US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday he asked Israel’s leaders to take action against a rash of violent attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. “We look to see action taken, action taken to prevent that kind of violence, action taken to hold people who are responsible for it accountable,” Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
This blog is no longer being updated. Click here for more on the Israel-Hamas war.
Summary:
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Hamas's armed al-Qassam Brigades on Monday claimed responsibility for a deadly bomb blast in Tel Aviv on Sunday that killed the bomber and wounded a civilian.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the latest diplomatic push by Washington to strike a deal between Israel and Hamas as "probably the best, maybe the last opportunity" to also get the hostages home.
- The UN denounced the "unacceptable" level of violence becoming commonplace against humanitarian workers, a record 280 of whom were killed worldwide in 2023, with the Gaza war fueling potentially higher numbers this year.
- At least 40,139 Palestinians have been killed and 92,743 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:
- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday accused Hamas of being "obstinate" in negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire deal and called for more pressure on the Palestinian militant group ahead of a new round of talks starting Monday.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Sunday in Israel in a bid to advance Gaza ceasefire negotiations. It is his ninth trip to the Middle East since the Israeli offensive began.
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 & Reuters)
