The White House has announced that a fresh round of negotiations aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas conflict has restarted in Doha and is expected to continue until Friday. The discussions will center on securing the release of numerous hostages, with a potential agreement being seen as the best chance to prevent a larger regional conflict.
The talks involve the United States, Qatar, and Egypt meeting with an Israeli delegation in Qatar, as the death toll among Palestinians from the ongoing 10-month war has exceeded 40,000. A Palestinian official stated that Hamas would not participate in the talks on Thursday, but its senior officials based in Qatar are prepared to consider any proposals from mediators, as they have done in previous rounds.
A ceasefire in Gaza could help ease tensions in the region and potentially dissuade Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah from carrying out retaliatory attacks on Israel following the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike and Hamas’ top political leader in an explosion in Tehran.
The mediators have been working for months to finalize a three-phase plan involving the release of hostages captured during the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war, in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, and the release of Palestinians held prisoner by Israel.
Here are the latest updates:
Hamas Engaging in Cease-Fire Talks on Behalf of U.S. Peace Plan Implementation
WASHINGTON — While Hamas is not directly involved in the cease-fire negotiations, representatives from Qatar and Egypt are engaged on their behalf, stated a U.S. State Department spokesperson on Thursday.
“Representatives from Israel, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt are on the ground there. Qatar and Egypt, as part of the process, are mediating with Hamas,” said spokesperson Vedant Patel during a briefing with reporters.
Patel emphasized that much of the discussions will revolve around the specifics of implementing a peace plan put forward by President Joe Biden in May.
“It is our belief, and it continues to be the case, that the broader framework outlined by the president at the end of May has generally been accepted. However, this is a negotiation between two parties, and it is a process,” Patel explained. “I do not anticipate that a deal will be reached today coming out of the talks.”
“We expect this process to continue,” he added.
Israeli Foreign Minister to Meet UK and French Counterparts
JERUSALEM — Israel’s foreign minister is scheduled to meet with his counterparts from the United Kingdom and France this week to discuss preventing regional escalation, as announced by the ministry on Thursday.
Israel Katz will convene with the ministers on Friday during their brief visit to the country, where they are expected to address the release of hostages among other issues.
The visit coincides with the ongoing talks involving the United States, Qatar, and Egypt meeting with an Israeli delegation in Qatar aimed at halting the 10-month-long war and as tensions escalate in the region. Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have vowed to retaliate following the killings of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and Hamas’ political leader in an explosion in Tehran.
A cease-fire in Gaza could potentially ease these tensions.
During the meeting on Friday, Katz is also expected to discuss the necessity of imposing severe economic sanctions on Iran regarding its nuclear program, according to the ministry.
Israel Firefighters Combat Blazes Caused by Lebanese Rockets
JERUSALEM — Israeli firefighters are battling wildfires started by rockets sent from Lebanon, according to fire officials.
Five firefighting trucks have been working to extinguish a fire in the Upper Galilee near Kibbutz Shamir, Israeli fire spokesperson Isaac Ben-David informed The Associated Press.
The Lebanese Hezbollah militant group claimed responsibility for firing Katyusha rockets at Shamir for the first time on Thursday. Hezbollah stated that the attack was in response to an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun, an area that had been relatively safe since the beginning of the conflict but was struck, injuring several civilians.
Israel’s military reported that five rockets from Lebanon fell in open areas near Shamir without causing injuries, and an additional 20 rockets were fired into Israel shortly thereafter.
Hezbollah also declared three other attacks on Israeli military positions near the tense Lebanon border, including an assault using exploding drones.
Since Oct. 8, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged cross-border fire, resulting in casualties among civilians and combatants and causing destruction in towns on both sides of the border.
French Foreign Minister Meets Lebanese Officials in Beirut
BEIRUT — France’s top diplomat held meetings with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut, amid concerns about potential retaliatory strikes on Israel from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the resumption of negotiations for a cease-fire in war-torn Gaza.
“We are all anxious about the regional situation. Our message is straightforward: De-escalation,” stated French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné following a meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Hezbollah militants and the Israeli military have engaged in clashes along the Lebanese-Israel border since Oct.8, following Hamas’ surprise attack into southern Israel that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza. Hezbollah has stated that it will cease its attacks on northern Israel once a ceasefire is reached.
Hezbollah and Iran have pledged to launch strikes following a rare Israeli strike in southern Beirut that killed a top Hezbollah commander and an explosion in Tehran, widely attributed to Israel, which resulted in the death of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh. However, no strikes have been launched over two weeks after these incidents.
In a statement from Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s office, Séjourné expressed appreciation for the restraint shown by southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah has carried out attacks against Israel.
Following the meeting, Mikati remarked to journalists that “during this tense situation, we can only remain silent, patient, and hopeful.”
France and the United States have been working for months to facilitate talks between Lebanon and Israel to implement a United Nations Security Council resolution that would establish borders between the two countries and restrict armed forces to the Lebanese military and UN peacekeepers only.
