Senior Hamas officials stated Tuesday that an agreement could be reached soon through which the militant crew would unlock hostages and Israel would unfastened Palestinian prisoners.
Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, were negotiating for weeks over a hostage unlock that might be paired with a short lived cease-fire in Gaza and the access of extra humanitarian help. Similar predictions of a hostage agreement in fresh weeks have confirmed untimely.
Israel’s military is widening its operations throughout northern Gaza, the place they battled Palestinian militants on Tuesday within the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp, the territory’s greatest.
The army stated forces are “preparing the battlefield” within the Jabaliya house, simply north of Gaza City, and feature killed dozens of militants in fresh days. Troops came upon 3 tunnel shafts the place combatants have been hiding and destroyed rocket launchers, it stated.
It wasn’t imaginable to independently verify main points of the preventing. A strike on a close-by sanatorium killed 12 folks on Monday as Israeli troops and tanks battled militants out of doors its gates.
Israel says Hamas makes use of civilians and hospitals as shields, whilst critics say Israel’s siege and constant aerial bombardment quantity to collective punishment of the territory’s 2.3 million Palestinians after Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel.
More than 12,700 Palestinians — two-thirds of them girls and minors — were killed for the reason that struggle started, consistent with Palestinian well being government, who do not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. About 4,000 individuals are reported lacking.
Some 1,200 folks were killed in Israel, most commonly all the way through the Oct. 7 assault, and round 240 have been taken captive by way of militants.
Currently:
— Israel finds signs of Hamas activity at Shifa, however a promised command heart stays elusive
— AP Photos: Babies born upfront in Gaza have been evacuated to Egypt
— Cyprus’ president says his nation is ready to ship aid to Gaza
— Ukrainians who fled their nation for Israel to find themselves again living with war
— Find extra of AP’s protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Here’s what is going down in the newest Israel-Hamas struggle:
HAMAS OFFICIAL SAYS AGREEMENT ON HOSTAGE RELEASE COULD COME SOON
BEIRUT — Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, were negotiating for weeks over a hostage unlock that might be paired with a short lived cease-fire in Gaza and the access of extra humanitarian help.
Hamas has launched 4 hostages, Israel has rescued one, and the our bodies of 2 have been discovered close to Shifa.
Izzat Rishq, a senior Hamas legit, stated Tuesday that an agreement could be reached “in the coming hours” through which Hamas would unlock captives and Israel would unlock Palestinian prisoners. Hamas’ chief in exile, Ismail Haniyeh, additionally stated they have been with reference to a deal, however equivalent predictions in fresh weeks have confirmed untimely.
Israel’s three-member struggle Cabinet met with representatives of the hostages’ families on Monday night. A relative of a hostage stated the officials, together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, advised households the federal government considers the discharge of hostages and the defeat of Hamas to be “equally important.”
Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Chaimi is in captivity in Gaza, stated that used to be “incredibly disappointing” for the households, as Israel has stated it could take months to dismantle the militant crew.
“We will not stop fighting until we bring the hostages home, destroy Hamas and ensure that there is no more of a threat from Gaza,” Netanyahu stated on social media after the assembly.
Hamas gunmen and their allies captured extra 240 hostages all the way through their fatal Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel through which additionally they killed about 1,200 folks, maximum of them civilians.
ISRAEL RECALLS AMBASSABOR TO SOUTH AFRICA AHEAD OF VOTE ON FATE OF EMBASSY
JOHANNESBURG — Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, forward of a parliamentary vote within the African nation to make a decision the destiny of the Israeli Embassy.
Tensions have risen between the 2 nations over Israel’s struggle in Gaza. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has stated his nation believes Israel is committing struggle crimes and genocide in Gaza, the place 1000’s of Palestinians were killed.
“Following the latest South African statements, the Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations,” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated overdue Monday on X, previously referred to as Twitter.
South Africa’s parliament is to vote on a movement to close down the Israeli Embassy and lower all ties with Israel till a cease-fire is carried out in Gaza.
The movement presented by way of the leftist opposition celebration Economic Freedom Fighters has the backing of the governing African National Congress and different smaller events.
South Africa introduced closing week that it has referred what it referred to as Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for an investigation, with its Cabinet calling at the ICC to factor an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
AWARD-WINNING PALESTINIAN POET ARRESTED BY ISRAELI TROOPS, BROTHER SAYS
TEL AVIV, Israel — The brother of an award-winning Palestinian poet in Gaza says he has been arrested by way of Israeli troops and his whereabouts are unknown.
Mosab Abu Toha has been contributing items to Western media for the reason that get started of the Israel-Hamas struggle, portray a dire symbol of its toll on civilians thru his non-public enjoy. His brother, Hamza Abu Toha, posted on X, previously Twitter, on Monday that Mosab used to be arrested whilst evacuating to southern Gaza, following Israeli army orders. Hamza stated his brother’s spouse and youngsters have been allowed to proceed south, however “the military detained my brother.”
Mosab Abu Toha closing posted on X on Nov. 15, writing “Alive. Thanks for your prayers.”
The literary and unfastened expression group PEN stated it used to be involved in regards to the arrest and demanded to grasp Abu Toha’s whereabouts and the cause of his arrest. The New Yorker mag, to which Abu Toha has contributed a couple of articles, referred to as for his protected go back.
The Israeli army stated it used to be taking a look into the studies.
200 EVACUATED FROM GAZA HOSPITAL
GAZA CITY — About 200 folks were evacuated from a northern Gaza sanatorium that used to be stuck up in preventing between Israeli forces and Hamas militants on Monday.
Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesperson for Hamas’ Health Ministry, stated the evacuees from Indonesian Hospital have been taken to southern Gaza in a rescue effort coordinated by way of the United Nations and the International Committee for the Red Cross. Many of the injured evacuees are being handled at al-Nasser sanatorium in Khan Younis, he stated.
Between 400 and 500 extra wounded folks stay at Indonesian Hospital, al-Qudra stated in an interview with Al-Jazeera.
The evacuations got here after 12 folks have been killed when a shell struck the second one flooring of the sanatorium, consistent with the Health Ministry and a scientific employee on the sanatorium. Both blamed Israel, which denied shelling the sanatorium, pronouncing its troops returned hearth on militants who focused them from within the 3.5-acre compound.
WHO SAYS MOST GAZA HOSPITALS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING
GENEVA — The World Health Organization warned Monday that well being products and services in Gaza had suffered “catastrophic” harm, with maximum hospitals now not functioning.
“We now have 1.7 million people displaced so we have twice or three times the population (in the south of Gaza), using one third of the hospital beds in less than a third of the hospitals available,” Michael Ryan, govt director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, advised a United Nations briefing, talking from Geneva.
“Even if tomorrow morning, this were to end in terms of a ceasefire, we still have a huge problem on our hands.”
Ryan stated the products and services within the territory have been already not able to supply maintain extra complicated scientific instances – together with maintain maximum most cancers and kidney dialysis sufferers – and would most probably be crushed by way of some 5,500 births anticipated within the subsequent month.
Plans by way of the Israeli army to push additional south, he stated, would aggravate well being prerequisites even additional.
“The sanatorium state of affairs – the main well being care gadget state of affairs – in Gaza is catastrophic and it’s the worst you’ll be able to consider (within the) north,” Ryan stated.