A Hamas delegation led by deputy leader Khalil Al-Hayya arrived in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Thursday for talks on Gaza, the militant group said in a statement.
“A delegation from the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas arrived Thursday morning, headed by Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy head of the movement in Gaza, traveled to Cairo to complete talks related to the ceasefire,” the group said.
CNN reported on Wednesday that Hamas had presented its response, proposing a three-phase deal — with each lasting 45 days — that would see the gradual release of hostages held in the enclave in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, as well as the start of a massive humanitarian and rebuilding effort.
Contrary to earlier demands, Hamas did not call for an immediate end to the war.
Negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would take place during the truce, and the remaining hostages would only be released once a final deal to end the war was agreed, the document said.
Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for saying Wednesday that he had not committed to the "delusional" demands of Hamas and that Israel's aim is "complete victory." He also called on the US to stop supporting Israel.
1:31 a.m. ET, February 8, 2024
It's morning in Gaza. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Smoke rises over the city as Israeli attacks continue in Rafah, Gaza, on February 7. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu/Getty Images
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the Hamas counterproposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal leaves room for a potential agreement.
“While there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’ response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there,” he said at a news conference in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Blinken said he discussed the proposal with Israeli government officials.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier dismissed Hamas’ proposals, calling them “delusional.” But the Israeli leader did not rule out the possibility of further negotiations.
Hamas delegation will travel to Cairo: Hamas will send a delegation to Cairo Thursday to follow up on the counterproposal it offered, the group's spokesperson Osama Hamdan said in Beirut. He described the Hamas counterproposal as a "positive response" that "guarantees reconstruction, lifting the siege, and releasing prisoners."
US targets Kataib Hezbollah commander: A US military strike in Baghdad killed Wisam Mohammed Saber al-Saedi, a Kataib Hezbollah commander who was responsible for attacks on American forces in the region, according to US Central Command. According to a Biden administration official, there's more to come in response to the deaths of three US soldiers in Jordan.
US raises concern over Israel's operations in Rafah: Blinken raised concerns about a potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Gaza’s southern city of Rafah during meetings with Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials, two Israeli officials told CNN. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concerns over the escalating humanitarian crisis in Rafah, saying an extension of Israeli operations there would have "disastrous" repercussions.
Iraq issues warning to US after drone strike kills militia commander in Baghdad
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq in Baghdad
Civil defense members gather at the site of a burned vehicle targeted by a U.S. drone strike in east Baghdad, Iraq, on February 7. Hadi Mizban/AP
Iraq has issued a warning to the United States in response to an airstrike late Wednesday in Baghdad that killed a senior commander with the pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah militia.
Iraq's Joint Operation Command called the strike a "new aggression by the United States, adding that the move acted to "undermine all understandings" between Iraq and the US, in a statement posted by spokesperson Tahseen Al Khafaji on X.
The spokesperson also reiterated what the country said after the first series of US strikes in Iraq last Friday in retaliation for the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan, which was to call the strikes a "violation of Iraqi sovereignty."
Kataib Hezbollah is considered the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq and part of a state-sponsored consortium of militias in the country known as the PMU (Popular Mobilization Forces), many of them Shia militias, that help maintain security there.
But just days after the killing of the three US soldiers in Jordan on January 28, Kataib Hezbollah announced it was suspending its military operations against US forces, which was seen as signs the group feared blowback by the US on itself, as well as other pro-Iran militias or even Iran proper in response to the US solider deaths.
12:56 a.m. ET, February 8, 2024
Iraq was not notified of Baghdad strike on Kataib Hezbollah commander until shortly after, US official says
From CNN's Haley Britzky
People gather as a destroyed vehicle is loaded onto a truck, after what security sources said was a deadly drone strike, in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 7. Ahmed Saad/Reuters
Iraq was not notified of the US military’s strike on a Kataib Hezbollah commander in Baghdad until shortly after it occurred, a US official said Wednesday.
