Israel and Hamas agree to resolve cease-fire dispute

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Israel and Hamas have agreed to resolve a dispute that threatened to derail their fragile cease-fire after humanitarian equipment began entering Gaza on Thursday and Hamas backed off on a threat that it wouldn’t release any more Israeli hostages. The militant group agreed to release the next three hostages that it had threatened to withhold after receiving guarantees from mediators that caravans and medical equipment would be allowed into Gaza on Thursday, according to mediators.

Egyptian officials said the mediation efforts had “succeeded in overcoming obstacles" that threatened the deal. Israel hasn’t yet commented. By Thursday, some tents had entered the enclave and dozens of caravans were waiting at the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

Some 800 trucks of humanitarian aid entered on Thursday, mediators said. Mediators are also working to speed up the release of the remaining six living hostages after an Israeli request, according to mediators. The request came after hostages released last week returned looking thin and frail and details began emerging of disturbing conditions suffered in captivity, including some hostages being chained in tunnels with almost no food.

Israel has also told mediators it wants to expand the list of those set to be freed in the first phase of the deal beyond the 33 hostages already agreed upon, the mediators said. It remains unclear whether Hamas would agree to such a request. Despite the resolution, larger disputes lie ahead for the two sides.