Israel-Hamas LIVE: Terror group claims enemies are 'close to reaching truce deal' as IDF units close in around another hospital

Last night, we reported that horrifying new footage captured during the Nova festival massacre has demonstrated how Hamas terrorists gunned down two women as they tried to flee, during the horrific assault on October 7.

The footage was captured from security cameras at Kibbutz Alumim, which is located just to the east of where the festival was held.

To read our full story, follow the link below:

An award-winning Palestinian poet in Gaza has been arrested by Israeli troops and his whereabouts are unknown, his brother has said.

Mosab Abu Toha has been contributing pieces to Western media since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, painting a dire image of its toll on civilians.

His brother, Hamza Abu Toha, posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday that Mosab was arrested while evacuating to southern Gaza, following IDF orders.

Hamza said his brother's wife and children were allowed to continue south, but 'the military detained my brother.'

Mosab Abu Toha last posted on X on November 15, writing 'Alive. Thanks for your prayers.' His last tweet is shared below.

The literary and free expression organization PEN said it was concerned about the arrest and demanded to know Abu Toha's whereabouts and the reason for his arrest.

The New Yorker magazine, to which Abu Toha has contributed multiple articles, called for his safe return.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports.

Israeli politicians clashed with the families of hostages trapped in Gaza last night in a fierce debate over proposals to expand the death penalty for October 7 perpetrators.

Hen Avigdori, whose wife and daughter were among some 240 kidnapped by Hamas last month, urged lawmakers during a National Security Committee meeting to 'stop talking about killing Arabs and start talking about saving Jews.'

The families have concerns that the implementation of the death penalty could have repercussions for their relatives still in Gaza.

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The UN's World Food Programme has made an urgent plea for food to be sent to Gaza, warning that the strip's food systems are collapsing.

Under the deal that is reportedly being discussed between Israel, Hamas and Qatari mediators, part of the agreement would allow for up to 300 trucks of food and medical aid to enter Gaza.

Aid groups say a bare minimum of 100 trucks need to be entering Gaza every day in order to sustain the population. Far fewer than that have been entering the territory on average since the start of the conflict.

The IDF has reported more clashes across Israel's border with Lebanon in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Since the start of the conflict, Israeli forces have clashed with militants fighting for the Hezbollah terror group, who support Hamas and are backed by Iran.

'A short while ago, IDF aircraft identified and struck three armed terrorist cells in the area of the border with Lebanon,' the statement said.

'In addition, IDF fighter jets struck a number of Hezbollah terror targets, including military infrastructure and structures used for directing terrorist activity.

'A short while ago, terrorists fired mortar shells at an IDF post in northern Israel. No injuries were reported. IDF artillery is currently striking the source of the fire.'

Pictures across the border today showed smoke rising in the hills, thus appearing to confirm that fighting has taken place in the region.

Russia's Vladimir Putin will discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with the leaders of the BRICS bloc in a video conference today, the Kremlin says.

The group is then expected to issue a joint statement.

The voice of the BRICS (an intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) needed to be heard in the world, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The Russian president has called for the conflict in Gaza to end on a number of occasions since the fighting broke out, without acknowledging the death and destruction his invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022 has caused.

The oil market is 'on edge' over the latest crisis in the Middle East, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol has told an energy conference in Norway today.

The war in Gaza between Israel and militant Palestinian group Hamas has not currently had a significantly effect on market prices, he added.

However, 'if one or more of the oil producing countries in the region is directly involved in the conflict, we may see the implications of that,' Birol said.

Almost 50 percent of all buildings in north Gaza have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes, according to Evan Hill, a reporter at the Washington Post.

He cites a report from the publication that has mapped the damage to the northern region of Gaza, with the damage largely centred around Gaza City.

The report says satellite imagery shows 'places of worship, hospitals, schools and residential areas have also been damaged or destroyed.'

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu last night vowed there would be no letup in the army's offensive in Gaza, again pledging to crush Hamas and ensure the hostages are released. His comments came before the new reports of a potential truce.

'We will not stop fighting until we bring our hostages home,' Netanyahu declared on Monday after meeting relatives of those abducted.

