GAZA: The health ministry in Gaza said on Monday that 58 people had been killed in the Palestinian territory in the past 24 hours, taking the overall war death toll to 45,317. The ministry also said in a statement that at least 107,713 people have been wounded in more than 14 months of war by the Zionist entity.

Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers on Monday that “some progress” had been made in negotiations to secure the release of captives held in Gaza. His comments in parliament come two days after three Palestinian groups said in a rare joint statement that a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza war and to exchange prisoners was “closer than ever”.

In recent days, indirect negotiations between the Zionist entity and Hamas mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States were held in Doha, rekindling hope of an agreement, more than 14 months into the Gaza war. “Everything we are doing cannot be disclosed. We are taking actions to bring them back. I wish to say cautiously that there has been some progress, and we will not stop acting until we bring them all home,” Netanyahu said in parliament.

On Saturday, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said in a joint

statement that progress had been made to reach a ceasefire deal. “The possibility of reaching an agreement (for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal) is closer than ever, provided the enemy stops imposing new conditions,” the three groups said after they held talks in Cairo a day earlier.

In his address to lawmakers, Netanyahu also warned the Houthi rebels of Yemen, who last week fired two missiles at the Zionist entity, including one that injured 16 people in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv on Saturday. “I have instructed our forces to destroy the infrastructure of Houthis because anyone who tries to harm us will be struck with full force. We will continue to crush the forces of evil with strength and ingenuity, even if it takes time,” Netanyahu said.

Zionist warplanes retaliated against ports and energy infrastructure, which the military said contributed to Houthi rebel operations, after a rebel missile hit the Zionist entity last week. The Huthis said the Zionist strikes killed nine people. Netanyahu also stated that he wanted to sign new peace accords with Arab countries, similar to the “Abraham Accords” negotiated in 2020 by the United States, which saw Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco establish formal ties with the Zionist entity.

“Moderate Arab countries view (the Zionist entity) as a regional power and a potential ally. I intend to seize this opportunity to the fullest,” he said. “Together with our American friends, I plan to expand the Abraham Accords... and thus change even more dramatically the face of the Middle East.” – Agencies