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Hamas says Gaza truce possible 'within 24 to 48 hours' if Israel accepts terms

Egypt was Sunday set to host the latest talks aiming for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as Gaza officials reported more deadly bombardment in the nearly five-month-old war.

A senior Hamas official told AFP that a delegation from the Palestinian group would discuss with mediators a proposal for a six-week truce, after a U.S. official said Israel had "more or less accepted" its terms.

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US forces destroy Houthi surface-to-air missile

U.S. forces struck and destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile in Yemen after deciding it posed an "imminent threat" to American aircraft, the U.S. Central Command in the Middle East announced.

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EU clears 50-mn-euro payment to UNRWA

The European Commission announced Friday it was clearing a 50-million-euro ($54 million) payment to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, which was under review following Israeli claims its staff participated in Hamas's October 7 attack.

Commission spokesman Eric Mamer told reporters the funds would be released "early next week" after UNRWA agreed to a "series of conditions" including an EU-led audit, with a further 32 million euros to follow later.

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Health ministry in Gaza says war death toll 30,228

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Friday the wartime death toll had reached 30,228 after 193 new fatalities were recorded in the previous 24 hours.

The ministry also said 920 injuries were tallied in the same period in the besieged territory, bringing the total wounded from Israel's nearly five-month-old war against Hamas to 71,377.

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Hamas, other Palestinian groups stress 'unity' at Moscow talks

Palestinian factions including rivals Hamas and Fatah said on Friday they would pursue "unity of action" in confronting Israel after representatives met at Russia-hosted talks.

The meeting in Moscow on Thursday brought together Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah and other Palestinian groups for talks on the war in Gaza and an eventual post-war period.

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Israeli strike in Syria kills Iran Guard, two others

An Israeli strike in Syria on Friday killed an Iranian Revolutionary Guard and two other people, reports said, in the third consecutive day of Israeli attacks on Syria.

Three violent explosions shook the centre of Banias, on Syria's Mediterranean coast, during the dawn strike on a villa that sheltered "a group affiliated with Iran", said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.

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Deaths at aid delivery site in Gaza draw condemnation

Israeli troops in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire on Palestinians scrambling for food aid on Thursday, in a chaotic incident that the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed more than 100 people.

There were conflicting reports about how the pre-dawn incident unfolded.

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Fears of war with Hezbollah grow in Israel

In the green hills of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights near Lebanon, Arye and Ditza Alon are hiking through a tranquil nature reserve, wondering whether the wider region could become a war zone.

While mediators hope for a truce soon in Gaza to the south, fears are growing that months of cross-border clashes in the north could escalate into a bigger conflict.

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Israel strikes kill Hezbollah fighter near Syria-Lebanon border

Israel killed a Hezbollah fighter in a strike on Syria, close to the Lebanese border, also hitting near Damascus Thursday, a war monitor said, hours after similar attacks.

Hezbollah holds sway over Lebanon's eastern border with Syria, as well as some regions on the other side of the border including Qusayr, the target of Thursday's strike.

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Russia says thwarted attack on south Ukraine coast

Russia said Thursday it fought off an attempted landing by Ukrainian special forces on the Tendra Spit sandbar in the Black Sea held by Russian troops, killing "up to 25" Ukrainian personnel.

"Russian forces... destroyed a Ukrainian commando group... trying to land on speedboats," the defence ministry said in its daily update.

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