But families expressed frustration after the meeting.

'We wanted to hear about a deal and that return of the abductees is a priority among the war objectives. We didn't hear that,' said Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Haimi is among the roughly 240 hostages being held inside Gaza.

Here are some of the latest pictures sent to us over the wires showing the situation on the ground today and yesterday.

Smoke continues to rise over Gaza today amid talks of a truce deal being close.

Meanwhile, pictures released by the IDF show Israeli tanks and troops operating inside the Gaza Strip as they continue with their mission to eliminate Hamas

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has issued a statement warning against the hostage deal that is reportedly set to take place.

'I'm very concerned because there is talk of some deal… we are being kept out [of the details], and we're not being told the truth,' the far-right hardliner said, according to the Times of Israel.

'The rumors are that Israel is again going to make a major mistake in similar vein to the [2011] Shalit deal.'

He expressed his concerns that 'a deal might bring disaster', citing the possibility of releasing Palestinian protesters and allowing fuel into Gaza.

Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem 'for consultations' ahead of a parliamentary vote in the African country to decide the fate of the Israeli embassy today.

'Following the latest South African statements, the Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations,' Israel's ministry of foreign affairs posted late last night on X, formerly Twitter.

This came ahead of a vote in South Africa's parliament on a motion to shut down the Israeli embassy and cut all ties with Israel until a cease-fire is implemented.

The motion tabled by the leftist opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters has the backing of the ruling African National Congress and other smaller parties.

Below, pro-Palestinian supporters are seen demonstrating outside the entrance to the Israeli embassy in South Africa.

Israeli troops battled Palestinian militants in a dense, urban refugee camp on Tuesday as the army expanded operations across northern Gaza.

In its daily update on the conflict on Monday, the US-based Institute for the Study of War said Israeli forced had advanced to the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya.

The hospital borders the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp. The ISW said the IDF clashed with Palestinian terrorists on the camp's western border.

Clashes were also reported in the middle of the Gaza strip, where the think tank said 'Palestinian militia fighters attacked the IDF behind the Israeli forward line of advance in the Zaytoun area.' It said this was consistent with clearing operations.

The organisation also reported fighting in the West Bank, where it said Palestinian fighters clashed with Israeli forces in eight places.

Catherine Russell, UNICEF's Executive Director, has said that the reported number of children in Gaza has risen past 5,000.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she called for the conflict to end.

Russell visited the Gaza Strip last week, saying: 'The parties to the conflict are committing grave violations against children; these include killing, maiming, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access – all of which UNICEF condemns.'

More than 13,000 people have since been killed in Israel's aerial bombardment and ground operations in the Gaza Strip, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry says.

The IDF have released footage on social media of Israeli soldiers advancing through Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp.

The Israeli military said its Division 162 - also known as the Steel Formation - 'completed the encirclement of Jabalia tonight'.

Before the war, Jabalia had a population of more than 170,000. It has been the target of multiple Israeli air strikes since the outbreak of the conflict.

Watch below:

In Scotland, First Minister Humza Yousaf will lead a debate on a ceasefire in Gaza today, amid mounting pressure in the UK on officials over the war.

Mr Yousaf tabled a motion on Monday which will be debated in Holyrood, calling for an 'immediate ceasefire' in the conflict.

It will also condemn the 'barbaric and unjustifiable' Hamas attacks of October 7 and demand the release of all hostages taken.

Here is our main story this morning, that brings you the news that Hamas has claimed it is close to agreeing a truce with Israel.

Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement issued this morning that the terror gorup has delivered its response to Qatari mediators.

Qatar is understood to be working on the agreement.

Click the link below to read the full report:

Good morning and welcome to MailOnline's liveblog covering the 45th day of the on-going war between Israel and Hamas.

The war was sparked on October 7 when Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in shocking cross-border raids into Israel.

Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry says more than 13,000 people have been killed inside Gaza by Israel's relentless bombardment and siege.

Amid reports that the two enemies are nearing a truce agreement that could see hostages released, and as IDF troops close in around another hospital, here's what you need to know about the conflict on November 21, 2023:

Update includes reporting from AFP news agency