Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he will vote in favor of the plan to release the hostages in today’s cabinet meeting.
Afghanistan’s UN-sanctioned Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in India on Thursday, the first visit by a top Taliban leader since they returned to power in 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led forces.
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he opposed the Gaza ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas on Thursday, insisting that he would vote against it.
The Israeli military said on Thursday it was preparing to pull back troops in Gaza after Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire deal to free the remaining hostages.
The first phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is to be signed on Thursday afternoon in Egypt, a source with knowledge of the agreement told AFP.
US President Donald Trump said that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of his peace plan, following talks in Egypt on ending the war in Gaza.
Russia said on Wednesday that momentum towards reaching a peace deal in Ukraine following Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s presidential summit in Alaska had largely “gone”.
Hamas said on Wednesday that “optimism” was prevailing in indirect talks with Israel aimed at ending the Gaza war, with the militant group submitting a list of prisoners it wants released in exchange for freeing Israeli hostages as part of an agreement.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said Europe must ramp up its defenses to deter Russia’s “hybrid warfare”, after a catalogue of air incursions, cyber attacks and damage to undersea cables.
President Donald Trump said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would be “very happy” after their trade talks at the White House on Tuesday, but offered no immediate concessions on lifting steep US tariffs.
