Officials from Hamas have left Cairo after talks with Egyptian officials on a new proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, Egypt’s state-owned Al-Qahera News satellite channel said Tuesday. The channel, which has close ties with Egyptian security agencies, said a Hamas delegation will return to Cairo with a written response to the cease-fire proposal, without saying when.
Here’s the latest:
Quick Read
- Hamas officials have concluded discussions in Cairo regarding a new cease-fire proposal in Gaza and plan to return with a written response, the timing of which remains unspecified.
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, currently in Saudi Arabia, is pressing for a cease-fire and will soon visit Israel. He emphasizes the need for Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
- The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in over 34,000 Palestinian deaths and has displaced about 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population.
- Blinken is involved in facilitating the construction of a pier in Gaza by U.S. military ships, estimated to cost at least $320 million, to aid in delivering humanitarian supplies.
- A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels recently damaged a ship in the Red Sea.
- Student protests are taking place across U.S. campuses, demonstrating against the Gaza war, particularly as graduation season approaches.
- Along the Lebanon-Israel border, conflict has intensified, with UNICEF reporting significant casualties, including the deaths of eight children and injuries to 75 others due to the nearly seven-month-long hostilities.
- The Gaza Health Ministry reports that 47 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to at least 34,536 with 77,704 wounded.
- Israel maintains that its military efforts have resulted in the deaths of approximately 13,000 militants during the conflict.
The Associated Press has the story:
Hamas officials leave Cairo after talks on a cease-fire proposal
Newslooks- CAIRO —(AP)
Officials from Hamas have left Cairo after talks with Egyptian officials on a new proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, Egypt’s state-owned Al-Qahera News satellite channel said Tuesday.
The channel, which has close ties with Egyptian security agencies, said a Hamas delegation will return to Cairo with a written response to the cease-fire proposal, without saying when.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit Israel on his latest trip to the region, which began Monday in Saudi Arabia. He said Israel needs to do more to allow aid to enter Gaza, but that the best way to alleviate the humanitarian crisis is for the two sides to agree to a cease-fire.
The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the unprecedented Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.
The war in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. The war has driven around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes, caused vast destruction in several towns and cities, and pushed northern Gaza to the brink of famine.
UNICEF: AT LEAST 8 CHILDREN KILLED, 75 INJURED IN 6-MONTH-LONG CONFLICT ALONG LEBANON BORDER
BEIRUT — At least eight children have been killed and 75 injured in Lebanon in the ongoing conflict along the country’s border with Israel, UNICEF said Monday.
Out of 90,000 people displaced by the conflict in south Lebanon, 30,000 are children, UNICEF said in a report. It said that 20,000 students have been impacted by the partial or total closure of 72 schools in the conflict zone.
Children in Lebanon have also suffered as a result of disruptions to services including health care and water and are struggling with mental health issues because of the violence, the report said.
More than 350 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon over nearly seven months of near-daily cross-border fighting between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces. The conflict escalated after the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7.
Most of those killed were fighters with Hezbollah and allied groups, but more than 50 civilians have also been killed. In addition to eight children, 21 women were killed in the first six months of fighting, UNICEF reported. On the Israeli side, strikes from Lebanon have killed at least 10 civilians and 12 soldiers.
Western diplomats have brought forward a series of proposals for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah but have so far failed to broker a deal. Hezbollah has said there will be no truce in Lebanon before there is a cease-fire in Gaza. Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said that a Gaza cease-fire does not automatically mean it will halt its strikes in Lebanon, even if Hezbollah does so.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY REPORTS 47 KILLED IN THE LAST 24 HOURS
CAIRO — The Gaza Health Ministry said Tuesday the bodies of 47 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours. Hospitals also received 61 wounded, it said in its daily report.
That brings the overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war to at least 34,536, the ministry said. Another 77,704 have been wounded, it said.
The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its tallies, but says that women and children make up around two thirds of those killed.
The Israeli military says it has killed roughly 13,000 militants during the war, without providing evidence to back up the claim.
HAMAS DELEGATION LEAVES CAIRO AFTER CEASE-FIRE TALKS
CAIRO — Officials from Hamas have left Cairo after talks with Egyptian officials on a new cease-fire proposal in Gaza, Egypt’s state-owned Al-Qahera News satellite channel said Tuesday.
The channel, which has close ties with Egyptian security agencies, said a Hamas delegation will return to Cairo with a written response to the cease-fire proposal, without saying when.
The delegation, chaired by senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, held talks with Egyptian officials Monday that focused on an Egyptian-crafted proposal to establish a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
Along with Qatar and the United States, Egypt is mediating between Israel and Hamas to secure a truce after nearly seven months of war. In recent weeks, Egypt has stepped up mediation efforts in hopes of averting an assault on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city on the border with Egypt where more than half of Gaza’s population is sheltering.
The terms of the draft deal were not made public. But Israeli media said Israel softened its position, now seeking the release of 33 hostages — down from 40 — in return for the release of some 900 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas is believed to hold around 100 Israelis in Gaza and the remains of at least 30 more.
Currently:
— Ahead of visit to Israel, Blinken presses Hamas to accept the new cease-fire proposal.
— U.S. military ships are helping build a pier for Gaza aid. It’s going to cost at least $320 million.
— The top United Nations court is set to rule on Nicaragua’s request for Germany to halt aid to Israel.
— Student protests over the war in Gaza roil U.S. campuses ahead of graduations.
— A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels damages a ship in the Red Sea.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
