Author: CNN

Hamas representative Osama Hamdan speaks during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon, on May 7. Mohamed Azakir/ReutersA senior representative of Hamas says the proposed deal it agreed to includes the “withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip.”Osama Hamdan, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, told a news conference in Beirut that the proposed deal would secure “the main issues of the demands of our people and our resistance in stopping the aggression permanently, the withdrawal of the occupation from the entire Gaza Strip, the free return of the displaced, relief, reconstruction, ending the siege, and achieving a real and…

Palestinians flee Rafah, Gaza, on May 6. Ramadan Abed/ReutersPalestinian civilians who were asked by the Israeli army to evacuate east of Rafah described their fear and despair at being uprooted from their homes and shelters, while Israeli air strikes bombard the southernmost city of Gaza.“We left because they distributed leaflets,” Muhammad Ghanem, a resident of eastern Rafah, told a CNN correspondent in the area on Monday. “(They) strike everywhere without distinguishing between children, adults, armed or unarmed. “I left my house that I had been building for 17 years.” Ghanem and his wife were pushing children’s carts stacked with luggage.…

Israel shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in the country and seized some of its communication equipment Sunday, prompting condemnation from the United Nations and rights groups over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s moves to restrict press freedoms.The Qatari-based news network, which has produced dogged, on the ground reporting of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, called the closure of its offices a “criminal act,” while critics said the move was a “dark day for democracy” that sets a concerning precedent for other international media outlets operating in Israel.Netanyahu said: “The government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be…

Deadly Israeli airstrikes hit residential buildings across Gaza, killing nine people.Three people were killed and several others were injured, including two children, after an Israeli air strike targeted two residential buildings east of Rafah, according to a statement by the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Gaza.The IDF issued a statement on Saturday confirming the strikes on targets, saying it was “working to dismantle Hamas’ military and administrative capabilities,” and that “the IDF follows international law and takes possible precautions to mitigate harm to civilians.”Israeli air strikes have been targeting the city of Rafah, where at least 1.2 million displaced…

CNN  —  Here’s a look at the life of retired professional soccer player David Beckham. Birth date: May 2, 1975 Birth place: London, England Birth name: David Robert Joseph Beckham Father: David Edward “Ted” Beckham, an appliance repairman Mother: Sandra (West) Beckham, a hairdresser Marriage: Victoria (Adams) Beckham (July 4, 1999-present) Children: Harper, Cruz, Romeo and Brooklyn Retired professional soccer (European football) player. Married to Spice Girl Victoria (Adams) Beckham, nicknamed “Posh Spice.” Midfielder known for his ability to “bend” his free kicks, curving the ball around or over defenders to score. The movie title “Bend it like Beckham” is…

CNN  —  Here’s a look at Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Since 2003, worldwide concern over Iran’s nuclear program has increased as Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) spar over investigation and details of Iran’s program. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has repeatedly denied Iran is building a bomb and says weapons of mass destruction are forbidden under Islam. 1957 – The United States signs a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Iran. 1958 – Iran joins the IAEA. 1967 – The Tehran Nuclear Research Center, which includes a small reactor supplied by the United States, opens. 1968 – Iran signs…

Displaced Palestinians cook in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. CNNLittle children in sandals wrinkle their faces under the Gaza sun. Others wander barefoot through a sprawling schoolyard in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. CNN footage shows clothes on clotheslines and dusty plastic tents flapping in the wind. Muhammad Shabat, a displaced Palestinian, says: “Our lives are full of suffering. There is no drinking water, and no suitable place to live.” “There is no health, no education. How will these children live? How will they study? We had Covid, and now we have war. We are mentally exhausted. “I…

Displaced Palestinians receive cooked food rations at a donation point in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on April 19. Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/ShutterstockIsrael has consistently denied aid convoys to northern Gaza, according to the UN’s agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA). Food shortages are worst in northern Gaza, where Israel concentrated its military offensive in the early days of the war.Israeli authorities vetoed at least 27 out of 81 aid missions that require coordination in the north and south of the strip, between April 1 and April 19, UNRWA said in a report. The last time UNRWA was able to deliver food supplies to the…

An independent review of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has said the agency’s neutrality must be strengthened. Earlier this year, Israel accused at least 12 UNRWA staffers of being involved in Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks and has alleged that about 12% of the agency’s 13,000 staffers are members of Hamas or other Palestinian militant groups. The review, which was led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and published Monday, was not tasked with addressing Israel’s allegations, but had a broader mandate to “assess whether UNRWA is doing everything…

A spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority president strongly condemned the US House of Representatives’ approval Saturday of a $26 billion aid package for Israel.The aid will directly correlate to the increasing number of Palestinian casualties, said the spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, according to a statement published by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.Abu Rudeineh labeled the aid package a “dangerous escalation” and an act of aggression against the Palestinian people. He said the support gives Israel the green light to broaden its war across the region, and undermines the prospects for regional and global stability.The aid package passed by the…