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 Kremlin has reiterated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is welcome in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, stressing that any meeting must be fully prepa...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian government is likely weaker than at any point in recent history, warning that protests could reignite despite a violent crackdown that has killed thousands.
Palestine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has said the permanence and success of the Gaza ceasefire depend on a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory and an end to efforts to dictate Gaza’s future.
“This is a strategic wake-up call for all of Europe” French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Wednesday, 28 January, as he hosted Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in Paris to reaffirm France’s support for Greenland’s sovereignty.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced wide-ranging reforms to policing and public safety in Tashkent, positioning the capital as a pilot city for a new, service-oriented law-enforcement model aimed at responding to modern security challenges and improving everyday safety for residents.
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to 6,126, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
France’s National Assembly has approved a bill banning access to social media for children under 15, a move backed by President Emmanuel Macron and the government as part of efforts to protect teenagers’ mental and physical health.
Israel has recovered the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, the military said on Monday, fulfilling a key condition of the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
South Korea has said it will uphold its trade agreement with the U.S. despite President Donald Trump’s announcement of higher tariffs on South Korean goods.
China is supplying key industrial equipment that has enabled Russia to speed up production of its newest nuclear-capable hypersonic missile, an investigation by The Telegraph has found, heightening concerns in Europe over Moscow’s ability to threaten the West despite international sanctions.
Iranian citizens and businesses are continuing to feel the impact of a nationwide internet shutdown imposed amid a sweeping crackdown on anti-government protests, with access to the global web still largely cut off more than two weeks later.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian government is likely weaker than at any point in recent history, warning that protests could reignite despite a violent crackdown that has killed thousands.
Severe storms have disrupted cargo flows across Europe, shutting terminals and slowing vessel movements for some of the world’s biggest carriers.
The Kremlin has reiterated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is welcome in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, stressing that any meeting must be fully prepared and aimed at achieving concrete results.
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