“We were clear in public statements and in private conversations with the Iraqis that the United States would respond to the attack a time and place of its choosing,” the official said, referencing the deadly drone attack in Jordan that killed three US soldiers.
The official said a notification of the strike prior would not have been provided out of operational security concerns.
The official added the strike was in planning “from the moment the president directed the military to review options” following the Jordan attack.
1:06 a.m. ET, February 8, 2024
US says it killed Kataib Hezbollah commander in Iraq responsible for attacks on American forces
From CNN staff
People inspect a vehicle after what security sources said was a deadly drone strike, in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 7. Ahmed Saad/Reuters
A US military strike killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander in Iraq on Wednesday evening who was responsible for attacks on US forces in the region, according to US Central Command.
The attack was carried out by a drone that hit a SUV in the Al-Mashtal, a predominantly Shia neighborhood in eastern Baghdad. The two people who were inside the vehicle have not been identified because the bodies were completely charred from a fire that erupted from the strike, local police officials said.
The identity of the commander has not yet been released, but three US officials told CNN that the US targeted Wisam Mohammed Saber al-Saedi. Additionally, A senior local security source and a senior source with the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) told CNN that a senior leader with the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia was killed in the attack.
Kataib Hezbollah is considered the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq and part of a state-sponsored consortium of militias in the country known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU) — many of them Shia militias — that help maintain security there. fsenior leader with the Iran-backilled in the strike ked Kataib Hezbollah militia was killed in the attack.
Kataib Hezbollah released a statement mourning al-Saedi early Thursday morning (Baghdad time.) The militant group said al-Saedi’s death “calls us to remain steadfast in the jihadist approach.”
12:50 a.m. ET, February 8, 2024
"There won’t be any hostages to release" if Israel maintains plan to eliminate Hamas, former hostage says
From CNN's Amy Cassidy in London and Lauren Izso in Tel Aviv
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a media conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 12. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Former Israeli hostage Adina Moshe on Wednesday criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that "there won’t be any hostages to release" if his government continues its plan to eliminate Hamas.
Moshe, 72, who was kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz and held hostage in Gaza for seven weeks, spoke at a news conference for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum — directing her comments specifically to Netanyahu.
“Mr. Netanyahu, I’m turning to you. It’s all in your hands. You are the one. You’re the one who can. And I’m really afraid that if you continue the way you do, the destruction of Hamas, there won’t be any hostages to release," Moshe said.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters also delivered a message to Netanyahu and the Israeli War Cabinet in a release on Wednesday.
"If the hostages are not returned home: the citizens of Israel should know they live in a state that is not committed to their security, that the mutual responsibility in it has died," the families forum said in the release. "They who do not protect their citizens will find that their citizens lose faith in them and their leadership."
Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu reiterated that Hamas must be destroyed for Israel to be safe. He dismissed Hamas’ proposals for a ceasefire and hostage deal, calling them “delusional.”
But the Israeli leader did not rule out the possibility of further negotiations.
12:00 a.m. ET, February 8, 2024
Here's what it's like inside an underground tunnel in Gaza
From CNN's Ivana Kottasová in Khan Younis, Gaza
CNN was among a small group of reporters granted a military escort by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to see two interconnected tunnel compounds in Khan Younis, including a musty chamber — which looks like a makeshift cell — where the Israeli military says Hamas held at least 12 hostages.
CNN could not independently confirm Israel’s account, but details of it tally with descriptions in Israeli media from hostages who say they were held there. The IDF has shown similar complexes to other media in eastern Khan Younis.
Entering the tunnel: A CNN journalist entered the tunnel network through the wall of a basement now entirely exposed by a giant crater, the area surrounded by blown-out, multi-story residential buildings.
