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Two French aid workers kidnapped in the Central African Republic
Two French aid workers from the NGO Triangle were kidnapped overnight from Sunday to Monday in the north-east of the Central African Republic, Mahamat Salah Amadou Birao, Bangui's vice-consul in Darfur, Sudan told AFP.
Last modification: 13/02/09
 
Gaza under attack
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On 27 Dec. 2008 Israel launched one of the deadliest offensives in the Gaza Strip since the 1967 war. 1,300 Palestinians died, Gaza sources say, before a ceasefire ended the 22-day war that has also left thousands homeless and displaced.

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  • GAZA
    The race to rebuild Rafah's tunnels is on
    FRANCE 24 correspondents Sophie Claudet and Willy Bracciano spoke to Palestinians in Rafah, where they saw people busy repairing secret tunnels that burrow under the border to Egypt. The Israeli bombings had left the tunnels in ruins.
    (1) comment
  • GAZA
    Southern Israelis' fear is feeding a push for war
    Each day, those living in southern Israel worry they will be hit by a rocket launched by Hamas militants. The massive incursion into Gaza by the Tsahal has their full support.
  • GAZA
    Israel says all troops have left the Gaza Strip
    An Israeli Defence Force spokesman stated that "the last of the IDF soldiers have left the Gaza Strip". This comes three days after Israel and Hamas each declared ceasefires, ending 22 days of bloodshed.
  • GAZA EXCLUSIVE - VIDEO
    Embedded with Gaza medics
    FRANCE 24's correspondent in Gaza, Radjaa Abou Dagga, followed a team of Palestinian medics during the Israeli assault. The video is exclusive and contains images that some may find shocking.
    (27) comments

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  • COMMENTARY
    How Gaza's tragedy knocked Israel and Syria off the path to peace
    Last month's war in Gaza appears to have pulled the leaders of Israel and Syria from the brink of historic face to face talks.
    (1) comment
  • GAZA
    Truce with Israel to be announced, says Hamas
    Hamas has accepted an 18-month truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, according to the deputy head of the Islamist movement's politburo, Moussa Abu Marzouk (photo). Confirmation is expected from Egyptian mediators within the next 48 hours.
  • MEDIA - GAZA
    Protest planned over BBC refusal to show Gaza charity appeal
    Thousands of people are expected to demonstrate in London on Saturday against the BBC's refusal to show a charity appeal to raise funds for Gaza. The BBC is citing concerns about its impartiality and over whether the aid can be delivered efficiently.
    (3) comments
  • GAZA
    The race to rebuild Rafah's tunnels is on
    FRANCE 24 correspondents Sophie Claudet and Willy Bracciano spoke to Palestinians in Rafah, where they saw people busy repairing secret tunnels that burrow under the border to Egypt. The Israeli bombings had left the tunnels in ruins.
    (1) comment
  • GAZA
    Israel says all troops have left the Gaza Strip
    An Israeli Defence Force spokesman stated that "the last of the IDF soldiers have left the Gaza Strip". This comes three days after Israel and Hamas each declared ceasefires, ending 22 days of bloodshed.
  • GAZA
    UN chief wants full investigation into school bombings
    After visiting the still-smouldering UN compound in Gaza, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described the scenes as "heartbreaking". He calls for full accountability over the bombings of UN-run buildings and schools.
  • ARAB SUMMIT
    Arab leaders pledge $2bn for Gaza but fail to reach unified stance
    Arab leaders meeting in Kuwait Tuesday called for faster integration of Arab states' economies and approved an aid package of 2 million dollars for Gaza. The summit failed, however, to produce a unified stance on the Israeli assault on Gaza.
  • PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
    France ready to talk to Hamas 'when they accept peace process'
    "We will have to talk to Hamas when they accept the peace process, when they agree to start negotiations," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said to national lawmakers on Tuesday.
  • PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
    Abbas calls on Hamas to form national unity govt
    Speaking at a two-day Arab summit held in Kuwait, the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, called on Hamas to join the Fatah movement in forming a national unity government to organise presidential and legislative elections.
  • GAZA
    Dozens of bodies pulled from Gaza rubble
    In the wake of a unilateral truce declared by Israel, Gazans have emerged on the devastated streets of their towns to survey the damage and collect the dead. Nearly 100 bodies of Palestinians were pulled from the rubble on Sunday.
