tremble.â€

Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a NATO summit that, in his view, both sides had violated the nascent agreement.

But later he said the deal was saved. “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly “Plane Wave†to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!†Trump said in his Truth Social post.

Trump rebukes Israel for post-ceasefire strikes

President Donald Trump sharply rebuked Israel on Tuesday for its military response following a ceasefire deal, and accused both Israel and Iran of violating the agreement just hours after he announced it.

"I didn't like the fact that Israel unloaded right after we made the deal. They didn't have to unload and I didn't like the fact that the retaliation was very strong," Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

"In all fairness, Israel unloaded a lot, and now I hear Israel just went out because they felt it was violated by one rocket that didn't land anywhere. That's not what we want," Trump said.

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Sirens in north Israel after army detects Iranian missiles

The Israeli military reported two missiles fired from Iran mid-morning on Tuesday, leading sirens to blare in the north several hours after US President Trump announced a ceasefire plan.

“Two missiles were launched from Iran and they were intercepted,†a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity, with the army saying people could leave shelters around 15 minuutes after the first alert.

Trump announced a phased 24-hour ceasefire process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, which Israel said it had agreed to. Iran has not formally accepted a ceasefire.




US President Donald Trump announced a phased 24-hour ceasefire process beginning at around 0400 GMT on June 24, which Israel said it had agreed to. Iran has not formally accepted a ceasefire. (AFP)

China continues calls for de-escalation

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman has echoed previous calls from Beijing for de-escalation in the Middle East,ÌıcallingÌıfor parties in the region, “especially Israel,â€Ìıto reduce tensions.

And it has called for a political solution to help a declared ceasefire hold.

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Israeli defense minister orders attacks on Iran after ceasefire 'violation'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he had ordered the country’s military to respond forcefully to what he said was Iran’s violation of a ceasefire with Israel.

The directive followed an announcement by the military that it had detected missile launches from Iran towards Israel.

Less than three hours earlier, US President Donald Trump had said that the ceasefire was now in effect.

Katz said the military had been instructed to carry out high-intensity operations against targets in Tehran.

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ welcomes ceasefire between Iran and Israel

º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran on Tuesday morning.

In a statement on X, the ministry affirmed its position of wanting a de-escalation after 11 days of war and thanked US President Donald Trump for his efforts in making the deal.

“The Kingdom looks forward to the coming period witnessing a commitment from all parties to calm down and refrain from using force or threatening to use it,†read the statement.

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ hopes “this agreement will contribute to restoring security and stability to the region and sparing it the risks of continued escalation.â€




Israel and Iran on Tuesday accepted a ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end their 12-day war. (AFP)

Israel and Iran accept ceasefire

Israel and Iran on Tuesday accepted a ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end their 12-day war that roiled the Middle East, after Tehran launched a retaliatory limited missile attack on a US military base in Qatar.

The acceptance of the deal by both sides came after Tehran launched a final onslaught of missiles targeting Israel that killed at least four people early Tuesday morning, while Israel launched a blitz of airstrikes targeting sites across Iran before dawn.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran in coordination with Trump.




Israeli PM Benjamin Natanyahu said he supported the ceasefire. (FILE/AFP)

Israel says agreed to Trump proposal for bilateral ceasefire with Iran

Israel said Tuesday it had agreed to a “bilateral ceasefire†with Iran proposed by US President Donald Trump, following 12 days of war with its arch-foe.

“Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the cabinet... to announce that Israel had achieved all the objectives of Operation ‘Rising Lion’ and much more,†the government said in a statement, adding that it had removed “an immediate dual existential threat: nuclear and ballisticâ€.

“Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defense and for their participation in removing the Iranian nuclear threat,†the statement said, adding that “Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire.â€

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Israel rescuers say 4 dead in multi-wave Iran missile attacks

At least four people were killed in Israel in a multi-wave Iranian missile attack Tuesday shortly before a staggered ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump was meant to enter force, emergency services and the army said.

Writing on X, the Magen David Adom rescue service said three people were pronounced dead at the scene of a strike in southern Beersheba while a fourth was added in an update to its figures.

Another two people were “moderately injured†while 20 were treated for minor injuries and anxiety, it said.


