Closing summary
Hello, we are now closing the live blog. Here is a summary of events today.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya has said the militant group will release six living Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum published the names on Tuesday of six Israelis held in Gaza due to be released on Saturday under a fragile Israel-Hamas truce deal. They are Eliya Cohen, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Hisham Al-Sayed, and Avera Mengistu.
Al-Hayya said the “Bibas family” would be included in the handover of four bodies on Thursday, without elaborating.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said Israel will begin negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal this week.
Israel’s army has left southern Lebanese villages but remains in five positions, a Lebanese security source told Agence France-Presse (AFP), as a deadline for their withdrawal agreed to under a peace deal with Hezbollah expired.
Oxfam has warned that not enough aid is coming into Gaza, especially in the northern part of the territory and the southern Rafah governate devastated by Israeli bombardments during the war.
Lebanon’s new government will negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a new programme and will work to deal with the country’s financial default and public debt,
More than 200 organisations worldwide have called on nations involved in producing F-35 fighter jets to “immediately halt all arms transfers to Israel” amid fears they have failed to prevent the planes from being used to violate international law.
Beirut airport will close for four hours on Sunday during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanon’s civil aviation authority announced.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday dismissed a proposal by the United States to displace Palestinians from the war-devastated Gaza Strip, saying it “will go nowhere”.
More than $50 billion will be required to rebuild Gaza and the West Bank after the 15-month Israel-Gaza conflict, according to an assessment released by the United Nations, the European Union and the World Bank on Tuesday.
An Arab League summit planned to discuss Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza has been moved to 4 March.
Jordan’s King Abdullah left hospital on Tuesday after undergoing minor surgery, the royal palace said.
Here are photos of some of the hostages scheduled to be released on Saturday.
According to The Times of Israel, Hisham al-Saayed and Avera Mengistu have been held hostage in Gaza for more than a decade, “after entering the Strip of their own accord”. All the others were abducted on 7 October 2023.
