Summary

  • Qatar's foreign ministry tells the BBC it's cautiously optimistic about a new proposal in the Gaza ceasefire talks

  • But there are conflicting reports emerging about how the talks are progressing for both Israel and Hamas in regional media

  • Benjamin Netanyahu also said on Monday evening that a date had been set for an Israeli offensive in the southern city of Rafah

  • Elsewhere, Palestinians describe returning to homes with "hardly anything left" in the devastated city of Khan Younis

  • Khan Younis has been under Israeli bombardment for months - the city and surrounding area are largely destroyed

  • One child, now living in Rafah, tells BBC News "we sleep here with our eyes open"

  • Israel says it is reducing the numbers of soldiers in southern Gaza but stresses a "significant force" will remain in the north

  • The pull-out is being interpreted as tactical, rather than a sign the war may be moving closer to its end

Live Reporting

Barbara Tasch

  1. Palestinians 'filled with hope' of returning to Khan Younis

    Rushdi Abualouf
    Gaza correspondent

    As the war in Gaza enters its seventh month, the hopes of over a million Palestinians in their last refuge in Rafah are growing to return to their homes in northern Gaza.

    Muhammad al-Mughrabi, 32, from Gaza City, currently residing with his family in Rafah, expressed his optimism and hope.

    He told me on Sunday: "Today, I am filled with hope as my neighbour in a tent from Khan Yunis was able to return home.

    "Despite knowing that my house was completely destroyed, I dream daily of returning to my hometown. I will set up a tent over the rubble of my house and live there with dignity, rather than being compelled to reside in the courtyard of a hospital."

    Khan YounisGetty Images

    Recently, thousands of displaced individuals have returned to their homes in Khan Younis, the second largest city in Gaza Strip, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the city.

    Videos circulating on social media depict the extensive devastation in Khan Yunis.

    Numerous buildings have been reduced to rubble, cars lie charred on the roadside, and there is widespread destruction of roads and infrastructure.

    One video from Al-Amal Hospital reveals collapsed walls, shattered windows, and the destruction of the emergency room, rendering the ICU units non-operational. As a result, the city is now devoid of a functional hospital.

  2. Withdrawal comes as Israel faces mounting international pressure

    Hugo Bachega
    Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

    The withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis comes as Israel faces growing international pressure to de-escalate the conflict.

    The Israeli defence minister said soldiers had left the city, the largest in southern Gaza, to prepare for future operations against Hamas.

    It is still not clear what this could mean for a possible incursion into the overcrowded town of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering.

    Israel says an offensive there is essential to defeat Hamas, but the UN and the US have warned that a major operation could lead to a humanitarian disaster. In Cairo, efforts to agree a ceasefire deal continue.

  3. Palestinians return to Khan Younis as Israel withdraws from destroyed city

    Johanna Chisholm
    Live reporter

    Good morning and welcome to our live coverage. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has pulled a major division out of Khan Younis and the Gaza Strip, as Palestinians have begun returning to what is left of their homes the southern city. Israeli media reports say this leaves a much smaller number of troops in Gaza, deployed in the north.

    Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said the withdrawal was to enable the military to prepare for further missions, including a widely criticised plan to invade the southern city of Rafah, which Israel says is still a Hamas stronghold.

    Meanwhile, talks are taking place in Cairo with delegations from Israel, Hamas, Qatar and the US attempting to secure a ceasefire deal.

    We’ll be covering all these lines and more from our newsroom in London, with a team of correspondents deployed across the region bringing in live analysis throughout the day.