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.