Netanyahu Announces Cease-Fire Talks in Cairo

Israel will send a delegation to Cairo for further discussions with mediators on a proposed cease-fire and hostage release agreement with Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Thursday.

Israel has intensified its offensive across the northern, southern, and central regions of the Gaza Strip in recent days, likely to increase pressure on Hamas during the cease-fire negotiations.

Palestinians returned to the Gaza City district of Shijaiyah to find extensive destruction after Israeli troops withdrew following a two-week offensive there. Civil defense workers reported finding the bodies of 60 people in the rubble so far.

The conflict began after Hamas launched an attack on October 7, during which militants entered southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducting about 250. In response, Israeli ground offensives and airstrikes have resulted in over 38,300 deaths in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its tally.

Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now living in overcrowded tent camps in central and southern Gaza. Israeli restrictions, ongoing conflict, and a breakdown of law and order have severely hampered humanitarian aid efforts, leading to widespread hunger and fears of famine. The top United Nations court has ordered Israel to take measures to protect Palestinians as it investigates genocide allegations against Israeli leaders, a charge that Israel denies.