AGADIR, Morocco: Mohamed Salah scored as 10-man Egypt beat South Africa 1-0 in Agadir on Friday to become the first qualifiers for the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.&nbsp;The Liverpool star converted a penalty on 45 minutes, and South Africa were denied a spot-kick late in the second half when Yasser Ibrahim appeared to handle the ball inside the box.&nbsp;Salah came to Morocco after not starting in five Liverpool matches -- his omission leading to an outburst against manager Arne Slot.&nbsp;Egypt were reduced to 10 men in first-half added time when right-back Mohamed Hany was shown a second yellow card for a stamp, followed by a red.&nbsp;After two rounds in Group B, record seven-time champions Egypt have six points and are guaranteed a top-two finish and a place in the round of 16.&nbsp;South Africa have three points, and Angola and Zimbabwe one each after they drew 1-1 in Marrakesh earlier.&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m very happy for the result, for sure. It was a tough game, they dominated most of the time. It&#39;s a team that can keep the ball for a long time so I think we had a good gameplan, it worked,&quot; said Salah.&nbsp;&quot;We walked away with the three points, it&#39;s the most important thing. The atmosphere is incredible. Hopefully we can carry on like this.&quot;&nbsp;The first chance fell to Salah after 11 minutes, but he could not move forward quickly enough to connect with a low cross from Hany.&nbsp;That the majority of the crowd were supporting the Pharaohs became obvious soon after when the Burundi referee ignored Zizo appeals for a free-kick, and loud whistling enveloped the stadium.&nbsp;When Salah delivered a free-kick into the heart of the South African area, three Egyptians darted forward, but none could connect with the ball.&nbsp;Salah closely policed&nbsp;Midway through the opening half a pattern had developed -- Egypt were pushing forward regularly while South Africa defended with calmness and solid tackling.&nbsp;When Teboho Mokoena fouled Omar Marmoush just outside the D, he was yellow carded. However, the Manchester City striker fired the resultant free-kick wide.&nbsp;As the first half progressed the sun broke out in the southern coastal city -- a welcome sight for players and spectators with many earlier group matches staged in torrential rain.&nbsp;A rare South Africa attack ended disappointingly as Lyle Foster struck a weak shot that was comfortably saved by 37-year-old Mohamed El Shenawy.&nbsp;Awarded a free-kick close to the touchline, South Africa performed an intricate, multi-pass move that ended tamely as El Shenawy clutched a cross.&nbsp;Salah was being closely policed by Aubrey Modiba and as half-time drew near the Liverpool star retreated into the Egyptian half in order to retain possession.&nbsp;Then, as the Egypt captain chased a loose ball with Khuliso Mudau, the South African right-back raised his left arm, striking an eye of Salah.&nbsp;Amid Egyptian protests, the Burundian referee viewed the incident on a VAR monitor and pointed to the penalty spot.&nbsp;A lengthy delay before the kick was taken could not have eased the nerves of Salah, but he comfortably converted the penalty as Ronwen Williams dived in the wrong direction.&nbsp;More drama erupted in added time when Hany stamped on Mokoena, leading to a second yellow card for the defender.&nbsp;South Africa, with a numerical advantage, attacked more as the second half progressed, but Egypt came close to a second goal with Williams foiling substitute Emam Ashour after a quick free-kick.&nbsp;El Shenawy displayed his agility with 15 minutes remaining, using his right hand to tip to safety a low shot from Foster. It was one of several saves that kept Egypt ahead.

Football

Mohamed Salah’s first-half penalty earned 10-man Egypt a 1-0 win over South Africa in Agadir, sending the seven-time champions into the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage after a hard-fought Group B encounter match.

