There is a cease fire between Israel and Hamas
The first few days of a ceasefire deal in the Middle East will begin with the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, a senior Israeli official said. A further round of negotiations will begin 16 days into that first phase of the agreement, about further withdrawals of Israeli troops from Gaza, the official added.
Both Israel and Hamas have made progress in their hostage release talks
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Monday that Israel will not release its hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a ceasefire. “We’ll release only the first part of the deal,” Netanyahu said, adding that the remaining prisoners will be released “as soon as there is a durable ceasefire”. Netanyahu’s comments come as Israel launched its offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
Lebanon says 2 people were hurt as Israeli troops fired into the air
The UN’s refugee agency said it hopes that the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon will bring an end to the war that has killed over 3,000 people, including over 270 children. The UN refugee agency said that fighting has limited access to southern Lebanon, where almost 188,000 people currently live in more than 1,000 collective shelters.
The war in Lebanon could be stopped if Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah
Israel’s Security Cabinet on Tuesday approved a US proposal for a ceasefire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. The announcement came during fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. US President Joe Biden said the deal “will cease the fighting in Lebanon and secure Israel from the threat of Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations operating from Lebanon”.
The United Nations Security Council passed a U.S.-backed cease-fire resolution
The UN Security Council on Monday approved a US-brokered ceasefire plan to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The resolution states that Israel has accepted the US proposal, but calls for Hamas to do the same. Russia said that the council remained in the dark about the deal and voted for a cat in the bag.