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A boy plays with a rubber tire next to the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes near the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
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Summary of the day so far
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were “right on the brink” as the warring sides were reported to be closing in on a deal. Envoys representing the Biden White House and the incoming Trump administration have been taking part in what was billed as a “final round” of talks, meeting delegates from Israel, Egypt and Qatar. “It’s closer than it’s ever been before,” Blinken said. “But, right now, as we sit here, we await final word from Hamas on its acceptance, and until we get that word, we’ll remain on the brink.” The US president-elect, Donald Trump, said negotiators were “very close” to finalising a deal.
However, a deal had not yet been clinched on Tuesday night despite more than eight hours of talks in Qatar. A senior Hamas official told Reuters that his group was awaiting documents from Israel that would give more details of the geographical area covered by a ceasefire. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said earlier on Tuesday that talks on the final details were under way after both sides were presented with a text.
Hamas said the talks had reached the final steps and that it hoped this round of negotiations would lead to a deal. An Israeli official said talks had reached a critical phase although some details needed to be hammered out: “We are close, we are not there yet.” The militant group Islamic Jihad said it was sending a senior delegation that would arrive in Doha on Tuesday night to take part in final arrangements for a ceasefire deal.
The first part of the ceasefire deal would involve a release of 33 Israeli hostages, including children, women, elderly people and the sick, and up to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, alongside a partial Israeli troop withdrawal in a first phase lasting 60 days, according to Israeli media and reports from Doha. After 16 days, talks would begin on a second phase of the agreement which would involve the release of other survivors among the 61 remaining hostages, including military-age men, and the bodies of those who have died. The Israeli military withdrawal would be completed in the course of this second stage.
Hopes rose across Gaza that the war that has devastated the territory, killing more than 46,000 and displacing millions, was finally coming to an end. Residents of the embattled territory expressed mixed emotions: hope and fear for the future but pain and grief for the past 15 months. Optimism over the negotiations has been tempered by past experience after earlier apparent breakthroughs ultimately failed in the face of opposition from the coalition government of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, or obstruction from Hamas inside Gaza.
Fighting in Gaza has continued in recent days despite reports of an imminent ceasefire. Late on Monday night, two Israeli airstrikes in the central city of Deir al-Balah killed two women and their four children, aged between 1 month and nine years old. Another 12 people were killed in two strikes on the southern city of Khan Younis.
Blinken, in an outgoing speech at the Atlantic Council, outlined a vision for a postwar settlement under which Israel would accept a united leadership of Gaza and the West Bank territories under a reformed Palestinian Authority. Israel has so far rejected those conditions. He also spoke about significant involvement from the international community and Arab countries, including the possibility of deploying troops to stabilise security and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery. Blinken’s speech was interrupted several times by protesters.
Palestinian families are seeking justice after an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) raid on Balata camp in the West Bank resulted in the death of an 80-year-old woman and another civilian. A report by the Guardian found that the IDF operation on 19 December 2024 used a hospital vehicle with Palestinian licence plates, in violation of humanitarian law.
Afghan citizens who fled the country with American assistance after the US’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan remain stranded in third countries, new documents shared exclusively with the Guardian suggest.
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The White House has released a readout of the call between President Joe Biden and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
The two leaders discussed the negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal based on the arrangement described by President Biden last year and endorsed unanimously by the UN security council.
The President thanked President Sisi for his leadership and praised the mediating role of Egypt throughout the process. He emphasized that this deal would never have been possible without Egypt’s essential and historic role in the Middle East and commitment to diplomacy for resolving conflicts.
Both leaders emphasized the urgent need for a deal to be implemented to bring immediate relief to the people of Gaza through a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by the ceasefire together with the return of hostages to their families. Both leaders committed to remain in close coordination directly and through their teams over the coming hours.
Death toll rises to 13 in Israeli airstrike on Gaza's Deir al-Balah – report
Wafa, the Palestinian news agency, reports that at least 13 people have been killed in the airstrike on Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, up from 10 reported earlier. Wafa reports the attack on Tuesday evening hit the home of the Shaheen family in the city’s south.
Lorenzo Tondo
The families of Israeli hostages held captive for 15 months in the Gaza Strip have voiced cautious optimism their loved ones may soon be free as talks to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continued in Qatar.
“The reports suggesting a potential deal to secure the release of our loved ones offer a glimmer of hope, though we remain cautious,” a statement from the families released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters said on Tuesday.
“Our hearts are filled with both hope and apprehension as we await concrete developments. In these sensitive times, it is our shared responsibility to exercise care and consideration.”
“Every day you fear the worst,” Moshe Emilio Lavi – whose brother-in-law, Omri Miran, is among the hostages – told the Guardian.
“Time ran out a long time ago. The international community completely failed. Our government failed by not prioritising their release enough.”
At least 10 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza's Deir al-Balah, say medics
An Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Deir al-Balah killed at least 10 Palestinians and wounded others, Reuters reported, citing medics.
In a separate strike on a house in Rafah, five people including a woman were killed, and four others were injured, medics said.
Hamas accepts draft ceasefire deal - report
Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages, Associated Press is reporting, citing two officials involved in the talks.
An Israeli official said progress has been made but the details are being finalized, the news agency said.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is currently meeting with his hostage negotiation team and with members of Israel’s security establishment, the Times of Israel is reporting.
