A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Friday.
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that both Israel and Hamas had "signed off" on the first phase of a peace plan in Gaza following negotiations in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh. A ceasefire then came into effect on Friday.
Phase one of the deal will see all remaining hostages returned from Gaza, a number of Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails and the partial withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces inside the strip.
As negotiations continue for a peace deal, an Israeli official signaled they could be close to a deal.
“We are optimistic about reaching a deal by Friday,” an Israeli official involved in the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, told ABC News Wednesday evening local time.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Spain’s parliament approved a bill reinforcing an arms embargo on Israel on Wednesday.
The vote in parliament was 178 in favor and 169 against with one abstention.
Spain officially recognized the state of Palestine in May 2024.
-ABC News' Aicha Elhammar
Progress has been made in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Sharm el-Shiekh, Egypt, an Israeli source and a source close to the negotiations told ABC News on Wednesday.
“Progress has been made in the talks. There are still differences, but the direction is positive,” the Israeli source said.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has invited President Donald Trump to attend the signing of a potential Gaza peace agreement once it is reached, a move that may signal progress in ongoing negotiations.
Sisi made his remarks during a televised address at a police academy in Cairo, adding that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived late Tuesday evening.
