Israel-Hamas war latest: Netanyahu signals cease-fire deal could be shaping up as deaths top 39,000

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled that a cease-fire deal that would free dozens of hostages from captivity in Gaza could be taking shape. Netanyahu is in Washington, where he was to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Israeli military ordered the evacuation of part of a crowded area in the Gaza Strip it had designated a humanitarian zone, while the Health Ministry in Gaza says over 39,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the nine-month war.

Egypt, Qatar and the United States are pushing Israel and Hamas toward a phased deal that would stop the fighting and free the remaining hostages. Netanyahu's office has said a negotiating team will be sent to continue talks Thursday.

In China, Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a declaration on forming a unity government and ending a yearslong rift. But previous declarations have failed, including a similar deal in 2011, casting doubt over whether the China-sponsored negotiations might actually lead to a resolution.

Here’s the latest:

Israeli forces raid a Palestinian city in the West Bank, killing multiple people

JERUSALEM — Israeli forces raided a Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, the military said Tuesday, killing what it said were two militants. The Palestinian Health Ministry said a woman was killed.

The military said a drone struck militants in the area of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem overnight into Tuesday, killing Ashraf Nafa, who the military said was a local senior Hamas operative. It said another alleged militant, Mohammed Awad, was also killed in the raid, and said both had been behind attacks on Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military statement did not mention the woman killed.

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