  • GAZA
    Israeli military responds to rocket fire despite truce
    Despite its unilateral ceasefire, the Israeli air force has bombed a rocket-launching squad in the Gaza Strip after four rockets were fired on Sderot. On Sunday morning, a Palestinian was also shot dead by Israeli troops, medics said.
  • GAZA
    Israel ceasefire begins in Gaza
    The Gaza Strip enjoyed its first night of calm after Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire late on Saturday and halted a three-week offensive which killed over 1,200 Palestinians.
  • GAZA
    Israel to halt Gaza assault, no deal for Hamas
    Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that the IDF will called off its bloody three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip at midnight on Saturday, saying it had achieved its objectives against the Hamas Islamist group.
  • GAZA
    'Ban’s trip to the Middle-East comes too late'
    The UN’s calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza have so far gone unheeded. Can the UN wield any influence on the conflict's outcome? International affairs specialist Philippe Moreau-Defarges answered FRANCE 24’s questions.
  • GAZA - QATAR
    Arab League summit on Gaza delayed
    Arab nations' inability to agree a common stance on the Gaza offensive has put a Qatar-hosted summit in Doha on Friday in jeopardy. Only 13 of the 22 member states agreed to attend and, on Friday, organisers announced the summit was delayed.
  • GAZA
    Hamas 'ready for truce', Israel presses Cairo for secure borders
    Hamas official Mussa Abu Marzuk confirmed to AFP that Hamas had proposed a one-year truce with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel sent its envoys to Cairo and Washington to secure border guarantees.
  • GAZA
    Ceasefire talks gain steam, but outcome uncertain
    Israeli diplomat Amos Gilad traveled to Cairo to discuss an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire plan after Hamas spokesman Salah al-Bardawil (photo) said his group accepted the plan's "broad outlines". But observers say chances for peace are slim.
    (1) comment
  • GAZA
    Hamas announces minister killed, strikes hit UN compound
    The UN scaled back some of its Gaza operations after three staff members were injured when an Israeli tank shell landed in the UNRWA compound. Meanwhile, Hamas announced its interior minister Saeed Seyyam was killed in an air strike.
  • GAZA - LATIN AMERICA
    Venezuela, Bolivia break diplomatic ties with Israel
    To protest the plight of Gaza Palestinians, Venezuela broke off diplomatic ties with Israel on Wednesday, a move emulated hours later by its regional ally Bolivia.
  • GAZA
    Ceasefire negotiations stepped up in Cairo
    As UN chief Ban Ki-moon renewed calls from Cairo on Wednesday for an immediate ceasefire, Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil (pictured) told a press conference his group had given Egypt its views on a truce plan, without divulging any details.
  • GAZA
    Israel using phosphorus bombs, says rights group
    The US-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch called on Israel to stop using incendiary white-phosphorus shells in its assault on Gaza. Palestinian medics told FRANCE 24 of burns consistent with the use of such weapons.
    (3) comments
  • GAZA
    Israel's offensive nearing its end, says deputy defence minister
    Cabinet members expressed different views on the Gaza offensive Sunday. Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilani said Israel was "close to ending the operation" while Housing Minister Zeev Boim told FRANCE 24 it should be "enlarged".
  • GAZA
    Israeli troops pursue offensive near Gaza City
    FRANCE 24 correspondents in Gaza reported that the Israeli army has encircled the city and began pushing towards its centre Sunday morning, prompting residents to flee several neighbourhoods.
  • GAZA - JOURNALISM
    Radjaa Abou Dagga, a journalist in Gaza
    FRANCE 24's Gaza correspondent Radjaa Abou Dagga is among a handful of journalists who can report from inside the Gaza Strip. He tells us about the difficulty of being both a reporter and a Palestinian.
    (4) comments
  • GAZA
    Should reader comments on Gaza be censored?
    Your opinions matter to us. If news sites filter readers’ reactions, is it censorship or are the sites trying to provide a better service?
    (9) comments
  • GAZA
    UN resumes aid distribution in Gaza
    The United Nations's Relief and Works Agency, which operates inside Gaza, said it would resume its activities after getting Israel commitments that UNRWA workers and convoys would not be targeted by the Israeli army.
