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3mo ago

Efforts to Salvage Gaza Ceasefire Show Progress as Hostage Release Negotiations Continue

Mediators report advances in talks between Israel and Hamas, with a planned prisoner exchange on Saturday contingent on adherence to truce terms.

Israeli captives, from left to the right, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, who have been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, are escorted by Hamas fighters on a stage before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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People holding posters with photos of Israelis hostages Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, gather at the so-called "hostages square" waiting for their release in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
FILE - Sigi and Momi Cohen, flanked on the couch by their children Yuval, Michal, and Tamar, hold up a portrait of their 27-year-old son, Eliya Cohen, in the family house in the village of Tzur Hadassah, Israel, Oct. 30, 2023. Cohen, an Israeli citizen, was abducted by Hamas militants from the "Nova" Music Festival near Kibbutz Re'im, Hamas fighters during the group's attack on Oct. 7 that resulted in the killing of over 1,400 people and the abduction of over 220. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

Overview

  • Palestinian sources and mediators from Egypt and Qatar indicate progress in preserving the Gaza ceasefire, with both sides reportedly recommitting to Saturday's planned hostage release.
  • Hamas has accused Israel of violating the truce, while Israel warns it will resume military operations in Gaza if hostages are not freed as scheduled.
  • The ceasefire agreement, which began last month, has facilitated phased hostage-prisoner exchanges and the delivery of humanitarian aid, though both sides claim breaches of the deal.
  • Recently freed Israeli hostages have described harrowing conditions in Hamas captivity, fueling public pressure on Israel's government to secure the release of all remaining captives.
  • U.S. President Donald Trump and regional leaders, including Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah, have urged adherence to the truce to prevent renewed violence and further displacement of Gaza's population.