
Israel, Hamas reach deal on release of six remaining live hostages, Axios reports
WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - An agreement has been reached with Hamas to release on Saturday the six remaining hostages who are alive, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official.
The move would be part of the phase one of the Gaza hostage deal, Axios said, and comes as Israel this week prepared to begin indirect negotiations with Hamas on the second phase of the deal.
The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.
Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Alison Williams

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Glasgow Times
12 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Trinity College Dublin to divest from links with Israeli universities and firms
The board of the prestigious Dublin university, home to over 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, made the decision to divest from Israeli links on Wednesday. Pro-Palestinian activists have called on other Irish universities to follow suit. 🇵🇸TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN JUST AGREED TO FULL DIVESTMENT FROM ISRAEL AND THE CUTTING OF ALL ACADEMIC TIES🇵🇸 — Jenny 🇵🇸 (@jennymaguir) June 4, 2025 Last May, students formed an encampment at Trinity in protest against a 214,285 euro fine imposed on the students' union after a series of demonstrations about fees and rent, and the university's ties to Israel. Following engagement with the protesters, the college dropped the fine and said it would complete a divestment from Israeli companies that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN blacklist. The students dismantled the camp after Trinity said it would 'endeavour' to divest in other Israeli companies, noting that its supplier list contains just one Israeli company which remained in place until March this year for contractual reasons. On Wednesday, Trinity's board received a report from a taskforce set up last October to examine academic and institutional links, including with Israel. Although the report is to return to the board later this year for its final consideration, based on 'the strength of the evidence shared', the board accepted the report's recommendations in relation to links with Israel. This included recommendations that the college enter into no Erasmus, collaborative research or supply agreements with Israeli universities, institutions or firms. The college has two current Erasmus+ exchange agreements, on an inbound basis only since September 2023, with Israeli universities: the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which ends in July 2025, and Bar Ilan University, which ends in July 2026. The taskforce also found that the college is engaged in a number of EU-funded research consortia which include Israeli partners, and – although none of these were found to be breaching international humanitarian law or human rights – the taskforce said Trinity should not seek to participate in any new institutional research agreements involving Israeli participation. It also said that Trinity should look to 'align itself' with like-minded universities and bodies in an effort to influence EU policy concerning Israel's participation in such collaborations. The taskforce noted that Trinity had divested from Israeli companies on the UN blacklist and has no current supply contracts with Israeli companies. But it recommended that the college should fully divest from all companies headquartered in Israel and that it should not enter into any future supply contracts with Israeli firms. The taskforce accepted that the college's existing intellectual property-related contracts are acceptable as they are not collaborative, but said no new commercial relationships with Israeli entities should be set up. Chairwoman of the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) Zoe Lawlor said the decision by Trinity was a 'landmark step in academic rejection of apartheid Israel's regime'. She called on more Irish universities to do the same and paid tribute to students, academics and staff who campaigned for this outcome. 'Trinity will now stand on the right side of history, as it did with South African apartheid in the past, but it is nevertheless disappointing that it took so long to get to this position,' she said. 'We echo the view of TCD Students' Union that it remains disappointing that Trinity has not withdrawn from ongoing projects involving Israeli partners who provide military technology and training that will run until 2029. 'Nonetheless, we celebrate each and every step towards de-normalising relations with the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel. We call on the Irish Government and the EU to pay heed to the changing climate, and to act to bring an end to all Irish state complicity with the apartheid regime.' The taskforce, chaired by former president of the High Court Mary Irvine, met on 14 occasions and received 77 submissions in total.


