Israel and Hamas are once again struggling to reach a ceasefire that could wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held hostage.

Israel says Hamas has not provided any information about the status of those 34 hostages, dampening any notion that the endorsement is a step toward a deal to stop the war.

Israel's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday it had signed deals worth around $275 million with the country's largest domestic private arms maker Elbit to make heavy bombs and raw materials needed for defence,

The post Aiming to reduce dependence on US, Israeli firm to produce heavy bombs, other materials for IDF appeared first on The Times of Israel.

With the deadline looming for the terms of a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah to be met, an American diplomat on Monday said “much progress” had been made recently.

In a news conference in Lebanon following meetings with top Lebanese officials, Hochstein said these withdrawals would continue until the Israeli army was completely out of the country.

Visiting US envoy Amos Hochstein said Israeli forces began withdrawing on Monday from a south Lebanon border town more than halfway into a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.The Lebanese military said Monday that "army units have stationed around the town of