Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he hoped to reach a deal in a few days for the release of more Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. Read more at straitstimes.

Hamas has said it will release 10 hostages as part of Gaza ceasefire talks after Israel struck an upbeat note about the prospects for a deal to stop the fighting. The Islamist group’s statement came after four days of indirect talks brokered by Qatar and as the United States signalled its belief that an agreement for a 60-day truce would be struck before the end of the week.

A deal being hammered out with Hamas would see 10 men released out of 20 believed to be alive, and the decision about who should be freed is creating deep despair.

An Israeli report released Tuesday said that Hamas used sexual violence as a “tactical weapon of war” in its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, building on other investigations by international and Israeli rights groups and the United Nations into the militant group’s assault.

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Released after almost two years of captivity, Edan Alexander, joined by his parents, is scheduled to meet with President Trump and the first lady.

The talks, mediated by Qatar, the US, and Egypt, have reportedly stalled over two major sticking points: how humanitarian aid would be distributed during the ceasefire and whether Israeli forces would withdraw from areas of Gaza currently under military control.