Israel-Hamas war death toll reaches 46,000

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• Over 46,000 Palestinians killed and 109,378 wounded in 15-month war
• Israeli military claims to have killed over 17,000 militants
• Women and children make up more than half of the fatalities
• War has displaced around 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million people
• Recent talks of ceasefire and hostage release have stalled

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The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed optimism that a ceasefire and the release of hostages are very close to being agreed upon.
• Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled in the past despite similar optimism from US officials.
• The war began in 2023 when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing mostly civilians and abducting around 250, with 100 hostages still inside Gaza.

Source

HuffPost

sfchronicle.com

Details of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas

• Hamas fears that Israel will resume its offensive once the hostages are released, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas' military and governing abilities.
• Israel demands control of the Philadelphi corridor to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons into Gaza, but Egypt opposes any Israeli presence on the Gaza side of its border.
• Israel also requires a mechanism for inspecting people returning to their homes in northern Gaza, while Hamas demands their return as a key condition for the ceasefire.

Source

bostonglobe.com

HuffPost

The Washington Post

Trump's inauguration and renewed pressure for ceasefire

• Trump's Middle East envoy joined U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Doha to pressure Israel and Hamas to halt the conflict
• Trump said a ceasefire was "very close" and could be reached by the end of the week
• Hamas blamed Israel for repeated setbacks in negotiations, while Israel and the U.S. blamed Hamas

Source

HuffPost

Pressure on Israel and Hamas to reach a deal for hostages release

• Families of the hostages seized in 2023 are urging Netanyahu to bring their loved ones home
• The recovery of two hostages' bodies in the past week has renewed fears that time is running out
• Outgoing US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are pressuring both sides to reach a deal before the Jan. 20 inauguration

Source

HuffPost

Ceasefire talks and recent attacks in Gaza

• The ceasefire talks have stalled due to issues surrounding the release of hostages, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the extent of Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza's population centers.
• An airstrike in Deir al-Balah killed a 5-year-old girl and two male relatives, while another airstrike in Jabaliya killed at least eight Palestinians, including two children and two women, in a school-turned-shelter.
• The attacks have resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, including women and children, and have further displaced the already vulnerable population of Gaza.

Source

HuffPost

Israeli attacks intensify in Gaza as talks of ceasefire and hostage release stall

• Israeli politicians and settler groups openly discuss building settlements in north Gaza, while the siege continues
• Israeli forces kill three Palestinians, including a young man in the Shati refugee camp, and issue forced evacuation orders in Nuseirat refugee camp
• The Gaza Civil Defence reports that at least 70 children have been killed by Israeli attacks in the past five days alone

Source

ALJAZEERA

US officials try to reach a Gaza captive and ceasefire deal

• US President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Sunday, stressing the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by a stoppage in the fighting under the deal.
• Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the parties were “very, very close” to reaching a deal, but still had to get it across the finish line.
• Israeli leaders have emphasised that the war will not end even if an agreement is reached, and that they will maintain military control of the enclave, even as they continue to occupy the West Bank, large parts of Syria, and areas in southern Lebanon.

Source

ALJAZEERA

Ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations between Israel and Hamas

• Qatar presented a "final" draft of a ceasefire and hostage deal to Israeli officials and Hamas representatives
• The number of hostages to be released is unclear, but Hamas had previously expressed willingness to return 34 hostages to Israel
• The negotiations involved Israeli spy chiefs, Qatar's prime minister, and President-elect Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff

Source

Newsweek

Challenges in achieving a ceasefire and establishing a new government in Gaza

• Israel insists on searching people returning to the north for weapons, which would require an Israeli presence in the Netzarim corridor
• Hamas has shown flexibility on the timetable of the Israeli withdrawal, but is opposed to any permanent Israeli occupation
• The Biden administration has proposed a grand bargain in which a reformed Palestinian Authority would govern postwar Gaza with the support of Arab and Muslim countries, but Arab and Muslim leaders demand a pathway to a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank, Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and Gaza

Source

HuffPost

bostonglobe.com

Negotiations for Hostage Release in Israel-Hamas War

• US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, with a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by a stoppage in the fighting under a deal proposed by the administration in May 2024.
• Israeli Minister of Justice Gideon Sa'ar reported some progress in the negotiations and said that Israel was working with the US to achieve a hostage deal, but it remains to be seen whether the other side wants the same thing.
• Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich expressed his opposition to what he called a "surrender deal" that would be a "catastrophe" for the country's national security.

