Israeli negotiators have reportedly arrived for the next round of ceasefire talks in Cairo, where the issue of the Egypt-Gaza border is expected to be discussed.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied reports suggesting Israel is considering agreeing to an international force being deployed along the Philadelphi Corridor, the narrow border strip separating Gaza and Egypt.

    US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield has urged calm in the Middle East as she told the UN Security Council a ceasefire and captive release deal is “now in sight”.

    Medical sources say at least 47 people have been killed since dawn in Gaza as Israel’s military has stepped up operations in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza and Khan Younis in the south.

    At least 40,265 people have been killed and 93,144 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 and more than 200 were taken captive.

    Australia to hold command of Red Sea maritime task force

    An Australian Navy captain is set to assume command of a maritime task force protecting shipping lanes in the Middle East for the first time, the country’s Defence Ministry has announced.

    The Combined Task Force 153 (CTF 153), which was established in April 2022, was bolstered last December in response to growing Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Yemen-based group says it’s carrying out the attacks to protest Israel’s war on Gaza.

    The government of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, however, will not deploy any additional military resources for the mission. His government faced intense domestic criticism from opposition parties last year for not responding to a US request for more warships to be deployed to the region to protect the shipping lanes.

    Palestinian injured by Israeli live fire in Nablus: Red Crescent

    A young man was injured by Israeli forces’ live fire during their latest raid of the old city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian Red Crescent.

    The storming of Nablus was one of the number of raids carried by Israeli forces overnight.

    Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic reported that Al-Quds Brigades fighters engaged with the Israeli forces during the raid.