Benjamin Netanyahu (RONEN ZVULUN/AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to send delegations to Egypt and Qatar, where negotiators have been trying to secure the release of Israeli hostages as part of a possible Gaza ceasefire deal, his office said Friday. Earlier, the Israeli military said the deputy commander of a Hezbollah military unit was killed in an air strike in south Lebanon, the latest episode of deadly cross-border violence since the Israel-Hamas war began. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.
Summary:
- Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has approved a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks to take place in Doha and Cairo, his office said Friday, days after the negotiations appeared stalled.
- The Israeli military said Friday the deputy commander of a Hezbollah military unit was killed in an air strike in south Lebanon's Bazuriyeh, the latest episode of deadly cross-border violence since the Israel-Hamas war began.
- The Syrian army says Israeli air strikes early Friday near the northern city of Aleppo have killed at least 36 Syrian soldiers, wounded several people and caused material damage.
- At least six fighters in Lebanon's Hezbollah group were also killed in the Israeli strikes, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
- At least 32,623 Palestinians have been killed and 75,092 wounded since Israel began its offensive on Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. Around 1,140 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and 250 people taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, with 132 still missing.