Sky News
22 minutes ago
- Sky News
UK 'appalled' by reports of Palestinians killed while trying to reach new Gaza aid sites
The government has said it is "appalled" by reports of Palestinians being killed while trying to access aid sites in Gaza. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told the Commons on Wednesday afternoon that Israel's newly introduced measures for aid delivery are "inhumane, foster desperation and endanger civilians". The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by Israel and the US, opened new aid centres last week in Gaza after an 11-week aid blockade, but they have been highly criticised as Palestinians have been killed and injured while waiting at the centres. The Hamas-run health ministry claimed 27 Palestinians were killed at a centre in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Tuesday and more than 90 people were injured in what it called a "massacre". However, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said accusations that the Israeli military shot at civilians were "completely unfounded and false". Mr Falconer said: "We are appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites in Gaza. "Desperate civilians who have endured 20 months of war should never face the risk of death or injury to simply feed themselves and their families. We call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events for the perpetrators to be held to account." He said it is "deeply disturbing" the incidents happened near the new aid distribution sites. "Israel's newly introduced measures for aid delivery are inhumane, foster desperation and endanger civilians," he said. "Israel's unjustified block on aid into Gaza needs to end - it is inhumane. Israel must immediately allow the United Nations and aid partners to safely deliver all types of aid at scale to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity." The minister said the UN Security Council is expected to consider a resolution on Wednesday calling for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid. On Wednesday morning, GHF announced it was temporarily closing its three distribution sites "for renovations, organisation, and efficiency improvements". The IDF said "travel is prohibited via the roads leading to the distribution centres, which are considered combat zones". On Sunday, at least 31 people were reported to have been killed near the same aid distribution centre, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry - but the IDF said they were "false reports". PM: Gaza facing dark days Sir Keir Starmer, speaking as pro-Palestine protesters surrounded parliament on Wednesday, said Gaza is facing "dark days" and vowed to consider "further action" against Israel. He used Prime Minister's Questions to describe the Israeli government's conduct in Gaza as "counter productive and intolerable". 0:37 The government, he said, has "strongly opposed the expansion of military operations and settler violence, and the blocking of humanitarian aid". Sir Keir said the government "will keep looking at further action along with our allies, including sanctions". "But let me be absolutely clear; we need to get back to a ceasefire," he said. Corbyn calls for UK involvement inquiry Later on Wednesday afternoon, former Labour leader and now-independent MP Jeremy Corbyn demanded a public inquiry into the UK's involvement in Israeli military operations in Gaza. He introduced the bill, which will get a second reading on 4 July after no MPs opposed it. The long-time supporter of Palestine had been hoping for a vote, obtained if anybody opposed it, in the hope of forcing Labour MPs to vote against the government.

Leader Live
28 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Parliament moves closer to setting up Iraq war-style inquiry into Gaza conflict
Parliament moved a step closer to setting up a probe after MPs agreed that the Gaza (Independent Public Inquiry) Bill should be listed for a debate later this year. The draft new law would 'require the inquiry to consider any UK military, economic or political co-operation with Israel since October 2023', the month when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 others. Israel's retaliatory offensive has seen more than 54,000 people in Gaza killed, according to the territory's health ministry. 'Our future history books will report with shame those that had the opportunity to stop this carnage but failed to act to achieve it, and so we will continue our campaigns in this House and outside because we're appalled at what is happening,' the former Labour Party leader told the Commons. Mr Corbyn, the Independent MP for Islington North, had earlier said: 'In the aftermath of the Iraq war, several attempts were made to establish an inquiry surrounding the conduct of the British military operations. 'The government of the day spent many years resisting those attempts and those demands for an inquiry, however, they could not prevent the inevitable and in 2016 we had the publication of the Chilcot Inquiry, which Sir John Chilcot had undertaken over several years.' Mr Corbyn added that when he was the Labour leader, when the 12-volume report came out, he 'apologised on behalf of the Labour Party for the catastrophic decision to go to war in Iraq' and added: 'History is now repeating itself.' He warned that 'human beings have endured a level of horror and inhumanity that should haunt us all forever – entire families wiped out, limbs strewn across the street, mothers screaming for their children buried under the rubble, human beings torn to pieces, doctors performing amputations without anaesthetic, children picking grass and dirt from the ground thinking they might find something edible to eat'. Mr Corbyn alleged that the UK had a 'highly influential role in Israel's military operations', including by supplying weapons, and also said a future inquiry should seek the 'truth regarding the role of British military bases in Cyprus' and Government 'legal advice over an assessment of genocide'. He said the inquiry would uncover the 'murky history of what's gone on, the murky arms sales and the complicity in appalling acts of genocide'. Deputy Speaker Nus Ghani called 'order' when several MPs applauded, as Mr Corbyn presented his Bill. The Bill will be listed for its next debate on July 4.