Séjourné’s visit comes after U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein met with Lebanese political and military officials the day before, as part of his ongoing efforts for regional de-escalation and a Gaza cease-fire based on a proposal put forth by U.S. President Joe Biden.
Gazans Hope Latest Talks Will End Hamas-Israel War
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Residents of the Gaza Strip are hopeful that the latest round of cease-fire talks hosted by Qatar will bring an end to the devastating Israel-Hamas conflict.
“Oh Lord, we hope they reach an agreement and the war ends, because the population has been annihilated completely,” shared Abu Nidal Eweini with The Associated Press in Deir al-Balah. “People have no breath left in them anymore. People are tired.”
Riyad Hasan, a displaced individual from Gaza City, expressed the desire for people to return to their homes, as the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced and are living in dire conditions.
“We are people who want to live,” he affirmed. “Let them accept the deal and end this. Find a solution for us.”
Amna Abu Hajaier, currently residing in a tent, recounted the loss of one of her sons and the disappearance of another.
“We have endured a lot,” she stated. “We hope that someone will stand with us, support us, and show us care. The Palestinian people have been devastated.”
Iranian Military Adviser Dies from Injuries in Syria Airstrike
TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian military adviser Colonel Ahmadreza Afshari, a member of the Revolutionary Guard, has passed away from injuries sustained in an airstrike in Syria, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
His death on Thursday follows being wounded in a coalition strike and being transported to Iran for medical treatment. Iranian officials maintain that Iranian forces have an advisory role in Syria.
Iran has been a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s long-running civil war, with hundreds of Iranian forces losing their lives in the conflict.
Palestinian Death Toll Climbs to 40,000 in Israel-Hamas War
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Health Ministry in Gaza has reported that more than 40,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Thursday’s announcement came as efforts to broker a cease-fire continue, now entering its 11th month. The ministry’s count does not differentiate between civilians and militants.
This figure underscores the magnitude of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, one of the most devastating military campaigns in recent memory. The war began on Oct. 7 after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the abduction of approximately 250 hostages to Gaza.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described the latest death toll in Gaza as “a grim milestone for the world.” Volker Türk stated that the unfolding situation in Gaza is primarily due to repeated breaches of international humanitarian law by the Israeli Defense Forces.
Türk further highlighted his office’s documentation of serious violations by both the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas.
11 Children with Cancer Evacuated from Gaza for Medical Treatment
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza — The World Health Organization announced that 11 children diagnosed with cancer have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip for medical care.
Since launching an operation near Rafah in May, Israel has largely sealed off Gaza, controlling all entry and exit points and permitting only a limited number of patients to leave for treatment.
Nermine Abu Shaaban, the patient evacuation coordinator for WHO, confirmed that the children were transferred through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel and were en route to neighboring Jordan for treatment. The evacuation was orchestrated by WHO and two U.S. charities.
Israeli forces allow each patient to be accompanied by a female escort vetted by security services, who can bring a small bag of clothes, one mobile phone, and a charger.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has severely crippled Gaza’s healthcare system, with most hospitals shutting down due to fuel or supply shortages or following raids by Israeli forces.
Gaza’s Health Ministry estimates that about 28,000 patients require treatment outside the region.
Israeli Forces Kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Health Ministry in the West Bank reported on Thursday that Israeli forces have killed two Palestinians in the occupied territory, the latest casualties amid escalating violence.
Israeli military aircraft took out two gunmen deemed a threat to troops operating in Nablus, according to the military, which also returned fire when troops came under attack.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the slain individuals as Wael Misha, 18, and Ahmed Khalil, 20, without any immediate claim of affiliation from militant groups.
Violence in the West Bank has surged since the Gaza war began last year, resulting in over 600 Palestinian deaths, most in clashes with Israeli forces or from stone-throwing incidents.
Australian Opposition Leader Accused of Racism in Parliament Argument
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Australia’s opposition leader faced accusations of racism from an independent lawmaker in a heated exchange in Parliament on Thursday, after he reiterated calls for the country to stop receiving refugees from Gaza.
While labeling those fleeing the conflict between Israel and Hamas as a “national security risk,” Peter Dutton, the opposition leader, argued that Australia’s screening measures for incoming refugees were insufficient.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Australia has issued nearly 3,000 visitor visas to individuals fleeing Gaza or the West Bank, while denying applications for over 7,000 others, as revealed in government figures released in response to remarks made by Dutton initially on Wednesday and reiterated on Thursday.
Zali Steggall, a lawmaker, rebuked Dutton in Parliament, stating, “These are families that you are trying to characterize as somehow all terrorists, untrustworthy, and not deserving of humanitarian assistance.”
Steggall then urged Dutton to “stop being racist,” though she withdrew her comment after Dutton found it “offensive and unparliamentary.”
In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized Dutton in Parliament, accusing him of instilling fear and division. Albanese affirmed that the government would not disclose all its national security screening protocols.