A Hamas leader is calling for international pressure on Israel before the Palestinian militant group moves forward with the next phase of the ceasefire in the territory. It wants Israel to open a key border crossing, cease deadly strikes and allow more aid into Gaza. Tuesday's comment came as Israel’s government says it is ready to move into the second and more complicated phase of the ceasefire deal. It also calls on Hamas to return the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza. Hamas has little leverage in ceasefire negotiations and could come under heavy pressure from regional powers like Qatar and Turkey to not hit the brakes on the fragile truce.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel and Hamas are expected to move into the second phase of their ceasefire soon. It will begin after Hamas returns the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza. Netanyahu spoke during a news conference with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday. The ceasefire's second phase involves disarming Hamas militants and demilitarizing Gaza. It also includes deploying an international force to secure Gaza and forming a temporary Palestinian government. Merz said Germany is assisting with the second phase's implementation by sending officers and diplomats to a U.S.-led civilian and military coordination center in Israel.

A Hamas official says the group is ready to discuss “freezing or storing” its arsenal of weapons as part of its ceasefire with Israel. The comments by Bassem Naim in an interview with The Associated Press offer a possible formula to resolve one of the thorniest issues in the U.S.-brokered agreement. The sides, which agreed to the ceasefire in October, are preparing to move into a second and more complicated phase of the agreement. The deal halted a two-year Israeli offensive in Gaza and lays out a plan for rebuilding the devastated territory. Israel launched the offensive in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which Naim called an “act of defense.”

Qatar’s prime minister says the Gaza ceasefire has reached a “critical moment” as its first phase winds down. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the Doha Forum that international mediators are pushing for a second phase to solidify the deal. He emphasized that a true ceasefire requires a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and stability there. The first phase of the U.S. peace plan began on Oct. 10, halting fighting and exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The next phase involves an international security force and other measures and has not yet started. Concerns remain over force's role and makeup.

President Donald Trump has come out with a new national security strategy that paints European allies as weak and aims to reassert America’s dominance in the Western Hemisphere. The document released Friday by the White House is sure to upset longstanding U.S. allies in Europe for its scathing critiques of their migration and free speech policies. It suggests those allies face the “prospect of civilizational erasure” and raises doubts about their long-term reliability as American partners. The document reinforces the U.S. commitment to the Republican president's “America First” philosophy. Germany's foreign minister acknowledges the U.S. is Germany's “most important ally” in NATO but says questions about freedom of expression are not part of alliance discussions.

At least four countries have announced they are pulling out of next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. This decision follows the organizers' choice to allow Israel to compete, despite concerns over its conduct in the Israel-Hamas war. Dutch, Spanish, Irish and Slovenian broadcasters announced plans to sit out the context in Vienna next May. It came after the European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, voted to adopt tougher voting rules after allegations of Israel manipulating votes. The contest has faced challenges due to the war in Gaza, with some countries threatening to boycott if Israel participates.

Israeli and Thai officials say remains that militants in Gaza handed to Israel were those of a Thai agricultural worker killed during the attack that started the war two years ago. The return of Sudthisak Rinthalak’s remains leaves a single hostage, Israeli Ran Gvili, to be returned in the first phase of the ceasefire deal. Hamas and Israel have accused each other of breaking the ceasefire agreement and questions linger over the plan’s upcoming phases. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza were mourning on Thursday the death of five members of a family following an Israeli airstrike. Israel says it targeted a Hamas militant in retaliation for an earlier attack that wounded five Israeli soldiers.

Thai officials said remains from Gaza handed over to Israeli authorities have been identified as last Thai hostage.