The first phase of the ceasefire that paused 15 months of brutal warfare between Israel and Hamas militants is set to end on Saturday. It's unclear what comes next. The two sides were supposed to start negotiating a second phase weeks ago in which Hamas would release all the remaining hostages from its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. But those talks have hardly begun, and the first phase has been jolted by one dispute after another.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that a last-minute dispute with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Netanyahu signaled complications with the deal shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced it was complete. It was not yet clear if Netanyahu's statements merely reflected jockeying to keep his fractious coalition together or whether the deal was at risk. The Israeli Cabinet is expected to vote on the deal Thursday. But Netanyahu's office said they won't meet until Hamas backs down, accusing it of reneging on parts of the agreement, without elaborating. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.

Officials say U.S. and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal has not been reached yet. Four officials said Monday that progress has been made and the coming days would be critical for ending more than 15 months of fighting that has destabilized the Middle East. On several occasions over the past year, U.S. officials have said they were on the verge of reaching a deal, only to have the talks stall.

Gaza's Health Ministry says the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has climbed above 46,000. The ministry updated its toll from the ongoing 15-month conflict on Thursday. It says 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and 109,378 wounded. The ministry has said women and children make up more than half the fatalities, but does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants operate in residential areas. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are now packed into sprawling tent camps along the coast with limited access to food and other essentials.

Hospital and emergency response workers say Israeli strikes have killed at least 42 people in Gaza. Children were among the dead in the strikes that occurred overnight and into Friday. A journalist was among the dead. Health workers and Israel's military have traded claims over reported evacuation orders for two hospitals in the territory's largely isolated north. The assertions over Al-Awda and Indonesian hospitals occurred as stalled ceasefire talks to end nearly 15 months of war were set to resume in Qatar. Israelis also woke up to attacks as the military said missiles were fired from Yemen. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 26 people across Gaza as they struck Hamas security officers and an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone. Thursday's early morning strike in the seaside humanitarian zone known as Muwasi occurred as hundreds of thousands of displaced people are huddling there in damp winter weather. While the daily bombardment continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had authorized a delegation from the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the military to continue negotiations in Qatar toward a ceasefire deal. Israeli media said the delegation would depart Friday.

Health officials in the Gaza Strip say more than 45,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas militants. Gaza's Health Ministry doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but has said more than half of the dead are women and children. Meanwhile, often-stalled ceasefire talks appear to be gaining ground. Israel's defense minister says negotiators are closer to a deal than at any time since the only previous truce in November 2023. Mediators have said there appears to be more willingness from both sides after 14 months of war.