| | | | | | | Hello. As Israel considers a deal to free some of the hostages held by Hamas, security correspondent Frank Gardner profiles Yahya Sinwar, one of the group’s top leaders and one of Israel’s most wanted. To mark the release of this year’s BBC 100 Women list, Megha Mohan, Yousef Eldin and Emma Ailes join current and former honourees Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney and Melinda French Gates to visit a school in Malawi as part of their efforts to end child marriage. Finally, an abbey in England counts its losses after thieves stole silver and other valuables. |
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| | | | | | Questions Answered | | A Hamas leader’s ruthless rise | | | | Yahya Sinwar became close to Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in the mid-1980s. Credit: EPA |
| | Not all Hamas leaders live in Qatar. Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas’s political wing and one of Israel’s most wanted men, is believed to be hiding in Gaza. Sinwar spent over 22 years in Israeli prison before he was released as part of a prisoner exchange in 2011. In the past decade, his power and influence within the group has only increased. | | | | Frank Gardner, Security correspondent |
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| | What has Israel said of Sinwar? | | Israel holds him responsible along with others for the 7 October raid into southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed, and more than 200 others kidnapped. "This abominable attack was decided upon by Yahya Sinwar," said IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi. "Therefore he and all those under him are dead men walking." | | Where is Israel looking for Sinwar? | | Israel believes that Sinwar, who is effectively second-in-command after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, is cornered below ground, hiding in tunnels somewhere beneath Gaza with his bodyguards, communicating with no-one for fear that his signal will be tracked and located. | | What would eliminating Sinwar mean for Israel’s stated goal of eradicating Hamas? | | According to Hugh Lovatt, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, killing Sinwar would be more of a "PR victory" for Israel than it would actually impact the movement. Non-state organisations tend to operate like a hydra's head - one operational commander or figurehead leader gets removed and they are quickly replaced by another. | | | | • | War in Gaza: South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has denounced what he called the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians in comments that prompted Israel to recall its ambassador in the country. | | • | Israel’s northern border: Lebanon's prime minister Najib Mikati has condemned Israel for conducting air strikes in areas along the border that killed four people, including two journalists. Israel said it was operating in the area and was reviewing the incident. | | • | Get the latest: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting his cabinet as hopes grow of a deal that could see Hamas release dozens of hostages, and a four-day pause in fighting. Follow our live page for up-to-date developments. |
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| AT THE SCENE | Ludzi, Malawi | | How to end child marriage | | | | In Malawi, 42% of girls are already married by the age of 18. Credit: Obama Foundation | | After announcing their collaboration to combat child marriage last year, Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney and Melinda French Gates visited Malawi and South Africa together to amplify the work of grassroots organisations focusing on the issue, and to meet girls and women whose lives have been affected. | | | | Megha Mohan, Yousef Eldin and Emma Ailes, BBC World Service |
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| "I'm sorry," said 26-year-old Lucy, as she choked back tears. "I feel emotional." Around the table, three of the world's most influential humanitarians - Melinda French Gates, Amal Clooney and Michelle Obama - had quietly listened to her story. Lucy’s father had wanted her out of school when she was 14, but she resisted, and later became the first girl in her village to go to university. Now, with a degree in education, she is a district leader for AGE Africa, an organisation that provides scholarships for vulnerable girls in Malawi, a country where secondary education is not free.
Her mother is overjoyed at her achievement, Lucy said, although her father is less so. The former First Lady of the US, sitting to Lucy's left, spoke up. "Will you send your father a message for me? Next time you see him, tell him that Michelle and Barack Obama are so proud of you, and the woman you have become." Lucy looked up, smiling. On Lucy's right sat international human rights barrister Mrs Clooney. "And tell him you have a lawyer too now," she added. |
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| | The big picture | | Dawn of a new era | | | | The Dutch proportional electoral system ensures a wide variety of parties compete at the ballots. Credit: Reuters |
| | For the first time in 13 years, the Netherlands is voting in a parliamentary election that’s set to return a government led by someone other than Mark Rutte. In fact, most party leaders are new faces - anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders is one of the few to have fought in a previous election. From The Hague, Paul Kirby and Anna Holligan run through the key figures of the new era. | | | | |
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| | | For your downtime | | En route | | The friendly charm of French roadside restaurants. | | |
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| | And finally... in England | | The 12th Century Malmesbury Abbey has been targeted in a burglary. Thieves made off with historic silver dating back to the 1700s, "goblets and ornaments", as well as money from the donation box. Malmesbury's vicar, the Reverend Oliver Ross, said: "I wouldn't steal from the House of God. Of course, following company policy, we will forgive.” |
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– Sofia |
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