Fighting is continuing in Gaza City this morning as Israeli forces push into the densely populated refugee camps in the north of the city, where Hamas is reportedly engaged in a guerilla war against the IDF. Meanwhile, there’s yet more speculation about the potential for a hostages-for-temporary ceasefire pact between the two sides, and Israel is continuing to build its case for besieging Gaza’s largest hospital.

The will they / won’t they status of the hostage negotiations continues: There are conflicting claims that a Qatari-mediated agreement is nearing completion, which would reportedly see 50 hostages being released by Hamas in exchange for a three-day ceasefire and possibly the release of Palestinians from Israeli prisons, according to Reuters. The main sticking points blocking the agreement were “very minor” and concerning practical, logistical matters, Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani said at a joint press conference with the EU’s Josep Borrell in Doha. “We think [the agreement] is possible, but it is not done yet,” a Biden administration official said on the fast-evolving matter.

Almost a week in, Israel is yet to provide evidence of the Hamas mega base underneath Al Shifa: The IDF released a video (pdf) yesterday claiming to have found a tunnel used by Hamas hidden underneath a garage at the hospital complex. The director of the Gaza Health Ministry dismissed the claim as a “pure lie.” Since raiding Al Shifa over a week ago, Israel has failed to provide any evidence to support their long-held claim that Hamas operated a large command center underneath the hospital. The military’s siege has all but destroyed Al Shifa as a functioning hospital, with a visiting UN team calling it a “ death zone ” after visiting on Saturday.

Another Israeli minister calls for ethnic cleansing: Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel has become the latest senior government official to call for the “voluntary resettlement” of Palestinians outside of Gaza. In an opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post, the minister calls for a “worldwide refugee resettlement scheme” that would give Gazans “who seek a life elsewhere” an opportunity to leave the strip. “Instead of funneling money to rebuild Gaza or the failed UNRWA, the international community should be helping the people of Gaza build new lives in their new host countries,” she wrote.

ON THE GROUND- MSF: At least 70 dead in Khan Younis airstrike | Palestinian Red Crescent, World Health Organization evacuate 31 premature babies from Al Shifa, 11 in critical condition | Eight babies died after Israel cut electricity, fuel to the hospital.

AID- The Tahya Misr Fund has sent 199 aid trucks | France will send 10 tons of medical supplies and a second hospital ship.

DIPLOMACY- Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held talks with the Qatari international cooperation minister | Qatar’s prime minister will visit Russia and the UK on Tuesday to push for a ceasefire.

REGIONAL ESCALATION- The Iran-aligned Yemeni Houthi movement said it hijacked an Israeli cargo ship in the Red Sea, taking over 25 crew members hostage | Israel denied that the ship is Israeli | An Iran-backed militia in Iraq said its strikes against US targets are aimed at “ draining the enemy.”

YESTERDAY IN NUMBERS-

  • 13k+: The number of Gazans who have been killed by Israeli airstrikes over the past six weeks. (Gaza Health Ministry)
  • 5.5k+ The number of children to have died in the bombing. (Gaza Health Ministry)
  • 1.7 mn: The number of people in Gaza who have been displaced by the conflict. That’s almost 75% of the territory’s entire population. (UNRWA)
  • 884k: The number of refugees currently sheltering at 154 UN facilities across Gaza. (UNRWA)
  • 104 + 48: The number of UN workers and journalists killed in the conflict. (UNRWA | CPJ)
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