Hamas has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Israel that would see half of the hostages in Gaza freed in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, an Egyptian official said on Monday.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim confirmed the decision on Facebook, adding that other Palestinian factions had also notified mediators of their approval. Egypt and Qatar, with U.S. support, have been leading the talks. An Israeli official confirmed the proposal had been received, though no response was issued.
The deal would suspend Israeli military operations in Gaza City, setting a framework for a comprehensive settlement to end the nearly two-year-old war. A source familiar with the process said it closely mirrored an earlier plan accepted by Israel that was put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Mediators met Hamas representatives in Cairo on Sunday, followed by talks between Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Hamas officials on Monday.
Israel has approved plans to seize control of Gaza City, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as Hamas’ last stronghold. But tens of thousands of Israelis staged mass protests on Sunday, demanding a deal to end the fighting and secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages, of whom officials believe only 20 are alive.
Inside Gaza City, thousands have fled west and south as tanks advanced into the Sabra suburb on Monday, with witnesses reporting at least nine tanks and bulldozers. The Israeli military said the country was at a “turning point” in its campaign, pledging intensified strikes on Hamas positions.
Palestinians have also voiced fears of displacement.
“I am heading south because I need to ease my mental state,” resident Mousa Obaid told Reuters. “There is no life left, and as you can see, living conditions are hard, prices are high, and we have been without work for over a year and a half.”
Sharp divisions remain over Israel’s demands for Hamas to disarm and over the scope of an Israeli withdrawal. Hamas has rejected those conditions, saying it will not surrender weapons or expel its leaders until a Palestinian state is established.
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Monday that the remaining hostages would only be freed if Hamas was “confronted and destroyed,” urging a decisive Israeli campaign.
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Israel has joined U.S. President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace' initiative, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday (11 February) during his visit to Washington where he met Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates led regional states on Monday (9 February) in condemning Israel's move to ease settlement expansion and widen its powers in the occupied West Bank.
Hamas has strongly condemned new Israeli government decisions to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, warning the measures pose an “existential threat” to Palestinians and are designed to consolidate Israeli control over the territory.
A second group of Palestinians receiving medical treatment arrived in Egypt from Gaza via the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday (3 February).
Europe heads into the Munich Security Conference, on Friday (13 February), amid deepening unease over U.S. policy, as President Donald Trump’s hard-line stance on defence, trade and territory fuels doubts about Washington’s long-term commitment to transatlantic security.
Stalled U.S.–Iran talks and mounting regional tensions are exposing a growing strategic rift between Washington and Tel Aviv over how to confront Tehran, political analyst James M. Dorsey says, exposing stark differences in approach at a critical moment.
Türkiye and Greece signalled renewed political will to ease long-standing tensions during high-level talks in Ankara on Wednesday (11 February). Maritime borders, migration and trade topped the agenda as both leaders struck a cautiously optimistic tone.
BMW is recalling a mid six figure number of vehicles worldwide after identifying a potential fire risk linked to the starter motor.
The suspect in a deadly school shooting in western Canada was an 18-year-old woman who allegedly killed her mother and stepbrother before attacking her former school. Investigators have not provided a motive for what is being described as one of the worst mass killings in Canada.
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Türkiye and Syria plan to establish a joint coordination system aimed at streamlining communication between the two countries and countering disinformation, a senior Turkish official said on Thursday.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry has raised concerns over reports that the Kulevi oil terminal on the country’s Black Sea coast could be included in a future European Union sanctions package against Russia.
The United States is sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday, 12 February, in an effort to reinforce its naval presence as diplomatic efforts falter.
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