Progress made in talks over Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release, officials say
Cairo, Jan 13: US and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal hasn't been reached yet, officials said Monday.
Four officials acknowledged that progress has been made and said the coming days would be critical for ending more than 15 months of fighting that has destabilised the Middle East. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to discuss the talks.
A US official briefed on the negotiations said all sides are "closer than we've ever been, but it could still fall apart." The official declined to predict the timing of a potential agreement because he said it is just too uncertain, with multiple moving parts still in play.
Two other officials, including one associated with Hamas, said that there were still a number of hurdles to clear. On several occasions over the past year, US leaders have said that they were on the verge of reaching a deal, only to have the talks stall.
Another person familiar with the talks said there had been a breakthrough overnight and that there was a proposed deal on the table. Israeli and Hamas negotiators will now take it back to their leaders for final approval, the person said.
The person said that mediators from the Gulf country of Qatar had put renewed pressure on Hamas to accept the agreement, while US President-elect Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, was pressing the Israelis. Witkoff recently joined the negotiations and has been in the region in recent days.
The person said that the mediators had handed off the draft deal to each side and that the next 24 hours would be pivotal.
An Egyptian official said that there had been good progress overnight, but that it would likely take a few more days, and that the sides were aiming for a deal before Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20. A third official said that the talks were in a good place, but hadn't been wrapped up. That official also assessed that a deal was possible before the inauguration.
Asked about the talks at a press conference, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said “progress has been made, and I hope that within a short time we will see things happening. But it is still to be proved."
A Hamas official said a number of contentious issues still need to be resolved, including an Israeli commitment to ending the war and details about the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the hostage-prisoner exchange. The official wasn't authorized to brief media and spoke anonymously.
The Egyptian official confirmed that those issues were still being discussed.
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Kerala minor girl rape: 44 arrested, two accused abroad, says police
Pathanamthitta (PTI): The special investigation team (SIT) of Kerala police probing the sensational case of alleged sexual abuse of a Dalit girl in the district has arrested 44 people so far in connection with the matter, a senior police officer of the district said on Tuesday.
DIG S Ajeetha Begum, who is overseeing the investigation, said that 30 FIRs have been registered in connection with the alleged sexual assault of the girl and out of the 59 accused mentioned in the cases, 44 have been arrested.
"Two of the accused are absconding. They are abroad at present. We are considering issuing Look out Circulars for them. We are also planning to issue a Red Corner notice for them through Interpol," the officer told TV channels.
Besides them, 13 more have to be arrested, she said.
"We are searching for their locations. They will be arrested soon. A foolproof and scientific investigation will be carried out by the SIT. We will not spare any of the accused. There will be no compromise. We will bring all of them before the law," the officer said.
The investigation so far has revealed that several of the accused met the girl at a private bus stand in Pathanamthitta. She was then taken to various locations in vehicles and subjected to abuse, police said.
The probe also found that the girl, while she was studying class XII last year, was taken by a youth who was acquainted with her through Instagram to a rubber plantation in Ranni, where he raped her along with three others.
Police said the investigation revealed she was gang-raped on at least five occasions, including incidents inside a car and at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital in January 2024.
The girl, who is now 18 years old, has alleged in her complaint that she was sexually abused by 62 individuals since the age of 13.
The matter came to light during counselling conducted by the Child Welfare Committee, after the victim's teachers at an educational institution informed the panel about noticeable changes in her behaviour.
The Committee, subsequently, notified the police and an investigation is on.
The SIT had been formed to conduct a comprehensive probe into the incident, with Pathanamthitta Deputy SP P S Nandakumar leading the team under the supervision of District Police Chief V G Vinod Kumar.
The team comprises over 30 police officers, including women, from various ranks and stations.
DIG Ajitha Beegam said that once the Sabarimala pilgrimage season gets over, more officers will be included in the SIT.
