How did a 218cm South Sudanese teenager, raised in a refugee camp, become a top-10 NBA draft pick? Samantha Johnson looks at Khaman Maluach’s journey and how sport can open doors when politics tries to shut them.
Israel and Hamas have reached a Gaza ceasefire agreement to release remaining captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, marking a significant step towards ending Israel’s genocidal war that has caused tens of thousands of deaths and created a devastating humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
The deal, following United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan announced last month, will be signed on Thursday in Egypt.
The agreement will allow increased humanitarian aid into Gaza after more than two years of war. Israeli forces have begun preparations to withdraw troops from Gaza as part of the arrangement.
Trump’s broader plan envisions Hamas disarmament and a transitional Gaza authority led by the president himself, though these aspects remain unaddressed in the current agreement.
A Hamas source told the AFP news agency the group will exchange 20 living captives simultaneously for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners during the deal’s initial phase, with the exchange occurring within 72 hours of implementation.
The announcement triggered celebrations throughout Gaza, where extensive bombardment has displaced most residents multiple times over two years.
“Honestly, when I heard the news, I couldn’t hold back. Tears of joy flowed. Two years of bombing, terror, destruction, loss, humiliation, and the constant feeling that we could die at any moment,” displaced Palestinian Samer Joudeh told AFP. “Now, we finally feel like we’re getting a moment of respite.”
In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, young people celebrated with singing and dancing.
Negotiations are taking place indirectly behind closed doors at a conference centre in Egypt’s Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. The low-key nature of these talks may indicate that deeper Israeli-Palestinian conflicts remain unresolved.
Qatar described the deal as the “first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid”.
International pressure to end the conflict has intensified amid a United Nations-declared famine in Gaza and Israeli families’ desperate wait for their captive loved ones’ return.
The families of Israeli captives held in Gaza are celebrating news of a ceasefire agreement that includes the release of their relatives. Video shows the U.S. president telling families their relatives will return on Monday. The agreement marks the first phase of a plan to end the two-year Gaza war.
Afghanistan’s United Nations-sanctioned foreign minister has arrived in India, the first visit by a top Taliban leader since they returned to power in 2021, following the withdrawal of United States-led forces and the fall of Kabul.
Amir Khan Muttaqi’s trip on Thursday was made possible after the UN Security Council granted him a travel waiver and is expected to be closely watched by India’s regional foe Pakistan, as New Delhi deepens its engagement with the Taliban government.
list of 4 itemsend of list
“We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement, offering Muttaqi a “warm welcome”.
Muttaqi, who met with India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri in January in Dubai, is set to hold talks with its external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Neither side has disclosed the agenda, but trade and security are likely to be at the forefront, although India has not extended its formal recognition to the Taliban government yet.
The trip highlights Taliban efforts to expand engagement with regional powers in a quest for economic ties and eventual diplomatic recognition.
Muttaqi’s visit follows meetings in Russia – the only country so far to have officially recognised the Taliban administration.
India has long hosted tens of thousands of Afghans, many who fled the country after the Taliban returned to power.
Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi shut in 2023, although consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad still operate limited services.
India says its mission in Kabul is limited to coordinating humanitarian aid.
On Tuesday, Muttaqi attended a regional meeting in Moscow where Afghanistan’s neighbours, including India, Pakistan, Iran, China and several Central Asian countries, issued a joint statement opposing the deployment of foreign military infrastructure in the region.
Emotional scenes unfolded as Palestinians in Gaza celebrated the announcement by US President Donald Trump that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on phase one of a Gaza ceasefire deal.
After two years of relentless bombardment, a rare calm has settled over Gaza. As the sun rose over Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reflected on the hopes for peace, and said for the first time in years, he felt safe while reporting the news.