Hamas response to cease-fire plan seen as 'positive' and 'over the top': Updates

Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on the Israel-Hamas war for Tuesday, Feb. 6. For the latest news on the conflict in the Middle East, view our live updates file for Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Hamas responded to the latest Gaza cease-fire plan Tuesday, drawing reactions that termed its reply anywhere from "generally positive'' to "a little over the top,'' reflecting the complicated nature of the negotiations.

The militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007 said in a statement it approached the proposal "in a positive spirit'' but stuck to its demand of a "comprehensive and complete cease-fire'' in the war, which Israel has repeatedly rejected, insisting instead on a temporary truce that would free the remaining hostages.

Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose country has served as a key mediator, announced the response at a news briefing in Doha with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Al Thani, Qatar's prime minister, did not provide details about the Hamas response but besides seeing it in a positive light, said: "We are optimistic."

Blinken said he would consult with Israeli leaders when he meets them Wednesday and pointed out the current proposal aims to expand on the November deal that resulted in a weeklong truce and more than 100 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners being released.

"There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and, indeed, essential," Blinken said, adding: "We’re also determined to use any pause to continue to pave a diplomatic path forward to a just and lasting peace and security for the region."

In the U.S., the Hamas reply seemed to draw a lukewarm reaction from President Joe Biden, who told reporters at the White House, "It seems a little over the top. We’re not sure where it is."

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying it has received Hamas' reply and "its details are being thoroughly evaluated by the officials involved in the negotiations."

During the current five-day Middle East tour, Blinken has been working with Qatar and Egypt to breathe life into stalled negotiations aimed at pausing and ultimately ending the war. Part of the plan calls for a path toward a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu opposes.

− Contributing: Michael Collins

US targets Iran-backed groups: Strikes continue into second day

Developments:

∎ The U.S. and allies are working on diplomatic efforts to encourage Houthi rebels to halt their disruptive attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, U.S. Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking said in recorded remarks.

∎ Iran will conduct joint naval exercises with Russia and China within the next six weeks, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said. Iran-backed militants have been attacking U.S. bases and disrupting commercial shipping in the Middle East for months.

∎ More than 100 people were briefly taken into custody in Pennsylvania after protesting state investments in Israel on the steps of the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg.

∎ The U.N.'s Palestinian relief agency expects its preliminary report into Israeli claims that a dozen of its employees took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack to be ready by early March. The U.S. and Britain are among several nations that have suspended desperately needed funding pending the probe.

31 of the 136 hostages still held by Hamas have died, family group says

Thirty-one of the 136 hostages not released by Hamas-led militants have died since more than 240 people were seized in a deadly rampage across Israeli border communities Oct. 7, an advocacy group for the families said Tuesday.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said family members of those who died have been notified as the Israeli military obtains confirmation. The forum issued the statement after the New York Times, citing a confidential military assessment, put the number of deceased hostages at 32.

An Israeli military spokesperson told JewishPress.com that families are kept updated with new information, adding that the "vast majority" of the deceased hostages were killed the day they were taken. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on the reports.

More than 100 hostages were freed as part of a weeklong cease-fire deal in November. Israel says 136 others remain in Gaza, including the bodies of those who died.

Family members of hostages and their supporters have repeatedly protested in Israel, urging the government to step up efforts to negotiate for the captives' freedom. The relatives fear more will die as the war drags on. But Netanyahu said again Monday a deal is not imminent.

"Hamas has demands that we will not agree to," Netanyahu said.

Low-flying drone may have eluded defenses at Jordan base, report says

The exploding drone that killed three American soldiers in Jordan last week may have gotten through defenses because it was flying low and the U.S. base it attacked could not shoot it down, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing an early military assessment.

The Jan. 28 assault at the base known as Tower 22 also injured approximately 40 service members and led to a series of retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria that began Friday.

The drone's low flight path allowed it to elude air defenses for Tower 22, which rely on disabling aerial threats or disrupting their trajectory instead of destroying them, the Post report said. U.S. officials initially indicated the hostile drone may have been confused for a surveillance drone returning to the base in a remote part of northeast Jordan near the border with Syria and Iraq.

Houthis continue attacks on commercial ships; US sinks 2 Houthi boats

A British-owned cargo ship sustained minor damage in an attack Tuesday as Houthi militants continued to disrupt shipping in the Middle East despite a U.S.-British aerial assault on their targets just days ago. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said no injuries were reported and the ship continued on its journey after the assault in the Red Sea, about 60 miles off Yemen.

The Houthis also acknowledged targeting another ship in the Red Sea on Tuesday, the Greek-owned Star Nasia, which sustained damage from an explosion but no injuries to its crew, Reuters reported.

On Monday, U.S. Central Command said it had destroyed two Houthi drone boats packed with explosives after determining they presented an "imminent threat" to the U.S. Navy and commercial ships in the region.

The attacks came after U.S. and British missiles struck 36 Houthi targets Saturday, sending what Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called a "clear message to the Houthis" that they will face military repercussions if they don't stop targeting ships in the region.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel war updates: Mixed reaction to Hamas cease-fire response