Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told an international conference in the Qatari capital that international mediators, led by the U.S., are working toward the second phase of peace deal.

President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan is set to enter a new phase within weeks, but crucial pieces of the agreement remain undefined as Israel tightens its military grip on the battered enclave.

A cease-fire after two years of war with Israel has allowed Hamas to tighten its grip on power again. “It’s still standing,” one Israeli official said.

The return of all the hostages taken on the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war is a key element of the first phase of the ceasefire that began last month. In exchange, Israel has been releasing Palestinian prisoners.

Israel exposes secret Hamas money network in Turkey backed by Iran, revealing hundreds of millions in transfers through Turkish financial infrastructure.

Six Israelis kidnapped in the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7 were filmed lighting improvised Hanukkah candles in a tunnel in Gaza roughly eight months before they were executed there, according to footage recovered by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and released by their families this week.

The World Health Organization says Israel’s bombardment in Gaza for the past two years has left tens of thousands of Palestinians with life-changing injuries, including at least 6,000 people with amputations.