Israelis, Palestinians celebrate after agreement on Gaza ceasefire and return of hostages

Israelis and Palestinians rejoiced on Thursday after a ceasefire and hostage deal was reached under the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan to end a war in Gaza that has killed more than 67,000 people and reshaped the Middle East. Just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas militants' cross-border attack that triggered Israel's devastating assault on Gaza, indirect talks in Egypt yielded an agreement on the initial stage of Trump’s 20-point framework to bring peace to the Palestinian enclave. The accord, if fully implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that had evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon. News of...