Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Israel-Hamas Negotiations Begin as Truce Threatens to Unravel
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire began in Cairo Thursday amid mounting concerns the truce will collapse.
Thursday’s talks in Egypt’s capital came on the day that a well-informed Israeli source revealed that “Israel does not intend” to withdraw from a strategic corridor in Gaza in the coming days.
Under the terms of the deal, Israel was due to start pulling its soldiers out of the Philadelphi Corridor, an 8.6-mile-wide (14 kilometers) strip of land by Gaza’s border with Egypt, on Saturday.
The unnamed Israeli official said on Thursday that the Jewish nation’s army would remain there to prevent weapons smuggling by Hamas, despite objections from Hamas and Egypt.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, suggested Israel’s military presence remains necessary there as he recently saw smuggling tunnels there. However, Egypt claims it destroyed such tunnels years ago and that it has prevented smuggling through a military buffer zone.
Hamas has said any Israeli attempt to stay in the corridor would be a “blatant violation” of a ceasefire agreement, which took hold in January.
However, both sides still showed readiness to adhere to other terms of the ceasefire, with Hamas releasing the remains of four hostages in exchange for over 600 Palestinian prisoners.
DOZENS REMAINING
According to Israel, there are 59 remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, 24 of whom are still believed to be alive.
At Thursday’s talks, officials from Israel, Qatar, and the United States started “intensive discussions” on the ceasefire’s second phase in Cairo, Egypt‘s state information service said.
Observers said it would be difficult to reconcile a deal with the war objectives of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has called for dismantling Hamas’ governing and military capabilities.
Despite suffering heavy losses in the war, Hamas has still emerged as a force during the ceasefire, and the group says it will not give up its weapons.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit the region in the coming days.
He seeks to help end a war that has killed tens of thousands of people, including many Hamas fighters as well as civilians used as human shields by the group, officials say.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
President Donald Trump returned to the White House Saturday evening after unexpectedly cutting short his stay at Camp David, as mounting tensions prompted new security warnings for Americans across the Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply shortened his upcoming visit to the United States, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already tense week.
Thousands of people, many of them Christians, braved the rain at Amsterdam’s central Dam Square for a pro-Israel rally, while police arrested more than a dozen pro-Palestinian protesters who attempted to disrupt the gathering.
President Donald Trump announced a sweeping security agreement with Denmark and Greenland that would grant the United States permanent military rights on the strategically important Arctic island. The agreement strengthens America’s northern defenses without transferring ownership of Greenland to the United States.
Organizers were weighing their options after Ireland joined the Netherlands in boycotting the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation, deepening divisions surrounding one of the world’s most watched music events, which attracted about 131 million television viewers last year.
Algerian special police forces have raided a Christian gathering and detained 12 believers, adding to concerns about religious freedom in the predominantly Muslim North African nation, Christians told Worthy News.
Authorities in Nigeria’s predominantly Christian Plateau State have ordered a crackdown on an unauthorized Islamic religious police group attempting to enforce aspects of Sharia, or Islamic law, amid broader concerns about pressure on Christians and fresh deadly violence in Nigeria’s troubled Middle Belt region.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com