The US says "serious negotiations" are taking place on a new Gaza truce and the release of more Israeli hostages. But prospects remain uncertain after Hamas's leader reportedly rejected the idea of a temporary pause during talks in Cairo on Wednesday
- Meanwhile, Israeli forces say they’ve uncovered a network of tunnels in the heart of Gaza City with entrances connected to the houses of Hamas leaders
- On Wednesday, the Hamas-run Gaza government said 20,000 people had been killed there since Israel launched its military campaign against the group
- And the UN Security Council again postponed a meeting to discuss calls for "urgent humanitarian pauses" in Gaza
- A draft resolution by the United Arab Emirates also called for the return of hostages and a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians
Israel began its campaign in Gaza after Hamas broke through the heavily-guarded perimeter with Israel on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages, some of whom have been freed.Lebanese media say woman killed in Lebanon by Israeli strikes
Hezbollah and the Israeli army continue to exchange fire across the Israel-Lebanon border.
The World Health Organization says northern Gaza has been left without a functional hospital due to lack of fuel, staff and supplies.
"There are actually no functional hospitals left in the north," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in Gaza, tells reporters via video link from Jerusalem, according to Reuters news agency.
"Al-Ahli (Hospital) was the last one but it is now minimally functional."
Hospitals and medical facilities have been caught up in the intense fighting raging across the territory while also facing a lack of supplies and power shortages.
After a visit to al-Ahli on Wednesday, teams from the WHO and the UN reported that the hospital was overwhelmed with people needing emergency care and bodies were lined up in rows in the courtyard.
In a post on X on Wednesday, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said until two days ago, the hospital was the last place performing surgery in northern Gaza but the operating theatres were now no longer functioning.
Only four hospitals in northern Gaza were left, providing very limited care, he added.
Hezbollah and the Israeli army continue to exchange fire across the Israel-Lebanon border.
Lebanese state media report that a woman was killed by Israeli strikes in south Lebanon village early this morning.
Lebanese state media report that a woman was killed by Israeli strikes in south Lebanon village early this morning, with fighter jets hitting targets some 20 kilometres from the border. The IDF said it was attacking Hezbollah infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Israel said Hezbollah fired rockets overnight into the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. Tensions along the Lebanese border with Israel have increased since the 7 October Hamas attacks.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has a vast arsenal of weapons capable of striking deep into Israeli territory, though up until now their actions have been limited to cross-border strikes.Lebanese state media report that a woman was killed by Israeli strikes in south Lebanon village early this morning, with fighter jets hitting targets some 20 kilometres from the border.
Hospitals in the north of the territory have become "hospices" where people are "waiting to die", according to the WHO’s team leader Sean Casey after a recent visit.
There is no surgical capacity left in the north, Casey said, meaning patients with serious injuries would die of wound infections.
He stressed the severe shortages of food and water, describing meeting people with severe untreated injuries who had begged him not for medicines, but for water.
Dr Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO’s representative in Gaza, said he would like to see many more patients evacuated out of Gaza for treatment in Egypt or other countries.
As we've been reporting, talks are being held in Cairo, Egypt, in an attempt to broker a new truce and the further release of Israeli hostages.
Of the 240 or so hostages taken to Gaza during Hamas's 7 October attacks, about 120 of them are believed to still be in captivity.
During a six-day ceasefire at the end of November, 105 hostages were released in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Families of the remaining hostages are urging the Israeli government to reach a new truce so at least some of the captives can be freed.
Negotiations are resuming in Cairo today after initial talks on Wednesday bore no fruit. Hamas's leader reportedly told Egyptian mediators that no more Israeli hostages will be released until there's a permanent ceasefire.
Israel has repeatedly rejected a permanent ceasefire, insisting it will not stop the war until Hamas is dismantled.
FULL REPORT AND MANY MORE UPDATES AT: Israel-Gaza live news: US says 'serious negotiations' taking place on new Gaza truce - BBC News
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