The United States is looking to secure an “extension” of the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the two sides work with mediators to finalize the next stage of the deal. The first phase of the ceasefire agreement,

Latest news as six hostages were released as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal but Palestinian detainees and prisoners were not.

The Israeli military says the sixth and final hostage was released by Hamas in the latest exchange on Saturday and has arrived back in Israel even as heightened tensions clouded the future of the fragile ceasefire deal.

President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday the U.S. expects the second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal to go forward and that he would visit the Middle East in the coming week.

Hamas released six hostages from Gaza on Saturday, handing over in two public ceremonies and one private transfer the final living captives in this phase whom the warring sides agreed would be freed when a ceasefire began last month.

Hamas has said it won’t release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu, with the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, says he’s committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governing capacities and returning all hostages, goals widely seen as mutually exclusive.

The hostages are the last living hostages to be freed in the first phase of a fragile deal with Israel, adding to pressure for both sides to start negotiations to permanently end the war.