Even before the first phase is completed, the fragile cease-fire agreement that has paused 15 months of war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas faces increasingly long odds of lasting or even reaching phase two.
An agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas that involves the release of additional hostages and the return of Palestinians to the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Steven Witkoff, who played an important role in brokering the truce between Israel and Hamas, also met with Israel’s prime minister and visited Saudi Arabia.
Israel has prevented thousands of Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the terms of a fragile ceasefire by changing the order of hostages it has released.
Militants in the Gaza Strip have released eight hostages, handing them over to the Red Cross amid chaotic crowds as part of a swap in which 110 Palestinians are to be released from Israeli prisons lat
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is visiting Qatar to meet with leaders of the Tehran-backed Palestinian group Hamas, according to a Thursday statement.