The two sides appear closer than they have been in months to reaching an agreement that would bring home dozens of hostages being held in Gaza.

Israel and Hamas on Wednesday accused each other of obstructing negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after Israel withdrew its negotiators from the talks the previous day. Israeli media reported on Wednesday that the refusal by the Palestinian Islamist militia Hamas to hand over a list of the names of the hostages it still holds is hindering progress in the negotiations.

A baby girl froze to death overnight in Gaza, while Israel and Hamas accused each other of complicating ceasefire efforts that could wind down the 14-month war. The 3-week-old baby was the third to die from the cold in Gaza’s tent camps in recent days,

Hamas said it showed flexibility and responsibility during the ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations in Doha with Qatari and Egyptian mediation.

JERUSALEM: The Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel traded blame on Wednesday (Dec 25) over failure to conclude a ceasefire agreement despite progress reported by both sides in past days.

The Health Ministry said 45,028 people have been killed and 106,962 have been wounded since the start of the war in October 2023.

Mawasi, in southern Gaza, on Wednesday, highlighting the stark challenges to survival faced by Palestinian children displaced from their homes amid Israel’s ongoing assault on the strip.