Live Updates: Israel kills hostages in Gaza - Hamas

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

13:45 GMT - Hostages killed in Gaza

Three hostages in Gaza have been killed due to Israeli airstrike, Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades announces

10:03 GMT - Hamas-Israel truce may be extended

The Gaza humanitarian pause and prisoner swap agreement between Hamas and Israel, which is set to expire on Thursday morning, may be extended for another day or two, Israeli media said.

A summit in Doha, attended by officials from Qatar, Egypt, Israel, and the US, discussed the possibility of extending the humanitarian pause, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported, citing a statement issued by Israeli authorities following the meeting on Tuesday.

However, the main obstacle is Hamas's demand for a complete cessation of hostilities, which Israel opposes, according to the broadcaster.

09:31 GMT - Source close to Hamas says group willing to extend truce by four more days

A source close to Hamas said the resistance movement was willing to extend by an additional four days a Gaza truce that has seen Israeli captives exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.

"Hamas has informed the mediators that it is willing to extend the truce for four days," the source told AFP.

"The movement would be able to release Israeli prisoners that it, other resistance movements and other parties hold during this period, according to the terms of the existing truce," it added.

08:50 GMT - Gaza at risk of famine: World Food Programme

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of the possibility of a famine in Gaza, stressing that supplies are woefully insufficient to address the hunger levels observed by WFP staff in UN shelters.

"It is 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 WFP said in a statement.

"The WFP delivered desperately needed food to more than 120,000 people in Gaza during the initial pause," the statement added.

08:20 GMT - Turkish military plane with 8 tonnes of medical aid for Palestinians departs

A Turkish military plane loaded with eight tonnes of medicines and medical supplies destined for Gaza departed from Türkiye's central Kayseri province to Egypt's El Arish Airport in the Sinai Peninsula.

A group of nine health care professionals are also on board the plane that took off from Kayseri Airport at 08:00 AM local time (0500 GMT).

The medical team will provide treatment to injured people in cooperation with the Egyptian Health Ministry.

07:55 GMT - Israel arrested over 3,200 Palestinians since Oct 7

The Palestinian Prisoners Society said that the number of Palestinians arrested by Israel in the occupied West Bank since the Israeli war on Gaza began on October 7 has risen to more than 3,290.

The list includes 125 women and 145 children, the group said. At least 168 Palestinians have been detained in the five days during the ongoing humanitarian pause in Gaza.

Six Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli prisons since the conflict started, it added.

06:40 GMT - Islamic Jihad announces release of Israeli women, children held in Gaza

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group issued a statement confirming the release of Israeli women and children it had been holding in Gaza.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Muhammad al Hindi, confirmed that the group's armed wing, the Al Quds Brigades, handed over the civilian hostages.

"We can accept the all-for-all equation regarding the detainees. If Israel is ready to release all our prisoners, then we are ready," Al Hindi said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

05:23 GMT - Hamas calls on media outlets to view extent of destruction in Gaza

Hamas has called on media outlets to increase their presence in Gaza and view the extent of destruction caused by Israel in the Palestinian enclave.

"We call on journalists and international media agencies to intensify their presence in Gaza to see the extent of the destruction and signs of genocide committed by the (Israeli) occupation and its Nazi army against children, defenseless civilians and all infrastructure," it said.

The statement pointed to "the discovery of dozens of bodies of Palestinian civilians under the rubble in the Sabra area and other areas of Gaza City and the extent of the destruction that occurred to the Islamic University, which is one of the most important scientific institutions."

04:43 GMT - Talks get underway in Qatar for long-term pause

Talks have been under way in Qatar on a new agreement for a long-term humanitarian pause in Israel's war on besieged Gaza, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation [KAN] has said.

KAN said the pause would include the release of all Israeli captives in besieged Gaza, including soldiers, and Israel's release of Palestinians languishing in jails, including some who had been "convicted" of killing Israelis. Palestinians have always disputed charges against them by occupational government and its courts.

KAN said the Palestinian resistance group Hamas expressed its approval of the broad outlines of the new agreement but added that it demanded a "complete ceasefire," which Israel still rejects.

04:40 GMT — Israel receives list of next captives to be released from Gaza

Israeli news outlets are reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has received the list of names of captives in besieged Gaza.

A sixth group of captives is expected to be freed on Wednesday in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Citing Netanyahu’s office, Israel’s KAN public broadcaster also said notices were sent to the families of the captives expected to be released.

04:15 GMT - Spain politician slams international community for silence over Israel's 'genocide'

The general secretary of Spain's left-wing Podemos party has criticised the international community for its silence in the face of Israel's "attempt to exterminate" the Palestinian people.

Speaking at an event for the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People organised by Podemos in the capital Madrid, Ione Belarra, who previously served as minister of social rights, said a Europe that does not exert social, political, economic, diplomatic and legal pressure against Israel cannot lecture anyone about human rights.

She rejected Israel's "colonial" policy towards Palestinians. "Why does Israel continue to commit genocide against Palestine with impunity?" she said.

04:00 GMT - Activists gather near US Capitol to demand Gaza ceasefire

A dozen pro-Palestinian activists have gathered near the US Capitol building to demand a ceasefire in besieged Gaza. They held inflatable letters spelling out the words "ceasefire now."

Robert McCaw, director of government affairs for the Council on American-Islamic Relations [CAIR], told Anadolu Agency the US should not support Israel with taxpayer funds and weapons.

"We are here with community members to remind Congress, while they are lighting up their Christmas tree, that we are demanding a ceasefire now," said McCaw.

03:43 GMT - US senator calls for 'indefinite ceasefire' in Gaza

A Democratic US senator has called for an "indefinite" ceasefire in besieged Gaza to "prevent further loss of civilian life."

In a statement, Peter Welch, from the state of Vermont, said although he supports Israel's right to pursue those who carried out the October 7 attacks, he said Israel "must not do so in a way that leads to massive civilian casualties and the large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza."

"This will only incite more enemies against Israel and the US," he said. "For this reason, the ceasefire must be extended indefinitely."

03:20 GMT - Ben-Gvir warns of dissolving Israeli govt if war stops

Israel's extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened that stopping the war on besieged Gaza would dissolve the Israeli government.

"Stopping the war = dissolution of the government," Ben-Gvir said on X.

His remarks coincided with reports of efforts to extend the humanitarian pause in fighting between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in besieged Gaza.

03:00 GMT - G7 foreign ministers support extension of pause in fighting

Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries have supported the further extension of the pause and future pauses 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.

For our live updates from Tuesday (November 28), click here.