LIVE: Israeli negotiators head to Cairo amid push to extend Gaza ceasefire

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Saudi Arabia a day after meeting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who hailed President Donald Trump’s plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza.
• Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, says talks on phase two of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire will continue this week, as Israeli negotiators head to Cairo. Rubio says Hamas “must be eradicated”, casting doubt on the deal.
• Meanwhile, Israel is still blocking tens of thousands of mobile homes and tents from entering the Strip – one of the conditions of the agreement. The Israeli military’s attacks also continue across the occupied West Bank.
• Gaza’s Health Ministry has confirmed 48,271 Palestinian deaths in Israel’s war on Gaza, while 111,693 people have been wounded. The Government Media Office has updated its death toll to at least 61,709 people, saying thousands missing under the rubble are now presumed dead. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, and more than 200 were taken captive.
• Hamas hails African Union for decrying Gaza genocideHamas has hailed the AU for condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza after the bloc criticised Israel for violating international laws in its closing remarks following a two-day summit in Addis Ababa.Hamas said it greatly appreciates the African countries’ “principled and courageous position” against Israel and its “monstrous” actions in Gaza.The group said it considers its stance a natural response given its history of struggle against “colonialism and injustice”.In its statement, the AU said it opposed the violation of international laws and “the targeting of civilians and infrastructure by Israel”.“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people and must be held accountable in international courts,” the statement read.
• Demanding complete Hamas exit from Gaza ‘unrealistic’: AnalystThe Saudi-led counterproposal to Trump’s ethnic cleansing plan for Gaza can present an opportunity to move past the current political impasse, says Tamer Qarmout, associate professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.“It’s yet to be seen how the Israelis and Americans react to it, and the most problematic aspect is Hamas and where it fits in the big picture,” he told Al Jazeera, pointing out that Israel and the US emphasise they want the group ousted from the governance of Gaza.“Hamas has said it does not want to play a role in governance but wants to remain in the Palestinian political and social scene as a political movement,” Qarmout said.“The proposal could say Hamas has to exit the political scene, which is unrealistic and unethical in my opinion, or there would be a reformed Palestinian Authority or a reformed Palestinian Liberation Organisation that will bring all Palestinians together and regain international legitimacy, including from the Americans and the Israelis.”
• Photos: Israel continues to block mobile homes, tents in violation of ceasefireIsrael’s 15 months of war destroyed 70 percent of the buildings in the Gaza Strip, and most families have nowhere to live.But Israel is still blocking shelters from entering the Strip – one of the conditions of the agreement. Tens of thousands of mobile homes as part of the ceasefire deal have still not been allowed into Gaza, and are stuck at the Rafah crossing with Egypt, awaiting Israeli permission to enter Gaza.Under the ceasefire, Israel had agreed to allow 60,000 mobile homes and 200,000 tents into Gaza. But only 20,000 tents have been allowed in and none of the mobile homes.
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• Tents are set up among the rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on January 29, 2025 [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
• A Palestinian man sits amid the rubble of buildings in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 16, 2025 [Hatem Khaled/Reuters]
• An aid truck in Rafah on February 16, 2025 [Hatem Khaled/Reuters]
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• A Palestinian man lights a fire outside his tent, set up near the rubble of his house in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, February 13, 2025 [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]
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• sraeli army soldiers and private security forces stand by Egyptian trucks carrying humanitarian aid supplies for the Gaza Strip waiting at the Israeli side of the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) border crossing with Gaza in southern Israel on February 16, 2025. [Menahem Kahana/AFP]
• One person killed in Israeli air raid on vehicle in Lebanon’s SidonThe Israeli military has targeted another car with at least one person inside who was killed at the scene in the city of Sidon, according to local media reports.The identity of the driver remains unknown, and the Israeli army had no immediate reaction.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/17/live-trump-says-israel-to-choose-path-for-gaza-ceasefire-with-his-help