Speaking to Israeli public radio station Kan, the French ambassador to Israel has said he hopes the medicine agreement brokered by Qatar and France this week will be a “first humanitarian step” to seeing the remaining Israeli captives released from Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.

“It can advance us toward a deal. This is also the first sign since the end of the earlier deal that something is possible in the issue of the hostages,” Frederic Journes said.

Opinion

Editorial

Missing in action
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Missing in action

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Risk to stability
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Risk to stability

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Enrolment push
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Enrolment push

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Holding the line
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Holding the line

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Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

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Looking for safety
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Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....