Travelers are scrambling for ways out of the Middle East as the Iran war keeps much of the region's airspace closed and flights grounded. The conflict that started Saturday when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran stranded airline passengers in major Mideast cities as well as in countries far from the threat of airstrikes. With commercial flights tightly restricted across much of the Gulf for a fourth day, many were unsure what to do and appealed to their governments for information and exit strategies. The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that it was "actively securing" military and charter aircraft to fly Americans out of the region.

After months of gridlock, the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza came together in a matter of days after a deft maneuver — or perhaps a misunderstanding — by President Donald Trump that boxed in the two adversaries. Either way, efforts to wind down the devastating war have seen a breakthrough. The last hostages are set to be returned under the agreement announced Wednesday. Major questions remain, including over governance and reconstruction of Gaza as well as whether Hamas will disarm. But it appears for now as though the fighting will pause. That's because at a critical moment last week, Trump took Hamas' very conditional response to his proposal as a yes.

Local hospitals report at least 31 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. This comes amid discussions about U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed peace plan aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza. Hamas plans to review the proposal, which includes disarmament and international control over Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports the plan, but many Palestinians are skeptical, viewing it as favoring Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued Tuesday, with local hospitals reporting casualties. The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis, with Gaza's Health Ministry reporting over 66,000 deaths since the war began.

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say they've agreed to a plan to end the war in Gaza, but it's unclear whether Hamas will accept terms. Trump on Monday laid out a 20-point plan for ending the Israel-Hamas war and establishing a postwar Gaza governance. Trump's plan would also establish a temporary governing board that would be headed by Trump and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Trump says Israel would have the "full backing" of the United States to take steps to defeat Hamas if it doesn't accept the proposed peace deal. "

The Taliban have released a British couple held in Afghanistan for over seven months on undisclosed charges. Analysts say this move on Friday is part of a broader effort to gain international recognition. Peter and Barbie Reynolds, aged 80 and 76, lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and ran an education organization. They chose to stay after the Taliban took power in 2021. Qatar helped mediate their release. The Taliban have not explained why they detained the couple. In July, United Nations experts warned about their deteriorating health. Earlier this month, the Taliban reached a prisoner exchange agreement with U.S. envoys.

Qatar hosted a summit of Arab and Islamic nations in hopes of presenting a united response to Israel's attack on Hamas leaders last week in Doha. But leaders offered different views Monday about what to do, and the group agreed to take only minimal action. Israel has retaliated against Hamas and other militants in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and now Qatar. Before the summit, analysts floated possibly closing airspace to Israeli flights or downgrading ties with Israel. A final statement from the meeting only called on states to take measures to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against Palestinians.