Category World News

Israel new army chief Eyal Zamir says Hamas mission ‘not accomplished’

In light of the lingering uncertainty surrounding the Gaza ceasefire, former tank commander Eyal Zamir has been sworn in as Israel’s new military chief.

Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who was previously the defense ministry’s director, resigned in January after admitting to having broken his duty.

Zamir stated at his swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday at the military’s Tel Aviv headquarters that he was prepared for the difficulties that lie ahead, noting that “Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow… it has not yet been defeated.” The goal hasn’t been met yet.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a statement before Zamir that Israel was “determined” to win the conflict.

Since January, fighting in Gaza has been halted as part of a multistage truce between Qatar and Egypt, which has allowed the exchange of about 2, 000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees for 33 Israeli prisoners and 5 Thai prisoners.

However, some Israeli ministers have warned that if there isn’t agreement on releasing the 59 prisoners, their forces could resume fighting.

Although Israeli troops have withdrawn from some of their positions in Gaza, negotiations have not yet begun that would lead to an agreement on a second phase of the truce, which would result in the release of the remaining living prisoners and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces before the war is over.

Hamas has urged sticking to the promise made in January, which calls for talks on a permanent end to the war, before agreeing to any additional releases, while Israel has demanded that the first phase cease-fire be extended until April to allow the release of the remaining captives.

Inquiries

As a result of a number of official inquiries looking into Israel’s failures to stop the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Zamir’s swearing-in comes as a number of official inquiries have begun. In one of Israel’s biggest military and security disasters in its history, at least 1, 139 people were killed in the attack, and roughly 250 others were taken captive.

More than 48, 000 Palestinians have been killed and the majority of the territory has been destroyed, leaving the majority of the population sleeping in tents or bombed-out buildings as a result of Halevi’s leadership of the military.

He made the announcement in January that he would step down from his position of authority in January, accepting responsibility for the military’s response to the September 7 attack, shortly after the ceasefire agreement was reached.

He demanded a more thorough examination of the failures on October 7, 2023 on Wednesday as he handed over his command.

He claimed that “the establishment of a state commission of inquiry is essential because it is not only necessary to place blame but also to first and foremost understand the causes of the problems and make adjustments.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far refrained from conducting a more comprehensive inquiry that would examine the responsibility of his government. Both the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency have acknowledged that their failures allowed the attack to occur.

The new commander will also have to respond to claims made by Israeli troops during the Gaza campaign against international law, including the UN.

Israel refutes those accusations, but it has indicted a number of reservist soldiers for alleged severe detainee abuse.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: New Zealand beat South Africa in semifinal

In the Champions Trophy semifinals on Sunday, New Zealand defeated South Africa by a score of 50 runs to advance to the final.

Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson stomped on the Gaddafi Stadium to record a scorching 362-6 victory on Wednesday, which New Zealand won with a score of 362-6.

Rassie van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma both struck half-centuries, but South Africa managed 312-9, while David Miller smashed an unbeaten 100 off 67 balls, which was brought up off the final ball of the match.

Mitchell Santner, the captain of New Zealand, used seven bowlers but produced a powerful 3-43.

New Zealand immediately took to the top.

After New Zealand won the toss and batted first, Ravindra finished with a 101-ball 108th ace, while Williamson hit 102 with 94 balls on a batting-friendly pitch.

The Black Caps plundered 110 runs in their final 10 overs and 66 in their final five when Daryl Mitchell hit 49 off 37 balls and Glenn Phillips hit a 27-ball 49 not out.

Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand celebrates his century [Akhtar Soomro/Reuters]

As Ravindra and Will Young (21) put on 48 for the opening stand, South Africa’s bowling lineup struggled right off the bat.

A stunning 164-run stand between Ravindra and Williamson put the New Zealanders on course for a massive total, as the pair scored effortlessly with some delightful strokes.

Ravindra scored a two off Kagiso Rabada to complete his fifth ODI hundred, all of which came in ICC events.

Williamson’s 15th ODI hundred came with a ramped boundary, which is his third three-figure total in as many games against South Africa.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson (R) celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) as his teammate Daryl Mitchell watches during the ICC Champions Trophy one-day international (ODI) semi-final cricket match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 5, 2025. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)
As Daryl Mitchell watches on [Aamir Qureshi/AFP] New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, right, celebrates his century-corcoring feat.

