Following days of uncertainty over the future of a ceasefire deal in Gaza, Hamas says a solution to the delay has been reached.
Discussions on phase two of the fragile agreement were facing delays after Israel refused to release 620 Palestinian detainees in exchange for six Israeli hostages.
After talks in Cairo, Hamas now says a solution has been agreed to, with the release now scheduled to coincide with the release of four deceased Israeli hostages.
One Israeli official, on the condition of anonymity, reportedly told reporters an agreement had been reached.
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process at the United Nations, Sigrid Kaag, says the first phase of the ceasefire has provided much needed relief for the people of Gaza.
But she adds more needs to be done to assist civilians caught up in the conflict.
"The trauma is undeniable on both sides. In Gaza, death, destruction and multiple displacement has been inflicted on the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, while the first phase of the ceasefire has provided a surge of much-needed relief, far more remains to be done over the 15 months of deprivation of basic human necessities and above all, a loss of human dignity."
Inside Gaza, health officials say at least six newborn children have died due to freezing conditions in the region.
Dr Saeed Saleh from the Patient's Friends Benevolent Society Hospital says Palestinians in Gaza are continuing to live in tents and bombed out homes, with no protection from freezing temperatures.
"These children came from outside the hospital, they came from camps and refugee schools, where there is extreme cold and no means of heating. There is no fuel, no electricity, no gas, no means of heating, and they and the family were exposed to extreme cold."
At the UN, former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani told the Security Council that the deal can not be abandoned.
She says her partner and other hostages are still awaiting release and must not be made to stay in captivity any longer.
"I need to make sure that the world knows that: the deal must go on in full and completely in all the stages. My partner, Avinatan Or, and many other hostages are only supposed to be released in the second stage of the deal."
Tensions also continue in Lebanon and Syria.
In Syria, Israeli strikes have killed at least two people as warplanes have begun striking southern Damascus, just hours after Syria condemned Israel's incursion into the south.
Following the fall of Syria's former leader Bashar al-Assad in December, and his regime's replacement by rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, [[H-T-S]] Israeli forces have moved into a U-N monitored demilitarised zone in the country's south.
Last week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel won't tolerate the presence of HTS in southern Syria, demanding the territory be demilitarised.
The comments from Mr Netanyahu come as a national dialogue conference takes place in Damascus.
In attendance were 600 delegates, who have been asked to provide recommendations on transitional justice, the economy and other topics to guide a new transitional government in Syria.
During the closing statements on Tuesday Houda Atassi, a member of the conference's preparatory committee, rejected Mr Netanyahu's comments.
"Condemn the Israeli incursion into Syrian territories as a blatant violation of Syria's sovereignty and demand its immediate and unconditional withdrawal and we urge the international community to act against ongoing violations. We reject the provocative statements by the Israeli Prime Minister, and call on the international community and regional organizations to assume their responsibilities towards the Syrian people and apply pressure to stop the aggression, the violations.”
The Israeli military has defended attacking military targets in Syria's south.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says they will not allow southern Syria to become like southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military has also killed two people in strikes on eastern Lebanon which the military says were Hezbollah militants.
In the occupied West Bank, health officials say Israeli troops have shot and killed a young man, identified as Tareq Qassas, in Nablus.
His death comes as Israeli officials increase their presence in refugee camps in the area.
Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, had this to say to the UN.
“Israelis’ plan is clear in Gaza, in East Jerusalem and in the rest of the West Bank: get rid of Palestinian demography to seize Palestinian geography. It has this recurrent dream that it will end this conflict through the disappearance of the Palestinian people. That will never happen.”
Israel says the West Bank raids are targeting militant groups, citing the recent unclaimed attack on empty buses in Tel Aviv as the motivation for sending tanks.
The UN says at least 52 people, including seven children and a pregnant woman, have been killed in recent Israeli attacks on the West Bank, with 40,000 displaced from their homes.
World Health Organisation representative for the occupied Palestinian Territories, Rik Peeperkorn, says the raids are preventing the delivery of health services.
“I think everyone is gravely concerned about current developments, and of course, this has an implication on health. Not only if you look at the death and injuries between the 1st January and 13th February, 1st to 13th February, not even today, 82 Palestinians have been killed there, and including 25 in Jenin, 10 in Tubas, and I think nine in Tulkarm.”
