The Latest: Israelis and Palestinians will mark 2 years of war

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It’s been two years since thousands of Hamas-led militants poured into southern Israel after a surprise barrage of rockets. They stormed army bases, farming communities and an outdoor music festival, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, including women, children and older adults and abducting 251 others.

In response, Israel launched an offensive into the Gaza Strip that has killed tens of thousands of people and razed entire towns and cities. As the U.S. is seeking to broker a ceasefire after nearly two years of war, those who can are fleeing another Israeli invasion of Gaza City while others are sheltering in place. Many are unable to make the arduous and costly journey south.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll in the war reached 67,160 on Monday.

Here's the latest:

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told Parliament that Australia must do everything in its power to ensure and that there are both an Israeli state and Palestinian state in a future without Hamas.

Albanese on Tuesday condemned Hamas for its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“Their attack on a music festival that promoted friends, love and infinite freedom, an event attended by so many young people, underlined a core truth -- Hamas stands in opposition to all humanity and all that we value as human beings,” Albanese said.

Earlier he condemned pro-Hamas graffiti painted around Melbourne on Tuesday as “abhorrent.” Words including “Glory to Hamas” and “Oct 7, do it again” were painted in black letters in Melbourne.

In remarks to New Zealand’s Parliament on Tuesday, foreign minister Winston Peters spoke of a “day of infamy” on Oct. 7, 2023 when “Hamas mounted its heinous attacks on Israeli citizens” as well as those from other countries.

“That event set off what must seem to most New Zealanders like yet another of the seemingly never-ending cycles of violence in that region,” he told lawmakers in Wellington. “We have strongly condemned the overwhelming nature of Israel’s military response as Palestinian citizens have paid a disproportionate price for the sins of Hamas.”

Peters’ government said in September that New Zealand would not yet recognize an independent Palestinian state. He on Tuesday reiterated that his government supported the peace plan proposed by President Trump, adding that “those countries with leverage” were most likely to succeed in a diplomatic solution.

Earlier on Tuesday, a man was charged with burglary after he allegedly smashed a window at Peters’ Auckland home while pro-Palestinian protestors rallied outside on Monday evening.

Israelis prepared to mourn the dead Tuesday as the nation marks two years since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack plunged the region into a devastating war, while Israel and Hamas hold indirect talks in Egypt.

The main memorial ceremony is being organized by bereaved families, separate from a government memorial set to be held on the Hebrew calendar anniversary next week.

The split reflects deep divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, which many blame for the failure to secure a ceasefire that would free the remaining hostages held by the militant group.

Israeli and Hamas officials are set to continue indirect talks Tuesday at an Egyptian resort on a U.S.-drafted peace plan.

The talks began Monday and unfolded amid many questions about the plan presented by U.S. President Donald Trump last week, including the disarmament of the militant group — a key Israeli demand — and the future governance of Gaza.

Despite Trump ordering Israel to stop the bombing, Israeli forces have continued to pound Gaza with airstrikes.

An Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks said the parties wrapped up Monday’s round of negotiations at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and the discussions were set to resume Tuesday afternoon. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the parties have agreed on most of the first-phase terms, which include the release of hostages and establishing a ceasefire.