JERUSALEM/UNITED NATIONS/LONDON/BRUSSELS/OSLO/GENEVA/CAIRO - Hamas delegation arrived here in the Egyptian capital on Tuesday to discuss resuming Gaza ceasefire talks, with the goal of reaching a temporary 60-day truce agreement, according to Egypt's Al-Qahera News channel.
Egypt is making intensive efforts with all concerned parties to resume ceasefire negotiations to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip, the news channel quoted an Egyptian official source as saying.
The source confirmed that a delegation of Hamas leaders, headed by Khalil Al-Hayya, arrived in Egypt to consult with Egyptian officials on ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, emphasizing that the visit came after a period of stalemate in the ceasefire negotiation process.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believes the prospects for a partial ceasefire and hostage-release deal with Hamas are no longer possible.
In an interview with Israeli broadcaster i24, Netanyahu said the possibility of reaching a partial agreement "is behind us". He rejected accusations from opposition figures and former senior military officials that he was dragging his feet in the war, saying the goal remains to end the conflict, defeat Hamas, and secure the release of all hostages as part of a single final agreement "on our terms".
"I'm not going back to partial agreements," he said, accusing Hamas of "misleading" Israel, without providing details.
On Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel plans to extend its military campaign beyond Gaza City into the last areas outside its control, where most of the enclave's roughly 2 million residents have taken refuge amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
In a separate development, the Israeli military said Tuesday it killed five "armed militants dressed as aid workers" near a vehicle marked with the emblem of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in a drone strike last week in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Drone footage showed several men in yellow vests standing near a vehicle bearing the WCK's emblem. The military said the individuals were "posing a threat" to Israeli troops, though no soldiers were visible in the video and the men were not seen pointing their rifles at anyone.
The military called the incident "an attempt to conceal their activity and avoid being targeted", adding that Israel's Gaza District Coordination and Liaison Office has verified the information with the WCK, which confirmed that the vehicle has no connection to its operations.
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However, there was no official comment from the WCK, an international humanitarian organization operating in Gaza since the start of the Israeli offensive in October 2023, providing meals and bread. Its operations have been severely limited by shortages caused by the Israeli blockade. There was no immediate comment from Hamas either.
Gaza-based health authorities reported Tuesday five more deaths from famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, including two children, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths to 227, including 103 children.
The total number of people killed by Israeli strikes since October 2023 has risen to 61,599, with another 154,088 wounded, according to the health authorities.
Malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza
Meanwhile, a UN spokesperson said the health authorities in Gaza reported that five people died over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition and starvation, bringing the total number of malnutrition-related deaths to 227.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told a daily briefing that the malnutrition-related deaths include 103 children since October 2023, while the World Food Programme warned that starvation and malnutrition have reached the highest levels in Gaza since the conflict began that same month.
Against this backdrop, humanitarian supplies entering Gaza remain far below the minimum required to meet people's needs, he said, adding that "humanitarian movements still face significant delays and other impediments that prevent the UN from delivering aid at the scale that is needed."
On Monday, the United Nations requested to coordinate with the Israeli authorities 16 missions, including the collection of food, medical supplies and fuel, but only four were facilitated, and three were denied. Another four were impeded but were eventually fully accomplished, said Dujarric.
Action to stop starvation in Gaza
Twenty-four foreign ministers from Britain, France, Australia, and other countries have jointly pledged to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, stressing that the humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached what they called "unimaginable levels".
In an online statement co-signed by senior European Union (EU) officials, the ministers stated: "Humanitarian space must be protected, and aid should never be politicised" in the context of Gaza.
They warned of famine in the enclave, saying: "Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation."
The ministers urged the Israeli government to authorize all international non-governmental organization aid shipments and to unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating. "All crossings and routes must be used to allow a flood of aid into Gaza, including food, nutrition supplies, shelter, fuel, clean water, medicine, and medical equipment," the statement said.
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Signatories of the statement include foreign ministers of Britain, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
EU officials who signed included Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Dubravka Suica, EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean and Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management.
Aid packages airdropped
Also on Tuesday, five countries airdropped a total of 97 food packages into Gaza as a severe famine unfolds in the besieged enclave.
The packages were delivered by the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Belgium, France and Italy, the Israeli military said, noting that the deliveries were made "in accordance with directives from the political echelon."
The military said the airdrops are expected to continue in cooperation with foreign countries, while denying Israel was deliberately causing starvation in Gaza.
Al-Shifa Medical Complex Director Mohammed Abu Salmiya told Al Jazeera TV that famine in the enclave has entered "advanced and dangerous stages," affecting all age groups. About 350,000 children under the age of five are suffering from serious health conditions due to malnutrition, he said.
Norway's fund cuts holdings in Israeli firms
Separately, Norway's oil fund announced Tuesday that it has sold its stakes in several Israeli companies and plans further divestments, following criticism over its investments in firms linked to the conflict in Gaza.
Fund manager Nicolai Tangen told a press conference that "we should have terminated those relationships earlier" and said he takes full responsibility. He added that more Israeli companies would be removed from the portfolio.
According to the fund's half-year report, investments in Israeli firms totaled 22.7 billion Norwegian kroner ($2.2 billion) at the end of June, covering 61 companies. The latest holdings overview shows the fund still owns shares in 44 Israeli companies, meaning it has withdrawn from 17 since June, the Norwegian news agency NTB reported.
Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the divestments and said further measures would be taken.
Formally known as the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), the oil fund is among the world's largest sovereign wealth funds. Its value fell by 156 billion Norwegian kroner in the first half of 2025 to 19.59 trillion Norwegian kroner, despite a 5.7 percent return, partly due to a stronger Norwegian currency.
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UN condemns Israel for killing six journalists
On Monday, the UN condemned the killing of six Palestinian journalists in Sunday's Israeli airstrike on Gaza City as a "grave breach of international humanitarian law".
"Israel must respect and protect all civilians, including journalists," said the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on social media X, calling for "immediate, safe and unhindered access" to Gaza for all journalists.
According to the office, at least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023.
