US, Qatar, Hamas Envoys in Cairo for Truce Talks

Envoys from the United States, Qatar and Hamas were in Cairo for the latest round of talks over a proposal to pause the five-month-old war.

According to a senior US official, Israel has broadly accepted the terms, which would see stepped-up aid deliveries and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Several sticking points reportedly remain, including Hamas's insistence that Israeli forces entirely withdraw from the devastated territory.

Taking an unusually sharp tone, she demanded Israel "do more to significantly increase the flow of aid" into Gaza, where she said people are starving and the conditions "inhumane".

"Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire."

Pressure for a truce has mounted after attempted aid deliveries have descended into scenes of tragedy, and convoys have failed to reach families gripped by food shortages in the north.

After UN warnings of famine in Gaza, the United States started airdropping food rations, following in the steps of Jordan and some other countries.

The former Israeli military chief, a centrist and longtime rival of Netanyahu, will also meet White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan.

A White House official said the discussions would include the need for a hostage deal, temporary ceasefire and expanding aid flows into Gaza.

Despite the latest push to halt the fighting sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, there has been no letup to the pummeling of Gaza.

Correspondent reported several air strikes in southern Gaza's Rafah and Khan Yunis.

The war began after the Palestinian militant group's unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people.

Around 250 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. The Israeli army says 130 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom 31 are believed to be dead.