Hamas on Thursday said it opposes any ceasefire deal that includes a large Israeli military presence in Gaza, after offering to release some hostages and as the civil defence reported scores of civilians killed across the Palestinian territory.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial U.S.-backed aid distribution initiative supported by Israel, is currently the primary method for Palestinians in devastated Gaza to access supplies in designated spots after Israel lifted its aid blockade in mid-May.

From hostage talks in Gaza showing signs of life to high-stakes naval deployments in the Arctic, today’s headlines cut across flashpoints old and new. Maritime tensions flare in the Red Sea, Ukraine rebuilds under fire,

Welcome to the news world from West Asia, your live source for real-time updates and analysis from one of the world’s most strategically vital regions. From shifting alliances and diplomatic breakthroughs to economic reforms and civil movements,

The deal comes more than 20 months into the conflict -- and more than three months after a previous deal ended.

President Donald Trump has ramped up expectations around a possible 60-day ceasefire in the war in Gaza after he said Thursday that a response from Hamas was expected within the next day.

An Israeli report released Tuesday said that Hamas used sexual violence as a ''tactical weapon of war'' in its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, building on other investigations by international and Israeli rights groups and the United Nations.