Almost 20 killed in overnight strikes on Gaza as ceasefire hopes raise

Hopes are rising that a ceasefire agreement can be reached to end a war that has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians (Picture: Tsafrir Abayov/AP)

Israeli strikes across Gaza have killed 19 people overnight, including a woman and her six children, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to the region to try to seal a ceasefire deal after months of contentious negotiations.

The US and fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar appear to be closing in on a deal after two days of talks in Doha, with American and Israeli officials expressing cautious optimism.