Egypt will host delegations from Israel and Hamas on Monday to discuss “field conditions and details” of a potential exchange involving all Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners, as part of the latest U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
Cairo hopes the talks will help “end the war and the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people, which has continued for two consecutive years,” the ministry added, noting that the meetings are part of Egypt’s broader mediation efforts with other international partners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed optimism on Saturday that all hostages held in Gaza could be freed within days. “We are on the verge of a significant achievement,” he said in a live address. “It’s not final yet, but I hope that during the upcoming Sukkot holiday we will be able to secure the release of all hostages, both living and deceased, while maintaining our military presence deep inside Gaza.”
Sukkot, a week-long Jewish holiday, begins Monday evening. Netanyahu added that Israel would limit the negotiations to just a few days, stressing that under the second phase of the U.S. plan, Hamas would be disarmed and Gaza demilitarised “through military action or diplomatic means.”
His remarks drew sharp criticism from far-right ministers in his coalition. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the decision “a grave mistake” that would allow Hamas to “stall for time,” while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned that his faction would leave the government if Hamas remained intact after the hostages’ release.
Hamas announced on Friday that it had accepted the 20-point proposal in principle and was ready for mediated negotiations. The international community welcomed the move and urged both sides to take this opportunity to end the fighting and alleviate civilian suffering.
The 20-point plan envisions a ceasefire-for-hostages arrangement, a phased Israeli withdrawal, and a demilitarised Gaza governed under international oversight. Hamas would be excluded from governance. Under the proposed deal, Israel would halt military operations and withdraw to agreed lines, while Hamas would have 72 hours to release all hostages—alive and deceased—once Israel accepts the plan. In return, Israel would release 250 prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained after 7 October 2023. Disarmed Hamas members pledging peaceful coexistence would receive amnesty and could relocate safely to countries willing to accept them.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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