The prospects for peace in Israel and Gaza

Plus: The global push to lower the price of a life-saving drug, and a close encounter with a hungry elephant

View this email online 14 December, 2023 Sofia Lotto Persio Hello. As Israel resists calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, international editor Jeremy Bowen explores what paths are left to bring peace in the region. DR Congo is holding an election next week but, as Mercy Juma and Samba Cyuzuzo report, those most affected by the conflict that's dominating the campaign will not have a chance to vote. We're also covering efforts to bring down the price of a life-saving drug for cystic fibriosis. Finally, take a look at the footage of an elephant searching a van to get his trunk on any food available. Top of the agenda An opportunity for peace? 18,600 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Credit: Getty Images US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is heading to Israel to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of the war cabinet. The US has been a steadfast supporter of Israel’s offensive to eliminate Hamas, but the countries don't see eye-to-eye when it comes to the future of Gaza. President Joe Biden supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state under the Palestinian Authority, a possibility Mr Netanyahu has strongly rejected. But as the son of a peace activist killed during the Hamas attacks on 7 October tells international editor Jeremy Bowen, Mr Netanyahu's opposition to Palestinian self-determination is invigorating a peace movement within Israel. In a special report, Jeremy examines what must happen to give peace a chance. • US hostages: The relatives of people held captive in Gaza have been reassured the White House is working to free their loved ones after meeting President Biden. • Media freedom: Reporters Without Borders has estimated that 17 journalists have been killed covering hostilities between Israel and Hamas since 7 October. • Get the latest: Israel's ambassador to the UK has reiterated her country's rejection of a two-state solution. Follow our live page for news and analysis. World headlines • Bridget Ziegler: The co-founder of the conservative Moms for Liberty group is resisting calls to resign her seat on a Florida school board after her husband, Republican Party state chairman Christian Ziegler, was accused of sexual assault. His lawyer has denied the allegations. • Press conference: Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting the first major media event since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. • Kathleen Folbigg: A woman once branded "Australia's worst mother" has had her convictions for killing her four children quashed, after spending 20 years in prison. • Hunters and prey: US authorities have charged two men with illegally killing about 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles. • A23a: Satellite images of a mammoth iceberg adrift in the Southern Ocean have allowed scientists to better estimate its thickness. Check out these pictures and graphs to get a sense of its size. AT THE SCENE | Goma, DR Congo Displaced and disenfranchised The people displaced by fighting between M23 rebels and soldiers won't be able to vote in the DR Congo election on 20 December. The conflict between the militia, which claims to represent the country's Tutsi minority, and government forces has heightened tensions with neighbouring Rwanda and is a key issue in the campaign. Mercy Juma and Samba Cyuzuzo, BBC News President Félix Tshisekedi, who is seeking a second five-year term, has been whipping up nationalist fervour by casting the rebels as a front for what he calls the "expansionist aims" of neighbouring Rwanda - and going as far as to compare its president to Germany's World War Two leader. "I'm going to address Rwandan President Paul Kagame and tell him this: since he wanted to behave like Adolf Hitler by having expansionist aims, I promise he will end up like Adolf Hitler," Mr Tshisekedi said at an election rally in the east on Friday. Mr Kagame has not responded, but a Rwandan government spokeswoman said such comments were "a loud and clear threat". Read in full Beyond the headlines The global fight for a fairer drug price Vertex Pharmaceuticals' drug Kaftrio has proven effective for 90% of cystic fibrosis patients. Credit: Just Treatment When Vertex Pharmaceuticals developed a treatment for genetic condition cystic fibrosis, it was hailed as a "groundbreaking" moment for patients. But the yearly cost per patient is thought to be more than £100,000 ($126,000) in the UK. Around the world, authorities and patients alike are trying to force down the cost. Find out more Something different Forgotten Christmas classic One critic argues the Shop Around the Corner rivals It's a Wonderful Life. Here's why And finally... A family on holiday in Sri Lanka experienced a close encounter with a hungry elephant. Watch the unsettling footage filmed from inside the vehicle as the mammal approaches and smashes through the window with its trunk to search for food. 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