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Hamas military leader rejects US peace deal: BBC

Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. (Reuters)
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. (Reuters)
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Updated 7 sec ago

Hamas military leader rejects US peace deal: BBC

Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. (Reuters)
  • Izz Al-Din Al-Haddad reportedly believes plan is attempt to destroy group
  • Netanyahu: Israel will ‘forcibly resist’ creation of Palestinian state

LONDON: The leader of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza has rejected a US peace proposal, the BBC reported on Thursday.

Izz Al-Din Al-Haddad has reportedly indicated that the group will continue to fight as he believes the proposal, backed by Israel, is designed to destroy Hamas.

Reports earlier this week suggested that senior Hamas members in Qatar were open to negotiating aspects of the 20-point plan, which includes the group’s disarmament and surrender of any future role in governing Gaza.

However, its military wing holds greater sway over proceedings given that it holds the 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, only 20 of whom are thought to be alive.

One major stumbling block is the requirement for all hostages to be released within 72 hours of the ceasefire, which would rob Hamas of further leverage.

Senior Hamas figures in Gaza also do not believe that Israel will abide by the deal, regardless of US guarantees, after its efforts to assassinate members of its political leadership in Doha last month. 

After the proposal was announced on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on X that the deal would allow the Israeli military continued access to parts of Gaza, and that his government would “forcibly resist” the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state, defying the US proposal to create a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

Hamas has maintained that it will refuse any efforts to disarm until a Palestinian state has been established.

Israel has killed at least 66,225 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, according to local health authorities.


Kuwaiti and Bahraini academies reaffirm cooperation in diplomatic training

Kuwaiti and Bahraini academies reaffirm cooperation in diplomatic training
Updated 12 sec ago

Kuwaiti and Bahraini academies reaffirm cooperation in diplomatic training

Kuwaiti and Bahraini academies reaffirm cooperation in diplomatic training
  • Meeting focused on workshops and programs to improve efficiency of ministry of foreign affairs’ employees
  • Latest digital platforms in use in the diplomatic sector also highlighted

LONDON: Kuwait and Bahrain reaffirmed their cooperation in diplomatic training and studies during a visit by a Kuwaiti delegation to the Mohamed bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies in Manama this week.

Sheikha Muneera Al-Khalifa, the academy’s director general, emphasized the importance of exchanging experiences in diplomatic training and digital transformation of administrative work, the Kuwait News Agency reported.

Her meeting with Nasser Sabeeh Al-Sabeeh, Kuwait’s assistant foreign minister at the Saud Al-Nasser Al-Sabah Kuwait Diplomatic Institute, reaffirmed the ongoing cooperation in diplomatic training with Kuwait.

The meeting also focused on the academy’s training, development strategies, workshops, and programs designed to improve the efficiency of employees at the ministry of foreign affairs. Additionally, it highlighted the latest digital platforms in use in the diplomatic sector, enhancing efficiency and improving the quality of diplomatic work.

Al-Sabeeh said that the Bahraini academy plays a crucial role in developing the competencies of personnel in the foreign ministry through modernized training programs, KUNA reported.


Palestinian Authority reports six killings and hundreds of arrests in Jerusalem over summer

Palestinian Authority reports six killings and hundreds of arrests in Jerusalem over summer
Updated 02 October 2025

Palestinian Authority reports six killings and hundreds of arrests in Jerusalem over summer

Palestinian Authority reports six killings and hundreds of arrests in Jerusalem over summer
  • Quarterly report from Jerusalem governorate details various violations committed by the Israeli government and settlers in the city
  • On Thursday, a total of 356 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy Israeli police protection to mark the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur

LONDON: Israeli authorities and forces have killed six Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and arrested hundreds between July and September, according to a report by the Palestinian Authority-affiliated Jerusalem governorate.

The quarterly report from the governorate details various violations committed by the Israeli government and settlers in the city, including extrajudicial killings, demolition orders, arbitrary arrests, house imprisonment and settlers’ raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque. During the third quarter of 2025, there were six slain Palestinians, 216 arrests and 116 incidents of home demolitions and land excavations.

On Thursday, a total of 356 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy Israeli police protection to mark the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, according to Wafa news agency.

Israeli forces shut down dozens of vital streets and roads in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening to secure the celebrations for Yom Kippur, restricting residents’ movement to a near-total standstill and disrupting the daily lives of Palestinians, the Wafa added.


Istanbul rattled by 5.0-magnitude earthquake

Istanbul rattled by 5.0-magnitude earthquake
Updated 02 October 2025

Istanbul rattled by 5.0-magnitude earthquake

Istanbul rattled by 5.0-magnitude earthquake

ISTANBUL: A 5.0-magnitude earthquake rattled buildings in Turkiye’s largest city Istanbul on Thursday, sending some people rushing out to the streets, Reuters witnesses and the AFAD disaster agency said.
AFAD said the tremor centered in the Marmara Sea, southwest of Istanbul, along a faultline long seen as a risk for the city of 16 million people.


