Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday suggested a "roadmap" to end the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

"I have invited you today to discuss... a roadmap... that would begin by guaranteeing the complete, secure, fast and sustainable flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza's residents, followed by immediate negotiations over pacification and a ceasefire," al-Sisi said at the opening of a summit in Cairo with the leaders of regional countries and senior Western officials.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said he welcomes the release of two U.S. hostages held by Hamas and shared in the families’ relief but noted there are many more captives, including children and elderly people.

Speaking to reporters, Blinken said he and President Joe Biden had been able to speak with the families of some of the hostages during their trips to the Middle East.

A group of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq said U.S. forces “must leave immediately” or their bases in Iraq and elsewhere in the region will continue to come under attack.

Militant groups have launched rocket and drone attacks in recent days against U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, most of which were claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. The group has said the attacks are retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel and a warning not to intervene in the Israel-Hamas war.

Egypt is hosting dozens of regional leaders and senior Western officials for a summit on the war between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza.

The meeting on Saturday in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, just east of Cairo, will discuss ways to de-escalate the fighting and seek a cease-fire amid mounting concerns about a regional conflict, Egypt's state-run media reported. Among those attending the summit are the leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Palestinian Authority.

More than 4,200 people have been displaced from villages in south Lebanon by clashes on the border with Israel, and local officials said Friday that they are ill-prepared for the much larger exodus that would ensue if the limited conflict escalates to an all-out war.

Some 1,500 of the displaced are staying in three schools in the coastal city of Tyre, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the border.

Hamas said Friday it was releasing two American citizens they were holding captive in Gaza since their Oct. 7 raid on Israel.

The Palestinian militant group said in a statement that in an agreement with the Qatari government it was freeing a mother and daughter for humanitarian reasons.

Saudi Arabia — Arab Gulf and southeast Asian nations called Friday for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The final statement of a summit hosted by Saudi Arabia also condemned “all attacks against civilians.”

Israel’s defense minister said Friday that after the country destroys the Hamas militant group, the military does not plan to control “life in the Gaza Strip”

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s comments to lawmakers were the first time an Israeli leader discussed its long-term plans for Gaza.

For Japanese author Haruki Murakami, the bloody conflict in the Gaza Strip is a horrendous example of how our world is divided by walls, both physical and metaphorical.

But while admitting he can only pray for peace now, he also feels confident that fiction, rather than offering an escape, can help us understand, and survive, increasingly perilous times.

Bayern Munich has decided not to sanction Noussair Mazraoui after the Morocco right back expressed support for Palestinians on social media.

The German club said Friday that it had a "detailed and clarifying conversation with Noussair Mazraoui this week" after the 25-year-old player reportedly shared several posts on Instagram in support of Palestinians and against terrorism, hate and violence.