Israel blocked aid trucks into Gaza on Sunday, escalating a standoff over the ceasefire as Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal to extend the first phase of the truce rather than move forward with negotiations for a permanent end to the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced it had accepted a U.S.-backed proposal for a temporary truce until after Ramadan (March 31) and Passover (April 20). However, Hamas rejected the plan, insisting that Israel must honor the original agreement and move to the next phase of negotiations.
"We call on mediators to pressure Israel to fulfill its obligations under the agreement," Hamas said, calling the aid blockade "blackmail."
Israel demands that all remaining hostages be released before agreeing to a permanent truce. Hamas, which has already released 33 hostages in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, insists the next phase of the ceasefire must begin before further exchanges take place.
The Israeli military reported that four Palestinians were killed on Sunday, alleging they were involved in hostile activity.
After blocking aid into Gaza, Israel announced it was sending a delegation to Cairo to discuss ways to defuse tensions.
"Palestinians will not get goods for free," said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, linking any further relief to hostage releases.
The United States has signaled support for Israel’s decision to halt aid, blaming Hamas for the deadlock.
Israel insists Hamas must be eliminated, rejecting any role for the group in Gaza’s postwar governance. Hamas, while open to stepping aside, demands to be consulted on any future administration.
Meanwhile, Trump’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s population and redevelop the area under U.S. control has been widely rejected by Arab nations.
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The Saudi-led coalition said early Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It comes after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people last week.
Ukraine is set to restart attacks on Russian oil refineries following a two-day pause, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, amid growing tensions with Washington over energy strikes and U.S. military support.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called it “a disgrace” that Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries. Attacks are continuing from Russia and Ukraine as media reports say Ukraine has almost run out of Patriot interceptor missiles.
Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, intensifying efforts to prevent the spread of the virus after the country recorded its first-ever infection earlier this month.
In an interview with AnewZ’s Sabir Safarov, Houthi-aligned journalist Hussain al-Bukhaiti warns of possible attacks on Saudi Arabia’s water and power infrastructure, dismisses concerns over global trade and acknowledges Iranian assistance in developing the group’s missiles.
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Student organisations, opposition groups and youth-led activists took to the streets in Patna and Mumbai on Friday (16 October), demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, amid a row over changes to voter lists.
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From international tourism and major reconstruction projects to a film premiere and political developments, Garabagh’s transformation takes centre stage in the AnewZ Daily Brief for 16 October 2026.
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