UN demands urgent action to prevent atrocities in Sudan’s El-Fasher

UN demands urgent action to prevent atrocities in Sudan’s El-Fasher
Updated 02 October 2025

UN demands urgent action to prevent atrocities in Sudan’s El-Fasher

UN demands urgent action to prevent atrocities in Sudan’s El-Fasher
  • Call came after reports that long-range drones were being pre-positioned by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support forces in South Darfur

GENEVA: The United Nations called Thursday for urgent action to prevent “large-scale, ethnically-driven attacks and atrocities” in Sudan’s besieged western city of El-Fasher.
The call from the UN rights office came after reports that long-range drones were being pre-positioned by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support forces in South Darfur, raising fears of a large attack on the North Darfur city of El-Fasher in coming days.
The RSF is currently waging its fiercest assault yet on El-Fasher, which is the last major city in the vast western region of Darfur still under control of the country’s regular army.
“After over 500 days of unremitting siege by the RSF and incessant fighting, El-Fasher is on the precipice of an even greater catastrophe if urgent measures are not taken loosen the armed vice upon the city and to protect civilians,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.
Following persistent reports of serious violence against those fleeing the city, including summary executions and torture, Turk insisted that “atrocities are not inevitable.”
“They can be averted if all actors take concrete action to uphold international law, demand respect for civilian life and property, and prevent the continued commission of atrocity crimes.”
Since April 2023, the war between the RSF and the country’s regular army has killed tens of thousands and created the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis.
Between September 19 and 29 alone, Turk’s office said at least 91 civilians were killed in RSF artillery shelling, drone strikes and ground incursions.
This “appears to be an effort to force the mass displacement of civilians from El-Fasher,” it warned.
Turk demanded protection for civilians remaining in El-Fasher, including those who may be unable to leave like the elderly and disabled, and called for parties to the conflict to allow in desperately-needed aid.
He described the “unimaginable difficulty” facing civilians there, decrying the continued arbitrary RSF restrictions on bringing food and essential supplies into the city, and citing credible reports of civilians tortured and killed by RSF fighters for doing so.
He also insisted that the “safe and voluntary passage of civilians must be ensured out of El-Fasher, and throughout their movement along key exit routes.”
Turk highlighted the high risk of ethnically-motivated violations and abuses, like those that took place during the earlier RSF offensive on the Zamzam displacement camp south of El-Fasher in April, including the systematic use of sexual violence targeting Zaghawa women and girls.


Israel criticized internationally for blocking Gaza-bound aid flotilla

Israel criticized internationally for blocking Gaza-bound aid flotilla
Updated 02 October 2025

Israel criticized internationally for blocking Gaza-bound aid flotilla

Israel criticized internationally for blocking Gaza-bound aid flotilla
  • Israel intercepted a convoy of around 45 vessels carrying humanitarian aid and activists, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson, attempting to reach Gaza amid a growing humanitarian crisis

DUBAI: International leaders have strongly criticized Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of around 45 vessels carrying humanitarian aid and activists attempting to reach Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of famine conditions.

Israeli naval forces began intercepting the ships on Wednesday, citing the waters as part of its blockade. By Thursday, at least 39 vessels had been intercepted or were assumed to have been intercepted, according to the flotilla’s tracking system.

South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa called on Israel to immediately release the detained activists, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson, and ensure the safe delivery of the flotilla’s aid.

“The interception of the flotilla in international waters is contrary to international law and violates the sovereignty of every nation whose flag was flown on the vessels,” he said.

Pretoria has been a leading critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, previously bringing a case before the UN’s top court alleging Israel’s military campaign amounts to genocide, a charge Israel denies.

Turkiye
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the interceptions as aggression, asserting that Israel’s actions show a lack of willingness to support peace efforts.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry called the interception “an act of terrorism” in international waters, violating international law and endangering civilians.

Turkiye is taking measures to protect its nationals aboard the flotilla and said it will pursue legal steps to hold Israel accountable.

Palestine
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced Israel’s actions as illegal, stating it has no authority over Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza.

Meanwhile, Hamas expressed support for the flotilla, calling the interception a “criminal act” and urging public protests to condemn Israel.

United Kingdom
A British Foreign Office spokesperson said the UK has engaged with Israeli authorities to ensure the situation is resolved safely and in line with international law.

The spokesperson emphasized that the flotilla’s humanitarian aid should be delivered to organizations on the ground in Gaza.

Malaysia
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim criticized Israel’s blockade of the humanitarian mission, calling it “utter contempt” for the rights of Palestinians and global humanitarian norms.

He said the flotilla represented solidarity and hope for those living under blockade.

The flotilla’s organizers said multiple vessels were “illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces in international waters,” while a Greek participant described the actions as repeated acts of piracy violating international law. Israel’s foreign ministry stated that the detained activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, were being transferred to an Israeli port and would be deported to Europe.