22- Nov-2023- News Agencies
White House will continue to back Israel after truce
Spokesman John Kirby said US support for Israel will not waiver following the agreement.
He also said the White House hopes several hundred more aid trucks carrying food, water and medicine will reach Gaza in the coming days.
Kirby added there were some “positive indications” that Israel and Saudi Arabia do not want to give up on a possible normalisation of diplomatic relations, which was being discussed before the outbreak of war in Gaza on October 7.
UN humanitarian chief hails truce deal, says he hopes it will lead to lasting ceasefire
In a post on X, Martin Griffiths said he hopes the Qatar-mediated truce between Israel and Hamas “brings some respite to the people of Gaza and Israel”.
“I look forward to the implementation of the humanitarian pause and hope it leads to a longer-term humanitarian ceasefire,” he said.
Netanyahu calls release of Palestinian women, children held in Israeli prisons a ‘risk’
In a news conference that has largely been devoted to promising the war on Gaza will continue after the temporary truce deal, Israeli PM Netanyahu also addressed criticism over the release of Palestinian prisoners.
About 150 Palestinian women and children are expected to be released as part of the agreement; most of the children were charged with low-level crimes, such as stone-throwing and damaging property.
Netanyahu told reporters that those set to be released “are not murderers” but are still “bad people” and promised that Israel would do everything to assure that those released do not pose a risk to Israelis.
Israel is the only country in the world that regularly prosecutes children in military courts
Mossad head has received list of names of captives to be released: Israeli media
Several Israeli news o犀利士 utlets have reported that Mossad chief David Barnea has received the list while in Qatar finalising the final details of the agreement.
Israeli officials have said the list will not be published and families will not be notified until after their loved ones are released.
Israel and Hamas agree on Qatar-mediated deal for a four-day truce in Gaza and release of 50 captives held in the enclave.
About 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails to be freed as part of the deal, according to Hamas.
PM Netanyahu says agreement does not mean war will stop, vows Israeli military will press on after the pause in fighting.
More than 100 Palestinian bodies held in al-Shifa Hospital by Israeli forces buried together in Khan Younis.
More than 14,500 people killed in Gaza since October 7.
In Israel, the official death toll from Hamas’s attacks stands at about 1,200.
US president calls Qatar’s leader in thanks for captive deal mediation
The Amiri Diwan has announced that US President Joe Biden has called Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Qatar was the central mediator in the negotiation of the recently accepted deal to release some captives held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails.
The deal also includes a four-day pause in the fighting in Gaza, and will allow for more humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
“The State of Qatar affirms its commitment to ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, stop the bloodshed, and protect civilians. In this regard, the State of Qatar appreciates the efforts of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America in reaching this agreement,” Qatar said in a statement released earlier today.
US actress Susan Sarandon dropped by agency for Gaza war comments
A spokesman for the United Talent Agency (UTA) says Sarandon, a five-time Oscar nominee, is no longer represented by the agency.
Sarandon’s exit from UTA followed comments she’s made about Israel, most recently in an appearance on November 17 at a pro-Palestine rally in New York.
The Israel-Hamas war has caused rifts throughout Hollywood.
Earlier we reported that Melissa Barrera, a Mexican actress, was fired from a Hollywood film after its production company labelled her pro-Palestinian social media posts as “anti-Semitic”.
Maha Dakhil, a prominent agent with Creative Arts Agency, last month resigned her board seat after sharing a social media post accusing Israel of genocide
BBC cuts out calls for Gaza ceasefire at Scottish BAFTA awards
The BBC has edited out calls for a ceasefire in its coverage of the Scottish BAFTA Awards ceremony on November 19, according to a report in the Scottish daily, The National.
At the awards ceremony in Glasgow, winners and presenters alike took the opportunity to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and call for an end to the hostilities in Gaza during speeches.
Others held signs and posters that read: “I refuse to be silent. Ceasefire now”.
The presentation of an entire award referencing a ceasefire was “completely removed from the ceremony coverage” by the BBC in its edited version of the ceremony streamed on the iPlayer service, The National reported.
Pause in Gaza should lead to ‘sustained ceasefire’: Relief organisation
A few days is not enough time to address the immense need in Gaza following six weeks of fighting and destruction, says Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“The humanitarian pause agreed between armed groups in Gaza and Israel must pave the way for a lasting ceasefire,” Egeland said in a statement.
“We need unfettered access to humanitarian aid and security guarantees throughout Gaza to support a long-term recovery. A sustained ceasefire is needed to prevent further civilian deaths and provide safety for people in need of vital humanitarian assistance,” he added.
“Children are traumatised, and many face a future without their parents and siblings. They need urgent, long-term help. This can only happen through a sustained ceasefire,” Egeland said.
Russian envoy to UN says ‘yet to see any convincing evidence’ of Hamas positions at Gaza hospitals
Vasily Nebenzya made the comments during a hearing at the UN Security Council focused on the impact of the fighting in Gaza on women and children.
“We have heard allegations of Hamas command posts and bunkers located in these [health] facilities, but we have yet to see any convincing evidence of those,” he said.
The statement is a response to Israeli claims that Hamas houses operational positions in hospitals – most notably al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City – using the people there as human shields. But Israel has only released a handful of photos as proof, with many observers saying the so-called “evidence” is far from irrefutable. Hamas has denied the claim
Nebenzya noted: “We’d particularly like to stress the unacceptability of denying humanitarian access to children, which is an absolute priority given Gaza’s appalling conditions.”
“As a result, more children have died in Gaza over the past month than in all other conflicts over the past few years combined,” he said.
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Rights groups call for conference of states party to the Geneva Conventions
The International Commission of Jurists, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on Switzerland to convene an urgent conference of High Contracting Parties (states or governments that are party) to the Geneva Conventions.
The call was made so these governments can “fulfil their obligations to ensure respect for the Fourth Geneva Convention by acting collectively to prevent further violations of International Humanitarian Law in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel,” a statement by the three groups said.