Hamas is seeking firm assurances that a new U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal will ultimately bring the Gaza conflict to an end, a source close to the group said on Thursday, as Israeli airstrikes continued across the territory, killing at least 59 people, according to local health officials.
Israeli authorities said a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal now seems increasingly likely, nearly 21 months since the war began. The momentum for a ceasefire increased after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended a 12-day aerial clash between Israel and Iran, though heavy Israeli bombardment in Gaza has persisted.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday (4 July) it would probably be known in 24 hours whether Hamas has agreed to accept what he has called a "final proposal" for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza.
”We’ll see what happens, we’re going to know over the next 24 hours," said President Trump when he arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
On Tuesday, President Trump said Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire framework under which both sides would work toward ending the war. Hamas, however, wants clear guarantees that the temporary pause will transition into a permanent resolution. Two Israeli officials confirmed that these terms are still under negotiation.
Hamas said it is consulting with other Palestinian groups before responding to mediators. Egyptian and Qatari officials are trying to secure international guarantees to keep talks moving and persuade Hamas to accept the deal, Egyptian sources said.
An Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government was ready to approve the agreement. Another source said Israel expects Hamas’ reply by Friday and, if positive, an Israeli delegation would join indirect negotiations to finalise the arrangement.
The proposal includes the phased release of 10 Israeli hostages and the return of 18 bodies in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Out of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza, only 20 are believed to be alive. Humanitarian aid would enter Gaza immediately, and Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from parts of the Strip. Talks on a permanent ceasefire would begin right away.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee expressed cautious optimism, saying the final outcome depends on Hamas’ decision. He added that both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu want the war to end and confirmed upcoming White House talks involving Netanyahu.
Despite diplomatic efforts, fighting on the ground has continued. Medics reported that Israeli fire killed 20 people heading to an aid site and another 17 died in a strike on a school in Gaza City. The Israeli army said it had targeted a Hamas fighter and tried to avoid civilian harm.
Witnesses described chaos and suffering.
"The tent collapsed on us, and everything was on fire", said Wafaa Al-Arqan, who was sheltering at the school. "What can we do? Is it fair for all these children to burn?"
The war began on 7 October, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's military response has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and displaced much of the population, causing severe humanitarian crises.
Israel insists it won't stop fighting until Hamas is dismantled. Hamas says it is ready to release the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war.
Australia and Canada said on Thursday they had signed new agreements on critical minerals as Canadian Prim...
More than 200 people died on Tuesday in a landslide triggered by heavy rains at the Rubaya coltan mine in easte...
Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel early on Thursday, sending millions of residents into bomb shelters ...
Iranian sailors who survived a U.S. submarine strike in the Indian Ocean were recovering at a hospita...
A power outage struck most of Cuba, including Havana, the state electric utility said on Wednesday (5 Marc...
Australia and Canada said on Thursday they had signed new agreements on critical minerals as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a landmark address to the Australian parliament, a sign of the developing bond between the "middle powers".
More than 200 people died on Tuesday in a landslide triggered by heavy rains at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the country's mines ministry said on Wednesday.
Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel early on Thursday, sending millions of residents into bomb shelters as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran entered its sixth day and just hours after moves to halt the U.S. air assault were blocked in Washington.
Iranian sailors who survived a U.S. submarine strike in the Indian Ocean were recovering at a hospital in the Sri Lankan port city of Galle, authorities said on Thursday (5 March), a day after at least 87 were killed in the attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
A torpedo from a U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth told reporters as the Iranian conflcit entered its fifth day on Wednesday.
Shahid Motahari Sub-Speciality Hospital in northern Tehran and parts of the Golestan Palace were bombed on day two of the U.S.‑Israel strikes. AnewZ Touraj Shiralilou is in Iran's capital city and said that the facility was flattened in an airstrike.
At least 42 people have been killed and 104 wounded in fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Tuesday. The latest death toll figures come as fighting between the two neighbours enters its sixth day.
Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two others with Iran as regional tensions escalate following strikes involving the United States and Israel on Tehran. AnewZ's Alisultan Sultanzade was on the ground at the crossing before the restrictions came into force.
Australia and Canada said on Thursday they had signed new agreements on critical minerals as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a landmark address to the Australian parliament, a sign of the developing bond between the "middle powers".
More than 200 people died on Tuesday in a landslide triggered by heavy rains at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the country's mines ministry said on Wednesday.
A power outage struck most of Cuba, including Havana, the state electric utility said on Wednesday (5 March), as the Communist-run government grapples with increased pressure from the Trump administration that has curtailed oil shipments.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
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