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.
Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson, who co-discovered the DNA double-helix structure, has died at 97, his former research lab confirmed....
Major U.S. airports are cutting flights and facing delays as the government shutdown continues to affect air traffic control staffing, raising concern...
Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga lead the 2026 Grammy nominations, while K-Pop enters the Song of the Year category for the first time in the award’s hi...
The United States has lifted sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of his planned visit to the White House next week. The move follows a...
Serbia's parliament passed a law on Friday designed to accelerate the development of a luxury complex in Belgrade, leased to an investment company fou...
Serbia's parliament passed a law on Friday designed to accelerate the development of a luxury complex in Belgrade, leased to an investment company founded by Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
Azerbaijan has no plans to deploy peacekeepers to Gaza unless there is a complete cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, an Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry official told Reuters on Friday.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday suggested a potential link between recent drone incidents in Belgium and discussions surrounding the use of frozen Russian assets, held by Belgian financial institution Euroclear, to fund a substantial loan to Ukraine.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Friday that while Iran seeks peace, it will not be pressured into abandoning its nuclear and missile programmes, according to state media reports.
Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga lead the 2026 Grammy nominations, while K-Pop enters the Song of the Year category for the first time in the award’s history.
Israel launched airstrikes on southern Lebanon after ordering evacuations, accusing Hezbollah of rebuilding its forces despite a year-old ceasefire, as Lebanon and the United Nations warned of renewed border tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump personally urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to release imprisoned Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai during their meeting in South Korea last week, according to three individuals briefed on the discussions and a U.S. administration official.
U.S. Senate Republicans have blocked a resolution that would have barred President Donald Trump from launching military action against Venezuela without congressional approval, despite growing concern over recent U.S. strikes in the southern Caribbean.
The driver who rammed his car into a crowd in western France on Wednesday is suspected of "self-radicalisation" and had "explicit religious references" at home, the country's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Thursday.
A majority of judges on Brazil's Supreme Court panel voted on Friday to dismiss former President Jair Bolsonaro's appeal against his 27-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting a coup to remain in power after the 2022 presidential election.
The United States has expressed full support for the European Union's proposal to use frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine and bring an end to the war with Russia, a U.S. source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.
The European Commission has tightened Schengen visa rules for Russian citizens, limiting most new applicants to single-entry permits, citing security risks linked to the war in Ukraine.
The Trump administration is seeking to make sharing data about pathogens a condition for countries receiving U.S. health aid, according to a draft document obtained by Reuters.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed it will fund full SNAP food benefits for more than 42 million Americans, following federal court orders. The decision follows weeks of legal disputes as the government shutdown entered its 38th day.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment