Hamas

• Hamas has conditioned the implementation of a new U.S.-brokered Gaza peace framework on Israel first fulfilling commitments from a previous agreement reached in Sharm el Sheikh last year. • To proceed, Hamas demands that Israel end military operations, withdraw forces to October positions, and increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into the territory. • The group stated it will only transfer its weapons to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a newly established technocratic governing body, once these conditions are met.

• President Donald Trump announced on July 31, 2026, that a new agreement has been reached for Hamas to disarm. • Trump attributed the success of the deal to the ongoing war with Iran, identifying the nation as the primary backer of Hamas. • This development is significant as it represents a major shift in the regional security landscape and a potential end to Hamas's armed operations.

• President Donald Trump announced a deal requiring Hamas to disarm and Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza, following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire nine months prior. • Hamas confirmed the disarmament agreement on Friday, though significant hurdles and complex conditions remain regarding the implementation process. • The agreement is a critical step toward winding down the war and initiating the long-term reconstruction of Gaza's infrastructure.

Donald Trump has declared a breakthrough in negotiations over the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, but Israeli government officials have voiced scepticism over the deal.Lucy Hough speaks to Julian Borger, the Guardian’s senior international correspondent – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

• Hamas has stated it will agree to disarm in Gaza only if Israel upholds the terms of a ceasefire agreement. • This follows an announcement by US President Donald Trump on Thursday regarding a new deal aimed at the disarmament of Hamas. • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained silent on the deal, though the news has sparked significant political tension ahead of October elections.

• Hamas official Ghazi Hamad stated that the group is willing to hand over its weapons to a new Gaza administration established by Trump’s Board of Peace. • The transition is contingent upon the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. • This potential disarmament marks a significant milestone aimed at ending years of conflict and destruction to improve the daily lives of Gazan citizens.

US president’s board of peace says Israel will withdraw from Gaza following disarmament of Hamas but no immediate statement from either sideWhat is Trump’s Board of Peace and who is involved?Donald Trump on Thursday announced an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas, calling it a critical step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza. There was no immediate statement from Hamas or Israel on the agreement.“This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,” Trump said in a social media post. Continue reading...

Vote will allow Israelis to pass judgment on Benjamin Netanyahu and his handling of conflicts in Gaza and IranMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesIsrael will hold national elections in late October, giving its citizens their first chance to pass judgment on the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his coalition since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023.The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will be dissolved on Friday. With just a few days left in session, the most far-right government in Israel’s history is now rushing to pass several controversial laws in a bid to bolster its position before polling day, which is set for 27 October. Continue reading...

• The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is reviewing its database of journalists killed in Gaza following a December study by the Meir Amit Center. • The study claims that 60% of the individuals identified as journalists who were killed in the region were members of or affiliated with terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. • This review is critical as it challenges the accuracy of casualty figures used to track press fatalities during the ongoing conflict.

Exclusive: First shipwrecks found in Nassau harbour on New Providence, once the hideout of Blackbeard and Calico JackThe first shipwrecks linked to the real pirates of the Caribbean in the Bahamas have been discovered by an international team co-directed by a British marine archaeologist.Blackbeard and Calico Jack Rackham were among pirates who, between the 1690s and 1720s, turned Nassau on the island of New Providence into a hideout where they plotted their next heists on the high seas and divided up their plunder. Continue reading...

US-backed board has put sole blame for stalled ceasefire on militant group despite Israel not fulfilling its obligations, analysts sayThe top diplomat from the Board of Peace has blamed Hamas for the stalled ceasefire, but critics have said the US-backed board’s lack of even-handedness in implementing the truce risks a return to war.The “high representative for Gaza”, Nickolay Mladenov, told the UN security council on Thursday that Hamas was the “principal obstacle” to the ceasefire’s continued implementation because “it refused to accept verified decommissioning, relinquish coercive control and allow a genuine civilian transition”. Continue reading...

Davis is the country’s first leader to serve a second consecutive term in nearly 30 yearsThe Bahamas prime minister, Philip Davis, and his ruling Progressive Liberal party (PLP) have been re-elected, making him the country’s first leader to serve a second consecutive term in nearly 30 years.“The Bahamian people have spoken, and I receive their verdict with humility and gratitude,” Davis told Reuters. Continue reading...

Rising cost of living such as high gas prices also a concern in election that will have record number of votersVoters in the Bahamas head to the polls on Tuesday in a hotly contested general election featuring high-profile candidates such as the former basketball champion Rick Fox.Voters in the Caribbean archipelago are divided over concerns about immigration, especially from neighbouring Haiti, and the rising cost of living, with significant spikes in gas prices caused by war in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Fahad Ansari says it was ‘chilling’ that police ‘equated him with his client’ after he was stopped on return from family holiday in IrelandA lawyer who filed Hamas’s challenge to proscription in the UK was recorded by police as being a member of the banned group, “equating him with his client”.On a risk assessment form, a detective inspector, who authorised the detention of Fahad Ansari under the Terrorism Act on his return from a family holiday in Ireland, wrote “Hamas” in the space reserved for “membership of a known group”. Continue reading...

• Israeli and Hamas delegations reached an agreement for a two-month ceasefire in Gaza, brokered by US diplomatic envoys and Egyptian mediators over the past week. • The deal includes provisions for humanitarian aid corridors, release of remaining hostages held by Hamas, and dismantling of restrictions on Palestinian civilian movement in designated zones. • The agreement marks a significant diplomatic victory for the US, though skeptics question whether the ceasefire will hold given previous failed peace attempts and hardline opposition from both sides.

Brian Hooker told police that Lynette Hooker fell overboard and that strong currents carried her awayPolice in the Bahamas have released without charges a Michigan man who said his wife disappeared after falling overboard from a small boat in waters off the Caribbean island country, authorities said Monday.Brian Hooker, of Onsted in southern Michigan, had been in police custody since 8 April – five days – after being questioned by authorities. Continue reading...

Brian Hooker says wife Lynette fell overboard from dinghy but family members have cast doubt on that accountPolice in the Bahamas on Monday were set to again interview a US man who said his wife fell overboard from their boat.In a statement on Sunday to the Guardian, Brian Hooker’s attorney, Terrel Butler, said: “The police have requested another interview with [Brian Hooker] tomorrow.” Continue reading...