US Secretary Blinken in Israel to urge cease-fire in Gaza, says ''the time is now''

US Secretary of State Blinken visited Israel to urge a ceasefire deal, warning Hamas of blame for any failure. Blinken stressed the importance of freeing Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The emerging truce plan involves a phased hostage release, humanitarian aid delivery, and prisoner exchanges. Turkey has joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. A leaked proposal details a potential agreement, including an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas seeks clarification on the unconditional return of displaced people and a complete Israeli troop withdrawal. The Gaza Health Ministry reports 33 additional deaths from Israeli strikes, raising the Palestinian death toll to over 34,500. Blinken met with Israeli leaders and families of hostages, calling for a ceasefire "now." The deal faces a sticking point on whether the war will end as part of the agreement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on Wednesday to press for a cease-fire deal, saying "the time is now'' and warning that Hamas would bear the blame for any failure to get an agreement to halt the war in Gaza off the ground.

Blinken greeted the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza who were protesting outside a meeting between him and Israel's president, telling them that setting their loved ones free was "at the heart of everything we're trying to do." On his seventh visit since the latest war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October, Blinken is trying to advance a truce that would free hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a halt to the fighting and delivery of much needed food, medicine and water into Gaza. Palestinian prisoners are also expected to be released as part of the deal.

On October 7, militants launched an unprecedented raid into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting around 250 hostages. Israel says the militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

The Israel-Hamas war has flattened huge swaths of Gaza's north, and famine is imminent for the hundreds of thousands of civilians who remain there. Nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,500 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and sparked a humanitarian catastrophe. On Tuesday, Blinken said that Israel plans on opening a major humanitarian aid crossing into hard-hit northern Gaza. Currently: — Blinken urges Israel and Hamas to move ahead with a cease-fire deal and says the time is now.' — Lebanese Christian leader says Hezbollah's fighting with Israel has harmed Lebanon. — Police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University while clashes break out at UCLA. — A Portuguese-flagged ship is hit far in Arabian Sea, raising concerns over Houthi rebel capabilities.

Here's the latest: TURKEY SAYS IT WILL JOIN SOUTH AFRICA'S CASE AGAINST ISRAEL AT ICJ Ankara: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says his country has decided to formally join the legal case alleging genocide filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, in Ankara, Fidan said Turkey would submit an official application to intervene in the case against Israel at the ICJ after completing procedures. He did not give a time frame.

"We hope that with this step the proceedings at the International Court of Justice will move in the right direction," Fidan said.

South Africa filed a case at the ICJ accusing Israel of breaching the UN Genocide Convention with its military offensive against Hamas. Israel fervently denies that its military campaign in Gaza amounts to a breach of the Genocide Convention. Turkey is among the strongest critics of Israel's military actions in Gaza. Turkish President has described Israel's actions as war crimes and genocide while asserting that the Hamas militant group, considered a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union, is fighting for the liberation of its lands and people. A LEAKED CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT INCLUDES ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM GAZA Cairo: A leaked proposal detailing an emerging cease-fire agreement would include an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in exchange for a planned release of hostages.

The proposal, confirmed on Wednesday by an Egyptian official and a Hamas official, sheds light on the thorny details being hammered out in a bid to secure the deal. The details were first reported by Al-Akhbar, a Lebanese newspaper close to Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group.

According to the proposal, Hamas would release female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during the first week of a 40-day initial phase of the deal.

After this first batch, Israeli troops would withdraw from a coastal road and head eastward to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid and allow the return of displaced civilians to their homes in northern Gaza. Hamas would also provide a list of hostages who are still alive during that time.

Within the third week, both sides would start indirect negotiations that aim to restore permanent calm. Three weeks into the first phase, Israeli troops would withdraw from central Gaza.

The second six-week phase would finalize arrangements for a permanent calm, the release of all remaining hostages, both civilians and soldiers, held by Hamas, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. The soldier hostages will not be released before the start of the calm.

