Biden believes deal for Hamas to release hostages is close - BBC News
The US president replies "I believe so", when asked if an agreement could soon see hostages freed from Gaza.
A premature baby being prepared for evacuation from Gaza's al-Shifa hospital Image caption: A premature baby being prepared for evacuation from Gaza's al-Shifa hospital

It's just gone 02:30 in Israel and Gaza - and 00:30 London time. Here's a look at some of the latest headlines:

US President Joe Biden says a deal that would see Hamas releasing hostages could be close. Asked by a reporter whether a rumoured agreement was near, he said: "I believe so".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - a humanitarian organisation which facilitated previous hostage releases - says its boss has travelled to Qatar to meet with Hamas. The development has further raised hopes that an agreement could be imminent.

Our Jerusalem correspondent Tom Bateman says any deal could be staggered - with groups of hostages freed at a time, in return for a sustained ceasefire.

Twenty-eight out of 31 premature babies who were evacuated from the besieged al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza on Sunday have now been taken into Egypt.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 12 of them have been flown to Cairo for further treatment - all of whom are fighting "serious infections and other conditions".

The director of Gaza's Indonesian Hospital has told the BBC there is still “intermittent shooting” being heard at the site.

The World Health Organization has labelled an earlier attack on the building - which Hamas said killed 12 people - as "appalling".

The hospital director said he believed the strike came from Israeli forces. The Israeli military said it had come under fire "from within" the hospital and retaliated, but insisted it did not fire shells toward the hospital.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza now says 13,300 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive. Of that figure, at least 5,600 of the dead are children.

Israel began its operation following an attack by Hamas on 7 October that killed 1,200 people.