  • GAZA
    Israel resumes Gaza offensive, Hamas envoys head for Cairo
    The violence in the Gaza Strip continues despite a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. Eight Palestinians died from injuries caused by an Israeli tank shell in the north of the Gaza Strip Saturday.
  • LEBANON
    UN peacekeepers find rocket cache near Israeli border
    United Nations peacekeepers uncovered a cache of rockets in south Lebanon the day after at least three rockets were fired from the country into Israel. They said the weapons appeared to date from the 2006 conflict between the two countries.
    (1) comment
  • GAZA
    Israeli forces bomb Gaza safe house, survivors say
    According to eyewitness accounts, Israeli forces bombed a safe house into which they had evacuated dozens of Palestinians, killing 30. The Israeli foreign ministry denies the incident took place.
    (2) comments
  • PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
    Clashes between Hamas and Fatah mar 'day of wrath'
    A protest called by Hamas leaders of the Gaza Strip ended in violence when Fatah and Hamas supporters clashed in the West Bank during a second "day of wrath" against the Israeli offensive.
  • GAZA
    Israel resumes Gaza offensive as UN truce call is dismissed
    The UN call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went unheeded on Friday. In the evening, Israeli forces hit several sites in the Gaza Strip including a building housing several journalists.
  • ISRAEL
    UN pulls out as Red Cross demands access to wounded
    The UN’s aid agency says it’s too dangerous to stay in Gaza, while the Red Cross is calling for better access to the wounded after the discovery of 4 starving children next to their dead mothers. Also today: first rockets fired from Lebanon.
  • GAZA
    Israeli forces keep firm grip on foreign media
    The 2006 conflict in Southern Lebanon changed the way Israeli forces manage the media. Today foreign journalists are treated to internet facilities and have clear access to army spokespeople, but are strictly denied entrance to the Gaza Strip.
    (6) comments
  • GAZA
    Gazans in despair
    Despite the ban on foreign journalists in Gaza, FRANCE 24 correspondent Radjaa Abou Dagga reports from the scene, chronicling the lives of families struggling for refuge and respite. Watch our exclusive report.
  • ISRAEL
    UN pulls out as Red Cross demands access to wounded
    The UN’s aid agency says it’s too dangerous to stay in Gaza, while the Red Cross is calling for better access to the wounded after the discovery of 4 starving children next to their dead mothers. Also today: first rockets fired from Lebanon.
  • GAZA
    Israeli envoy bound for Egypt
    A senior aide to Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has been sent to Cairo, an Israeli official announced, as bargaining for a ceasefire is set to resume at the United Nations Security Council.
  • GAZA
    Israel intensifies ground assault
    After a brief pause, Israel resumed its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on Thursday targeting tunnel sytems along the Egyptian border. Air strikes are making it difficult for foreigners to leave the country.
  • GAZA
    Rafah braces for fresh Israeli assault after brief break
    Hours after a three-hour break, Israeli planes dropped leaflets warning of renewed bombings around Rafah, near the Egyptian border in southern Gaza as the deadly Israeli offensive in Gaza resumed.
  • GAZA
    Israel announces three-hour reprieve to allow aid in
    Under increasing international pressure, Israel has stopped bombing the Gaza Strip for three hours to allow the passage of humanitarian aid inside the territory. According to Gaza medics, at least 680 Palestinians have been killed since Dec. 27.
  • GAZA
    'Humanitarian corridor' will open into Gaza, Olmert says
    Israel will open a "humanitarian corridor" into Gaza, said a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (pictured). This will involve opening certain areas temporarily to allow the population "to receive the aid and stock up."
  • GAZA
    UN Security Council debates Gaza truce plans
    Foreign ministers from UN Security Council members and Arab states met Tuesday to discuss proposals for a ceasefire in Gaza as the death toll from an Israeli offensive on Hamas targets in the territory continued to climb.
  • GAZA
    Mubarak invites Israel to discuss Gaza border security
    Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has invited Israel "without delay" to discuss security on the Egypt-Gaza border. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who made a joint statement with Mubarak, said Israeli delegates would comply.
  • GAZA
    Despair mounts as deadly Israeli strike hits UN schools
    Israeli tanks hit three UN schools in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 40 people, according to Palestinian medical sources.
