ISTANBUL -- Diplomats from Iran and the E3, namely France, Britain and Germany, have agreed to continue consultations following discussions in Istanbul on Friday, according to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi.
The closed-door meeting took place at the Iranian consulate in Istanbul, with Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Gharibabadi leading the Iranian delegation.
Following the meeting, which lasted around four hours, Gharibabadi said on the social media platform X that Iran and the European trio held "serious, frank, and detailed" discussions regarding the Iran nuclear issue and sanctions-lifting. He added that the Iranian side reiterated its "principled stance," including on the snapback mechanism. (Iran-E3-Nuclear Talks)
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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday that Israel is considering "alternative options" to release the Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
"Together with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's reign of terror, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region," Netanyahu said.
His remarks came a day after Hamas responded to the proposal put forward by countries mediating a ceasefire in Gaza. (Israel-Gaza-Ceasefire Negotiations)
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GAZA -- Gaza's health authorities on Friday reported nine additional deaths from hunger and malnutrition in the enclave in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of hunger-related fatalities to 122 since the start of the ongoing conflict in October 2023.
In a press statement, the health authorities said that children remain the most affected, with at least 83 minors confirmed dead so far due to starvation and malnutrition-related complications. (Gaza-Hunger-Deaths)
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GAZA -- A senior Hamas official said Friday that they had been informed by the mediators that the Israeli delegation would return next week to continue negotiations over the Gaza ceasefire.
According to Bassem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, the mediators told the Hamas negotiating team that the Israeli delegation had returned to Israel for further consultations, with plans to resume talks early next week. (Hamas-Israel-Ceasefire Talks) ■