A bomb in Gaza’s rubble wounds twins who thought it was a toy

A bomb in Gaza’s rubble wounds twins who thought it was a toy
Updated 25 October 2025

A bomb in Gaza’s rubble wounds twins who thought it was a toy

A bomb in Gaza’s rubble wounds twins who thought it was a toy
  • The boy, Yahya, and his sister, Nabila, had discovered a round object while playing. One touch, and it went off

GAZA CITY: The Shorbasi family was sitting in their severely damaged house in Gaza City, enjoying the relative calm of the ceasefire. Then they heard an explosion and rushed outside to find their 6-year-old twins bleeding on the ground.

The boy, Yahya, and his sister, Nabila, had discovered a round object while playing. One touch, and it went off.

“It was like a toy,†their grandfather, Tawfiq Shorbasi, said of the unexploded ordnance, after the children were rushed to Shifa hospital on Friday. “It was extremely difficult.â€

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are seizing the chance to return to what’s left of their homes under the ceasefire that began on Oct. 10. 

But the dangers are far from over as people, including children, sift through the rubble for what remains of their belongings, and for bodies unreachable until now.

Shorbasi said the family had returned home after the ceasefire took hold. Gaza City had been the focus of the final Israeli military offensive before the deal was reached between Israel and Hamas.

“We’ve just returned last week,†the grandfather said at Shifa hospital, fighting back tears. “Their lives have been ruined forever.â€

The boy, Yahya, lay on a hospital bed with his right arm and leg wrapped in bandages. Nabila, now being treated at Patient’s Friends hospital, had a bandaged forehead.

Both children’s faces were freckled with tiny shrapnel wounds.

A British emergency physician and pediatrician working at one of the hospitals said the twins had life-threatening injuries, including a lost hand, a hole in the bowel, broken bones, and potential loss of a leg.

The children underwent emergency surgery, and their conditions have relatively stabilized, the doctor said. 

But concerns remain about their recovery because of Gaza’s vast lack of medicine and medical supplies, said Dr. Harriet, who declined to give her last name.

“Now it’s just a waiting game, so I hope that they both survive, but at this point, I can’t say, and this is a common recurrence,†she said.

Health workers call unexploded ordnance a major threat to Palestinians. 

Two other children, Yazan and Jude Nour, were wounded on Thursday while their family was inspecting their home in Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital.

Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, said five children were wounded by unexploded ordnance over the past week, including one in the southern city of Khan Younis.

“This is the death trap,†Dr. Harriet said. 

“We are talking about a ceasefire, but the killing has not stopped.â€

Already over 68,500 Palestinians have died in the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. 

The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are generally considered reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.

Luke Irving, head of the UN Mine Action Service, UNMAS, in the Palestinian territories, has warned that “explosive risk is incredibly high†as both aid workers and displaced Palestinians return to areas vacated by the Israeli military in Gaza. As of Oct. 7, UNMAS had documented at least 52 Palestinians killed and 267 others wounded by unexploded ordnance in Gaza since the war began. 

UNMAS, however, said the toll could be much higher.

Irving told a UN briefing last week that 560 unexploded ordnance items have been found during the current ceasefire, with many more under the rubble. 

Two years of war have left up to 60 million tons of debris across Gaza, he added.

In the coming weeks, additional international de-mining experts are expected to join efforts to collect unexploded ordnance in Gaza, he said.

“As expected, we’re now finding more items because we’re getting out more; the teams have more access,†he said.


Gaza risks ‘lost generation’ due to ruined schools

Gaza risks ‘lost generation’ due to ruined schools
Updated 25 October 2025

Gaza risks ‘lost generation’ due to ruined schools

Gaza risks ‘lost generation’ due to ruined schools
  • The ceasefire has allowed UNICEF and other education partners to get about one-sixth of children who should be in school into temporary “learning centers,†said Beigbeder

JERUSALEM: With Gaza’s education system shattered by two years of grueling war, UNICEF’s regional director says he fears for a “lost generation†of children wandering ruined streets with nothing to do.

“This is the third year that there has been no school,†Edouard Beigbeder, the UN agency’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in Jerusalem.

