The US national security team briefed President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris on US efforts to "support the defense of Israel" and "continued diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tension". Israel confirmed it would send a delegation to a new round of Gaza peace talks in Doha set for Thursday, with US, Egypt, and Qatar officials also set to attend. Hamas representatives will not attend, but are expected to be briefed by mediators afterward. Israel braces for a possible retaliatory strike from Iran following the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
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Summary:
- An Israeli delegation will be attending peace talks in Doha on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu confirmed, along with officials from the US, Egypt and Qatar.
- The Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Wednesday it would not take part in a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks Thursday in Qatar, dimming hopes for a negotiated truce that could hold back an expected Iranian attack on Israel. Mediators are, however, expected to brief Hamas after the talks.
- Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas is set to meet with Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara following a visit to Moscow.
- At least 39,965 Palestinians have been killed and 92,294 wounded in Israel's war in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. The Hamas-led October 7 attacks resulted in the deaths of more than 1,190 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures. Some 250 people were taken hostage, with about 120 remaining in Gaza. Many have been declared dead by Israeli authorities.
Yesterday's key developments:
- The United Nations, the EU and France condemned Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Tuesday, saying it violated the historical status quo of holy places in Jerusalem.
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The US has approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, including scores of fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles, the State Department announced Tuesday. The sale comes as Biden presses Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire after 10 months of bloodshed, although the weapons could take years to reach Israel.
- An 18-year-old man shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on Monday had been freed during the November truce in the Gaza war, a Palestinian prisoners watchdog has said.
Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent. For more on the health ministry’s casualty figures, click here.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
