END IN SIGHT?

Talks between Israel & Hamas offer hopes of lasting ceasefire

- BY MATTHEW YOUNG in London and CHRIS HUGHES Defence and Security Editor in Tel Aviv

CRUCIAL talks between Israel and Hamas are set to begin today, offering hope of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Ahead of tomorrow's two-year anniversary of the Hamas attacks that sparked the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a hostage release could be announced this week.

Under a US peace plan supported by Israel, within three days, Hamas would free the remaining 48 hostages taken on October 7, 2023, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.