This post was originally published on France24
The seventh and final hostage-prisoner exchange of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal is underway. Two hostages have been transferred to Israeli custody, and four more are expected to be exchanged in Nuseirat. “This war has brought nothing good for either Israel or Palestine. Strong leadership is now needed to think about the second and third phases of the ceasefire. Gaza now needs reconstruction, and we cannot allow Trump to take control of the territory. Let’s come up with a constructive alternative,” said Yossi Mekelberg, a senior fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa programme, who joined us from London.