Israel opposition, hostages' kin call for end to Gaza war

Israel's opposition leader and the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza called on Tuesday for an end to the war in the Palestinian territory after a ceasefire was announced with Iran.

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US President Donald Trump said a truce was in effect between Israel and Iran after 12 days of war that saw Israel and the United States pummel the Islamic republic's nuclear facilities.

"And now Gaza. It's time to finish it there too. Bring back the hostages, end the war," opposition leader Yair Lapid of the centre-right Yesh Atid party wrote on X.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main group representing the families of those abducted during Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, also called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek a Gaza ceasefire.

"We call on the government to engage in urgent negotiations that will bring home all the hostages and end the war. Those who can achieve a ceasefire with Iran can also end the war in Gaza," it said in a statement.

Of the 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants in October 2023, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

The prime minister of Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, said the Gulf country was working on resuming talks for a ceasefire.