Live blog: Real 'progress' made in Gaza truce talks — Biden

Friday, January 10, 2025

2300 GMT — US President Joe Biden has said there was "real progress" in talks for a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas in Palestine's Gaza, an agreement the US president is pushing for in his last days in office.

"We're making some real progress, I met with negotiators today," Biden told reporters at the White House.

More updates 👇

2152 GMT — PLO warns of grave repercussions from Israeli laws targeting UNRWA

A senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) warned of severe consequences from two Israeli laws targeting the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) that are set to take effect soon.

The first law, passed in October by Israel's Knesset, or parliament, bans the UN agency's operations within Israel. The second revokes a 1967 agreement between Israel and UNRWA.

Ahmed Abu Holi, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, said that "implementing these laws could undermine UNRWA's mandate in the Gaza Strip and the (occupied) West Bank while eliminating its presence in East Jerusalem."

"This will deprive millions of refugees of vital services, including education, health care and life-saving emergency aid, leading to a humanitarian collapse in Gaza," he said in a statement on his Facebook page.

2123 GMT — Palestine calls on Christian world to act on Pope's position regarding Gaza genocide

Palestine urged the global Christian community to translate Pope Francis' known position on the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza into concrete action in the face of Israel's continued carnage.

In a statement, Palestine's Foreign Ministry welcomed the Pope's repeated calls to end the onslaught and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.

The ministry emphasised that his advocacy for a resolution based on the two-state solution aligns with international law and humanitarian principles.

"The statements and positions expressed by Pope Francis deserve to be translated into practical steps," the ministry said, calling on Christian institutions worldwide to heed the Pope's moral and ethical leadership.

2029 GMT — Israeli army claims to have intercepted drone flying from east

The Israeli army claimed that it intercepted a drone flying from the east toward the western Negev region in southern Israel.

In a statement, the army said, "The Air Force intercepted a drone coming from the east."

While the Israeli army did not specify the precise origin of the drone launch, Israeli media outlets, including Channel 12, said before the army's statement that the drone "might have been launched from Yemen."

For our live updates from Thursday, January 9, 2025, click here.