# The United States says talks for a second phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal were on track, as Hamas said Israel agreed to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bodies of four Israeli hostages. The ceasefire has largely halted the Israel-Hamas war sparked by the 7 October 2023 attack, and has seen 25 hostages released so far in exchange for hundreds of prisoners. But its complexity and long-drawn-out implementation have highlighted its fragility in a war that has shattered millions of lives on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
US says talks for second phase of Gaza ceasefire deal are on track