HAMAS said today it is prepared to release all remaining Israeli hostages in one go in return for a permanent truce, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed close aide Ron Dermer to lead talks on the second stage of the current ceasefire.

Negotiations on phase 2 were supposed to get under way on February 3 but have been repeatedly delayed, with many fearing Israel’s enthusiasm for US President Donald Trump’s proposal to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians from Gaza will encourage it to resume its invasion.

Oxfam warned today that 80 per cent of Gaza’s sanitation and water networks, including all six main wastewater treatment plants, are damaged or destroyed, with waterborne diseases spreading rapidly.