Israel-Hamas truce LIVE updates | More hostages for prisoners exchanged on fifth day of temporary cease-fire

The Biden administration has told Israel that it must work to avoid “significant further displacement” of Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza if it renews its ground campaign aimed at eradicating the Hamas militant group, senior U.S. officials said Tuesday. 

Separately, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the Israelis have been receptive when U.S. officials have raised the issue. 

The Democratic administration, seeking to avoid more large-scale civilian casualties or mass displacement like that seen before the current temporary pause in the fighting, underscored to the Israelis that they must operate with far greater precision in southern Gaza than they did in the north, said officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

– A.P.

Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven countries support the further extension of the pause and future pauses as needed in fighting in Gaza to increase assistance and facilitate the release of all hostages, they said in a joint statement.

“Every effort must be made to ensure humanitarian support for civilians, including food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. We support the further extension of this pause and future pauses as needed to enable assistance to be scaled up, and to facilitate the release of all hostages,” the joint statement added.

– Reuters

The White House said on Tuesday that U.S. officials see no indications that Hamas militants are refusing to release American hostages in Gaza in order to use them as leverage.

The United States believes Hamas is holding eight to nine Americans as hostages after the release of a four-year-old girl.

– Reuters

The latest swap of Hamas militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel took place Tuesday evening as part of an ongoing cease-fire agreement between the warring sides.

Ten Israeli hostages — nine women and a 17-year-old girl — as well as two Thais were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza and were back in Israeli territory, the military said. About an hour later, Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners.

– AP

The near-daily attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have stopped since a truce between Israel and Hamas went into effect last week, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

American forces in the two countries have been targeted with rockets and drones more than 70 times since mid-October — a surge in violence the United States has blamed on Iran-backed forces.

“There have been no attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since November 23, since the operational pause began,” Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told journalists.

– AFP

The Israeli army said Tuesday that 10 Israelis and 2 foreigners held hostage in Gaza have been released, arriving in Egypt on the fifth day of a temporary cease-fire.

Hamas released 9 women and a 17-year-old teenager late on Tuesday evening, the Israeli army said. The hostages will be flown to hospitals in Israel, where they will be reunited with their families.

Around 30 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released as part of the deal negotiated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.

– AP

The Israeli military said on Tuesday that 12 hostages who were held in Gaza – 10 Israelis and two foreign nationals – were on their way to Israeli territory, based on information it had received from the Red Cross. 

– Reuters

The United States sent the first of three military planes to Egypt to bring vital humanitarian aid for Gaza during a truce between Israel and Hamas, U.S. officials said.

The relief flights carrying food, medical supplies and winter gear are the first by the U.S. military since the conflict began on October 7. 

The first Air Force C-17 aircraft landed in Egypt with 24.5 metric tons (54,000 pounds) of medical supplies and ready-to-eat food, the U.S. Agency for International Development said.

The United Nations will take the aid from Egypt’s North Sinai region, which borders the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, into the stricken Palestinian territory itself, U.S. officials said.

– AFP

Kfir Bibas has spent nearly a fifth of his life as a Hamas hostage.

The 10-month-old was taken from his home in a southern Israeli kibbutz on October 7, when Palestinian militants abducted about 240 people and dragged them to Gaza. 

Kfir was the youngest of about 30 children who were taken hostage. Under the current temporary cease-fire, Hamas has released women, children and teens, but the infant with red hair and a toothless smile hasn’t been included on the lists of those set to be freed, according to his family.

With most other young hostages already released, Kfir’s fate and that of his 4-year-old brother, Ariel, are now a rallying cry for Israelis seeking the speedy release of all the hostages. A demonstration in support of the Bibas family was held in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

– AP

Jordan’s King Abdullah said Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and army operations in the West Bank “negate human values and the right of life.”

In remarks carried on state media, the monarch who again called for an end to the war, said the Israeli siege on the enclave that prevented for weeks the entry of medicine, food and fuel and cut electricity supplies, amounted to war crimes.

“These are war crimes.. we cannot stay silent,” the monarch said.