Salah helps 10-man Egypt beat South Africa and book last-16 place

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Egypt on Sunday agreed to revive stalled institutional mechanisms and expand cooperation across multiple sectors during delegation-level talks held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar met Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty for detailed discussions. Senior officials from both sides attended the meeting. The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and agreed to reactivate the Joint Ministerial Commission and Annual Bilateral Consultations.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1995087322468249728&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=26e2927ddf0bfa8717e1da865092fd1d6470373f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>According to the Foreign Office, both sides will use these platforms to advance cooperation in trade, investment, health, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges. The ministers also agreed to establish a Pakistan-Egypt Business Council. They decided to identify leading Pakistani companies for B2B engagement with Egyptian counterparts and to convene a Ministerial Business Forum in Cairo in the second quarter of 2026.&nbsp; Senior officials from both countries will meet in Islamabad in the first quarter of 2026 to prepare for the event. During the talks, the Egyptian foreign minister announced that Egypt would double the number of scholarships offered to Pakistani students at Al Azhar University. Dar thanked Egypt for its support in Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing Hepatitis C elimination programme and for advancing educational and cultural cooperation through Al Azhar scholarships. Separately, FM Abdelatty also called on President Asif Ali Zardari, where the pair exchanged views &quot;on matters of bilateral cooperation, regional stability, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;The president underscored the historic ties between Pakistan and Egypt and conveyed Pakistan&#39;s desire to elevate the partnership across all domains,&quot; a statement issued by the Foreign Office on X said, adding that the president appreciated Egypt&#39;s &quot;leadership and constructive diplomatic engagement on issues of regional importance.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1995122285611463152&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=f5306c0ad32e3e493e7679579cc857caed1e7f99&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1995122285611463152"></iframe></div></div>The Egyptian FM also held a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, at the general headquarters, where the discussions focused on &quot;defense and security cooperation, military exchanges, training collaborations, and regional peace and stability. &quot; &quot;Both sides reaffirmed the importance of continued high-level engagement between the armed forces of the two countries,&quot; the FO said.

Foreign Affairs

Two sides reaffirm commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and agreed to reactivate the Joint Ministerial Commission and Annual Bilateral Consultations

Pakistan, Egypt agree to revive key cooperation forums in high-level talks

CAIRO: Egypt officially opened on Saturday the Grand Egyptian Museum, a long-awaited, billion-dollar showcase of pharaonic grandeur that Cairo hopes will revive tourism and boost its battered economy. &quot;Today, as we celebrate together the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, we are writing a new chapter in the history of the present and the future,&quot; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told a gathering of dignitaries, sitting in the museum&#39;s square. Spanning half a million square metres, the museum houses around 100,000 artefacts -- half of them on display -- dating back more than six millennia. The audience at the opening watched a display of lights and music, with the pyramids towering in front of them. Dozens of performers dressed in elaborate Pharaonic costumes played traditional tunes as a laser show depicting pharaohs and fireworks lit up the night sky above the museum. On giant screens above, scenes from celebrations in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro played out against the backdrop of Egypt&#39;s ancient monuments.&quot;It is a living testimony to the genius of the Egyptian human,&quot; Sisi said, referring to the new institution. &#39;Global landmark&#39;On Saturday morning, roads around the museum were cordoned off and security tightened ahead of the opening, with giant banners draped from buildings and strung across streets -- advertising the launch. &quot;This is the dream that all of us imagined. We all dreamed that this project would be realised,&quot; Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told a press conference in Cairo on Saturday. Set on a gentle slope overlooking the Giza Plateau, just beyond the shadow of the pyramids, the museum was built with major financial and technical support from Japan, and spreads across nearly half a million square metres. Madbouly said that the &quot;largest part of construction, finishing and bringing this global landmark to its current form occurred during the past seven to eight years&quot;. More than two decades in the making, the GEM faced multiple delays due to setbacks related to political unrest, regional conflicts and the Covid-19 pandemic. The museum is billed as the world&#39;s largest collection devoted to a single civilisation, according to Egyptian officials. Inside, visitors will enter vast, light-filled halls with soaring ceilings and sand-coloured stone walls that echo the surrounding desert. At the centre of the main atrium stands an 83-tonne statue of Ramses II, the pharaoh who ruled Egypt for 66 years and presided over its golden age. Unlike the cramped, century-old Egyptian Museum in central Cairo, the GEM features immersive galleries, precision lighting, virtual-reality exhibits and even a children&#39;s museum. One highlight is a live conservation lab, visible through floor-to-ceiling glass, where visitors can watch restorers assembling a 4,500-year-old solar boat buried near Khufu&#39;s pyramid, built to carry his soul across the sky with the sun god Ra. The undisputed star of the show, however, is King Tutankhamun&#39;s collection of more than 5,000 objects, many displayed together for the first time. &#39;Too early to decide&#39;The museum opens to the public on Tuesday, showcasing thousands of funerary artefacts previously scattered across Egypt. Egypt&#39;s tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency and jobs, has been repeatedly shaken over the past decade and a half, from the 2011 uprising to waves of unrest and sporadic terrorist attacks in the aftermath. In recent years, tourism has shown signs of recovery, with 15 million visitors travelling to Egypt in the first nine months of 2025 and generating $12.5 billion, up 21 percent from a year earlier. Egyptian tourism minister Sherif Fathy expected on Saturday total tourist arrivals to stand at 18 million by the end of this year. He told reporters the government expects the museum to draw five million visitors annually, adding that it currently welcomes 5,000 to 6,000 visitors each day. &quot;We hope to increase that to 15,000 daily,&quot; said Fathy. Monica Hanna, an Egyptologist and heritage campaigner, told AFP it was &quot;too early to decide&quot; whether the museum would fulfil Egypt&#39;s ambitions of boosting tourism. Observers remain cautious, saying that the museum&#39;s success will depend on a steady flow of visitors, regular maintenance and robust infrastructure. They say that economic pressures and regional instability -- including the wars in Gaza and Sudan -- could challenge Egypt&#39;s hopes of turning the museum into a major driver of tourism.

