There are reports that a proper ceasefire agreement for Sudan could be close:Negotiations between the Sudanese army and the rival paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are bearing fruit and a ceasefire agreement is expected to be signed soon, two sources close to the talks told Reuters. Representatives of the two sides have been in talks in Jeddah since Saturday under a Saudi-US mediation initiative.

The dialogue hasn’t stopped the fighting: Reports yesterday indicated that fighting was still taking place in multiple areas of the Sudanese capital, with gunfire and airstrikes by the Sudanese army taking place through the day yesterday. The two sides have agreed to multiple ceasefires over the course of the nearly-month-long war, none of which have succeeded in bringing an end to the fighting on the ground.

Washington has hope: US officials at the talks are "cautiously optimistic" that the two sides will agree to a truce, US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said yesterday, according to Reuters.

A regional summit is being planned: Sudan’s neighbors are preparing to hold a summit to discuss how to restore peace and stability in the country, South Sudan's Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs Tut Gatluak told Al Shorouk. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry traveled to Chad and South Sudan this week to discuss peace efforts with the countries’ leaders.

Refugee count: As of Tuesday, 113k people — 103.6k Sudanese, 9.4k foreigners — had fled the country, according to UN data. Some 7.8k Egyptians have so far made it home from Sudan, cabinet said yesterday.

WAR TO SOUTH, WAR TO THE NORTH-

Violence in Gaza intensified yesterday as Palestinian militants responded to Israeli airstrikes by firing rockets across the border, according to the Associated Press. The fighting was triggered by the Israeli military bombing targets in Gaza on Tuesday, assassinating three senior commanders of Islamic Jihad and killing at least 10 civilians. Twenty-three Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s bombing campaign, triggering condemnation from the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Egypt is trying to mediate an end to the fighting: Egypt, usually the chief mediator between the Palestinians and Israelis during conflict, is in talks with both sides to negotiate an end to the fighting. Extra News claimed that Cairo had succeeded in brokering a ceasefire (watch, runtime: 0:13) only for fighting to continue into the night.

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