Israel-Gaza war live: US says ‘gaps’ remain between Israel and Hamas on ceasefire deal | Israel-Gaza war
Welcome and opening summary
Welcome to our latest live coverage of the Israel-Gaza war and the wider Middle East crisis. Here are your headlines …
The White House national security spokesperson John Kirby says gaps still remain between Israel and Hamas as ceasefire talks continue in Cairo, reports Reuters.
Speaking at a briefing, Kirby said CIA director Bill Burns and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk were in Egypt, meeting with their Egyptian, Israeli and Jordanian counterparts on Monday. He added that there will be follow-on discussions in the next few days. Kirby said:
We’ve been working this very, very hard. And there are still some gaps that remain in the two sides in the positions, but we wouldn’t have sent a team over there if we didn’t think that we had a shot here
“We’re trying to close those gaps as best we can,” he added.
But Hamas has accused the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing negotiations for a truce and hostage release deal, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
In a statement, Hamas said the Israeli prime minister “continues to place more obstacles in front of the negotiations”.
The group accused Netanyahu of escalating “his aggression and crimes against our people” in what it said were “attempts to forcibly displace them in order to thwart all efforts to reach an agreement”.
In other developments:
-
People in Gaza City have reported one of the heaviest attacks by Israeli forces since 7 October, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing from an area already ravaged in the early weeks of the nine-month-old war. The latest Israeli incursion into the eastern sector of Gaza City came as Israel’s far-right coalition parties threatened again to stop ongoing negotiations in Qatar for a ceasefire, arguing that halting the fighting now would be a huge mistake
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Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would provide prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a “political safety net” in order to get a deal through the Knesset if his coalition partners pull out of government. Lapid said “Netanyahu is a bad, failed prime minister, and he is to blame for the 7 October disaster, but the most important thing is to bring the kidnapped people back home”
-
Israeli media reported that security sources were dismayed by a statement by Netanyahu on Sunday setting out Israeli pre-conditions for a ceasefire deal. One source told Hebrew media outlet Ynet that it was “inappropriate conduct that will harm the chance of returning the abductees home”
-
The Palestinian death toll from the conflict has risen to 38,193 Palestinians according to the health authority in Gaza. Israel’s military says it has lost 324 troops during its ground operation. It has not been possible for journalists to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict
-
Israel’s military has claimed that in the Shujaiya area of Gaza City it has destroyed a Hamas headquarters which it says was converted from a school and health clinic “from civilian use to terrorist purposes”. The claims have not been independently verified
-
Israel’s military confirmed it was responsible for killing Mustafa Hassan Salman, a Hezbollah member, inside Lebanon. The Iran-backed militant group announced his death earlier on Monday. Israel’s statement said he was “an operative in Hezbollah’s rockets and missiles unit, who took part in the planning and execution of numerous terror attacks against the state of Israel”
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Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson has warned Israel that it would support Lebanon against any Israeli aggression, which would “increase tension and threaten security in the region”. Nasser Kanaani said “Defending Lebanon is a fundamental principle for Iran”
Key events
Overnight Israel has attacked targets in the northern Syrian city of Baniyas. The Syrian army reports no casualties and slight damage to property.
Al Jazeera reports that at least three Palestinians have been killed by an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. It stated that “many others were injured and some people were still missing, feared under the rubble.”
Health authorities in Gaza say that over 38,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military campaign against the territory.
Overnight Israel’s military claimed that “based on intelligence and using precise munition, the IAF struck several terrorists who were conducting terrorist activities, using the structures of a school in the area of Nuseirat as cover.”
The claims have not been independently verified. It has not been possible for journalists to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict.
Israel’s military has said in a statement that it intercepted “a suspicious aerial target that approached southern Israel from the east”. It said “the target did not cross into Israeli territory” and it was intercepted successfully by a fighter jet.
The claims have not been independently verified.
Welcome and opening summary
Welcome to our latest live coverage of the Israel-Gaza war and the wider Middle East crisis. Here are your headlines …
The White House national security spokesperson John Kirby says gaps still remain between Israel and Hamas as ceasefire talks continue in Cairo, reports Reuters.
Speaking at a briefing, Kirby said CIA director Bill Burns and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk were in Egypt, meeting with their Egyptian, Israeli and Jordanian counterparts on Monday. He added that there will be follow-on discussions in the next few days. Kirby said:
We’ve been working this very, very hard. And there are still some gaps that remain in the two sides in the positions, but we wouldn’t have sent a team over there if we didn’t think that we had a shot here
“We’re trying to close those gaps as best we can,” he added.
But Hamas has accused the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing negotiations for a truce and hostage release deal, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
In a statement, Hamas said the Israeli prime minister “continues to place more obstacles in front of the negotiations”.
The group accused Netanyahu of escalating “his aggression and crimes against our people” in what it said were “attempts to forcibly displace them in order to thwart all efforts to reach an agreement”.
In other developments:
-
People in Gaza City have reported one of the heaviest attacks by Israeli forces since 7 October, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing from an area already ravaged in the early weeks of the nine-month-old war. The latest Israeli incursion into the eastern sector of Gaza City came as Israel’s far-right coalition parties threatened again to stop ongoing negotiations in Qatar for a ceasefire, arguing that halting the fighting now would be a huge mistake
-
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would provide prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a “political safety net” in order to get a deal through the Knesset if his coalition partners pull out of government. Lapid said “Netanyahu is a bad, failed prime minister, and he is to blame for the 7 October disaster, but the most important thing is to bring the kidnapped people back home”
-
Israeli media reported that security sources were dismayed by a statement by Netanyahu on Sunday setting out Israeli pre-conditions for a ceasefire deal. One source told Hebrew media outlet Ynet that it was “inappropriate conduct that will harm the chance of returning the abductees home”
-
The Palestinian death toll from the conflict has risen to 38,193 Palestinians according to the health authority in Gaza. Israel’s military says it has lost 324 troops during its ground operation. It has not been possible for journalists to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict
-
Israel’s military has claimed that in the Shujaiya area of Gaza City it has destroyed a Hamas headquarters which it says was converted from a school and health clinic “from civilian use to terrorist purposes”. The claims have not been independently verified
-
Israel’s military confirmed it was responsible for killing Mustafa Hassan Salman, a Hezbollah member, inside Lebanon. The Iran-backed militant group announced his death earlier on Monday. Israel’s statement said he was “an operative in Hezbollah’s rockets and missiles unit, who took part in the planning and execution of numerous terror attacks against the state of Israel”
-
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson has warned Israel that it would support Lebanon against any Israeli aggression, which would “increase tension and threaten security in the region”. Nasser Kanaani said “Defending Lebanon is a fundamental principle for Iran”
