Netanyahu signals ceasefire agreement could be reached as death toll tops 39,000

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled that a ceasefire agreement that would see dozens of Gaza hostages released could be taking shape. Netanyahu is currently in Washington, where he was scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Israeli military ordered the evacuation of part of a densely populated area in the Gaza Strip that it had declared a humanitarian zone. At the same time, the Gaza Health Ministry announced that more than 39,000 Palestinians had been killed in the nine-month war.

Egypt, Qatar and the United States are urging Israel and Hamas to reach a phased agreement that would end the fighting and release the remaining hostages. Netanyahu’s office has announced that a negotiating team will be dispatched on Thursday to continue talks.

Here is the latest information:

Palestinian factions sign a declaration in the latest attempt to pave the way for a unity government as war in Gaza rages on.

RAMALLAH, West Bank – Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a declaration in Beijing to end a years-long conflict, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported Tuesday, taking a step toward potentially healing the deep rift between the sides as war in the Gaza Strip rages on.

The declaration by the two heavyweights of Palestinian politics – and other smaller Palestinian groups – to form a unity government for the Palestinian territories is the latest result of a series of talks aimed at bringing the two sides closer together.

But previous declarations, including a similar agreement in 2011, have failed, raising doubts about whether the China-sponsored negotiations could actually lead to a solution. Israel and Hamas are also considering an internationally backed ceasefire proposal that would end the nine-month war and release dozens of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

The future of the Gaza Strip is still uncertain, however, as Israel vehemently opposes any role for Hamas in governing the Gaza Strip. Israel has also rejected US demands that the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority take over administration of the Gaza Strip after the war ends. The lack of a post-war vision for the administration of the Gaza Strip has made negotiations on a ceasefire difficult.

Since the current war in Gaza began nearly ten months ago, Hamas officials have said the party does not want to return to pre-conflict rule over Gaza. The group has called for the formation of a technocratic government, convened by consensus among the various Palestinian factions, to pave the way for elections in both Gaza and the West Bank, with the goal of forming a unified government.

Conditions for a ceasefire that would see the release of Gaza hostages are “maturing,” says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled that a ceasefire agreement that would see the release of dozens of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip could be taking shape.

At a meeting with families of hostages in Washington late Monday, Netanyahu said conditions for the prisoners’ release were “ripe,” according to a statement from his office. He said this was happening because of the intense military pressure Israel was exerting on Hamas.

He did not disclose any further details about the progress of the deal.

For weeks, Israel and Hamas have been considering a U.S.-backed ceasefire that would end the nine-month war and release the roughly 120 hostages Hamas kidnapped in its Oct. 7 attack. About a third of the hostages are believed to be dead, and the Israeli military announced Monday that two more had died in captivity.

Netanyahu is under intense pressure from broader Israelis to agree to the deal. He has vowed to defeat Hamas before ending the war – a condition that has been a major point of contention throughout the negotiations.

The hostages’ families had demanded that Netanyahu negotiate a deal before flying to Washington, where he will speak to Congress and is expected to meet President Joe Biden.

Bill designating UN Palestinian relief agency as ‘terrorist group’ advances in Israeli parliament

JERUSALEM, Israel – A bill in Israel’s parliament that would designate the main aid provider to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a terrorist group is moving forward.

In a preliminary vote in the Israeli parliament on Monday, MPs voted 50 to 10 in favor of the bill. Two more votes are needed before the bill can come into force.

The law is the result of increasingly strained relations between Israel and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, known as UNRWA. Israel accuses the agency of having links to militant groups and claims that hundreds of its staff are members of militant groups, including some allegedly involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel. These allegations led to a wave of funding cuts to the agency worldwide.

UNRWA employs thousands of staff and provides vital assistance and services to millions of people in the Middle East. In the Gaza Strip, it was the main provider of food, water and shelter to civilians during the war between Israel and Hamas.

The bill, which is currently in parliament, would brand the agency a “terrorist group.” The alleged involvement of the employees in the Hamas attack shows that “it is a terrorist organization that is in no way different from Hamas.” The bill also proposes breaking off diplomatic relations between Israel and the agency.

Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s communications director, said she was not entirely sure how the bill would affect the agency if passed, but said it would likely make its work more difficult. She said UNRWA is in daily contact with Israeli authorities, which would be limited by the law.

The European Union, Qatar and Saudi Arabia had previously expressed concerns about the draft law, saying it would hamper the agency’s work.