Hamas and Israel both viewed the holidays as a potential deadline to reach a follow-up agreement, but the gap between each side's conditions has not been bridged – Israel rejects the idea of continued Hamas rule and Hamas refuses to release the hostages without guarantees for an end to the war

Both hard-right homophobic pundit Ben Shapiro and iconic Hamas captivity survivor Emily Damari have been asked to light torches in this year's Independence Day ceremony. This is why Damari should consider politely declining