Hamas must free three hostages this weekend, Israel warns

Israel has warned that Hamas must release three hostages this weekend or face a resumption of the war in Gaza, after the Palestinian militant group said it was committed to the ceasefire agreement.

Palestinian sources reported progress in efforts to salvage the truce, which was plunged into crisis after Hamas said it would not release hostages on Saturday, citing Israeli violations of the deal.

Hamas has said it is committed to implementing the Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel and will continue releasing hostages as scheduled, raising hopes that a resumption of the war can be averted.

Following talks in Cairo, the Palestinian armed group said mediators from Egypt and Qatar had confirmed they would "remove obstacles".

There was no response from Israel. But Egyptian and Qatari reports also said mediators had bridged the gaps between the two sides and both were committed to continue implementation.