Live: At least 137 people killed by Israel recovered from rubble in Rafah

For three days in November 2008, Mumbai - India's commercial capital and the heart of its Bollywood film industry - was in lockdown.

Beginning on 26 November, ten heavily armed men, allegedly from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, launched a string of attacks on sites across the city, seizing high-profile buildings and holding civilians hostages.

Thick plumes of smoke hung over the capital's precious symbols, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the 121-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, along with a cinema, a Jewish cultural centre and a cafe in the southern business district.

By the end of the offensive, at least 166 people, including nationals from more than two dozen countries were killed.

Amongst the dead were eight Israelis.

Read more: Fabricating Homeland Security: How India was sold the dream to become 'more like Israel'

Reports emerged on Monday that Qatar had submitted a "final" draft ceasefire and a captive release agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to a source speaking to Reuters.

However, an Israeli source denied that any finalised proposal had been presented. Meanwhile, Haaretz cited other sources indicating significant progress in the negotiations overnight. One source suggested that an agreement is "very, very close to being finalised."

Israeli media report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been unable to secure the support of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for a proposed prisoner exchange deal, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (IBC).

Smotrich, a far-right figure in Netanyahu’s coalition, condemned the agreement, stating, “The exchange deal that is taking shape is a disaster for Israel's national security.” He further declared, “I will not be part of a surrender deal that includes the release of senior ‘terrorists,’ stopping the war, and squandering Israel's achievements.”

Critics argue that Smotrich’s opposition highlights the fractures within Netanyahu’s government and underscores the hawkish stance that prioritises military aggression over diplomatic solutions.

An Israeli drone strike killed a Palestinian in northern Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

In a separate attack west of Khan Younis, five Palestinians were wounded as Israeli drones continued their assault on densely populated areas.

The strikes have drawn criticism for their indiscriminate nature, with rights groups accusing Israel of targeting civilians under the guise of military operations.

Qatar has reportedly submitted a “final” draft proposal for a ceasefire and captive release agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to a source briefed on the negotiations who spoke to Reuters on Monday.

The proposal aims to bring an end to Israel's brutal war in Gaza, which has drawn widespread international criticism for the catastrophic humanitarian toll.

The breakthrough reportedly occurred after midnight in Doha, where talks involved Israel's intelligence officials, President-elect Trump’s Middle East envoy, and Qatar's prime minister.

Observers have criticised Israel for prolonging the conflict and accused it of using excessive force that disproportionately impacts Palestinian civilians.

Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss has claimed the Labour Party is influenced by "Islamism", suggesting it is linked to a purported failure to tackle "grooming gangs".

She further accused Muslim independent MPs of being "Islamist MPs" and suggested Islamism was connected to "climate change extremism".

Truss, who was prime minister for under two months in 2022 and lost her seat in parliament in July 2024, made the comments in an interview on The Peter McCormack Show released on Friday.

The video racked up nearly 300,000 views in three days.

"We know that there is an ideology of Islamism which has become more powerful in British politics," she said, in reference to the so-called grooming gangs scandal that has swamped the political discussion in the past week.

Read more: Former British PM Liz Truss claims 'Islamism' influenced Labour's approach to sexual abuse

Israeli gunboats opened fire west of Gaza City, killing two Palestinians, according to an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent.

The attack occurred in the central Gaza Strip, where Israeli forces have intensified their operations amid widespread condemnation of their tactics.

The Israeli military has announced that its air defences intercepted a drone allegedly launched from Yemen, targeting southern Israel.

At least 13 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli air strikes on the northern Gaza Strip since the early hours of today, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

Israeli occupation forces have arrested five Palestinians during a raid on the Al-Ain refugee camp in Nablus, located in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian news outlet Wafa reported.

US President Joe Biden has pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Biden’s call on Sunday comes as the White House races to broker a truce before Donald Trump assumes the presidency on 20 January. Despite over a year of mediation led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, talks have repeatedly collapsed just as they appeared to be nearing a resolution.

Although US officials have recently expressed cautious optimism about reaching an agreement, critics argue that Biden’s approach has done little to address the underlying causes of the conflict, with many accusing Washington of prioritising Israel’s interests over genuine peace in the region.

An Israeli air strike on Jabalia al-Balad, in northern Gaza, has left one Palestinian dead and five others wounded, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. 

Israeli Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldakov has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to facilitate one million Jews to illegally settle in the occupied West Bank, a move widely criticised for its aggressive expansionism.

Speaking to the Hebrew site Bahdrei Haredim, which covers news related to Haredi Jews, Goldakov urged Netanyahu to "bring a million Jews to Judea and Samaria," the Israeli term for the West Bank.

Goldakov also called for the Gaza onslaught to be leveraged to ramp up settlement construction in the area.

According to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank stood at approximately 770,420 by the end of 2024, living across 180 government-sanctioned settlements and 256 unauthorised outposts.

Settlements approved by the Israeli government are often distinguished from outposts, which settlers establish without formal approval.

Good morning, Middle East Eye readers,

Here are some of the latest updates on Israel's war on Gaza:

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed optimism about securing a Gaza agreement before Donald Trump’s inauguration.

• Speaking to CBS, Blinken stated: "We hope to reach an agreement on Gaza before Inauguration Day."

• Blinken emphasised that any eventual deal on Gaza would likely follow the framework proposed by President Joe Biden.

• Israel insists it will not agree to end the war as part of any ceasefire framework, according to Israel Hayom, citing a security source.

• The Israeli government demands a presence in the Philadelphi Corridor—a critical border area between Gaza and Egypt—during any ceasefire agreement.

• Talks in Doha have reportedly made progress, but significant disagreements remain unresolved.

• On Sunday evening, Israeli occupation forces launched a series of raids across Palestinian towns in the northern West Bank, arresting dozens and raiding homes.

• The raids targeted Deir Istiya, Haris near Salfit, and Al-Yamoun west of Jenin, with reports of widespread detentions in these areas.

• Meanwhile, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles near the Al-Funduq village junction on the Qalqilya-Nablus road, pelting them with stones.

• Several vehicles sustained shattered windows, though no injuries were reported in the attacks.