Hi there from CNN I'm Joe Beck with the five things you need to know for

Thursday August 15th. A dark milestone has been reached in Gaza as more than

40,000 Palestinians have been killed since

October 7th. That's when Israel launched its war against Hamas after the group's

terror attack that killed more than a thousand people.

The death toll came from Gaza's health ministry today.

CNN cannot independently verify the ministry's numbers, and Palestinian authorities do not distinguish

between combatants and civilians, but it's clear

that many of the dead are civilians, including many children. Negotiations are set to begin today

for a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and

Hamas.

CNN's Germanicar Aceh has more.

Joe, these talks resuming here in Doher today very much seen as the last-ditch effort

of push by the mediators, the US, Qatar and Egypt, both sides Hamas and Israel

have accused the other of obstructing this agreement with last-minute demands.

Expectations are low for these talks, but the mediators are putting what

what appears to be unprecedented pressure on both sides

and will be presenting what they say is a bridging proposal

to try and overcome several of the sticking points that remain.

So much at stake were the devastating death toll in Gaza that is continuing to rise,

the fate of Israeli hostages and an entire region on a knife's edge.

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