Middle East

Egypt inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids, a $1 billion project housing 100,000 ancient artefacts. President Sisi hailed it as a “global landmark” expected to revive tourism and bolster Egypt’s struggling economy.

Egypt officially opens grand museum near pyramids

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign minister and his Egyptian counterpart exchanged views on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, especially the developments in Gaza. A telephonic conversation was held between the two leaders, according to a statement released by Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. Developments in GazaPakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar spoke with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty, it said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976911958873194844&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=344a9fbe5eaf2d6414c517f6e95858521841675c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 793px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1976911958873194844"></iframe></div></div>According to the statement, the two leaders exchanged views on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, particularly the developments in Gaza and Palestine. They also discussed regional diplomatic efforts and coordination ahead of the forthcoming Summit scheduled to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, it said. Humanitarian crisis in Gaza&nbsp;Moreover, the Pakistani foreign minister also spoke with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov on Saturday, said another statement released by the ministry.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976928275449471195&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=344a9fbe5eaf2d6414c517f6e95858521841675c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 798px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1976928275449471195"></iframe></div></div>They discussed the situation in the Middle East and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The two ministers also exchanged views on the broader efforts by Arab-Islamic countries to promote peace and stability in the region, as well as on the forthcoming summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the statement added. According to AFP, US President Donald Trump has said he expects to head to the Middle East on Sunday, with stops in Egypt, where the talks took place, and Israel. New Gaza police force&nbsp;With Egypt&#39;s support, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa has scheduled a reconstruction conference to take place a month after the ceasefire, Reuters reported on Thursday. Updated World Bank estimates put reconstruction costs for Gaza at $80 billion, up from $53 billion last October, he said. That&#39;s four times the combined GDP of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2022, according to the multilateral lender. Arab states including Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar backed the Saudi-French plan, which called for a transitional administrative committee to be formed &quot;under the umbrella of the&quot; PA, and foresaw the deployment of an international stabilization mission at the PA&#39;s invitation. The Trump plan foresees a temporary international stabilization mission deploying to train and support vetted Palestinian police forces, saying it would &quot;consult with Jordan and Egypt&quot;, Reuters reported. Mustafa said the PA had already nominated some 5,500 Palestinians to be part of a new Gaza police force being trained by Egypt. The goal is to train at least 10,000 people.

Views exchanged on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, particularly the developments in Gaza and Palestine; regional diplomatic efforts discussed ahead of the forthcoming Summit scheduled to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday. 

Pakistan’s foreign minister discuss situation in Gaza with Egyptian, Azeri counterparts

