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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Red Cross president meets Hamas chief in Qatar to ‘advance humanitarian issues’
The Red Cross said Monday that its president had travelled to Qatar to meet with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh “to advance humanitarian issues related to the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza”. Gaza’s Hamas government said Monday the death toll in the Palestinian territory had passed 13,300 since war began on October 7. The figure could not be independently verified. And heavy fighting broke out earlier Monday around the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, where thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering for weeks. Read our live blog to see how all the day’s events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).
Issued on: 20/11/2023 – 02:12
Modified: 20/11/2023 – 21:56
1 min
Palestinians look at houses destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah on Monday, November 20, 2023.
Palestinians look at houses destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah on Monday, November 20, 2023. © Hatem Ali, AP
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Last Update: 8 hours ago
SUMMARY
Jordanian field hospital materials enter Gaza through Rafah crossing, the first such delivery since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last month.
Israeli strike on northern Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital kills at least 12, says health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Israel has claimed hostages were taken to Al Shifa hospital on the day of the Hamas attacks.
The Israeli military has released footage that it says shows a tunnel underneath the hospital.
Hamas has denied allegations it used the hospital as a base.
At least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed and 30,000 have been injured during the Israel-Hamas war, says Gaza’s health ministry.
8 hours ago
100 patients evacuated from Gaza’s Indonesian hospital, Hamas-run health ministry says
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said Monday 100 patients were evacuated from a hospital there with the help of the Red Cross just hours after it was hit by a deadly Israeli strike.
“100 patients were evacuated from the Indonesian hospital with the help of the ICRC,” health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP, saying another 100 would be taken out overnight to another facility in the southern town of Khan Yunis.
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8 hours ago
1,200 Americans, permanent residents and family members still in Gaza, State Department says
There are a little more than 1,200 Americans, legal permanent residents and family members still in Gaza and at least six US citizens have been killed since the October 7 attack in southern Israel by Hamas, the US State Department said on Monday.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a briefing that around 800 Americans, legal permanent residents and family members had left Gaza via the Rafah crossing to Egypt and “there are a little over 1,200 left”.
Six Americans have died since Hamas’s October 7 attack, he said, comprised of five Israeli troops – four killed in Gaza and one killed in northern Israel – and a national police border officer.
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8 hours ago
Red Cross president meets with Hamas chief on Gaza war humanitarian issues
The Red Cross said Monday that its president had travelled to Qatar to meet with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh “to advance humanitarian issues related to the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza”.
“President Mirjana Spoljaric met with (Ismail) Haniyeh, Chair of Hamas’ Political Bureau, and separately with authorities of the state of Qatar,” the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement.
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9 hours ago
US demands immediate release of ship and crew seized by Yemen’s Houthis
The United States on Monday denounced the seizure of a cargo ship in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement as a violation of international law and demanded the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.
“The Houthi seizure of the motor vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a briefing. “We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew and we will consult with our allies and UN partners as to appropriate next steps.”
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11 hours ago
Seized Galaxy Leader ship in Yemen’s Hodeidah anchorage, contact lost, says owner
The Galaxy Leader commercial ship was “illegally boarded by military personnel via a helicopter” on November 19 and is now at the Hodeidah port anchorage in Yemen, the vessel’s owner said on Monday.
“All communications were subsequently lost with the vessel,” Isle of Man registered Galaxy Maritime Ltd, owner of the pure car carrier Galaxy Leader, said in a statement.
“The company, as a shipping concern, will not be commenting further on the political or geopolitical situation.”
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis released video footage on Monday showing armed men dropping from a helicopter and seizing a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.
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11 hours ago
Israel recalls its ambassador to South Africa for consultations
Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa for consultations following the “latest statements from South Africa”, Israel’s foreign ministry said on Monday.
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party on Thursday had said it would support a parliamentary motion calling for the Israeli embassy in South Africa to be closed.
South Africa, which is highly critical of Israel’s campaign in Gaza against Hamas, has recalled its diplomats from Israel. Hamas militants launched a bloody assault on southern Israel on October 7, sparking the devastating war in Gaza.
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11 hours ago
Biden says he believes Gaza hostage release deal near
US President Joe Biden said on Monday he believes a deal is near to secure the release of some of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, telling reporters “I believe so” when asked at the White House about a possible agreement.
Reuters reported last week that Qatari mediators had been seeking a deal between Israel and Hamas to exchange 50 hostages in return for a three-day ceasefire that would help boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, citing an official briefed on the talks.
About 240 hostages were taken during Hamas’s deadly cross-border assault into Israel on October 7.
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12 hours ago
Hamas government says Gaza war death toll tops 13,300
Gaza’s Hamas government said Monday the death toll in the Palestinian territory had passed 13,300 since war began on October 7 between Israeli forces and Hamas militants.
The Hamas government said more than 5,600 children were among the dead, alongside 3,550 women, with another 31,000 people wounded. Its health ministry has previously said it can no longer give exact tolls as intense fighting has prevented bodies from being recovered.
The number of people killed in the fighting could not be independently verified.
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12 hours ago
Yemen’s Houthis release video footage showing armed men seizing ‘Israeli-linked ship’
Yemen’s Houthis released video footage on Monday showing armed men dropping from a helicopter and seizing a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.
The footage was released by the movement’s TV channel Al Masirah a day after the ship was hijacked by the Iran-backed group, who said the ship was linked to Israel.
The Bahamas-flagged, British-owned Galaxy Leader is operated by a Japanese firm but has links to Israeli businessman Abraham “Rami” Ungar.
