Live blog: Gaza truce talks 'productive', 'small differences' remain — US
Israel's war in Gaza — now in its 438th day — has killed at least 45,028 Palestinians and wounded 106,962 others. In Lebanon, Israel has killed 4,047 people since October 2023 and keeps breaching the November 27 truce deal.
Bodies of Palestinians killed by Israel are taken from the morgue of Nasser Hospital for burial in Khan Younis / Photo: Reuters
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
2012 GMT — The US has described recent talks over a potential ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas as "productive" while cautioning that a "very small number of differences" still stand in the way of an agreement.
"The negotiations have been productive in recent days," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press briefing.
"We have continued to try to work with the other mediators to narrow the differences."
Miller emphasised that there are a "very small number of differences" that remain between the parties and expressed confidence that those differences can be bridged.
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2116 GMT — Israel kills one Palestinian, wounds several in West Bank raids
Israel has killed a Palestinian man and wounded several others during raids across the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that "a martyr tried to reach the Rafidia Government Hospital in Nablus coming from the Askar refugee camp."
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which earlier issued an alert about a young man wounded on the hill near Askar camp, confirmed that Israeli forces had blocked medical teams from reaching the site.
2108 GMT — Israeli officials in Doha for Gaza truce talks
Israeli officials arrived in Doha, Qatar, for talks aimed at a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage deal, a source with knowledge of the talks told the AFP news agency.
"An Israeli technical team is in Doha to discuss the ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza," the source said, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.
"This is between Israeli and Qatari working-level teams," the source said, indicating discussions were aimed a bridging gaps between the parties.
2054 GMT — Conditions in north Gaza hospital 'appalling': WHO chief
A World Health Organization said a humanitarian team finally reached one of northern Gaza's only functioning hospitals at the weekend to deliver fuel, food and medicines and found "appalling" conditions.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that after multiple attempts, the United Nations health agency and partners reached the Kamal Adwan Hospital "two days ago, amid hostilities and explosions in the vicinity of the hospital during the mission".
The team, he said, had "delivered 5,000 litres of fuel, food and medicines, and transferred three patients and six companions to Al-Shifa", the Palestinian territory's main hospital.
The agency said efforts to deliver desperately needed supplies have been repeatedly hampered.
For our live updates from Monday, December 16, 2024, click here.
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