In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, negotiations for a possible deal to release some of the 240 hostages seized by Hamas during last month's attacks on Israel are showing signs of progress. However, the details and timing of the agreement remain unclear.

In a parallel development, more than two dozen premature infants from Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, were transported to hospitals in Egypt on Monday. The hospital had been damaged during the fighting and lacked electricity to run its incubators. The Palestinian Red Crescent facilitated the transfer of the infants to the Emirati Hospital in Rafah City in southern Gaza, before crossing into Egypt. Three of the newborns were assessed as stable and did not require further transfer.

Amidst these developments, negotiations for the hostage-release deal involve discussions about the possible exchange of between 50 and 100 women and children held on both sides. Palestinian officials have suggested that the agreement may also include a temporary pause in hostilities. Before any deal can be finalized, it would need to receive approval from Israel's cabinet. This process could take up to 72 hours, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

Outside the meeting between Israel's war cabinet and relatives of the hostages, chaos ensued when the space proved insufficient to accommodate all the family members. It highlights the emotional weight hanging on the outcome of these negotiations.

In another tragic incident, the Hamas-run territory's health ministry reported that at least a dozen people were killed at the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza during Israeli shelling. The Israeli army issued a statement explaining that its forces had encountered gunfire from within the building and thus responded by targeting the specific source. However, Israel has faced criticism for the military strikes on medical facilities, including accusations of using hospitals as covert Hamas command posts.

In response to the destruction inflicted on Gaza's hospitals, Jordan announced it would be sending a field hospital to Gaza to replace those damaged or destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. This would be the first field hospital to arrive since the conflict began last month.

Lastly, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed shock at the killing of dozens of people, including women and children, at two schools run by UNRWA, the U.N. refugee agency overseeing Palestinians. At least one of the schools was being used as a shelter by civilians in Gaza.

As negotiations for the release of hostages and the overall conflict continue, the international community closely watches for developments that may lead to a cessation of hostilities and the much-needed relief for the affected populations.