Iran welcomes fresh nuclear talks with U.S. but insists on right to enrichment
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has welcomed a fresh round of nuclear talks with the United States, insisting Tehran will protect its right to en...
Israeli officials have confirmed that they are closely studying the 60-day ceasefire proposal to which Hamas agreed to on Monday.
The proposal includes the release of all 50 Israeli hostages who are still alive, a source close to the matter says.
One Israeli official however insisted that for the war to end, every single Israeli hostage must be returned.
Hamas agreed to the deal on Monday in a post made via Facebook where it said that other Palestinian factions also approved its agreement.
A source familiar with the negotiations said the proposal closely mirrored an earlier plan put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel had accepted.
Here are key details of the ceasefire proposal, as outlined to Reuters by a senior Hamas leader and two Egyptian security sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity:
- Ten Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. Israel says that of 50 hostages held by Hamas and its allies, 20 are believed to be alive.
- In exchange, Israel will release 150 detained Palestinians it sentenced to life in prison and 50 Palestinians it sentenced to more than 15 years.
- For each body Hamas returns, Israel will return the bodies of 10 Palestinian militants.
- Israel will permit aid to enter Gaza with the involvement of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- The Israeli army will remain in Gaza, but will withdraw to an approximately 1-kilometre-wide (0.6-mile-wide) zone along the enclave's north and eastern borders that also includes the areas of Beit Lahiya and Shejaia.
- Once the ceasefire takes effect, Hamas and Israel will begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.
Israel's Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir, said his country was at a turning point in the Gaza war, "with its focus on enhancing the strikes against Hamas in Gaza City," the military spokesman said in a statement.
In a video issued by his office, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "I, like you, hear the reports in the media, and from them you can get one impression - Hamas is under immense pressure."
Over sixty thousand people have died in the Israel - Hamas war which began on October 7 2023 leading to one of the worst humanitarian crisis in recent times.
An earlier ceasefire was agreed in January 2025 with hostage swaps going on from both sides and the seizure of strikes.
Originally billed to happen in three phases each over a six week period, it came to an end on 18th March after Israel launched a surprise attack on Gaza.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
Iran would retaliate by striking U.S. military bases across the Middle East if it comes under attack by American forces, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday (7 January), stressing that such action should not be seen as targeting the countries hosting those bases.
U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn underwent surgery in an Italian hospital on Sunday after her attempt to win Olympic downhill gold ended in a violent crash just seconds into the race at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
A Japanese city near Mount Fuji has cancelled its annual cherry blossom festival, saying growing numbers of badly behaved tourists are disrupting daily life for residents.
Several avalanches struck northern Italy on Saturday, killing at least three people, as rescue officials warned the death toll could rise with unstable conditions persisting across the Alps.
Venezuelan authorities said they were seeking court approval to put prominent opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa under house arrest on Sunday, shortly after he was seized by armed men in Caracas in what his son called a kidnapping.
Hong Kong’s most prominent media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced on Monday (9 February) to a total of 20 years in prison on national security charges. The verdict covers two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count related to publishing seditious materials.
Russian overnight drone attacks killed at least three people in Ukraine’s east and south on Monday (9 February), with officials reporting casualties in the Kharkiv, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Sunday (8 February) he was in favour of banning the use of social media by children under 15 of age, as a growing number of European countries consider similar restrictions.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 9th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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