Hamas said Saturday that “the ball is in Israel’s court” after offering to release an Israeli-US hostage and return the bodies of four others as part of Gaza truce talks.

Following the offer on Friday, Israel said the Palestinian militants had “not budged a millimetre” after a proposal from US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy.

The first phase of the truce, which began in January, ended on March 1 without agreement on next steps. A Hamas official said negotiations began in Doha on Tuesday.

“The ball is in Israel’s court,” a Hamas spokesman said.

“We want to solidify the ceasefire agreement and force (Israel) to implement its terms,” Abdul Latif al-Qanou told AFP, accusing Israel of “delaying” its enforcement.

He pointed to the ongoing blockage of humanitarian aid entering Gaza since March 2.

A Hamas political bureau member, speaking anonymously, told AFP the proposal to release 21-year-old soldier Edan Alexander — abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack — and return the bodies of four other Israeli-American hostages was part of a “unique agreement”.

In exchange, Israel would free Palestinian prisoners, with the number still under negotiation, the official said.

The official said the proposed exchange was conditioned with simultaneously starting negotiations for the implementation of the truce’s second phase, with the talks ending within a 50-day period, he said.

The proposal also called for the immediate opening of all border crossings to allow the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Philadelphi corridor, he added.

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The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday accused Hamas of resorting to “manipulation and psychological warfare”.

Netanyahu’s office said he would meet late Saturday with several ministers “to receive a detailed report from the negotiation team and decide next steps towards freeing the hostages”.

The White House on Friday accused Hamas of making “entirely impractical” demands and “making a very bad bet that time is on its side”.

During the truce’s initial six-week phase which came into effect on January 19, militants released 33 hostages, including eight who were deceased, in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.

There are still 58 hostages held in Gaza, 34 of whom the Israeli army has declared dead.

The post Hamas says ‘ball is in Israel’s court’ after hostage offer appeared first on Vanguard News.

The Nigerian government has firmly denied allegations that Christians are being deliberately targeted in the country.

Acting Spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called these claims part of a “misleading campaign” aimed at pressuring foreign governments to label Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious violence.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to express strong concern over the recent wave of misinformation and misleading reports regarding the supposed targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria,” Ebienfa said.

He stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges stem from “criminality, insurgency, and banditry” rather than any form of religious persecution.

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“While the Federal Government acknowledges the security challenges confronting the nation, it is imperative to clarify that these negative activities are not driven by religious bias, nor targeted against any particular religious group.”

The government further argued that portraying the violence as religiously motivated distorts the reality of the country’s security situation. “Any narrative that seeks to give such incidents a colouration of religious persecution is erroneous and misleading,” Ebienfa added.

Nigeria has been under increased international scrutiny following reports from foreign organizations and governments suggesting that Christian communities face systematic attacks.

The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa recently approved sanctions on Nigeria based on these claims.

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However, Nigerian officials maintain that these reports fail to account for the broader security threats affecting all communities, regardless of religion.

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The government reiterated its commitment to addressing insecurity across the country.

It also urged international observers and foreign governments to rely on verified data rather than what it described as “sensationalised” reports that misrepresent the country’s complex security issues.

President of France, Emmanuel Macron has stated that Russia must accept a proposed 30-day ceasefire deal put forward by the United States and Ukraine.Macron said he had discussed the situation on Friday, March 14, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said he and Macron had discussed the “state of diplomacy, the possibilities that exist and the…technical aspects of overseeing a ceasefire”. Zelenskiy said that in all these matters, “we have clear support from France”.Posting on X, Friday night, Macron said;I spoke today with President @ZelenskyyUa and then with Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer following the progress made during the meeting between the United States and Ukraine in Jeddah on Tuesday.Russia must now accept the U.S.-Ukrainian proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. The Russian aggression in Ukraine must end. The atrocities must stop. So must the delaying statements.On Tuesday, the meeting in Paris brought together around forty Chiefs of defence staff. Tomorrow, we will continue working to strengthen support for Ukraine and to achieve a solid and lasting peace, in a videoconference with Prime Minister Starmer, President Zelensky, and all our partners. The post Russia must accept Ukraines 30-day ceasefire proposal – France’s Macron appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.