Thursday Briefing: An Israel-Hamas hostage exchange
Good morning. We’re covering a hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas and a plane crash in Sudan that killed dozens of people. Plus, the female gaze behind the camera.
Hamas and Israel to move forward with another swapWhat may be the last hostage exchange of this phase of the cease-fire was set to go forward late last night. Israel and Hamas have agreed to exchange the remains of four Israelis for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Israel said, and mediators guaranteed that Hamas would hand over the coffins without “humiliating ceremonies.” The first phase of the cease-fire is set to end in the coming days, and about 25 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others are still in Gaza, according to Israel. It is unclear whether serious negotiations on a second phase have even begun. Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy, was expected in the region yesterday in an attempt to move the talks forward. But his trip has been delayed, the U.S. said. Mourning: Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, hostages who died in captivity and were returned by Hamas last week, were buried yesterday amid a show of solidarity and grief. Military: Israel struck targets in southern Syria yesterday as part of a “new policy” of ensuring the area was “demilitarized,” the defense minister said. Also in the Middle East: Syrian leaders concluded an anticipated “national dialogue” on Tuesday, but some said the talks fell short of promises of a representative government.
A Ukraine minerals deal vaguely referred to securityA draft of an agreement obtained by The Times yesterday, which calls for Ukraine to hand over revenue from natural resources to the U.S., contains new language that the U.S. “supports Ukraine’s effort to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.” President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said yesterday that the reference had been a priority in negotiations. Previous drafts did not have the phrase on security guarantees. It does not signal any specific U.S. commitment to safeguarding Ukraine’s security, and it was not clear if the draft was the final version, but the agreement is seen as opening the door to possible continued backing. Trump said that he and Zelensky would meet tomorrow in Washington. Here’s what we know about the deal. Outcry: A rare protest at the U.S. embassy in Ukraine reflected the country’s fears over Trump.
Dozens killed in a plane crash in SudanAt least 46 people were killed in Sudan when a military aircraft crashed into a residential area in Khartoum, the capital, officials said yesterday. It was one of the deadliest plane crashes in the country’s recent history and added to the devastation of nearly three years of civil war. The cause of the crash was not identified. The Sudanese military said that the plane was carrying civilians and military personnel and that it had crashed Tuesday evening while taking off from an air base. The base is crucial to the military’s plans to retake the city. |
