ET NEWS

Israel and Hamas are set to begin US-mediated negotiations on Monday aimed at ending a two-year conflict that has devastated Gaza and destabilized the Middle East, after US President Donald Trump hailed Hamas' offer to release all hostages.Egypt, a key intermediary in truce talks, will host delegations from both sides to discuss a possible exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are also travelling to Egypt to take part in the talks, which follow Hamas's request to discuss elements of Trump's 20-point plan to end the war. An Israeli official said the military had assumed a defensive posture in Gaza City, while Hamas reported that airstrikes and shelling continued, killing dozens in the enclave's de facto capital.Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend to celebrate Hamas' offer, Axios reported Sunday. Netanyahu, however, called it "meaningless," prompting Trump to tell him, "This is a win. Take it." A day earlier, Trump wrote on social media that if the hostages are released, "We will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal, which will bring us close to the end of this 3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE."Israel's delegation in Egypt will include Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, while Hamas will be represented by Ghazi Hamad, Osama Hamdan, and Muhamed Darwish, Kan News reported. Discussions will focus on the timing of the hostage release and the list of Palestinian prisoners to be freed.Netanyahu said Israel's military would redeploy within Gaza and left open the option of forcibly disarming Hamas. A swap of hostages and prisoners would occur immediately upon agreement, while Hamas' disarmament would follow in a second stage. "I hope that in the coming days, during the Sukkot holiday, we can announce the return of all our hostages, alive and dead, in one single release," Netanyahu said. Sukkot begins Monday evening and lasts a week. Details on Trump's plan remain scarce. His latest comments shifted pressure onto Hamas, which released a statement Friday prompting Trump to urge Israel to "immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly!"

Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium witnessed yet another dramatic twist in the India-Pakistan Women’s World Cup encounter on Sunday, as a contentious run out of Pakistan batter Muneeba Ali took center stage.On the last ball of the 4th over, Kranti Gaud bowled a full delivery aimed at middle and leg. Muneeba Ali tried to flick it but missed, and the ball glanced off her pads, rolling toward second slip. The on-field LBW appeal was rejected, but Deepti Sharma quickly retrieved the ball and hit the stumps at the batter’s end. The third umpire stepped in to review the incident, showing that Muneeba had grounded her bat initially but lifted it just as the bails were disturbed, resulting in an ‘OUT’ signal on the big screen. The Pakistani batter was visibly upset, leaving commentators stunned. However, ball tracking later revealed that had India opted for a review, Muneeba would indeed have been out. — TheASCode (@TheASCode) The tension on the field followed earlier controversies surrounding the toss. Umpire Shandre Fritz mistakenly declared Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana the winner. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur had flipped the coin, and Sana called “tails,” but Fritz misheard it as “heads.” The coin landed heads up, allowing Pakistan to choose bowling first under overcast conditions. Adding to the drama, no handshake took place between Harmanpreet and Sana at the toss, reflecting the frosty relations mirrored in their men’s teams. Prior to the national anthems, players from both sides also skipped formal greetings. The rivalry has been heated recently. During the men’s Asia Cup in the UAE, India and Pakistan met three times, with no handshakes before or after matches. That tournament, held shortly after a deadly border conflict in May, ended with India claiming the title but left tensions simmering on and off the field. For this Women’s World Cup, India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting, and Pakistan will play all its matches in Sri Lanka, including Sunday’s clash, rather than traveling to India. Encounters between these two cricketing neighbors continue exclusively in international tournaments on neutral ground.