SHARM El SHEIKH: Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed a ceasefire deal to free the living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Here is what we know so far about the agreement that was reached in indirect talks in Egypt:&nbsp;Hostage, prisoner releases&nbsp;Hamas will release 20 living hostages in one go as part of the first phase of the deal, according to a source close to the Hamas negotiating team. Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners: 250 among those serving life sentences, and 1,700 others detained since the start of the war, a top Hamas official within Hamas told AFP, also on condition of anonymity. There has been no indication that Israel will disclose the names of those set for release. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement to secure the release of hostages would only take effect after receiving cabinet approval. &quot;Contrary to Arab media reports, the 72-hour countdown will begin only after the agreement is approved in the cabinet meeting, which is expected in the evening hours,&quot; Netanyahu&#39;s office said. Of the 251 people, Hamas still hold 47 in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.&nbsp;Prisoner lists&nbsp;A key point in the negotiations was a list of Palestinian prisoners submitted by Hamas which it wants released from Israeli jails in the truce&#39;s first phase. High-profile inmate Marwan Barghouti -- from Hamas&#39;s rival, the Fatah movement -- is among those the group wanted to see released, according to Egyptian state-linked media.&nbsp;400 trucks of aid&nbsp;A daily minimum of 400 trucks of aid will enter the Gaza Strip for the first five days of the ceasefire, to be increased in following days, the Hamas source said. It also provides for the &quot;return of displaced persons from the south of the Gaza Strip to Gaza (City) and the north immediately,&quot; the source added. The World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said his agency was prepared to &quot;scale up its work to meet the dire health needs of patients across Gaza, and to support rehabilitation of the destroyed health system&quot;. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees welcomed the deal as a &quot;huge relief&quot;, and said it was ready to flood Gaza with desperately-needed food.&quot;We have enough to provide food for the entire population for the coming three months,&quot; the agency&#39;s chief Philippe Lazzarini said on X.&nbsp;&#39;Scheduled withdrawals&#39;&nbsp;The deal stipulates &quot;scheduled withdrawals&quot; of Israeli troops, the Hamas top official said, and includes &quot;guarantees from President Trump and the mediators&quot;. The Israeli military said on Thursday it was preparing to pull back troops in Gaza as part of the deal.&nbsp;Key questions remain&nbsp;Trump&#39;s 20-point peace plan, on which the indirect negotiations were based, calls for the disarmament of Hamas and for post-war Gaza to be ruled by a transitional authority headed by Trump himself. But these points are yet to be addressed. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said he hoped the Gaza deal could lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. But Netanyahu and members of his cabinet have repeatedly vowed to prevent this from happening.&nbsp;What next?&nbsp;The deal will be formally signed later on Thursday in Egypt, a source with knowledge of the agreement told AFP on condition of anonymity. Israel&#39;s cabinet will meet Thursday at 1500 GMT to discuss a plan to secure the release of all hostages held in Gaza, a government statement said. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he will not vote in favour. A Hamas official said negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire would begin &quot;immediately&quot;. Negotiations in Egypt&#39;s resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh are taking place under lock and key in a conference center. Al-Qahera News, linked to Egypt&#39;s state, broadcast footage showing negotiators from Hamas, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and the United States embracing and walking in high spirits. But Hamas and Israeli delegates were positioned in two different rooms, with mediators shuttling between them, and with no indication the foes would ever meet.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire involving the release of 20 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The deal includes aid delivery, troop withdrawals, and indirect talks in Egypt, with key political questions unresolved.

