Antony Blinken arrives in Tel Aviv to discuss Gaza ceasefire

As the war between Israel and Hamas enters its fifth month on Wednesday, February 7, efforts for a ceasefire continue. US diplomat Anthony Blinken is due to meet with Israeli leaders to promote a new deal, including the release of hostages. The Secretary of State visited Egypt and Qatar, two countries at the center of mediation efforts, on Tuesday before landing in Tel Aviv (Israel) late in the evening. Follow our live stream.

“Positive” response from Hamas to cease-fire plan, says Qatar. Led by Doha and Egypt, the deal offers the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a pause in fighting between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Hamas confirmed it had submitted its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators but did not specify its content.

Fighting continues in Gaza. The bombings particularly affected the Gazan cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah. More than 1.3 million displaced people are now concentrated in the latter in desperate conditions.

D5 people were killed in an Israeli attack in Syria. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, three civilians were among the victims of these bombings Holmes area. Syrian state television broadcast footage of rescuers searching through the rubble of a collapsed building and a man being carried away on a stretcher.