23-‘ November-2023
After More than 14,500 Palestinians people killed in Gaza Israel and Hamas accepted the release of the hostages
Truce will start at 7am on Friday and first captives will be freed at 4pm, Qatari foreign ministry says.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says will stop coordinating hospital evacuations with the WHO after Israel arrested the director of al-Shifa Hospital.
Pause in fighting a chance to reach people in Gaza’s north: UNRWA chief
In a statement after his second trip to Gaza since the war began, Philippe Lazzarini said he witnessed “the unspeakable suffering of people” in the enclave.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees is now hosting more than one million people in schools and other facilities across Gaza, and the displacement continues, he said.
“As we all anticipate the beginning of the much-awaited pause, I reiterate my call for a longstanding humanitarian ceasefire,” Lazzarini said.
“People are exhausted and are losing hope in humanity. They need respite, they deserve to sleep without being anxious about whether they will make it through the night. This is the bare minimum anyone should be able to have.
“The pause is also an opportunity to reach people in need including in the north and to start repairing civilian infrastructure.
Palestinian children wounded in Israeli air raids
Palestinian children wounded in the latest Israeli air raids on Khan Younis receive medical attention at Nasser Medical Complex.
Palestinians stranded in Egypt can return to Gaza as of Friday: Statement
The Palestinian embassy in Cairo says it has been informed by Egyptian authorities that Palestinians stuck in the northern part of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, which borders Gaza, can “voluntarily return” on Friday.
“Egyptian authorities have confirmed that others stranded in Cairo or other Egyptian governorates will be allowed to voluntarily return as of Saturday, November 25, onwards,” the mission added in an online statement.
There are 920 Palestinians stranded in El Arish, the capital city of northern Sinai, according to Kamal al-Khatib, the Palestinian embassy’s delegate at the Rafah border crossing.
The planned repatriation comes after Israel and Hamas reached a mediated deal involving a pause in fighting and exchange of captives being held in Gaza and Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
Aftermath of Israeli strike on Rafah in southern Gaza
Qatar says time of truce to be announced soon
Qatar says the exact time of the truce will be announced “within hours”.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told the Qatari News Agency that talks were “continuing in a positive way”.
He added that Qatar is working with both sides, as well as Egypt and the US, to guarantee that the truce begins quickly and that everything is provided to ensure that both sides commit to the deal
Silence is not an option for me’: Hollywood actress Melissa Barrera
Melissa Barrera, who was axed from a Hollywood movie earlier this week for her pro-Palestine posts, said “silence is not an option for me”.
Following the news of her firing from a Scream sequel, Barrera wrote on Instagram: “First and foremost, I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.”
“I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me,” she added.
The production company Spyglass told Variety on Tuesday that Barrera was not fired due to her support for Palestinians but that her posts on social media were interpreted as being anti-Semitic, which they have “zero tolerance” for.
German police raid properties linked to banned Palestinian organisations
More than 300 German police officers took part in raids against two banned Palestinian organisations in Berlin this morning.
Across the country, 15 properties were raided and searched, 11 of them in Berlin, a spokesperson for the Senate Interior Administration said.
Seven searches in Berlin were connected to Hamas, and four were related to Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoners Solidarity Network, both of which have been banned since early November.
Spain in favour of recognising Palestinian state
Correction: An earlier version of this post said Spain was in favour of recognising the state of Palestine “in the very short term”.
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares says Spain is in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire “in the very short term”, as he reiterated his country’s support for a Palestinian state.
In an interview with Spanish radio station RNE, Albares said that a Palestinian state “will be the best guarantee for peace in the Middle East”.
PM Pedro Sanchez is visiting Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories today alongside his Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo
Filipino students hold a protest calling for ceasefire in Gaza
Filipino students and activists hold a protest at the University of the Philippines in in Quezon City, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.