“If we don’t start a real transition for all children in February, we will enter a fourth year. And then we can talk about a lost generation.â€

The destruction “is almost omnipresent wherever you go,†Beigbeder said.

“It is impossible to imagine 80 percent of a territory that is completely flattened out or destroyed,†he added.

The ceasefire has allowed UNICEF and other education partners to get about one-sixth of children who should be in school into temporary “learning centers,†said Beigbeder.

“They have three days of learning in reading, mathematics, and writing, but this is far from a formal education as we know it,†he added.

Beigbeder said that such learning centers consisted of metal structures covered with plastic sheeting or of tents.

He said there were sometimes chairs, cardboard boxes, or wooden planks serving as tables, and that children would write on salvaged slates or plastic boards.

“I’ve never seen everyone sitting properly,†he added, describing children on mats or carpets.

Despite the ceasefire, Beigbeder said the situation for Gaza’s education system was catastrophic, with 85 percent of schools destroyed or unusable.

Of the buildings still standing, many are being used as shelters for displaced people, he said, a situation compounded by the fact that many children and teachers are also on the move and seeking to provide for their own families.

Gaza’s school system was already overcrowded before the conflict, with half the pre-war population under the age of 18.

Of the schools managed by the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority alone, Beigbeder said that some 80 out of 300 needed renovation.

He said 142 had been destroyed, while 38 were “completely inaccessible†because they were located in the area to which Israeli troops had withdrawn under the ceasefire.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Oct. 18 that it was launching a “new e-learning school year†to reach 290,000 pupils.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused UNRWA of being a “subsidiary of Hamas†and said it would play no role in post-war Gaza.

Beigbeder said it was vital to put education “at the top of the agenda†and rebuild a sense of social cohesion for Gaza’s children, almost all of whom are traumatized and in need of psychological support.

UNICEF said one of the priorities was obtaining permission at border crossings to bring in materials to set up semi-permanent schools, as well as school supplies, which have been blocked as non-essential.

Israel repeatedly cut off supplies to the Gaza Strip during the war, exacerbating dire humanitarian conditions, with the UN saying it caused a famine in parts of the Palestinian territory.

The World Health Organization said Thursday there had been a slight improvement in the amount of aid going into Gaza since the ceasefire took hold — and no observable reduction in hunger.

“How can you rehabilitate classrooms if you don’t have cement? And above all, we need notebooks and books ... blackboards, the bare minimum,†said Beigbeder.

“Food is survival. Education is hope.â€


Hundreds protest in Tunisia’s capital over worsening pollution crisis

Hundreds protest in Tunisia’s capital over worsening pollution crisis
Updated 25 October 2025

Hundreds protest in Tunisia’s capital over worsening pollution crisis

Hundreds protest in Tunisia’s capital over worsening pollution crisis
  • Residents of Gabes have reported rising rates of respiratory illnesses, osteoporosis and cancer
  • Protesters in Tunis carried banners and chanted slogans in solidarity with residents of Gabes, calling the response of authorities “repression“

TUNIS: Hundreds of Tunisians marched through the capital Tunis on Saturday to protest a severe environmental crisis caused by pollution from a state chemical plant in Gabes, as protests that began there widen outside the southern city.
The protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations that have underscored growing public frustration over the government’s handling of pollution and worsening state of public services, marking the biggest challenge to President Kais Saied since he seized all power in 2021.
Residents of Gabes have reported rising rates of respiratory illnesses, osteoporosis and cancer, which they blame on toxic gases from the state chemical group’s phosphate plants, which dump thousands of tons of waste into the sea daily.
The latest wave of protests in Gabes was triggered this month after dozens of schoolchildren suffered breathing difficulties caused by toxic fumes from a plant that converts phosphates into phosphoric acid and fertilizers.
Protesters in Tunis carried banners and chanted slogans in solidarity with residents of Gabes, calling the response of authorities “repression.†The government said it arrested people for violence.
“It’s that simple, the people of Gabes want to breathe,†Hani Faraj, a protester from the “Stop Pollution†campaign, told Reuters. “Gabes is dying slowly ... We will not remain silent. We will escalate our peaceful protests.â€
Saied’s administration fears protests in the capital could spark unrest elsewhere in Tunisia, deepening pressure as it struggles with a prolonged economic downturn and political instability.
Saied has described the situation in Gabes as an “environmental assassination,†blaming criminal policy choices by a previous government.
In an effort to quell the protests, he has called for repairs to the industrial units to stop leaks as an immediate step. Health Minister Mustapha Ferjani said this week the government would build a cancer hospital in Gabes to deal with rising cases.
However, protesters have rejected the fixes as temporary, and are demanding the polluting facilities be permanently shut and relocated.
Environmental groups warn that tons of industrial waste are discharged daily into the sea at Chatt Essalam, severely damaging marine life. Local fishermen have reported a sharp decline in fish stocks over the past decade, threatening a vital source of income for many in the region.