  • GAZA
    UN, Red Cross warn of humanitarian nightmare
    With spiralling civilian casualties in Gaza, the UN and Red Cross have issued a grim warning that the residents of Gaza are enduring a "full-blown humanitarian crisis" as Israel continues its drive against Hamas.
  • GAZA
    Heavy fighting in Gaza City despite diplomatic efforts
    Heavy gun battles rocked the north and east of Gaza City as EU leaders toured the region in a bid to obtain a ceasefire. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni rebuffed their proposals, saying Israel would not "reach agreement with terror".
  • GAZA
    Israeli forces partially surround Gaza City, Ehud Barak says
    Israeli forces have partially encircled Gaza City, according to Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, cutting it off from the Strip as tanks continue to shell suspected Hamas targets. Medics report 517 Palestinians dead since the offensive began.
  • ISRAEL - WEST BANK
    West Bank feels betrayed by its leaders
    On the West Bank, the gap between the street and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is widening. People are disappointed that Abbas has explicitly pointed out Hamas’s responsibility in the crisis over Israel's offensive on Gaza.
    (1) comment
  • GAZA
    Cairo becomes hub of diplomatic push
    Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni rejected EU calls for a ceasefire, saying "we are not reaching an agreement with terror". Hamas sent delegates to Cairo on Monday; French President Nicolas Sarkozy also arrived as part of his push for peace.
  • GAZA
    Battles rage as Israeli troops push deeper into Gaza
    Thirty Israeli soldiers have been wounded, two seriously, while dozens of armed Hamas operatives have been injured since the start of the ground offensive in Gaza, Israel said. At least 12 Gazans have also reportedly been killed in Israeli shelling.
  • GAZA
    UN chief calls for immediate end to Israel's ground offensive
    UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for an immediate end to Israel's ground operations in Gaza, according to a UN statement. A meeting of the UN Security Council commenced at 2:00 am Paris time.
  • GAZA
    Israeli ground troops battle Hamas fighters
    Israel continued its ground offensive through Sunday morning. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed so far as Hamas insurgents exchange fire with the Israeli troops. Army officials say that the operation could take many days.
  • GAZA
    Ehud Barak sends warning to Hezbollah
    Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak warned Saturday that Israel was ready 'to face any unwarranted development' on the Lebanon border in a thinly veiled threat aimed at Hezbollah, a traditional supporter of Hamas.
    (1) comment
  • EUROPE - MIDEAST
    Thousands rally in Europe against Gaza offensive
    Thousands of protesters joined singer Annie Lennox and former London mayor Ken Livingstone at a London rally Saturday to oppose the Israeli offensive on Gaza. Similar demonstrations happened all through the day across Europe.
  • GAZA RAIDS
    World's Muslims protest in solidarity with Gazans
    Angry protesters around the Muslim world followed Hamas's call for a "day of wrath". This follows seven days of Israeli air raids that have killed more than 400 people.
  • GAZA RAIDS
    Israel takes hold of Twitter and YouTube
    Eager to rebuild its reputation in the international community after launching airstrikes at Hamas targets in Gaza, Israel is investing a lot of effort on the Internet to justify its offensive – to the great displeasure of many Gaza citizens.
  • GAZA RAIDS
    Israel's Livni deems French proposal for Gaza truce pointless
    Tzipi Livni, Israel's foreign minister, met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, where she rejected French suggestions for a truce and gave a speech saying that Hamas habitually abused peace overtures.
  • GAZA RAIDS
    Senior Hamas leader killed in Israeli strikes
    A senior Hamas leader has been killed in an Israeli air strike, according to a spokesman for the Islamist group. Nizar Rayyan is the most senior Hamas member known to be killed in the current Israeli offensive in Gaza.
  • GAZA RAIDS
    UN debate on Arab draft resolution ends without vote
    The UN Security Council began consultations on a draft resolution on the Gaza conflict presented by Libya on behalf of Arab countries that met in Cairo on Wednesday. The resolution's wording is more muted than in previous drafts.
  • GAZA RAIDS
    Barak says Tel Aviv is ready to 'enlarge' operations
    Defence Minister Ehud Barak says Israel is determined "to enlarge and deepen" its military operations in Gaza until its objectives have been achieved. Israel's security cabinet earlier rejected international proposals for an immediate ceasefire.

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