An Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Qatar this morning for a resumption of negotiations with mediators on a potential ceasefire in the Gaza war.
The move comes amid divisions within Israel’s security cabinet over the latest proposal from Hamas to release hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Meanwhile, clashes have been reported overnight in Nablus between Palestinians and Israeli settlers.
The news organisation Al Jazeera has reported violent clashes between Israeli settlers and security forces and Palestinian youths in the West Bank town of Nablus in an apparent attempted demolition of Palestinian buildings.
There has been an increasingly violent pattern of Israeli settler violence and demolitions in West Bank communities since the October 7 Hamas attacks, and it reflects deeper tensions over the expansion of illegal settlements under the current right-wing coalition government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
There have also been reports of an overnight Israeli airstrike on a residential building in central Gaza.
Witnesses have reportedly put the death toll at 12, including women and children.
David Barnea, head of Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, is expected to travel to Doha later this morning to resume negotiations with Egyptian, Qatari and US mediators on the latest ceasefire proposal by Hamas.
Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold a meeting of his security cabinet to discuss the proposal before the delegation departs.
His finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, from the ultra nationalist Relgious Zionism party, has warned the prime minister not to send the delegation, saying that Israel should press ahead with its planned military operation in Rafah in southern Gaza.
