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Gaza hospital damaged in Israeli strike

Gaza's civil defense agency said an Israeli airstrike destroyed parts of a hospital early Sunday after Israel seized a corridor in the war-battered Palestinian territory and said it planned to expand its military offensive.

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Hamas says delegation to reach Cairo today for Gaza truce talks

A Hamas official told AFP that senior leaders from the group are heading to Cairo on Saturday for Gaza ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators.

"We hope the meeting will achieve real progress towards reaching an agreement to end the war, halt the aggression and ensure the full withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza," the official familiar with the ceasefire negotiations said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

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Syria extends deadline for probe into coastal killings of Alawites

Syria's presidency announced on Friday that it would extend a probe into the killings of Alawite civilians in coastal areas that left hundreds dead after clashes between government forces and armed groups loyal to former President Bashar Assad spiraled into sectarian revenge attacks.

The violence erupted on March 6 after Assad loyalists ambushed patrols of the new government, prompting Islamist-led groups to launch coordinated assaults on Latakia, Baniyas, and other coastal areas.

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Erdogan accuses Israel of seeking to 'dynamite' Syria 'revolution'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused Israel of sowing divisions in Syria in a bid to "dynamite" the "revolution" that toppled strongman Bashar al-Assad.

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Israel's army says it will fire air force reservists who condemned the war

Israel's military said Friday it will fire air force reservists who signed a letter condemning the war in Gaza and claiming it only serves political interests instead of bringing the hostages home.

In a statement to The Associated Press, an army official said there was no room for any body or individual, including reservists in active duty, "to exploit their military status while simultaneously participating in the fighting," calling it a breach of trust between commanders and subordinates.

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Gaza rescuers say Israeli air strike kills 10, including 7 children

Gaza's civil defense agency reported that a pre-dawn Israeli air strike on Friday killed 10 members of the same family, including seven children, in the southern city of Khan Yunis.

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Israel releases Ahmad Manasra after 9 years in prison

Israel on Thursday released a Palestinian who took part in an attack when he was 13 and developed schizophrenia in prison as requests for early release were denied.

Israel says Ahmad Manasra is a terrorist who tried to kill Jews his own age. Palestinians accuse Israel of subjecting a child to harsh incarceration that led to serious and potentially permanent mental illness. His lawyer, Khaled Zabarqa, said he was released after completing his nine-and-a-half-year sentence.

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Sudan tells top UN court UAE is breaching genocide convention by funding rebels

Sudan told the United Nations' top court on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates is breaching the genocide convention by arming and funding the rebel paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces, in a case vigorously contested by the UAE.

The northeast African country is asking the International Court of Justice to issue emergency orders, known as provisional measures, including telling the UAE to do all it can to prevent the killing and other crimes targeting the Masalit people during Sudan's two-year civil war.

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Trump says Israel would strike Iran if it doesn't give up nuclear weapons

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Israel would be the "leader" of a potential military strike against Iran if Tehran doesn't give up its nuclear weapons program.

Trump made the comments ahead of this weekend's scheduled talks involving U.S. and Iranian officials in the Middle East sultanate of Oman. Trump earlier this week said the talks would be "direct" while Iran has described the engagement as "indirect" talks with the U.S.

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Turkey holds 'technical talks' with Israel to ease Syria tensions

Turkey is holding technical-level talks with Israel to ease tensions over Syria but is not moving toward normalizing ties, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday.

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