Middle East conflict live updates: IDF urges civilians to evacuate parts of Rafah; cease-fire talks at impasse

Israel Defense Forces are calling for civilians in parts of Rafah to “evacuate immediately” to a humanitarian zone, saying they will operate with “extreme force” in those areas. Israel’s determination to invade Rafah remains a sticking point in cease-fire negotiations that appear to be at an impasse, with a Hamas delegation leaving the ongoing negotiations in Cairo to consult its leadership in Qatar.

Here’s what to know

• Three Israeli soldiers were killed and others wounded in a rocket attack on the Kerem Shalom border crossing Sunday, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Hamas claimed credit for the strike on the crossing, which was closed for humanitarian aid.
• Israel’s Defense Ministry briefed more than 10 humanitarian groups last week on its planned operation in Rafah, according to representatives from three international aid agencies, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss the briefing. U.S. officials have insisted that Israel provide for the safe evacuation of the more than a million displaced Palestinians sheltering in the city.
• At least 34,683 people have been killed and 78,018 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children.
• Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, including more than 300 soldiers, and says 266 soldiers have been killed since the launch of its military operation in Gaza.

1:43 AM: Cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas at an impasse

Middle East conflict live updates: IDF urges civilians to evacuate parts of Rafah; cease-fire talks at impasse

Cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas appear to be at an impasse, with a Hamas delegation leaving the ongoing negotiations in Cairo to consult its leadership in Qatar. Israel did not send a delegation to Cairo, an Israeli official said.

CIA Director William J. Burns traveled to Qatar on Sunday to prevent the talks from collapsing, according to an official briefed on the talks. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.

The latest proposal, submitted to Hamas last week, includes an initial 40-day cease-fire, during which Israeli troops would suspend combat operations and withdraw from populated areas. Hamas would begin releasing hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, at the same time.

Hamas wants a permanent end to the war, a demand rejected by Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas for holding onto “extreme positions,” saying that Israel had shown willingness in negotiations. On Sunday, Netanyahu accused Hamas of “holding up the release of our hostages” and said Israel was “ready for a pause in the fighting.”

Another sticking points is Israel’s planned offensive in Rafah. The Biden administration has expressed concerns about such an assault — warning of a “disaster” scenario.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin in a call with Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday stressed that the need for any military operation in Rafah should include “a credible plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians and maintain the flow of humanitarian aid,” according to the Pentagon.

By: Niha Masih

1:43 AM: Israel shuts down Al Jazeera’s operations, raids Jerusalem office

A man maneuvers media equipment following an Israeli police raid on an Al Jazeera de facto office at the Ambassador Hotel in Jerusalem on Sunday.

JERUSALEM — Israel’s government moved Sunday to shut down the Al Jazeera Media Network’s operations in Israel, clamping down on one of the few international broadcasters providing largely uninterrupted coverage of the Gaza war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision followed a unanimous vote by Israel’s war cabinet, posting on X that “the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel.” In a separate statement, he accused Al Jazeera correspondents of having “harmed the security of Israel” and said “the time has come to eject Hamas’s mouthpiece from our country.”

Israel’s actions placed it in the company of several autocratic countries in the region that have tried to stifle the network — which has attracted praise and controversy since it was founded nearly 30 years ago and helped reshape the media landscape in the Arab world.

“This is a dark day for the media,” the board of Israel’s Foreign Press Association said in a statement. “This is a dark day for democracy.”

Read the full story

By: Kareem Fahim and Adela Suliman