– Reuters

The Biden administration has told Israel that it must work to avoid “significant further displacement” of Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza if it renews its ground campaign aimed at eradicating the Hamas militant group, senior U.S. officials said.

The Democratic administration, seeking to avoid more large-scale civilian casualties or mass displacement like that seen before the current temporary pause in the fighting, underscored to the Israelis that they must operate with far greater precision in southern Gaza than they did in the north, the officials said, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

– AP

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres that Israel must be held accountable in international courts for the war crimes it committed in Gaza, the Turkish presidency said.

In a phone call ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting on Gaza planned for November 29, Erdogan told Guterres that “Israel continues to shamelessly trample on international law, laws of war, and international humanitarian law by looking in the eyes of the international community”, his office said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, part of a so-called contact group of Muslim countries that has been holding talks with Western leaders over Gaza, will attend the meeting in New York on November 29, the Foreign Ministry said on November 28.

– Reuters

The population of Gaza, especially women and children, risk famine if humanitarian food supplies do not continue, the U.N.’s World Food Programme warned.

The WFP said it had delivered food to 121,161 people in Gaza since November 24, when a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas began.

“Thanks to the pause, our teams have been in action on the ground, going into areas we haven’t reached for a long time. What we see is catastrophic,” said WFP’s director for the Middle East, Corinne Fleischer.

WFP estimated that it was “highly likely that the population of Gaza, especially women and children, are at high risk of famine if WFP is not able to provide continued access to food”. 

The agency said that six days was “not enough to make any meaningful impact”, calling for “uninterrupted and regular supplies” of food into Gaza.

– AFP

CIA Director William Burns is in Doha, Qatar, for talks on the Israel-Hamas conflict, including discussions on hostages seized by the Palestinian militant group on October 7, a U.S. official said Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

– Reuters

(GENEVA) More people could die from disease than from bombings in the Gaza Strip if its health system is not repaired, a World Health Organisation spokesperson said on Nov. 28.

Gaza health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say more than 15,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, around 40% of them children, with many more dead feared to be lost under rubble.

“Eventually we will see more people dying from disease than we are even seeing from the bombardment if we are not able to put back (together) this health system,” said the WHO’s Margaret Harris at a U.N. briefing in Geneva.

Citing a U.N. report on the living conditions of displaced residents in northern Gaza, she said: “[There are] no medicines, no vaccination activities, no access to safe water and hygiene and no food. We saw a very high number of cases of diarrhoea among infants,” she said. — Reuters

(WASHINGTON) The Biden administration has told Israel that it must work to avoid “significant further displacement” of Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza if it renews its ground campaign aimed at eradicating the Hamas militant group, senior U.S. officials said.

The administration, seeking to avoid more large-scale civilian casualties or mass displacement like that seen before the current temporary pause in the fighting, underscored to the Israelis that they must operate with far greater precision in southern Gaza than they did in the north, the officials said, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

Amid mounting international and domestic pressure over the rising Palestinian death toll, the White House has begun to put greater pressure on Israel that the manner of the coming campaign must be “carefully thought through,” according to one of the officials. The Israelis have been receptive when administration officials have raised these concerns, the official said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear that the Israeli Defence Forces will eventually restart military operations after the conclusion of the current temporary cease-fire.

President Joe Biden has said he would like to see the pause — which has allowed an exchange of hostages and prisoners and a surge of much-needed humanitarian aid to get into Gaza — continue as long as feasible. — AP

(CAIRO) The Gaza Health Ministry says the dialysis unit at Shifa Hospital has been reopened and is receiving patients.

In a brief statement on Nov. 28 , the Ministry invited patients to resume treatment.

Israeli troops raided Shifa, the territory’s largest hospital, earlier this month, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced people who had been sheltering there. The hospital had run low on food, water and electricity, and was no longer able to accept patients.

Israel says Hamas used the hospital for military purposes. The military revealed a secret tunnel leading to several rooms under the complex, along with other evidence of what it says was a militant presence. Hamas and hospital staff have denied Israeli allegations that Hamas had a major command and control centre there.

