Overview

• Hamas signaled it will free 10 living Israeli hostages and hand over the remains of 18 others in return for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
• US envoy Steve Witkoff condemned the Hamas response as unacceptable, warning that its demands for guarantees on troop withdrawal and a permanent truce threaten any temporary pause in fighting.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet opposes a truce that does not secure the release of all hostages and has approved Defense Minister Israel Katz’s plan to build 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
• Gaza’s civilian toll has surpassed 54,000 deaths amid a blockade that restricts aid deliveries, with the World Health Organization warning of an impending famine.
• German leaders remain split over military aid to Israel: Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul are weighing restrictions on arms transfers, while Brandenburg’s Dietmar Woidke urges both sides to protect Gaza’s population.