JERUSALEM >> Israel and Hamas both signaled over the weekend that efforts for a renewed ceasefire in the Gaza Strip were underway, less than two weeks after the breakdown of a temporary truce and the resumption of Israel’s air and ground campaign against the militant group in the enclave.

Hamas said Saturday that it had accepted a proposal for a new ceasefire, which would see some hostages released from captivity in Gaza. Israel said it, too, had received a proposal via third-party mediators and had responded with a counterproposal in coordination with the United States.

“The military pressure is working,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Sunday in remarks at the start of his weekly Cabinet meeting, adding that Israel was “suddenly seeing cracks” in Hamas’ position.

Since Israel resumed attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18, more than 900 people have been killed, the enclave’s health ministry said Saturday. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Neither side published details of the proposal or the counterproposal, but an official briefed on the talks suggested that they broadly echoed previous proposals floated in recent weeks. While there was no indication that a breakthrough was imminent, the public statements suggested that after weeks of fruitless negotiations, contacts over a deal were proceeding even as the war continued.

On Sunday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said it had recovered the bodies of eight emergency medical technicians, five Civil Defense personnel and a United Nations employee in Rafah in southern Gaza. The medical organization said it had lost contact with nine of its crew members more than a week ago after they were directly fired upon by Israeli forces. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

France’s Le Pen faces possible electoral ban

PARIS >> Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, has tried and failed three times to become president. Now, even as her popularity rises, she may be barred from taking part in an election to lead France if she is found guilty of embezzlement Monday.

Such a verdict has been equated by Le Pen with a “political death” sentence and a “very violent attack on the will of the people.” It would ignite a major political storm at a time when the French Fifth Republic has appeared increasingly dysfunctional.

On the one hand stands the principle, as Nicolas Barret, one of the prosecutors, put it in closing arguments last year, that “We are not here in a political arena but a legal one, and the law applies to all.”

On the other hand lies the fear, expressed by some leading politicians, that a ban would undermine French democracy by feeding a suspicion that it is skewed against the growing forces of the hard right.

Le Pen, 56, has steered her anti-immigrant party from its antisemitic roots toward the mainstream. The party, whose name she changed from the National Front to the National Rally, is now the largest single party in the National Assembly with 123 seats.

Prosecutors have accused Le Pen and other members of the National Rally of embezzling some $4.8 million in European Union funds, essentially through no-show jobs at the European Parliament for lawmaker “assistants,” who were rarely there and worked as party staff.

Le Pen has denied the charges.

Her lawyers argue that the 2016 law under which she can be automatically banned from running for office was not in place at the time of the alleged scheme, and that the people involved were political aides, not European Parliament employees.

The prosecution has requested a five-year sentence for Le Pen, with three of those suspended; a 300,000-euro ($325,000) fine; and a five-year ban with immediate effect on running for public office.

Freezing rain wreaks havoc in Great Lakes

Freezing rain brought down trees and power lines in Michigan and Wisconsin, cutting electricity for thousands of people Sunday in the upper Great Lakes region, while forecasters said severe weather was on its way to Tennessee.

Winds topping 70 mph were possible for the middle of Tennessee, with a chance of tornadoes as well as hail as large as 2 inches Sunday night, the National Weather Service said.

“Have your safe place cleaned out just in case,” forecasters said on social platform X.

More than 400,000 power outages were reported in Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. Churches that had power, as well as schools and fire halls, were turned into warming centers as utilities worked to restore electricity, a job that will likely stretch into Monday in small communities and rural pockets.

Strong earthquake strikes near Tonga

WELLINGTON, New Zealand >> A strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit near Tonga, prompting an initial tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Pacific island country.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 18 miles and was centered about 62 miles northeast of the main island in the early morning hours of Monday local time. Hours later, a second 6.1 magnitude quake hit in the same area.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued an alert following the first quake saying hazardous waves could be possible but later said there was no longer a tsunami threat. A warning was also cancelled hours later by the country’s disaster management office.

There were no reports of casualties and or structural damage, said Mafua Maka, the agency’s director, speaking to Radio New Zealand a few hours after the quake. Further assessment would be made in daylight, local news outlets said.

African charity chief critizizes Prince Harry

LONDON >> The chairperson of an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry accused the royal on Sunday of orchestrating a bullying and harassment campaign to try to force her out as she pushed back following his abrupt resignation from the organization.

Sophie Chandauka, the Sentebale chair, took several shots at Harry on Sky News in which she described how the prince’s Netflix deal interfered with a scheduled fundraiser and how an incident with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, became a source of friction.

The Duke of Sussex cited a breakdown in the relationship between board members and Chandauka when he resigned Tuesday as a patron of the charity he co-founded nearly 20 years ago in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.

Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho said in a joint statement that they quit “with heavy hearts” as patrons in support of the trustees in their dispute with Chandauka.

Famed veteran actor Chamberlain dies

LOS ANGELES >> Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series “Dr. Kildare” who found a second career as an award-winning “king of the miniseries,” has died. He was 90.

Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.

“Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us,” Martin Rabbett, his lifelong partner, said in a statement. “How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure.”

Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65.

Not until 2003 did he acknowledge publicly what Hollywood insiders had long known, that he was gay. He made the revelation in his autobiography, “Shattered Love.”

The actor became known as “king of the TV miniseries” in 1978 when he landed the starring role in “Centennial,” an epic production 24 hours long and based on James Michener’s sprawling novel. He followed that in 1980 with “Shogun,” another costly, epic miniseries based on James Clavell’s period piece about an American visitor to Japan.

--From news services