More than two months after Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas, the first testimonies of Israeli citizens who were held by the militant group for years are emerging. The men were both taken hostage in separate incidents in 2012, and were only released after years of negotiations in exchange for the release of Hamas […]
The hostages released so far are Hisham al-Sayed, Mohammad al-Kafarna, Bader al-Rafaee, Mohammad Abu Ejela, Mahmoud al-Fasayel, Amjad al-Nabari, Osama al-Halabi, Mohammed al-Zorbo, Issam al-Mussalam, Mutassim Sha’er, Abdelrahman Abu Libdeh, and Hamdi Sha’er.
The first group of Palestinian and Israeli prisoners were freed under the terms of the breakthrough truce between Israel and Hamas on October 18, 2020. The release was part of the implementation of the US-brokered agreement that saw the two sides agree to a six-month cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. A total of […]
The three hostages released on Friday are reportedly American Kevin King, Australian Timothy Weeks, and an unnamed Indian citizen. King and Weeks had been held in Afghanistan for three years.
Scientists have identified the source of an mysterious cosmic ray that was observed in Utah’s high desert back in 2006. The cosmic ray, also known as a high-energy charged particle, was found to have originated from outside of our own Milky Way galaxy. It is the first cosmic ray of its kind to be observed […]
The local authorities in the Netherlands have not reported any sightings of a green mamba snake on the loose in any Dutch city. It is highly unlikely that such a dangerous creature would escape or be released unintentionally in a densely populated country like the Netherlands, but if it was the case, the police and […]
to get the Starship to orbit. The test flight was designed to push the SN8 prototype of SpaceX’s Starship rocket to its limits, including flying to an altitude of roughly 41,000 feet and attempting an “aerodynamic descent” maneuver before landing. The flight successfully achieved both goals, marking a major milestone for SpaceX. However, the flight […]
PEN International is deeply concerned by the reported arrest of Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour on 31 October 2015 by Israeli forces. Tatour, a resident of Reineh village in northern Israel, was arrested on charges of “incitement to violence” and “support for a terror organisation” in relation to a poem she posted online as well as […]
As the search and rescue efforts for those trapped in the Tapovan tunnel collapse in India passed the one-week mark, rescue teams have changed their approach to the operation. The rescue teams have switched from breaking down the rubble and debris by hand to using earth-moving machines and more sophisticated technology to help speed up […]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been under increasing pressure to free hostages held by armed groups in the region. Netanyahu has been criticized by the families of the hostages and by many in Israel who believe that he has failed to take adequate action to obtain their release. On Sunday, Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar […]