Netanyahu hints cease-fire as Israel-Hamas toll hits 39k

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted at the possibility of a cease-fire agreement that could lead to the release of numerous hostages in Gaza. Netanyahu is currently in Washington and is scheduled to speak before Congress.

The Israeli military has issued an evacuation order for a portion of a densely populated area in the Gaza Strip that had been designated as a humanitarian zone. The Health Ministry in Gaza reports that over 39,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the nine-month-long conflict.

Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are all working towards a phased agreement that would bring an end to the violence and secure the release of remaining hostages. Netanyahu’s office has stated that a negotiating team will be deployed to continue discussions on Thursday.

In China, Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have signed a declaration regarding the formation of a unity government and the resolution of their longstanding divisions. However, previous attempts at reconciliation have been unsuccessful, including a similar agreement in 2011.

Here are the latest updates:

Hezbollah reports attacks on 2 military posts in northern Israel

BEIRUT – Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah has launched attacks using drones and rockets on two military posts in northern Israel following an Israeli drone strike that resulted in the death of a member of the group’s elite force.

Hezbollah stated that it dispatched several explosive drones to a military post in Mount Meron and fired a Burkan rocket with a large warhead at a post near the village of Margliot.

The attacks were in retaliation for an Israeli drone strike in the southern Lebanese village of Shaqra, which resulted in the death of a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. The Israeli military reported the interception of “numerous suspicious aerial targets” crossing from Lebanon into Israel, with some hits detected in the Mount Meron area. There were no reported injuries.

Since early October, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have claimed the lives of over 450 people, the majority of whom were Hezbollah members, along with around 90 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli side, 21 soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed.

Israeli raid in West Bank city results in 5 fatalities, including 3 militants

JERUSALEM – Israeli forces conducted a raid in a Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank that led to at least five fatalities, including three militants, as reported by the Israeli military, Hamas, and the Palestinian Health Ministry on Tuesday. Among the deceased were two women.

The military stated that a drone strike targeted militants in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem overnight, resulting in the deaths of Ashraf Nafa, described as a local senior Hamas operative, and another alleged militant named Mohammed Awad, who were reportedly responsible for attacks on Israeli soldiers. Hamas identified Nafa as a member and reported the deaths of two other militants associated with the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, including Awad.

For several years, the Israeli military has been conducting nightly raids in the West Bank, which intensified following the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry has confirmed that over 500 Palestinians have lost their lives in the ensuing violence, with many casualties resulting from clashes with Israeli soldiers, as well as incidents during protests or stone-throwing. Additionally, individuals not involved in confrontations have also been killed.

There has been an increase in Palestinian attacks against Israelis in the region.

WHO official expresses concern over potential disease outbreaks in Gaza

GENEVA – A senior World Health Organization official working in Palestinian territories has voiced grave concern over the potential outbreak of polio and other communicable diseases in Gaza after traces of the virus were detected in sewage samples in the region.

Dr. Ayadil Saparbekov, the team lead for health emergencies at WHO in the occupied Palestinian territory, stated that test results and a risk assessment are expected soon regarding the necessary response to a potential outbreak.

While there have been no confirmed cases of polio among humans in Gaza, six out of seven sewage samples tested positive for the vaccine-derived poliovirus. This indicates that one or more individuals who received a polio vaccine have shed the virus into the environment.

Saparbekov expressed significant concerns about a potential outbreak in Gaza, highlighting the threat of various communicable diseases in addition to polio, such as the hepatitis outbreak that occurred in 2023. He emphasized that the lack of adequate water, sanitation, and access to healthcare could result in more deaths from communicable diseases compared to injury-related conditions.

Rolando Gomez, a spokesperson for the United Nations in Geneva, noted that as the occupying power, Israel bears the responsibility to ensure that assistance reaches those in need in Gaza and create a conducive environment for UN operations and those of its partners. Israel has announced plans to vaccinate its soldiers operating in Gaza against polio.

Palestinian factions sign declaration in latest unity government initiative amidst ongoing conflict in Gaza

RAMALLAH, West Bank – Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have signed a declaration in Beijing aimed at reconciling their long-standing differences and forming a unity government for the Palestinian territories, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday. This development comes as efforts to unite the factions continue amidst the conflict in Gaza.

This declaration, endorsed by other smaller Palestinian groups, is part of ongoing talks to bring about unity among the factions. Previous attempts at reconciliation, including a similar agreement in 2011, have not been successful, casting doubt on whether the current negotiations mediated by China will lead to a resolution. Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing between Israel and Hamas on a proposed cease-fire supported by the international community that would end the nine-month conflict and secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

However, the future governance of Gaza remains uncertain, with Israel opposing any role for Hamas in governing the region. Israel has also rejected calls from the United States for the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority to assume governance of Gaza post-conflict. The absence of a clear post-war governance plan for Gaza has complicated cease-fire negotiations.

Since the outbreak of the current conflict in Gaza nearly 10 months ago, Hamas officials have indicated their reluctance to return to previous governance structures in Gaza. Instead, the party has proposed the formation of a technocratic government agreed upon by various Palestinian factions, paving the way for elections in both Gaza and the West Bank to establish a unified government.

Conditions for potential cease-fire deal releasing captives in Gaza are progressing, says Israel’s Netanyahu

TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that conditions for a cease-fire agreement that would lead to the release of numerous captives in Gaza are advancing.

In a meeting with families of the captives in Washington on Monday, Netanyahu stated that the conditions for their return are improving due to the intense military pressure exerted by Israel on Hamas. However, he did not provide further specifics on the progress of the deal.

For weeks, Israel and Hamas have been considering a U.S.-backed cease-fire agreement that would bring an end to the nine-month conflict and secure the release of around 120 captives taken by Hamas during an attack on October 7. Approximately one-third of the captives are believed to have died, with two additional deaths reported by Israel’s military on Monday.

Netanyahu is facing significant pressure from various sectors of Israeli society to agree to the proposed deal. He has pledged to defeat Hamas before ending the conflict, a point of contention that has been a key sticking point in the negotiations.

The families of the captives had demanded that Netanyahu finalize a deal before traveling to Washington, where he is set to address Congress and meet with President Joe Biden.

Bill to label UN Palestinian aid agency as ‘terror group’ progresses in Israel’s parliament

JERUSALEM, Israel – An Israeli parliamentary bill seeking to designate the primary provider of aid for Palestinians in Gaza as a terrorist group is moving forward.

Legislators voted 50-10 in favor of the bill during a preliminary vote in Israel’s parliament on Monday. The bill must undergo two additional votes before becoming law.

The bill reflects the escalating tensions between Israel and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Israel has accused the agency of having ties to militant groups, alleging that hundreds of its employees are members of such groups, including some individuals reportedly involved in Hamas’ attacks on southern Israel on October 7. These accusations led to widespread funding cuts to the agency.

UNRWA employs thousands of workers and provides essential aid and services to millions of people across the Middle East. In Gaza, it has been a critical source of food, water, and shelter for civilians during the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The bill under consideration in parliament aims to classify the agency as a “terror group,” citing the alleged involvement of its employees in the Hamas assault as evidence that “it is a terror organization no different from the Hamas terror organization.” The bill also calls for the severing of diplomatic ties between Israel and the agency.

Juliette Touma, the communications director for UNRWA, expressed uncertainty about the potential impact of the bill on the agency, but noted that it would likely complicate its operations. She stated that UNRWA maintains regular contact with Israeli authorities and that the bill, if enacted, could make this communication more challenging. The European Union, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have all voiced concerns about the bill, warning that it could hinder the agency’s humanitarian work.