‘Significant’ pause needed in Mideast conflict to win hostages’ release: US

Talks are being held on a “very significant” pause in the Middle East conflict to win the release of dozens of hostages taken by Palestinian militant group Hamas, a senior White House official said Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has warned that there could be no “temporary truce” in Gaza unless Hamas releases the hostages. An estimated 240 Israeli and foreign hostages were kidnapped by Hamas during its October 7 assault on Israel in which militants killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.