The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is on high alert ahead of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s response to new proposals presented by the Jewish state on the areas of the Philadelphia Route and the Rafah border crossing, considered one of the last knots to be untied in order to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of the hostages, according to the Israeli news site Walla, according to which the The IDF believes that in the event of a new failure of the negotiations in Cairo, Hezbollah could go on the offensive and try to avenge the killing of Fuad Shukr.one of the leading military figures of the Lebanese organization allied with Iran.
New round of negotiations with CIA director on Sunday in Cairo
CIA Director William Burns has arrived in Cairo and joined talks to reach an agreement on the Gaza ceasefire and hostages. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “the process is moving forward. It is important that all parties participate and that the parties continue to work toward implementation. There are early signs that yesterday’s talks were constructive and we want to continue this momentum in the next two days.“.
A new round of negotiations is scheduled for Sunday in Cairo with the participation of the director of the CIA, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani and senior officials from Israel and Egypt, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported on social media X, noting that during last night’s talks in Cairo, Israel and Egypt narrowed their gaps on the issue of the IDF’s deployment along the Philadelphia Route, the ‘corridor’ between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
In this regard, Ravid highlighted how the request by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Jewish state’s soldiers continue to be present along the Philadelphia Route – strongly opposed by Egypt – is one of the last issues to be resolved before reaching an agreement on the release of the hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.
According to the Israeli news site Ynet, the delegation of Israeli negotiators who attended the talks in Cairo presented Egypt with ‘updated proposals’ on the presence of Israeli forces in the areas of the Philadephi Route and the Rafah border crossing. According to Ynet, Hamas is expected to receive the updated texts from Egypt tomorrow. A senior Israeli official, quoted by Ravid, explained that Israel hopes that Hamas will respond to Israeli proposals and agree to participate in Sunday’s negotiations.
Gallant Feels Austin
Meanwhile, there was a new telephone conversation between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. “I reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security,” Austin stressed on X.
Confirming the US “commitment” to its ally Israel, the US Defense Secretary added that he shared with Gallant that “the United States is well positioned in the region to defend Israel and protect US personnel and facilities”. With Gallant, Austin also spoke about “progress towards a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages” and “stressed the importance of reaching an agreement.”
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said Austin and Gallant also addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the need to address the possible spread of polio.
Raid in Lebanon, 5 dead
The raids continue. Five people, including a child, were killed in Israeli raids in southern Lebanon, local media reported. According to the Nna agency, two guided missiles launched by an Israeli drone hit a house in the town of Aita al-Jabal and here Two people died, including a seven-year-old boyThree others were killed in an earlier raid on the Tayer Harfa locality, according to the Health Ministry’s tally.
Hezbollah confirmed the death of three fighters, without giving details of the circumstances. According to Lebanese security forces, they were killed in the raid in Tayer Harfa. The Israeli military said it had “eliminated a terrorist cell that was preparing to launch five rockets from the Tayer Harfa area” towards Israel. The Shiite movement led by Hassan Nasrallah claimed attacks against the air base on Mount Meron, in northern Israel, in “response” to the Israeli operations.
The Israeli Air Force said a suspected Hezbollah operative, Muhammad Mahmoud Najam, was killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon. The Israeli Air Force posted a video of the attack on its X social media account. The air strike, it said, took place in the Eita al-Zut area and the victim was a “terrorist” who operated in Hezbollah’s rocket and missile unit.
In Gaza, a 10-month-old baby with polio paralysis
First case of polio in 25 years causes concern in Gaza. “It is very sad. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that In Gaza, a ten-month-old baby has developed paralysis due to polio. It is the first case in more than 25 years“. This is what Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner General, wrote on X after the WHO news. “Polio will not discriminate between Palestinian and Israeli children. Delaying a humanitarian pause will increase the risk of spread among children,” he stressed. “It is not enough to bring vaccines to Gaza and secure the cold chain. To have an effect, vaccines must be administered to every child under ten. UNRWA medical teams will deliver vaccines to our facilities and through mobile teams. Since the beginning of the war, thanks to these efforts, 80% of children in Gaza have received vaccines against various childhood diseases. We will continue.”
Lazzarini’s words come after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “deeply concerned by the news that an unvaccinated 10-month-old baby from Deir al-Balah has been confirmed positive for polio” and has “developed paralysis in his lower left leg”.
Displaced people in Gaza
In August alone, 250,000 residents of the Gaza Strip were forced to move once again by transfer orders from Israeli forces (IDF), engaged in military operations against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave since the attack on Israel on October 7 last year. The United Nations denounced this. Since October, 90% of the Strip’s residents have had to deal with military orders.
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