Gaza Israel and Hamas are inching closer to a deal to pause their 15-month war in Gaza and enact a hostages-for-prisoners swap, sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The National on Wednesday.

Israel says Hamas has not provided any information about the status of those 34 hostages, dampening any notion that the endorsement is a step toward a deal to stop the war.

Israel and Hamas are once again struggling to reach a ceasefire that could wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held hostage

In a yearly address to diplomats delivered on his behalf by an aide, Francis appeared to reference deaths caused by winter cold in Gaza, where there is almost no electricity.

Since Israel and Hamas went to war, reporters and editors at The New York Times have closely covered the conflict. Our coverage includes the Hamas-led attack on Israel, the plight of hostages ...

Each of the three men had taken steps to familiarise themselves with weapons, with one visiting a shooting range in Bangkok.

Israel said Monday that Hamas had yet to clarify whether 34 hostages it said it was ready to free were dead or alive, throwing doubt on the group's assertion that it needed time to ascertain their fate.

The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza with ceasefire talks resuming in Qatar.

Some 46,006 Palestinians had been killed and 109,378 wounded in the ongoing 15-month conflict, the ministry said as it updated its toll on Thursday.

World: The video, posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform on Wednesday (January 8), features economist Jeffrey Sachs accusing Netanyahu of shaping US foreign policy to serve Israel's interests.

Gaza's Health Ministry says the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has climbed above 46,000. The ministry updated its toll from the ongoing 15-month conflict on Thursday.