Family members of Israeli hostages held protests in Tel Aviv late Saturday for a second night to pressure Netanyahu after he withdrew his team from talks in Egypt. Negotiations continue, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.
One person familiar with the discussion, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, said Netanyahu's public statements did not mean he blocked Israeli negotiators from participating behind the scenes. There are still more than 100 hostages in Gaza, according to Israeli officials.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said on Saturday that Washington was working on a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, “which would bring an immediate and sustained period of calm to Gaza for at least six weeks, during which we could then To take the time and steps necessary to build a more sustainable peace. She acknowledged that although there were gaps, key elements were still on the table.
President Biden spoke last week with Netanyahu and with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, according to their statement, which came in response to the UN Security Council resolution drafted by Algeria, which called for an immediate ceasefire. She added that if the resolution was put to a vote, Washington would not support it.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said today, Saturday, during the Munich Security Conference, that differences between the parties still exist. “We have made some good progress in the last few weeks in the negotiations and have been trying to reach an agreement between the two parties. However, the last few days have not progressed as expected.”
Also at the conference, Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that ending the suffering of civilians in Gaza must be a priority.
He said: “So where we are now is: We are focused on the ceasefire, we are focused on the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and we are focused on humanitarian access to the people of Gaza.”
Here's what else you should know
The Israeli raid on Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis continued on The Israeli army said on Sunday, for the fourth day. Earlier, the Israeli army announced that it had arrested 100 people in a hospital in southern Gaza on suspicion of terrorist activity. Health officials in Gaza said on Saturday that the Israeli army arrested “large numbers” of medical and administrative staff.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that Nasser Hospital was no longer operationalHe added that the agency's team was prevented from reaching the hospital while arriving to deliver fuel. “There are still about 200 patients in the hospital,” he said in a social media post, calling for access to patients and the hospital.
Pope Francis met with the head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society The group said on Saturday, sharing a video of the meeting. Younis Al-Khatib Her statement said the Pope was briefed on the “catastrophic humanitarian conditions” for civilians in Gaza and the movement’s efforts to provide relief.
At least 28,858 people were killed and 68,677 injured in Gaza. Since the beginning of the war, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack on October 7, and says that at least 235 of its forces have been killed since the start of its assault on Gaza.