Updates: Gaza ceasefire between Israel, Hamas at ‘closest point’ – Qatar

Thanks for joining us today. This live page is now closed, but before you go:

Read about what mediators in Gaza ceasefire negotiations have said about the progress of the talks, here.

Watch a discussion on Al Jazeera’s Inside Story on whether a ceasefire is really possible this time, here.

And you can follow all of our coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza, here.

We will close this live page soon. Here’s a recap of the major developments today:

• Talks to reach a deal that would end the war in Gaza and see the release of Israeli captives in the territory are progressing, with Qatar confirming that an agreement is close.
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed Washington’s “day after” plan for post-war Gaza; it includes deploying an international security force that would oversee policing and border crossings in the enclave.
• Israel continued its relentless bombardment of Gaza with one attack killing at least 13 people in Deir el-Balah.
• An Israeli air strike killed at least six people in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian Authority security forces have been targeting armed resistance groups for weeks.
• Hours before the air strike, the Jenin Battalion of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades said it agreed to an initiative to end Palestinian infighting and the standoff with PA forces.
• US President Joe Biden held a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the two leaders stressed the “urgent need for a deal” in Gaza, the White House said.
• Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam officially resigned from the International Court of Justice to form a government under newly elected President Joseph Aoun.

Haaretz reports that the Israeli prime minister has told the families of captives held in Gaza that he is willing to agree to a prolonged ceasefire with Hamas in exchange for the captives’ release.

According to the report, Netanyahu said the process of implementing the deal can begin immediately after an agreement is reached.

Palestinians in Deir el-Balah shared their hopes for what is to come after the war on Gaza ends with us.

Watch below to hear what they had to say:

The Times of Israel reports that the Israeli prime minister is meeting with security officials to discuss the proposal that would lead to ending the war in Gaza and the release of Israeli captives in the territory.

The newspaper also said that Netanyahu’s office sent an update to the captives’ families, saying that the ceasefire talks in Doha are ongoing and will continue through the night.

Israeli forces have begun a raid into the village of Qaryut in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency reports.

Locals told Wafa that the army stormed the village, firing sound grenades and tear gas at homes.

No injuries have been reported thus far, Wafa added.

Negotiations to end Israel’s war on Gaza and release the captives are in their final stages, being held here in Doha with Qatari mediators, US officials and a senior Israeli delegation.

But the talks have not slowed Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, as Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reports from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

Watch below to learn more:

Anwar Rajab, spokesperson of the Palestinian Authority’s security forces, calls the deadly Israeli air raid in Jenin a “blatant interference” that aims to thwart efforts to ensure security and a return to normalcy in the West Bank refugee camp.

The PA has been cracking down on armed resistance groups in Jenin, describing fighters carrying out attacks against Israeli forces as “outlaws”.

Rajab said Israel is interfering to “disrupt efforts” by the PA security establishment to achieve security and stability for Palestinians.

Al Jazeera is reporting from outside Israel because it has been banned by the Israeli government.

There’s been no confirmation from the Israeli military on this drone strike that hit the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. We know at least six Palestinians were killed; their bodies were taken to the Jenin Government Hospital.

But Israeli media are reporting that the target was a well-known fighter within the camp. It’s worth noting that the Israeli army as well as Israeli politicians have been talking about continuing and expanding their operations across the West Bank.

It’s become known as the silent war – parallel, side by side with what Israel is doing in Gaza, but not getting as much attention.

Since October 2023, the Israeli military has significantly upped these raids and drone strikes across the West Bank, saying that they’re cracking down on armed Palestinian resistance.

Hassan Khraisheh, the deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, says the air raid that killed at least six Palestinians in Jenin shows that Israel attacks Palestinians without discrimination.

“This is a clear message from the Israeli occupation that every Palestinian is a target,” Khraisheh told Al Jazeera.

The attack came amid efforts to end the clashes between Palestinian Authority (PA) forces and armed resistance groups in Jenin.

Khraisheh said the air strike in Jenin should bring the PA “back to its senses” and push it to agree to withdraw from Jenin and unite with other Palestinians in opposing the Israeli occupation.

The Jenin Battalion of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades had said earlier today that it agreed to a local initiative to end the Palestinian infighting and stop the bloodshed in the West Bank.

Khraisheh said the PA should also commit to the agreement. He added that deadly Israeli attacks amid the PA’s “siege” of Jenin are sparking immense anger and frustration among Palestinians which may lead to “undesirable consequences”.

“Our enemy is one – whether as resistance fighters or [PA] security forces,” Khraisheh said. “No one is protected against Israeli attacks.”

At least 11 people were killed when the Israeli army bombed a building housing displaced people in Deir el-Balah.

Medical sources told Al Jazeera that this brings today’s death toll from Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip to at least 57.

As we’ve been reporting, an Israeli air strike killed at least five people in the Jenin refugee camp a short while ago.

Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have led incursions into the village of Marah Ma’ala, south of Bethlehem, and Anabta, east of Tulkarem.

The Wafa news agency reports that the Israeli army arrested a young man in Anabta after stopping his vehicle and interrogating him.

The White House has released its account of Biden’s call with Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, saying that “the two leaders discussed the negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal” based on the outline Biden had first presented in May.

“Both leaders emphasised the urgent need for a deal to be implemented to bring immediate relief to the people of Gaza through a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by the ceasefire together with the return of hostages to their families,” the statement said.

“Both leaders committed to remain in close coordination directly and through their teams over the coming hours,” it said.

The Israeli attack that killed at least six Palestinians in the occupied West Bank targeted civilians, including children, a Jenin Battalion commander told Al Jazeera.

The attack comes amid a crackdown by the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security forces against Palestinian armed groups fighting Israel in and around Jenin.

The commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the PA must “lift its siege” on the Jenin refugee camp.

“Israel fights us as resistance fighters, and the PA pursues us as outlaws,” he added.

A protester interrupted the US secretary of state while he was delivering a foreign policy speech, saying a ceasefire deal was close.

The demonstrator accused him of being a liar and war criminal.

Al Jazeera’s White House correspondent Kimberly Halkett has more on Blinken’s speech.

Watch below for more: 

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has been speaking alongside Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Rome.

“The agreement being finalised in these hours on the ceasefire and hostage release is very important news,” Tajani said.

He was happy he was hopeful an agreement would “hopefully open a new phase and allow peace to be restored throughout the Middle East”.

Italy has remained a close ally of Israel, although Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in October that all arms sales had been blocked to Israel amid the war.

However, news reports have indicated that some arms sales had indeed gone through since October 7, 2023.