Rabada finally put an end to the partnership by letting go of Ravindra who was abandoned. Overall, Ravindra hit 13 fours and one six.

After hitting 10 fours and two sixes in the 40th over, Williamson hit Wiaan Mulder into Lungi Ngidi.

After South Africa briefly dragged things back to give themselves hope of limiting the score to under 350, Mitchell and Phillips gave the score some extra life.

Ngidi, a fast bowler, finished with 3-72, while Rabada, a 2-70, bowler, came in at the end.

Cricket - ICC Men's Champions Trophy - Semi Final - South Africa v New Zealand - Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan - March 5, 2025 South Africa's David Miller and Lungi Ngidi look dejected after the match REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
After the game, Akhtar Soomro and Lungi Ngidi share varying emotions with one another [Centurion South Africa’s David Miller, right] [Reuters]

The Proteas hope to still reach the final after Australia successfully chased England 356-5 in the group stage in Lahore, which is the previous highest Champions Trophy total.

Hope was resurrected by a century-stand for the second wicket between van der Dussen and Bavuma, which provided a strong groundwork for the chase.

The Proteas batters were always under pressure, but when six wickets fell for 57 runs, the game was up.

Although Miller’s record of carrying out this task was too significant, Miller’s century demonstrated what is still possible in big-hitting cricket today.

Perhaps Miler’s remarkable striking would have been the perfect boost to propel his team to the final had the middle order been able to hold their nerve during the collapse.

What to watch for at China’s Two Sessions

NewsFeed

This week will mark the start of China’s annual Two Sessions, which will outline its top policy priorities for the remainder of the year and its response to US tariffs. Katrina Yu of Al Jazeera reports that the discussions will include the US Trump administration, the military, and the world’s economic uncertainty.

US suspends intelligence sharing with Ukraine

The United States has suspended intelligence sharing with Kyiv in a move that could severely restrict the Ukrainian military’s ability to strike Russian forces.

The cut-off comes after the US suspended military aid to Ukraine amid a dramatic collapse in relations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Since the start of the war in 2022, the US has provided Ukraine with significant intelligence, including critical information its military needs for targeting purposes.

It was not immediately clear to what extent the US had cut off the sharing.

In an interview with Fox Business broadcast on Wednesday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed the US “pause” in support.

“I think on the military front and the intelligence front, the pause]that prompted Ukraine’s president to respond] I think will go away”, Ratcliffe said.

“I think we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have to push back on the aggression that’s there, but to put the world in a better place for these peace negotiations to move forward”, he said.

But Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the White House, says the move to withdraw intelligence cooperation is “just a tool to try and get Ukraine back to the table”.

“They]the US] also talked about stopping military aid to Ukraine, which the Ukrainians admit would hit their war efforts, not end it completely”, Fisher explained.

“Clearly, just the threat of those things has worked. So when you hear from the national security adviser saying things could be resumed in short order, it seems to suggest that any impact on Ukraine would be limited, to say the least, as long as peace talks certainly seem to be on the horizon sooner rather than later”, he said.

US-Ukraine relations broke down dramatically last week when Zelenskyy and Trump clashed in the White House on Friday, but there have been some signs of an improvement this week.

Trump on Tuesday said he received a letter from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which the Ukrainian leader expressed willingness to enter negotiations over Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said in the letter that he was “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer”.

“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence”, he wrote.

Since the war began in February 2022, the US has sent approximately $86bn to Ukraine in military aid, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

When asked how the Kremlin viewed Zelenskyy’s letter, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said “positively”.

“The question is who to sit down with. For now, the Ukrainian president is still legally prohibited from negotiating with the Russian side. So, overall, the approach is positive, but the nuances have not changed yet”, Peskov said, referring to a Zelenskyy decree in 2022 that ruled out negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, Zelenskyy has stated on numerous occasions that he would meet Putin once Kyiv and its allies come to terms with a common negotiating position.

Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated on Wednesday that if negotiations to end the war are successful, he might consider relocating aid to Ukraine.

Waltz described the letter as a “good, positive first step” in an interview with Fox.

Without going into specifics about the confidence-building measures, he said, “I think the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause” if we can nail down these negotiations and move forward with them.