In an update to the hostages’ families, Netanyahu’s office said talks in Doha are ongoing and that the sides are discussing final details required for an agreement, it said.
Negotiations will continue through the night, the prime minister’s office said, adding that families will be updated as soon as possible.
Six killed in Israeli airstrike on Jenin refugee camp in West Bank - Palestinian health ministry
Six Palestinians were killed and several others injured in an Israeli strike on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, a statement by the Palestinian health ministry said.
A 15-year-old was among the people killed in the Israeli strike, the ministry said, as well as three members of the same family.
The Israeli military confirmed it carried out “an attack in the Jenin area”, without providing additional details.
Summary of the day so far
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were “right on the brink” as the warring sides were reported to be closing in on a deal. Envoys representing the Biden White House and the incoming Trump administration have been taking part in what was billed as a “final round” of talks, meeting delegates from Israel, Egypt and Qatar. “It’s closer than it’s ever been before,” Blinken said. “But, right now, as we sit here, we await final word from Hamas on its acceptance, and until we get that word, we’ll remain on the brink.” The US president-elect, Donald Trump, said negotiators were “very close” to finalising a deal.
However, a deal had not yet been clinched on Tuesday night despite more than eight hours of talks in Qatar. A senior Hamas official told Reuters that his group was awaiting documents from Israel that would give more details of the geographical area covered by a ceasefire. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said earlier on Tuesday that talks on the final details were under way after both sides were presented with a text.
Hamas said the talks had reached the final steps and that it hoped this round of negotiations would lead to a deal. An Israeli official said talks had reached a critical phase although some details needed to be hammered out: “We are close, we are not there yet.” The militant group Islamic Jihad said it was sending a senior delegation that would arrive in Doha on Tuesday night to take part in final arrangements for a ceasefire deal.
The first part of the ceasefire deal would involve a release of 33 Israeli hostages, including children, women, elderly people and the sick, and up to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, alongside a partial Israeli troop withdrawal in a first phase lasting 60 days, according to Israeli media and reports from Doha. After 16 days, talks would begin on a second phase of the agreement which would involve the release of other survivors among the 61 remaining hostages, including military-age men, and the bodies of those who have died. The Israeli military withdrawal would be completed in the course of this second stage.
Hopes rose across Gaza that the war that has devastated the territory, killing more than 46,000 and displacing millions, was finally coming to an end. Residents of the embattled territory expressed mixed emotions: hope and fear for the future but pain and grief for the past 15 months. Optimism over the negotiations has been tempered by past experience after earlier apparent breakthroughs ultimately failed in the face of opposition from the coalition government of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, or obstruction from Hamas inside Gaza.
Fighting in Gaza has continued in recent days despite reports of an imminent ceasefire. Late on Monday night, two Israeli airstrikes in the central city of Deir al-Balah killed two women and their four children, aged between 1 month and nine years old. Another 12 people were killed in two strikes on the southern city of Khan Younis.
Blinken, in an outgoing speech at the Atlantic Council, outlined a vision for a postwar settlement under which Israel would accept a united leadership of Gaza and the West Bank territories under a reformed Palestinian Authority. Israel has so far rejected those conditions. He also spoke about significant involvement from the international community and Arab countries, including the possibility of deploying troops to stabilise security and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery. Blinken’s speech was interrupted several times by protesters.
Palestinian families are seeking justice after an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) raid on Balata camp in the West Bank resulted in the death of an 80-year-old woman and another civilian. A report by the Guardian found that the IDF operation on 19 December 2024 used a hospital vehicle with Palestinian licence plates, in violation of humanitarian law.
Afghan citizens who fled the country with American assistance after the US’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan remain stranded in third countries, new documents shared exclusively with the Guardian suggest.
Israel’s former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said finalising a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas is the right thing to do as he urged the government to put “national considerations” above political interests.
“I hope that this time … the national interest will override the political interest,” Gallant said, in apparent reference to Benjamin Netanyahu, who fired him in November after the two clashed on a number of issues, including a ceasefire agreement. Gallant at the time had been urgently pushing for a deal.
Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said he hoped a possible ceasefire in Gaza will open a new phase and allow the restoration of peace in the Middle East.
“The agreement being finalised in these hours on the ceasefire and hostage release is very important news,” Tajani said during a news conference after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar.
He said he hoped an agreement would “hopefully open a new phase and allow peace to be restored throughout the Middle East,” Reuters reported.
Here are some of the latest images from the newswires from Tel Aviv, where thousands gathered in “hostage square” on Tuesday night in anticipation of a ceasefire deal.
Hamas says it is waiting for maps of areas Israel will withdraw to before ceasefire response
A ceasefire agreement and hostage release deal has not yet been clinched, despite more than eight hours of talks in Qatar on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
A senior Hamas official told the news agency his group was awaiting documents from Israel that would give more details of the geographical area covered by a ceasefire:
[Hamas] hasn’t delivered its response yet because the occupation [Israel] has not submitted the maps that will show the areas to which its forces will withdraw.
The official added that the maps included Israeli withdrawals from the Netzarim area in the middle of the Gaza Strip, to allow the return of the displaced people to their homes, Jabalia in the north of the tiny territory, the Philadelphi road along the southern border with Egypt, and Rafah, also near that border.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told a news conference earlier Tuesday that talks on the final details were under way after both sides were presented with a text.
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