Your top stories on Wednesday: Israel and Hamas agree temporary truce, and referendum on expanding definition of the family planned

Israel and Hamas agree four-day ceasefire that includes release of hostages

Israel’s cabinet on Wednesday approved a ceasefire deal with the Hamas militant group that would bring a temporary halt to a devastating war that has stretched on for more than six weeks.

Hamas will release dozens of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

Under the deal, Hamas is to free 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip over a four-day period, the Israeli government said on Wednesday.

Israel – Hamas conflict

People mourn as they collect the bodies of Palestinians killed in airstrikes on Wednesday in Khan Yunis, Gaza. Photograph: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images

Ireland ‘pushing hard’ to ensure Emily Hand among hostages released: The Government is pushing and using all of its contacts and abilities to ensure that if hostages are released by Hamas over the coming days, nine-year-old Emily Hand will be among those to be let go, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.
Opinion: Women’s bodies have always been a battlefield in war: For anyone who has risked a glimpse at social media, the images are indelible. The twisted body of a 23-year-old Israeli-German, Shani Louk, paraded semi-naked through Gaza on the back of a pickup truck, gunmen's’ boots resting on her back.

News from around the World

On the 60th anniversary of JFK’s assassination, nephew urges Biden to release secret files: Robert F Kennedy, who is running as an independent for the White House, has urged US president Joe Biden to release all remaining secret overnment files on the assassination of his uncle, John F Kennedy.

The Big Read

As interest rates have risen, it has become much harder to afford a home. Photograph: iStock

Should you try to buy, or keep renting? In news that comes as a shock to absolutely no one, it is still rough out there for first-home buyers. According to the latest CSO figures, while Dublin prices might be receding outside the capital they’re up 4 per cent. This is not welcome news for buyers already staring down ten consecutive ECB rate hikes.

The best from Opinion

Today’s Business

Sam Altman, who was reinstated as chief executive of OpenAI on Tuesday

Sam Altman reinstated as OpenAI’s chief executive: Sam Altman was reinstated late Tuesday as OpenAI’s CEO, successfully reversing his ouster by the company’s board last week after a campaign waged by his allies, employees and investors, the company said.

Top Sports news

Ken Early: Stephen Kenny’s high-risk, low reward style has been his undoing: The loudest cheers of the night came after the final whistle. A teenager got on the field and started to run. The stewards came after him – four, five, six, seven of them. The crowd paused on their way to the exits, transfixed by this sudden outbreak of excitement.