TRANSCRIPT
- Qatar says ceasefire deal is closer than ever before
- Fears an Australian has been killed by Russian forces in Ukraine
- And in tennis, Alex de Minaur secures a spot in round two of the Australian Open
Hamas officials say they have accepted the conditions of a Gaza ceasefire deal as Israel says progress is being made.
Qatari officials in Doha say they have handed over the final draft of a ceasefire deal to Israeli and Palestinian officials and expect the final details to be agreed upon soon.
The first stage of the deal, if it proceeds as planned, would last for 60 days, see the return of 33 Israeli hostages from Gaza, as well as 1000 Palestinians from Israel.
It will reportedly include a phased partial troop withdrawal from Gaza.
The deal will also see a significant increase of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The issue of how Gaza would be governed is to be tackled in later talks.
Qatari Foreign Minister Majed Al Ansari says this point in the negotiations should have ended a long time ago.
"And we do applaud the fact that the negotiations are taking place, but we also, you know, are urging both sides to end this now and sign the agreement as soon as as possible, so the people in Gaza can have the respite that they need, and both the hostages and prisoners can get back to their families, and life in this region and stability in this region can have a moment of clarity that is much needed. "
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A growing number of Israeli soldiers are beginning to speak out against Israel's actions in Gaza and say they will stop fighting if there is no ceasefire soon.
So far, around 200 soldiers have signed a letter saying they have seen or done things that cross ethical lines and are refusing to serve - they also say they are not alone and want others to come forward and join them.
Yuval Green is a 27-year-old medic and reservist in the IDF, he says is unable to live with what he saw.
"Now when Israel is saying that it's burning down a house, that it is inflicting destruction due to military causes, what it's really saying... it's trying just to explain itself. It has absolutely no idea why soldiers in the field are doing things. Soldiers in the field have a lot of freedom, a lot of freedom of (to) act, they can do pretty much whatever they want, and they won't be accountable. So when my commander told me to burn down a house, he didn't do it because he believed that this was used for terror or something like that, he did it because he just was apathetic towards the lives of the Palestinians."
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State and federal leaders will regularly meet with police chiefs, as Australia seeks answers to what leaders are calling a rising antisemitism crisis.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held talks with premiers from Victoria and New South Wales along with Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw on Tuesday as counterterrorism police investigate a series of attacks on synagogues.
In a statement, the Prime Minister says all three governments are committed to regular conversations - and there was agreement on the value of state police commissioners working directly with the community.
They also referenced updating legislation, although they did not reveal any laws that might be changed.
The meeting came as Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus travels to Israel [[this week]] to meet with the country's officials and push for a peace deal in the region.
Mr Dreyfus says he would call for the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, as well as reiterate support for a ceasefire as endorsed by the UN's Security Council.
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Australian officials are urgently trying to determine the fate of Melbourne teacher Oscar Jenkins, amid reports he's been killed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
The 32-year-old had been taken as a prisoner of war and was shown in social media videos last month visibly bruised and shaken while being interrogated and beaten by a Russian-speaking captor.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs says the reports have not been verified and Australian officials continue to hold grave concerns for Mr Jenkins' welfare.
The federal opposition's spokesperson for foreign affairs, Simon Birmingham, says if reports of an execution are true then the government should respond by expelling Russia's ambassador.
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In Tennis, Alex de Minaur has started his Australian Open campaign with a win against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Hunting a maiden major title, de Minaur lived up to his star billing, needing only 26 minutes to claim the first set on Rod Laver Arena before disposing of his highly rated rival 6-1 7-5 6-4.
De Minaur says he couldn't have done anything more to prepare for his ninth Open.
"I put in countless hours over the better part of six months to get to this point and to be feeling good, feeling comfortable - moving...sliding from one side to the other and not really thinking about my hip. That is obviously an incredible positive. Now, I have to see how the body pulls up from this type of physical tennis. It should be all right. We move onto the next match."
