Yemen's Houthis announced the release of 25 crew of the Galaxy Leader, a commercial vessel seized in November 2023 in the Red Sea.

A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took effect on Sunday as Hamas released the first three female hostages it held for 15 months of the devastating war

UNITED NATIONS - With the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas offering a ray of hope to millions of people in the Gaza Strip after nearly 15 months of devastating conflicts, UN aid agencies continue to provide assistance while mobilizing for a surge in relief deliveries.

Israel said it will maintain control of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip during the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas. A statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Wednesday denied reports that the Palestinian Authority would control the crossing.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the Yemen branch of the Palestinian group Hamas on Wednesday linked the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader vessel to the ceasefire agreement that took effect in Gaza on Sunday.

The Israel-Hamas war has devastated the Gaza Strip. Satellite photos offer some sense of the destruction in the territory.

More than 375,000 Palestinians have made their way back to homes in northern Gaza after 15 months on the run because of war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed 15 months ago that Israel would achieve “total victory” in the war in Gaza — by eradicating Hamas and freeing all the hostages. One week

Dutch authorities on Wednesday arrested three suspects after the theft of a priceless ancient golden helmet that is considered a cultural icon of Romania and had been on display in a small museum in the Netherlands.

These developments do not bode well for the success of the next phases of the ceasefire, let alone a lasting peace. Palestinians consider Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan as part of what should be a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu rejects. The situation in Gaza also offers encouraging signs and cause for concern.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians streamed into Gaza’s most heavily destroyed area on Monday after Israel opened the