Hamas in coalition talks with militants

The Islamist group Hamas opened talks on Monday with other militant factions about forming a new Palestinian government, and assured them it...

The Islamist group Hamas opened talks on Monday with other militant factions about forming a new Palestinian government, and assured them it would not crack down on their fighters despite international pressure.

Election winner Hamas said its goal was to establish as broad a coalition as possible as it faced a halt in vital tax funds from Israel and a threatened boycott by major powers if it refused to renounce violence and recognise the Jewish state.

In talks with one of the factions, Hamas again signalled its readiness for a long-term truce if Israel withdraws from lands it occupied in the 1967 war. But the head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service,Yuval Diskin, said a truce alone would be unacceptable. Diskin called a Hamas-run state a long-term “strategic threat”.

Story continues below this ad

With an Israeli helicopter gunship circling overhead, a Hamas delegation huddled with leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group involved in a more than 5-year Palestinian uprising.

After the meeting, a top PFLP leader, Rabah Muhana, hinted the group would agree to join a Hamas-led government, calling the outcome of the talks “positive”.

But it was unclear whether Hamas, which has observed a ceasefire since last year, would succeed in bringing all militant groups on board. Islamic Jihad, whose West Bank commander was killed by Israel, was expected to turn down Hamas’ offer to join the government.

Air India safety violations, Air India show cause notices, Air India Boeing 787 crash, Air India London Gatwick crash, DGCA Air India inspections,

‘Unfortunate’: SC slams reports suggesting ‘pilot error’ led to Air India crash

Legal4 hr ago

The Supreme Court Monday issued notice on a plea seeking an independent and expeditious investigation into the June 12, 2025, crash of an Air India Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people. The bench also termed as “unfortunate” media reports which indicated that “pilot error” was to blame for the crash, purportedly quoting some preliminary findings by the AAIB.

View all shorts

Live Blog