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Middle East conflict

Hamas says two hostages were killed in Israeli attack on Rafah several days ago

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said in an interview earlier that no one knows who many hostages held in the Gaza Strip are still alive

CAIRO, June 14. /TASS/. Two hostages held by radical groups in the Gaza Strip died several days ago as a result of Israeli strikes on the city of Rafah, Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said.

The Israeli army "killed two [Israeli] hostages in an air raid on the city of Rafah several days ago," it wrote on its Telegram channel.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said in an interview with CNN earlier that no one knows who many hostages held in the Gaza Strip are still alive.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on July 8 that four hostages had been released as a result of a special operation in the Gaza Strip and vowed that Israel would continue combat operations in the Palestinian enclave until all 120 hostages are released.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023 after militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise incursion on Israeli territory, killing many Israeli kibbutz residents living near the Gaza border and abducting more than 240 Israelis, including women, children and the elderly. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria, as well as a ground operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.

In late November 2023, Hamas announced an agreement with Israel, which was brokered by Egypt and Qatar, on a four-day humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, which took effect on November 24. The sides extended the ceasefire several times but on the morning of December 1 the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Hamas had violated the truce in Gaza and opened fire on Israeli territory, thus prompting the IDF to resume combat operations in the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli side, as many as 110 hostages were released during this period.

Middle East conflict

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Romania, Poland, Germany, UK plan to divide Ukraine — Russia's foreign intel

"A total of 100,000 so-called peacekeepers are planned to be sent to Ukraine," the SVR noted

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Defense Minister notes active expansion of Russia-North Korea military cooperation

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Ukrainian forces follow Russian troops’ example to use fiber optics drones, Putin says

The head of state is confident that there will be a quick response from the Russian side

West deploying troops to Ukraine to up ante in fight with Russia — senior diplomat

Mikhail Galuzin described such plans as provocative and noted that they "confirm the West’s intention to continue its profound engagement in a direct standoff with Russia"

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Russian troops liberate four communities in Donetsk area, Kharkov Region over week

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"Everything here is much deeper than a decision to send a peacekeeper mission," Dmitry Peskov said

NATO spies study damage from Oreshnik at Yuzhmash — expert

Alexander Stepanov emphasized that both Kiev and its Western allies are closely scrutinizing the consequences of the strike on the plant

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Borrell calls for preventing consolidation of whole world against West

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Press review: CSTO discusses Russian weapons as US and Russia continue prisoner talks

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Israeli conducts strike on military targets on Syria-Lebanon border, army says

The military infrastructure sites were actively used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon, the statement reads

Welcome to Russia project helps to find spiritual, moral refuge — State Duma deputy

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