Overview

• U.S. officials circulated a 21-point framework that, according to multiple reports, ties an immediate ceasefire to the return of all hostages within 48 hours and a phased Israeli withdrawal.
• Benjamin Netanyahu said the plan is still being worked on with the president’s team and is not finalized, even as he voiced goals to free hostages, dismantle Hamas and demilitarize Gaza.
• Hamas issued a communique stating it has not received an official proposal from mediators, while its armed wing reported losing contact with two hostages during intensified Israeli operations in Gaza City.
• Reported elements include large-scale daily humanitarian access, prisoner releases, a transitional international authority overseeing Gaza with a technocratic interim administration, and a disarmament process for Hamas.
• Regional leaders were briefed at the UN meetings in New York, media say, with some reports mentioning a potential role for Tony Blair, as the war’s toll surpasses 66,000 Palestinian deaths according to Gaza health authorities.