News & Events

Only a ceasefire deal in Gaza stemming from hoped-for talks this week would hold Iran back from direct retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil, three senior Iranian officials said.

Hamas has said a ceasefire plan for Gaza must be based on where talks were a month and a half ago rather than any new rounds of negotiations.

The leaders of the US, Egypt and Qatar have called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent negotiations to finalise a ceasefire and hostage release deal, saying there were no excuses “from any party for further delay”.

Western officials have circulated a new Gaza ceasefire-hostage release proposal in the past four days that could put an end to escalating tensions in the region, according to a Qatari-owned media outlet.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen said he left a meeting last week with President Biden more optimistic that a deal to free his son could be close. But in the intervening days, a new crisis has unfolded with the assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh and Fuad Shukr. Negotiations appear to have halted for now.

Hamas leader’s assassination may lead to regional escalation and accelerate – or sabotage – a peace deal, analysts say.

The leadership of the Palestinian armed group Hamas has been left in “a state of shock” by the assassination of its political leader Ismail Haniyeh, top officials have told the BBC.

Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday of preventing a ceasefire in Gaza by adding new conditions and demands to a US-backed truce proposal, after the latest talks conducted through mediators, Reuters reports.