Middle East latest: US 'actively working' on six-week ceasefire - as Biden makes Rafah plea
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US President Joe Biden has stated that the US is actively working on a six-week ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war. Biden has had calls with Israel, Egypt, and Qatar regarding the ceasefire and has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against conducting a ground operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of civilians. The US Senate has passed a bill providing Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan with nearly $100 billion worth of funding, but it still needs to go through the Republican-led House of Representatives. Thousands of Palestinians in Rafah will be forced to relocate for the fourth or fifth time since the war started. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has focused on the western part of Khan Younis, claiming to have killed around 30 Hamas or aligned fighters and strengthening operational control of the area. Officials from the US, Israel, Qatar, and Egypt are expected to meet in Cairo for talks on a potential ceasefire in Gaza. Ukraine's military intelligence has reported that Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are training Russian drone operators in Syria. The Hamas-run health ministry claims that at least 28,473 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7. The IDF has shared images from its operations in the Gaza Strip, as it prepares for an assault on Rafah. Israel has stated that there will be a plan to evacuate civilians in Rafah before sending troops in on the ground.

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https://news.sky.com/story/middle-east-latest-two-hostages-rescued-from-gaza-says-israel-violent-strikes-launched-on-rafah-reports-12978800