The World Health Organisation says there are still 180 patients, including 22 on kidney dialysis, and seven health care workers at Shifa.

The current Hamas-Israel cease-fire has allowed some relief goods and supplies to enter Gaza. — AP

(PARIS) France’s Foreign Minister has given behind-the-scenes glimpses into what she described as the “difficult” Qatar-brokered hostage-release negotiations between Israel and Hamas, as she expressed relief that three French citizens were among the latest group swapped on Monday.

“Until the very last moment, you don’t know. Lists are exchanged but afterward there have often been difficulties,” Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna said on November 28 on RTL radio.

She said “there were concerns and questions for part of the day” on Noov. 27 about the latest exchange and that she’d spoken to ministerial counterparts from several Arab nations to push the process along. Finally, “everything went well. Yes, I won’t hide that at the end of the day, there is a big ‘Phew’ of relief”.

The three French citizens released on Nove. 27 were all children, ages 12 and 16. France still counts five citizens missing, some of them thought to be held hostage, from the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel that triggered their deadliest and most destructive war. — AP

(UNITED NATIONS) The head of the United Nations has reiterated his call for a long-term truce in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Palestinian militants.

In a statement on November 28, ahead of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Palestinians were enduring “one of the darkest chapters” in their history.

Mr. Guterres again condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel, which triggered the fifth and by far deadliest war in Gaza, but said it “cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people”.

He called for “a long-term humanitarian cease-fire, unrestricted access for lifesaving aid, the release of all hostages, the protection of civilians and an end to violations of international humanitarian law”.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend a temporary ceasefire through Nov. 29, with more planned releases of militant-held hostages and Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. But Israel has vowed to resume the war to destroy Hamas once it stops releasing hostages. — AP

(JERUSALEM) The Israeli military says 11 hostages were released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip late on November 27.

It is the fourth such release under a cease-fire deal with the Hamas military group. Israel freed 33 Palestinian prisoners later in the day. The hostages were back on Israeli territory and undergoing initial medical checks before being reunited with their families.

The cease-fire had been set to expire early Tuesday. But Qatar, which has been mediating between the sides, said Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the truce by two more days.

Israeli media said the hostages included two women and nine children. Two of the children are 3 years old. — AP

A Red Cross bus carrying Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah early on Tuesday.

Israel’s prison service said it was freeing 33 Palestinian prisoners in the fourth such release as part of the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

The prisoners were greeted by cheering crowds who surrounded the bus as it made its way through the streets of the West Bank city.

So far, 150 Palestinians have been released from Israeli prisons. — AP

Relatives and a friend of Israelis kidnapped and killed by Hamas visited Australia’s Parliament House on Tuesday, sharing personal stories in an effort to lobby for international support for all hostages to be freed — and to support Israel’s war effort.

The group of five will meet political leaders during a two-day visit in Canberra. They are also expected to share their experiences with members of the community in Sydney and Melbourne during a weeklong Australian trip.

Australia’s major political parties have supported Israel’s right to defend itself but have urged Israel to comply with international law by containing non-combatant casualties in Gaza.

– AP

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna welcomed news that three young French nationals were among the hostages released by Hamas on Monday, saying they were in good health.

“We have indirect news and that news is good… It is a great, great relief,” Colonna told RTL radio, when asked about the health of Eitan, 12, Erez, 12, and Sahar 16.

“Three French children were finally freed, now we must work relentlessly for the release of all the other hostages,” she said, adding that five French nationals were still missing or believed to be held hostage.

-Reuters

All Arab ambassadors in India have expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people ahead of the International Day of Solidarity with Palestine on November 29. “We oppose any Israeli attempt to displace Palestinian people from their own land. Call upon India to recognise the situation,” the ambassadors said.

-Kallol Bhattacherjee

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi makes his first official visit to Turkey today, hoping to paper over past differences and forge a forceful joint response to Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Past meetings between Muslim and Arab leaders — including talks this month in Riyadh — have failed to find common ground over what immediate economic and political steps to take.