An Israeli soldier guards an entrance into a tunnel network discovered by Israel Defence Forces underneath a residential neighborhood in Khan Younis on Sunday, February 4. Ivana Kottasová/CNN
What's it like in the tunnel: The stale, damp air inside the tunnel smells of sewage. The walls are slimy, and they feel like they are closing in. When the light goes off, everything is plunged into complete darkness.
In the darkness underground, minutes feel like hours, and after a few turns down different shafts, it’s impossible not to feel disoriented. The compound is hot and very humid. Its tiled walls and floors are wet with condensation. The air feels heavy, as if oxygen is running out.
As a condition to enter Gaza under IDF escort, news outlets must submit photos and raw video footage to the Israeli military for review prior to publication. The IDF did not review this written report.
International media have been blocked access to the strip since the war began. CNN agreed to the terms to provide a rare glimpse into wartime Gaza, as Israel tries to find the remaining hostages and pushes further south into areas where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled.
Israel says that Hamas built a vast network of compounds like this one, connected by tunnels and shafts deep underground. The southern city of Khan Younis, which Israel considers one of the “main strongholds” of the group, is the current epicenter of fighting.
Inside the subterranean complex, the shafts are cramped.
Some of the tunnels are flooded ankle-deep in mud.
Signs of use for extended periods: What was clear from CNN’s tour is that the compound was used for an extended period of time. Discarded trash, empty food and drink packaging, soiled blankets and random pieces of clothing lie scattered around. In a kitchen fitted with basic equipment, dirty dishes are discarded in a sink.
A room inside the underground compound under a residential neighborhood in Khan Younis. The IDF said this room was likely used by guards. Ivana Kottasová/CNN
Some thought seems to have been put into the interior design of the compound's facilities, including this kitchen wall. The IDF said that the way the compound was furnished was a sign that the compound was used by Hamas leaders. Ivana Kottasová/CNN
11:59 p.m. ET, February 7, 2024
UN chief expresses concern over humanitarian crisis in Rafah
From CNN's Richard Roth and Eyad Kourdi
Children carry belongings as Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis move towards Rafah, Gaza, on January 29. Mohammed Salem/Reuters
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres expressed deep concerns over the escalating humanitarian crisis in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Wednesday, saying an extension of Israeli operations there would have "disastrous" repercussions.
Rafah is “where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been squeezed in a desperate search for safety," he said in an address to the UN General Assembly Wednesday.
Highlighting the dire situation as a "humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences," he urgently called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages”.
Earlier on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also raised concerns about a potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Rafah during meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials, two Israeli officials told CNN.
Rafah is where thousands of displaced civilians fled to as fighting intensified in northern Gaza and slowly made its way south.
Those trapped in the city have no remaining escape route. The city borders Egypt, and the crossing into that country has been closed for months.
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military's chief of staff, briefed Blinken on Wednesday on Rafah, one Israeli official said, including the complexity of maneuvering in an area with so many civilians and which is located right on the Egyptian border.
11:59 p.m. ET, February 7, 2024
Palestinian Authority president and US secretary of state discuss Gaza and aid efforts in meeting
From CNN’s Ibrahim Hazboun and Eyad Kourdi
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hands with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah on February 7. Mark Schiefelbein/Pool/AP
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the latest developments in Gaza at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah on Wednesday.
Blinken and Abbas spoke about "developments in the ongoing efforts to stop the aggression against our people,” according to the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA.
The president highlighted the importance of swiftly delivering relief, medical and food supplies, along with essential services like water, electricity and fuel, to facilitate hospital functionality and shelters across Gaza, WAFA reported.
Abbas also called for the US recognition of Palestinian statehood and a full United Nations membership, highlighting a two-state solution as essential for peace.
“His Excellency reiterated that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian state, and it is not possible to accept or deal with the plans of the occupation authorities to separate it, or to cut off any inch of its land, and it falls under the responsibility of the State of Palestine and under its administration,” WAFA said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly dismissed the idea of a Palestinian state or a role for the Palestinian Authority in post-war governance.
