Hi, from CNN. This is Madeline Thompson with the five things you need to know for Wednesday, December 4th.

The pressure of this monstrous organization called Hamas is increasing. There is a real chance that this time we can advance a hostage deal, and we are acting on this issue with the goal in mind.

That's Israeli defense minister Israel Katz. He didn't go into details on his optimism

or say if an agreement would also include a ceasefire, but said that the ongoing military campaign

in Gaza, combined with, quote, deterrence against Iran and the ceasefire in Lebanon, were putting pressure on Hamas.

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been at a standstill

since the end of August when Hamas executed six hostages in Rafah,

southern Gaza, who had been taken captive on October 7th.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian soup kitchen chef was killed by an Israeli strike over the weekend.

The chef, 33-year-old Mahmoud al-Madun, told CNN in September that he fed between 600 and

800 families per day in the northern Gaza Strip. At least 44,502 Palestinians have been killed

since Israel launched its war in Gaza, according to the Ministry

of Health there. U.S. airline executives are being grilled by lawmakers today over transparency,

the removal of junk fees, and the overall flying experience. Last month, the Permanent Subcommittee

on Investigations published a report that found certain U.S. airlines generated over $12 billion on seat selection fees alone between 2018 and 2023.

CNN's Pete Monteen has the latest.

Hi, Madeline, airlines charging for seat selection, check bags, even carry-on bags, not really all that new,

but this is the first time that airlines have really been put in the hot seat for it on Capitol

Hill. There is a name for this in the airline industry. It's called unbundling, although

Senate Democrat Richard Blumenthal, who called this hearing, calls these fees junk fees.

The airlines are making billions off of this. Their central argument in

this hearing is that the no frills basic economy ticket makes flying a bit more affordable and that

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