“Iran expects Turkey to end its direct and indirect trade with Israel,” Istanbul’s Centre for Iranian Studies director Hakki Uygur said.

– AFP

This week, our writers looked at India’s evolving stand on the Israel-Hamas war. Traditionally, write Suhasini Haidar and Kallol Bhattacherjee, India’s position on the Israel-Palestine conflict has always aligned with the Global South, offering full support for the Palestinian cause. It has called for talks to end the conflict, while building stronger strategic, defence, and counter-terrorism cooperation and trade ties with Israel since 1992, after the two countries established full diplomatic relations.

Read more here…

An Israeli hostage freed by Hamas said in an interview that she was initially fed well in captivity until conditions worsened and people became hungry. She was kept in a “suffocating” room and slept on plastic chairs with a sheet for nearly 50 days.

In one of the first interviews with a freed hostage, 78-year-old Ruti Munder told Israel’s Channel 13 television that she spent the entirety of her time with her daughter, Keren, and grandson, Ohad Munder-Zichri, who celebrated his ninth birthday in captivity. Her account, broadcast Monday, adds to the trickle of information about the experience of captives held in Gaza.

AP

Relatives and a friend of Israelis kidnapped and killed by Hamas visited Australia’s Parliament House on Tuesday, sharing personal stories in an effort to lobby for international support for all hostages to be freed — and to support Israel’s war effort.

The group of five will meet political leaders during a two-day visit in Canberra. They are also expected to share their experiences with members of the community in Sydney and Melbourne during a weeklong Australian trip.

AP

Israeli commander Doron Gavish explained the workings of the Iron Dome system as part of a multi-layered defence system that has helped Israel intercept thousands of rockets from multiple targets.

Former Commander of the Aerial Defense Array Brigadier General (res.) Doron Gavish said that the system also helped Israel in minimising the civilian casualties amid attacks.

In a video posted by TPS – Israel’s News Agency, Gavish said, “Iron Dome is part of a multi-layered defence system, developed here during the last 10-15 years. The role of this formation is to defend against threats that arrive at short ranges, whether it is from the direction of Hezbollah or whether it is from the direction of Gaza”.

ANI

The story so far: Over the past weeks, India has expressed itself in statements, joint statements, and votes at the United Nations on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, that saw a temporary pause for the exchange of hostages which began on Friday, November 24. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted two separate virtual summits, the concluding session of India’s G-20 and the second edition of the ‘Voice of Global South’ Summit, and spoke about the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as the importance of heeding the concerns of the developing world. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar travelled to the U.K. for talks, held along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh “2+2” dialogues with their counterparts from the U.S. and Australia where joint statements reflected the West’s position much more.

Read more here…

Many Gazans were hostile to Hamas ahead of the group’s brutal October 7 attack on Israel, with some describing its rule as a second occupation, according to rare polling data analyzed by a US-Palestinian researcher.

The findings are striking against a backdrop of protests and counter-protests triggered by the attack, with the relationship between Hamas and ordinary Gazans often the subject of heated debate.

“We find in our surveys that 67 percent of Palestinians in Gaza had little or no trust in Hamas in that period right before the attacks,” said Amaney Jamal, dean of Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs.

AFP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return this week to the Middle East as the US hopes to find a way to extend a cease-fire in Gaza and get more hostages released, the State Department said. It will be his third trip to the region since Israel’s war with Hamas began last month.

Blinken will travel to Israel and the West Bank after attending Ukraine-focused meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels and Skopje, North Macedonia, where foreign ministers from NATO and the Organisation for Peace and Security in Europe are gathering.

AP

The truce deal has brought more shipments of fuel and supplies into Gaza — although aid groups say that barely makes a dent in the needs of the 2.3 million Palestinians who have endured weeks of Israeli siege and bombardment.

Monday’s releases bring the number of Israelis freed to 50, along with 19 hostages of other nationalities. So far, 150 Palestinians have been released from Israeli prisons.

AP