What we know about the new Gaza deal

ISLAMABAD: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday that it was ready to act as a neutral humanitarian intermediary to help bring Israeli and Palestinian hostages back to their families, Reuters reported. &quot;We are also prepared to bring aid into Gaza and distribute it safely to civilians in desperate need,&quot; ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement. Israel and Hamas prepared for indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday, as hopes for a possible ceasefire in Gaza grew after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a hostage release could be announced this week, the Associated Press reported. US President Donald Trump has welcomed the Hamas statement accepting some elements of the US peace plan. <div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video" style="line-height: 2;"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115312181572421839/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Israel has stated that it supports the new US effort. The delegation, led by top Israeli negotiator Ron Dermer, will leave on Monday for the talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, Netanyahu&#39;s office said. &lsquo;Closest we&rsquo;ve come&rsquo;An Egyptian official said the Hamas delegation had arrived.&nbsp; The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters, said US envoy Steve Witkoff is joining the talks. Discussions will focus on the proposed exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Egypt&rsquo;s foreign ministry said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the situation &ldquo;the closest we&rsquo;ve come to getting all of the hostages released.&rdquo; Egyptian president praises Trump&#39;s plan&nbsp; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised US President Donald Trump&#39;s Gaza plan on Monday, as negotiators from Hamas, Israel and the United States converged on Egypt to discuss a hostage-prisoner exchange and ceasefire, the AFP reported. &quot;I can only extend my praise and appreciation for US President Donald Trump,&quot; he said in an address, adding: &quot;A ceasefire, the return of prisoners and detainees, the reconstruction of Gaza and the launch of a peaceful political process that leads to the establishment and recognition of the Palestinian state means we are on the right path to lasting peace and stability.&quot; Back to the &lsquo;yellow line&rsquo;Speaking on ABC&rsquo;s &ldquo;This Week,&rsquo;&rsquo; he described two phases after Hamas accepts Trump&rsquo;s framework: The hostages are released and Israel pulls back in Gaza to the &ldquo;yellow line,&rdquo; where it was in August. Rubio told CBS that Hamas should release hostages as they are ready, and that bombardment needs to end so they can be released. The US plan also addresses Gaza&#39;s future, the Associated Press reported. In a text exchange with CNN&rsquo;s Jake Tapper, Trump said there would be &ldquo;complete obliteration&rdquo; if Hamas stayed in power there.&nbsp; Trump also texted that Netanyahu was on board for ending the bombing and peace in Gaza, but added, &ldquo;soon on the rest.&rdquo; Support for a ceasefire growsIsraeli government spokeswoman Shosh Badrosian told journalists that Netanyahu is in &ldquo;regular contact&rdquo; with Trump and that the prime minister has stressed that the talks in Egypt &ldquo;will be confined to a few days maximum.&rdquo; &ldquo;I hope that we are closest to a hostage deal since the (ceasefire) deal in January,&rdquo; Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa&rsquo;ar said in a speech. Anxious relatives of hostages gathered near Netanyahu&#39;s residence in Jerusalem, with some urging Trump to continue to apply pressure.&nbsp; Israel&#39;s recent military offensive in Gaza City led many to fear for the hostages&#39; lives. &ldquo;We cannot allow such a historic agreement to be sacrificed again,&rdquo; said Michel Ilouz, father of Guy Ilouz. &lsquo;Full Israeli withdrawal&rsquo;As hundreds of thousands of people marched across several European cities and elsewhere in support of Palestinians, the foreign ministers of eight Muslim-majority countries issued a joint statement welcoming steps toward a possible ceasefire. They also underlined their commitment to the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, unifying Gaza and the West Bank, and reaching an agreement leading to a &ldquo;full Israeli withdrawal&rdquo; from Gaza. Rubio told ABC that decisions regarding a governing structure or an international group to manage Gaza can be made simultaneously with the first step of the ceasefire. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the part that I think is going to be a little tougher to work through, but that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s going to provide permanency to the end of the conflict,&rdquo; he said. Iran supports moves towards Palestinian &#39;self-determination&#39;Iran said Sunday it supports &quot;any initiative&quot; aiming to secure &quot;self-determination&quot; for the Palestinian people, on the eve of negotiations in Egypt on ending the war between the Palestinian group and Israel, AFP reported. Iran &quot;has always supported any initiative aimed at ending ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, and paving the way for the realisation of the Palestinian people&#39;s right to self-determination,&quot; the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that Tehran was ready to help deliver aid to the coastal strip. Strikes continue&nbsp;Trump has ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza, but residents and local hospitals said strikes continued across the territory, according to AP. The Israeli government spokeswoman, Badrosian, said &ldquo;certain bombings have actually stopped inside the Gaza Strip.&rdquo; But Israel&rsquo;s military chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said that &ldquo;if the political effort does not succeed, we will return to fight.&rdquo; 24 Palestinians killed&nbsp;Despite a call from Trump for Israel to pause its Gaza offensive, the Israeli army has continued its bombing campaign. Israeli troops killed at least 24 Palestinians on Sunday, Al Jazeera reported. Among the victims were four asylum seekers who were shot near an aid distribution centre north of Rafah, the Nasser Medical Complex said. Doctors Without Borders confirmed the death of colleague Abed El Hameed Qaradaya, who was wounded in an attack on Thursday that killed another colleague in Gaza, AP reported. Gaza&rsquo;s health ministry said the Palestinian death toll in the war reached 67,139 on Sunday, with nearly 170,000 injured. The UN and many independent experts consider the ministry&rsquo;s figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel&#39;s military has warned residents not to return to northern Gaza. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re on the brink, and we don&rsquo;t know whether one will die of a strike or starvation,&rdquo; said Mahmoud Hashem, a Palestinian father sheltering in a tent in Gaza City.

Hamas and Israel are preparing for indirect negotiations in Egypt amid rising hopes for a Gaza ceasefire; talks center on a US-backed plan involving hostage release, Hamas disarmament, and steps toward long-term peace in Gaza

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Pakistan’s foreign minister discuss situation in Gaza with Egyptian, Azeri counterparts

What we know about the new Gaza deal

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