Now we’ve had more than 24 hours of this ceasefire between Iran and Israel, and the focus in Israel is expected to move quickly to Gaza, Bernard Smith of Al Jazeera reports.

“The Israeli army said seven soldiers were killed in southern Gaza, in Khan Younis. They say a bomb was planted on an armoured combat vehicle. This vehicle caught fire, and the seven soldiers inside were killed,” the reporter said.

That means 879 Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting in Gaza since the start of the war after October 7.

“Various people have said it’s time to bring the captives back. Netanyahu [has said he] wants to bring them back. Opposition leader Yair Lapid has said it’s time to bring the captives back. Donald Trump, of course, has also called on Israel to end the war in Gaza,” Smith added.

Netanyahu has been accused of prolonging it for his own political ends to avoid facing a reckoning for October 7, which happened on his watch, he added.

Qatar suggested yesterday that there would be indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in the next couple of days. Israel hasn’t said yet whether it’s going to take part.

“There is, of course, still pressure from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners who want a long-term occupation of Gaza and even the reintroduction of Jewish settlements, but now we wait to see whether Netanyahu will be able to resist those demands,” he concluded.

Editorial

Updated 02 Aug, 2026

Urban flooding

THE warning from the disaster management and weather authorities that a new monsoon spell could trigger urban...
02 Aug, 2026

Fatal workplaces

THE methane explosion near Quetta that killed 34 coal miners is the latest entry in Pakistan’s long register of...
02 Aug, 2026

Dual standards

IT appears that the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party has fallen foul of the Election Commission of Pakistan. A...
Updated 01 Aug, 2026

Maritime alliance

AS the US-Iran war drags on, new battle lines are being drawn. The pro-US Gulf Arab monarchies and Iran have enjoyed...
01 Aug, 2026

Local governance

INTERIOR Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s speech at a business summit on Thursday has stirred a hornet’s nest. His...
01 Aug, 2026

Murders in Balochistan

GOOD news is scarce in Balochistan. Seven labourers were abducted and gunned down in Turbat city recently. Four...