27- November-2023-Aljazeera
Israel says it is open to extend犀利士 truce in Gaza if more captives are released by Hamas.
Egypt, Qatar and the United States are pressing for extension of the four-day truce that ends on Monday
Egypt, Qatar and US close to truce extension: Report
Egyptian, Qatari and US negotiators are close to agreeing on a truce extension but were still discussing for how long and which prisoners would be freed under it, three Egyptian security sources told Reuters news agency.
According to the sources, Hamas is currently seeking a four-day extension, while Israel wants day-by-day extensions, with negotiations continuing over which Palestinian prisoners would be freed.
We earlier reported that a government spokesperson said Israel was open to an extension if more captives were released by Hamas.
Humanitarian needs immense in Gaza, says MSF
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has described the situation in Gaza as dire, saying there is no fuel, no water to drink, and hygiene and sanitation conditions precarious as the IDPs (displaced persons) are everywhere.
“The density of the population is incredible,” MSF’s emergency coordinator Nicholas Papachrysostomou said. “The mental health of the people is difficult to decipher.”
He said more than 750 people came for check-ups and the MSF team was able to see only a quarter of them.
NATO chief urges extension of Gaza truce
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that an extension of the truce “would allow for much-needed relief to the people of Gaza and the release of more hostages”.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, he also said Iran should rein in its “proxies”, in what was likely a reference to Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
Earlier, we reported the EU foreign policy chief also called for an extension to the truce and to make it long-lasting in order to work on a political solution.
Qatar, Egypt, US, EU and Spain working to extend truce deal: PA
The Palestinian Authority says Qatar, Egypt, the US, the EU and Spain are working to extend the four-day truce deal.
PA’s Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said the current truce could be extended for “one, two, three days” but added that no one knows exactly for how long.
Funds for new settlements against UN resolutions: Palestine ministry
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to allocate large budgets to promote settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
“Smotrich talked about a budget adjustment that allocates millions of shekels to expand the Israeli settlements in Area C in the West Bank and allocates a budget to prevent Palestinians from building in those areas,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X.
The ministry then “warned the Israeli government of the consequences of accepting Smotrich’s demands as his demands seek to expand the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which contradicts the UN resolution of the two-state solution”.
It said Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir were “taking advantage” of Israel’s war in Gaza by supporting settlers and Israeli forces to escalate the clashes in the West Bank.
Earlier we reported that the EU’s foreign policy chief Borrell had also criticised the move, saying the decision went against international law.
Long-term ceasefire needed in Gaza: UNRWA
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says there has been an increase in the number of trucks and assistance coming into Gaza, including to the north for the first time since the war began.
It is also hoping for an extension to the four-day truce that started on Friday.
“We do hope the truce is extended. We have been calling for this truce to transform into a longer-term humanitarian ceasefire,” UNRWA Global Director for Communications Juliette Touma told Al Jazeera.
Touma, who recently visited southern Gaza, described the area as a “ghost town”.
“Everything is closed in Gaza … the shops, the pharmacies. While humanitarian assistance is fundamentally critical, and life-saving of course, it is not going to be enough in the medium to longer term. What needs to happen is commercial supplies that need to come in support of the private sector so it [Gaza] can stand on its own feet.”
Reception for Palestinian teen released in Hebron
The family of Khalil Muhammad Badr Zama’ra is celebrating his release in the West Bank town of Halhul, north of Hebron. It is part of the Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange.
Zama’ra was arrested on February 23, 2022, when he was a minor and was held in administrative detention, which allows Israel to hold Palestinians indefinitely on “secret evidence” that neither detainees nor their lawyers may access.
