Status: 30.11.2023, 00:14
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The remains of a vehicle lie outside the destroyed Indonesian hospital in Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip. © Mohammed Alaswad/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
The U.S. wants to "do everything in its power" to extend the ceasefire. Hamas seems interested in a sequel. In the evening, the terrorist group released more hostages. The overview.
Gaza/Tel Aviv - Shortly before the end of the ceasefire in the Gaza war, there were intensive negotiations on an extension. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged to "do everything in our power to extend the pause."
The Islamist Hamas says it is working a possible extension, a spokesman told the news channel Al-Jazeera. However, it is not yet clear whether the talks on an extension of the ceasefire would be crowned with success. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a statement that fighting would resume when "this phase of the return of our hostages is completed." He also reiterated his commitment to the war goal of destroying Hamas.
Hamas Releases 16 Hostages
Meanwhile, the Islamist Hamas released a total of 16 hostages. As in the days before, there were ten Israelis, the Israeli army announced. Among them are three Germans who also have Israeli passports, as well as one dual citizen each from the United States and the Netherlands, said Majid al-Ansari, spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) confirmed the information on the three Germans. In addition, four Thais and a little earlier two Russians were released. The latter also have Israeli citizenship. Meanwhile, shortly before the end of the ceasefire in the Gaza war, there were intensive negotiations for an extension.
Baerbock thanked the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Egypt and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "While some families can breathe a sigh of relief today, many others continue to hold their breath and hope for the release of their loved ones. We are not relenting in our efforts to get all hostages to safety," she wrote on Platform X.
A ceasefire has been in effect since last Friday, during which hostages taken to the Gaza Strip and Palestinian prisoners from Israel have been exchanged. The pause in fighting was recently extended by two days. This would mean that it would probably expire on Thursday morning without another extension. In the West Bank, meanwhile, several Palestinians were killed as part of an Israeli anti-terror operation.
Blinken: Continuation of the ceasefire also in the interest of the Israelis
Blinken expressed conviction that the continuation of the ceasefire was also in the interest of the Israelis. "They are also very focused on bringing their people home," the American said, referring to the Israeli hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip. According to his own statements, Blinken will be back in Israel this Thursday and hold talks with the government there. It is his third visit since the beginning of the conflict.
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Hamas: Ready to Release More Hostages
"We are working very hard" with the mediators Qatar and Egypt to reach a "compromise" and extend the ceasefire, Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera. The situation is complicated and constantly changing, but he is optimistic about a possible extension. "We are ready to free more hostages for an extension of the ceasefire" for more days.
According to the original agreement between the warring parties, the ceasefire could be extended to a maximum of up to ten days in order to allow for the further release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Since the beginning of a ceasefire on Friday, a total of 97 hostages have been released. Of these, 73 were Israelis, 14 of whom also have German citizenship. In return, 180 Palestinian prisoners were released by Tuesday evening. In the evening, another 30 prisoners were to be released. Israel and the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas had agreed on this with the mediation of Qatar.
Steinmeier calls on Qatar to continue mediating for the release of hostages
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier asked the Qatari leadership for further efforts to free the German hostages from Hamas. "After this meeting, I am sure that Qatar will do everything in its power to contribute to the release of the German hostages," Steinmeier said in Qatar after a meeting with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The emirate is one of the main mediators between Israel and Hamas in the conflict.
UN chief: Number of dead children in Gaza Strip unprecedented in term of office
UN Secretary-General António Guterres once again called for a permanent end to hostilities. "Intensive negotiations are taking place to extend the ceasefire, which we very much welcome. But we believe we need a real humanitarian ceasefire," Guterres told the UN Security Council in New York. "In a matter of weeks, far more children have been killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza than the total number of children killed by a party to the conflict in the years since my tenure as secretary-general," Guterres said. Four out of five people in Gaza have been displaced from their homes.
The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, which was carried out by terrorists from the Gaza Strip in Israel near the border on October 7. More than 1200 people were killed. About 240 hostages were taken to Gaza, including several Germans. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a blockade of the Gaza Strip. At the end of October, his forces launched a ground offensive. According to Hamas, nearly 15,000 people were killed and more than 36,000 injured. The figures cannot be independently verified at this time.
Hamas: Two Russian hostages handed over to the Red Cross
Hamas said it handed over two Russian hostages to the Red Cross. The two abductees were released as a result of Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts, Hamas said. The release of the two women and the four Thais is not part of the agreement on the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
After Hamas' attack on Israel, Russia has criticized the United States in particular and declared its attempt to resolve the Middle East conflict to be a failure. The Kremlin offered itself as a mediator, which on the one hand has traditionally good relations with the Arab world, but also has a proximity to Tel Aviv due to the large number of Israelis with a Russian past.
Israel: Senior Islamic Jihad commander killed in Jenin
While the guns fell silent in Gaza, Israel carried out an anti-terror operation in the West Bank, according to its own statements, in which an Islamic Jihad commander was killed. Soldiers shelled a building in the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank where Mohammed Subeidi and other extremists were staying, the military said. Also in Jenin, two boys, aged eight and 15, were killed by the Israeli military, according to Palestinian sources. An Israeli army spokesman said the reports were being investigated. Dpa