Hopes raised for saving Gaza ceasefire as hostage releases reportedly agreed – Middle East crisis live | World news

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Mediators are exerting pressure for the deal to be fully implemented, ensure Israel abides by a humanitarian protocol and resume exchanges of Israeli hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel on Saturday, Hamas said in a statement.

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Israel has called up military reservists to brace for a possible re-eruption of war in Gaza if Hamas fails to meet a Saturday deadline to free further Israeli hostages.

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It has gone 10am in Gaza City, Tel Aviv and Cairo, and 11.30am in Tehran. Here are the headlines:

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  Arab mediators have been scrambling to save the Gaza ceasefire as the Israeli military bolsters troop and tank deployments to the strip’s periphery in advance of the possibility the truce breaks down this weekend.

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  Hamas unexpectedly announced on Monday that it was postponing the next planned release of three Israeli hostages over the weekend, citing alleged Israeli violations of the truce.

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  Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, warned on Wednesday that the country would resume its war in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold the ceasefire agreement and release Israeli hostages by Saturday. Some regional media sources on Thursday morning suggests the two sides had agreed that three hostages would now be released on Saturday.

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  Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah said on Wednesday Gaza should be rebuilt without displacing Palestinians, according to a readout of a call between the two leaders by the Egyptian presidency.

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  The US has authorised a “long term” Israeli troop presence in southern Lebanon, according to Israeli reports, while Israel has reportedly requested to keep its troops in multiple posts in southern Lebanon until 28 February. Israel had previously agreed to remove the troops before the end of January.

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  There are fears that a widely unnoticed displacement of Bedouin people by Israeli settlers has the aim of fragmenting the territory intended for a future Palestinian state.

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After a day of mixed messages over hostage releases on Wednesday, on Thursday morning Palestinian sources and Israeli media were suggesting that the release of three Israeli hostages by Hamas would go ahead as planned.

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Haaretz reported that Palestinian sources said:

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Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement over the next phase of the deal to take place this Saturday, in which three hostages will be released … [and] Israel will increase the entry of aid into the Strip, mainly consisting of tents, gas, and medical equipment.”

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Egyptian media channel Al-Rad reported that negotiations in Cairo had bought Hamas and Israel closer to an agreement. Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster also reported that the flow of humanitarian aid, which is under Israel’s control, was to be increased.

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