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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Four Palestinians, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Monday (8 June), according to local health officials, as mediators continued efforts to preserve a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas has confirmed the death of its armed wing chief, Mohammad Odeh, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, according to the Israeli military and Gaza health officials.
A 13-year-old boy was killed in northern Gaza on Thursday (21 May) after an Israeli drone strike hit the town of Beit Lahiya, according to local health officials, as residents reported a renewed increase in Israeli evacuation warnings ahead of attacks.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza on Friday (15 May), including a child, as Israel said it had launched an operation targeting Hamas military commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry says 19 citizens have been repatriated following a deadly drone attack on two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov on 5 June.
A Sudanese man has been arrested over a knife attack in Belfast that left a man seriously injured and prompted calls online for a protest after footage of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Iran and Israel said on Monday (8 June) they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump, as Axios reported that Trump had privately told Benjamin Netanyahu “be careful, or you will be on your own very soon”.
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics networks. The move underscores Kyiv's focus on targeting maritime assets it says are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
Armenia’s parliamentary election has strengthened Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s mandate, with analysts linking the result to his post-Garabagh agenda and pro-Western direction. However, constitutional constraints remain a key obstacle to peace efforts with Azerbaijan.
Türkiye and Syria plan to increase annual bilateral trade to $5 billion within the next two years, officials from both countries said on Tuesday, as they seek to deepen economic ties and support Syria's recovery.
Uzbekistan plans to create a National Geological Data Bank and expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across the mining sector as part of efforts to attract $30 billion in investment by 2030.
Azerbaijan is considering new restrictions on children's use of social media, including a minimum registration age of 16 and fines for platforms that fail to protect young users. The proposals form part of a broader global trend towards tighter regulation of online platforms.
The European Union’s proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia could affect companies in Central Asia, including firms in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as Brussels moves to tighten controls on sanctions circumvention.
Da Afghanistan Bank, the country's central bank, has discussed expanding banking and trade relations with the Afghanistan–U.S. Joint Chamber of Commerce as the country seeks to strengthen financial services for traders and support private sector growth.
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