Appeal date set for French sportswriter jailed in Algeria: lawyer

Appeal date set for French sportswriter jailed in Algeria: lawyer
Updated 25 October 2025

Appeal date set for French sportswriter jailed in Algeria: lawyer

Appeal date set for French sportswriter jailed in Algeria: lawyer
  • “The case of French journalist Christophe Gleizes is scheduled for December 3, 2025,†his lawyer said
  • Gleizes had traveled to Tizi Ouzou to write about the local football club Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie

ALGIERS: The appeal trial of a French sports journalist jailed in Algeria on accusations of “glorifying terrorism†has been scheduled for December 3, his lawyer said Friday.
A contributor to the magazines So Foot and Society, Christophe Gleizes, 36, was sentenced in late June to seven years in prison.
“The case of French journalist Christophe Gleizes is scheduled for December 3, 2025, at the criminal appeal court in Tizi Ouzou,†110 kilometers (70 miles) east of Algiers, his lawyer, Amirouche Bakouri, said on Facebook.
Gleizes had traveled to Tizi Ouzou to write about the local football club Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie, named after Algeria’s Kabylia region, home to the Amazigh Kabyle people.
He is accused by the judiciary of having been in contact with a local football figure prominent in the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), designated a terrorist organization by the authorities in 2021.
The press freedom NGO Reporters Without Borders called on the appeal court to free Gleizes.
“Christophe is guilty only of practicing his profession as a sports journalist and loving Algerian football,†declared RSF Director-General Thierry Bruttin, according to an NGO statement.


Rubio vows return of all hostage bodies to Israel

Rubio vows return of all hostage bodies to Israel
Updated 25 October 2025

Rubio vows return of all hostage bodies to Israel

Rubio vows return of all hostage bodies to Israel
  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio: ‘We will not rest until their – and all – remains are returned’

JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed Saturday to secure the return of all deceased hostages still held in Gaza, as he met with the families of two captives during his visit to Israel.
“We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas,†Rubio said on X.
“Today I met with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. We will not rest until their – and all – remains are returned,†he said, hours before wrapping up his three-day visit to Israel.
The Israeli campaign group, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, welcomed Rubio’s remarks.
“Thirteen hostages need to come home. Thirteen families need closure,†the group said on X, thanking the US secretary of state.
“Please don’t stop – until the last hostage is released,†it added.
Chen, a dual Israel-US national and a sergeant in the Israeli army, was working at the border with the Gaza Strip when Hamas and its allies attacked on October 7, 2023.
The military announced his death five months later in March 2024.
It said Chen, 19 at the time of the attack, died in combat and his body was taken to Gaza.
Neutra, 21 at the time of the attack and also a US-Israeli national, was a volunteer soldier killed on October 7.
Raised in New York, Neutra came to Israel to experience the country of his parents, his mother Orna Neutra said in November 2023. He later enlisted for military service as most young Israelis do.
Under the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on October 10, all 20 living hostages have been freed by Palestinian militants.
Remains of 15 deceased hostages have also been returned to Israel, while the bodies of 13 others remain in Gaza.
In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 prisoners, mostly Palestinians, along with dozens of Palestinian bodies, as part of the deal.
The ceasefire has largely halted hostilities but on Sunday Israel carried out a wave of air strikes that left dozens of Gazans dead, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Israel said its troops came under attack, resulting in the death of two soldiers, after which it launched the strikes. Later, Israel reinforced the ceasefire.