The third and final stage would include the release of the remains of hostages held in Gaza, more prisoners held by Israel and the start of a five-year reconstruction plan. The plan says that Hamas would agree not to rebuild its military arsenal.

Hamas earlier Wednesday said it wanted clarity from Egyptian mediators over certain terms of the deal, specifically over the unconditional return of displaced people to the north of Gaza and assurances the second stage will include a full withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza.

The Egyptian and Hamas officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing behind the scenes negotiations.

IN ISRAEL, BLINKEN ADDRESSES PROTESTERS SEEKING HOSTAGES' RETURN Tel Aviv: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken greeted the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza who were protesting outside a meeting he held earlier Wednesday with Israel's president.

Blinken briefly greeted several dozen demonstrators calling for an immediate hostage release deal on the sidewalk outside a Tel Aviv hotel. Earlier, he had met the families of Americans held captive by Hamas.

Chanting "SOS, USA, only you can save the day" and "In Blinken we trust, bring them home to us," the protestors urged Blinken to make their case to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his War Cabinet.

Blinken told them that setting their loved ones free was "at the heart of everything we're trying to do." In its October 7 raid, Hamas killed 1,200 people and took some 250 people captive. About 100 were freed in a November truce. Hamas and other militant groups still hold 100, as well as the remains of 30 more, according to Israeli authorities.

Blinken is in the region to try to push Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire deal that might bring a pause to the nearly seven-month-long war and free some of the remaining hostages. An emerging deal would see the release of 33 hostages in a first phase lasting six weeks, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

HEALTH MINISTRY ADDS 33 PEOPLE TO THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR DEATH TOLL IN GAZA Cairo: The Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday the bodies of 33 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 hours. Hospitals also received 57 wounded, it said in its daily report.

That brings the overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war to at least 34,568, the ministry said, and 77,765 wounded.

The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its tallies, but says that women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed.

The Israeli military says it has killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to back up the claim.

HAMAS ASKS MEDIATORS TO CLARIFY CEASE-FIRE TERMS Cairo: Hamas has asked Egyptian and Qatari mediators to provide clarity on the terms of the latest cease-fire proposal being discussed as part of negotiations with Israel, an Egyptian official said Wednesday.

The official, who has close ties to the talks and spoke on condition of anonymity in order to freely discuss the deal, said Hamas wants clear terms for the unconditional return of displaced people to the north of Gaza and to ensure that the second stage of the deal will include discussing the gradual and complete withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the entire Gaza Strip.

The official said the current deal didn't fully explain who would be allowed to return north and how it would be decided.

It was not clear if Hamas' demand for clarity would delay progress on the deal that's emerging out of some of the first serious rounds of talks between the sides in months. Israel and Hamas have been far apart on the key issue of whether the war eventually ends as part of a later phase of the deal.

The emerging phased deal includes the release of 33 civilian and sick hostages held by militants in exchange for a halt to the fighting and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

BLINKEN IN ISRAEL TO PRESS THAT THE TIME IS NOW' FOR A CEASE-FIRE DEAL Tel Aviv: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was meeting with Israeli leaders on Wednesday, telling the country's ceremonial president that "the time is now" for a cease-fire deal.

Blinken has blamed Hamas for any delay is getting a deal off the ground.

"We are determined to get a cease-fire that brings the hostages home and to get it now, and the only reason that that wouldn't be achieved is because of Hamas," he said.

Blinken visited key regional leaders in Saudi Arabia and Jordan before arriving to Israel. He met Israeli President Isaac Herzog and was set to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later. According to the State Department, he will meet also with families of the hostages as well as visit an Israeli port where aid is entering for shipment to Gaza.

The emerging deal between Israel and Hamas appears to be gaining steam but a key sticking point remains over whether the war will end as part of the agreement, a demand Hamas has stuck to and which Israel rejects.