Hostage Release Talks Advance; Flotilla Intercepted

Tens of thousands gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square pressing for a ceasefire-hostage deal as a U.S.-led proposal appeared to advance after President Trump urged Israel to stop bombing Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a halt to offensive operations and dispatched negotiators to Cairo, officials said. Families, released hostages and bereaved relatives held a prayer-filled vigil expressing cautious hope and urging continued public pressure. The case of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student abducted Oct. 7, 2023, highlights diplomatic fragility as Nepal’s anti-corruption uprising and government collapse have imperiled efforts to secure foreign captives’ release. In international waters, Israeli forces seized five South Africans aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a move activists called illegal and which further heightened regional tensions.