2024-01-27 07:51:00
The CIA chief will hold talks with regional leaders regarding a possible deal for the release of hostages. This is the latest news
CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to meet with officials from Israel, Egypt and Qatar to discuss a deal that would ensure the release of hostages held by Hamas, according to a U.S. official familiar with the plans.
The meetings come amid intense debates over the parameters of a new deal that would link the release of the hostages to a cessation of fighting in Gaza. The meetings are expected to be held in Europe, according to the official.
US officials said they remain focused on securing the release of the hostages following a leaked recording of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly criticizing Qatar sparked the Gulf country’s ire.
Here’s what you need to know:
Deadly bombings: At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured following an Israeli bombardment hit an area near Gaza City where people were waiting for aid to be delivered, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. At least 25,900 Palestinians have been killed and another 64,000 injured by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah reported Thursday.
Growing crisis: 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functioning, and access to some is impossible due to the conflict, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which cited the World Health Organization. Furthermore, Rafah, in southern Gaza, now hosts more than 50% of the enclave’s population, and people are facing worsening health conditions and increased hunger, according to the UN.
“The worst situation”: Surgeons at the humanitarian group MedGlobal in Gaza do not have the resources to sedate patients while they clean their wounds, said the group’s American co-founder, Dr. John Kahler. Kahler, who has provided humanitarian aid from Haiti to Yemen, called Gaza a “soul-shattering event” and “by far the worst situation” he has ever seen.
Denial of a leak: Families of hostages held in Gaza denied leaking a recording of a meeting in which Netanyahu appears to criticize Qatar, saying its officials record meetings while families must leave their phones at the door. Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a CNN question regarding who leaked the audio that angered Doha. The White House on Thursday reiterated its gratitude for Qatar’s role in the mediation.
Genocide case: Israel declassified more than 30 documents, including summaries of cabinet meetings, as part of its defense once morest South Africa’s genocide charge before the International Court of Justice, an Israeli official told CNN. The ICJ is scheduled to announce a ruling on the case on Friday, which might call for a ceasefire in the conflict. The rulings of the International Court of Justice are legally binding, but the court has no mechanism to enforce its decisions. The final ruling on whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza is likely to take months or years to reach.
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