Source

Newsweek

Gaza residents fear escalation of attacks despite ceasefire announcement

• The ceasefire is set to start on Sunday, but Gaza residents fear that Israeli attacks will intensify before then, causing celebrations to be short-lived.
• Israeli warplanes have continued to strike hospitals, shelters, and homes with direct air strikes, extinguishing the joy felt by residents at the initial announcement of the ceasefire.
• Although both Israel and Hamas have acknowledged the ceasefire and captive exchange deal, disagreements remain over which Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for captives during the first phase of the deal.

Source

ALJAZEERA

Internal Pressure on Netanyahu to Scuttle Ceasefire Talks

• Hamas refused to negotiate in good faith until recently, when many of their regional allies, including Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, suffered strategic defeats at the hands of the Israeli military and intelligence services.
• Netanyahu's finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, called the deal a "national security catastrophe" and urged the prime minister to "continue to at full strength, conquer and clean the entire Strip" and to "open the gates of hell on Gaza" to force Hamas's unconditional surrender.
• Netanyahu's hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, also spoke out and urged Smotrich to join him to force the collapse of Netanyahu's government if the prime minister were to strike an accord with Hamas.

Source

The Washington Post

Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues with talks of ceasefire and buffer zone

• Israeli military has claimed to have killed over 17,000 militants, but has not provided evidence
• Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Gaza, with bombing particularly intense in Rafah
• Israel has required that a two-kilometer buffer zone be maintained along at least parts of the Gaza Strip

Source

The Washington Post

Families of Hostages Prepare for Release as Ceasefire Talks Stall

• Israeli hospital staff prepare to receive hostages and provide them privacy
• Relatives of hostages nervously await their release after previous ceasefire collapsed
• War has displaced families on both sides, with one man forced to evacuate his home after it was targeted by Israeli strikes

Source

The Washington Post

Gaza residents skeptical of ceasefire and hostage deal

• The Gaza Media Office warns residents to be cautious of the Israeli military, which has escalated attacks before when a ceasefire and hostage deal appeared close.
• Gaza residents have seen how the November ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah has played out in Lebanon, with both the Lebanese government and the U.N. peacekeeping forces accusing Israel of repeatedly violating the terms of the agreement.
• Gaza's medical infrastructure is severely limited, with a lack of resources and anti-sepsis measures, making it difficult to treat patients.

Source

HuffPost

The Israeli military's obstruction of humanitarian aid in Gaza

• The Israeli military has blocked most aid routes into Gaza, greatly limiting the humanitarian assistance that could enter the territory.
• The military has made it nearly impossible for UNRWA, the U.N. agency responsible for assisting Palestinian refugees, to enter Gaza and distribute necessary aid.
• The obstruction of aid has created uninhabitable conditions that led to the breakdown of social order when trucks did arrive.

Source

HuffPost

Rebuilding Gaza: Challenges and Needs

• Rebuilding Gaza requires a massive increase in aid and the withdrawal of the occupation.
• Life-sustaining infrastructure, including schools and universities, needs to be re-created.
• Clearing 40 million tons of rubble and unexploded bombs will take up to 15 years, according to the U.N.

Source

HuffPost

Challenges to achieving a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war

• The Israeli government's dependence on the extreme-right Religious Zionism slate, which opposes any permanent end to the war, poses a major challenge in transitioning to a permanent ceasefire.
• There is uncertainty about whether Netanyahu will follow through on his promise to Smotrich that he has no intention of entering phase two of the deal, which is a permanent ceasefire.
• The odds of a permanent ceasefire, protracted negotiations, or a return to war are hard to predict, but negotiators have a six-week clock to work on a more permanent solution before the temporary pause ends.

Source

Vox

The factors that may influence the outcome of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks

• The new and relatively untested leadership of Hamas may have different interests and priorities in the ceasefire negotiations.
• The role of Donald Trump in the talks is unclear, and his position going forward may play a pivotal role given Israel's reliance on the United States.
• The war-weariness among both populations may create political costs for leaders on both sides to restarting the fighting, something that might weigh on Netanyahu, especially given that Israeli elections are scheduled for next year.

Source

Vox

Personal stories of loss and survival in Gaza

• A former colleague remembers a beloved teacher who was killed in the conflict, leaving behind young children
• Many Palestinians have lost their homes and all their possessions due to Israeli military actions
• Survivors of the conflict express a sense of luck at having made it through alive, but some are considering leaving Gaza for good

Source

ALJAZEERA