The families of hostages held in Gaza have faced a 20-month-long nightmare. As they try to advocate for their loved ones’ fates, they have been confronted with the whims of Israeli and Hamas leaders and the other crises that have engulfed the Middle East.

Earlier, in a post on social media, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi had denied there was a ceasefire agreement. However, he said if Israel halted its strikes by 4 a.m. Teh

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — For many Iranians it was a lightning sequence of events: A 12-day war with Israel and a sudden, U.S.-brokered ceasefire . Now, as they return to their neighborhoods deeply shaken by Israeli air assaults , fears mount over what the country's theocracy may do next .