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12 hours ago
‘The principle is now in place’ for Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange
A rumoured hostage deal between Israel and Hamas will likely involve the exchange of some 50 women and children kidnapped by Hamas in return for Palestinians held in Israeli jails as well as a five-day ceasefire, FRANCE 24’s Irris Makler said.
Citing the Qatari prime minister, Makler said recent negotiations seem to mostly have focusd on details, adding that “the principle is now in place” for a deal.
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13 hours ago
WHO chief ‘appalled’ by attack on Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday he was “appalled” by an attack on the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza that he said had killed 12 people, including patients, citing unspecified reports.
“Health workers and civilians should never have to be exposed to such horror, and especially while inside a hospital,” he said on social media platform X.
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13 hours ago
Hezbollah launches fresh artillery and drone attacks against Israeli troops
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement said it targeted troops in northern Israel with drones, artillery and missiles on Monday, claiming a string of new attacks.
The Israel-Lebanon border has seen daily exchanges of fire since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7.
Hezbollah fighters targeted soldiers west of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel “with three attack drones”, the Iran-backed group said in a statement, adding shortly after that it had also targeted troops in the area with artillery fire.
Both statements claimed the attacks were “direct hits”.
Earlier Monday, Hezbollah said it had fired “Burkan missiles” at an Israeli barracks, and also claimed a number of other attacks on Israeli positions.
Israel’s army said “three UAVs (drones) were identified striking adjacent” to an army post, without specifying where. It added that “no injuries were reported”.
In a statement, it said “25 launches were identified from Lebanon toward several locations adjacent to the border”, and added that aerial defences “intercepted a number of the launches and the rest fell in open areas”.
“Tanks, a fighter jet, and a helicopter struck Hezbollah terror infrastructure in Lebanon” in response to “launches toward Israeli territory”, it said, while the army struck fighters attempting to fire “anti-tank missiles” in south Lebanon.
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14 hours ago
Israel’s far-right finance minister demands expanded war cabinet
Israel’s far-right finance minister, who has so far been excluded from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet, called on Monday for lawmakers taking a harder line towards Hamas to be included in decisions about the war.
Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition includes parties from Israel’s far right, has been managing the war with a small group of ministers from his hawkish Likud party and a centrist opposition group that joined an emergency government shortly after Hamas’s deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and other hardline members of the broader cabinet have been excluded from much of the decision making, and were particularly critical of a decision last week to accede to a US request to allow limited amounts of fuel into Gaza for humanitarian reasons.
“I think this grave mistake necessitates the expansion of the war cabinet,” said Smotrich, arguing that letting in fuel gave Hamas a lifeline during the war.
At least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed and 30,000 more injured since the October 7 attack that killed around 1,200 people, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
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14 hours ago
Israeli ships ‘legitimate target’, Yemen’s Houthis warn
Israeli ships are a “legitimate target”, Yemen’s Houthi rebels warned on Monday, after their seizure of an Israel-linked cargo vessel opened a new dimension in the Gaza war.
Sunday’s capture of the Galaxy Leader and its 25 international crew came days after the Iran-backed Houthis threatened to target Israeli shipping over the Israel-Hamas war.
The Houthis, declaring themselves part of the “axis of resistance” of Iran’s allies, have also launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel.
“Israeli ships are legitimate targets for us anywhere … and we will not hesitate to take action,” Major General Ali Al-Moshki, a Houthi military official, told the group’s Al-Massirah TV station.
Sunday’s ship seizure “is only the beginning”, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said Sunday in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, pledging further maritime attacks until Israel halts its Gaza campaign.
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15 hours ago
Putin to take part in virtual BRICS summit on Gaza
Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations on Tuesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war, the Kremlin said.
“On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in an extraordinary BRICS summit (via videoconference) to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” the Kremlin said in a statement Monday, referring to the influential bloc that includes Brazil, India, China and South Africa.
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15 hours ago
Three premature babies remain at Gaza hospital after evacuation, says WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that three prematurely born babies from a bigger group evacuated into Egypt on Monday had been left behind in a hospital in southern Gaza to receive further treatment.
“The 28 babies have now safely arrived in Egypt. Three babies still remain at the Emarati Hospital and continue to receive treatment,” a WHO spokesperson said in an emailed response to Reuters.
Asked about the babies’ condition, he said: “All babies are fighting serious infections and continue needing health care.”
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16 hours ago
First group of premature babies arrives in Egypt, but many more children in Gaza await aid, says UNICEF officer
Speaking to FRANCE 24 on World Children’s Day, UNICEF Middle East and North Africa communications officer Salim Oweis says that “many more” children in Gaza are waiting for aid a few hours after the first group of premature babies from the Palestinian enclave entered Egypt, according to local media.
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16 hours ago
Russia to host meeting on situation in Gaza with Arab foreign ministers
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will host a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Gaza with foreign ministers from members of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), according to the RIA news agency.
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16 hours ago
Jakarta slams attack on Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has condemned Israel’s “attack” on the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza.
“The attack is a clear violation of international humanitarian laws. All countries, especially those that have close relations with Israel, must use all their influence and capabilities to urge Israel to stop its atrocities,” she said in a statement.
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About casualty figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry:
Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the largest in the enclave, receives data from every hospital in the strip. Hospital administrators say they keep records of every wounded person occupying a bed and every body arriving at a morgue. The ministry also collects from other sources including the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”. The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.
In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published final death tolls based on its own research into medical records. The UN’s counts have largely been consistent with the Gaza health ministry’s, with small discrepancies.
For more on the Gaza health ministry’s tolls, click here.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Key Developments from Sunday, November 19:
The Israeli military on Sunday said it had uncovered a tunnel under Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital that stretched 55 metres beneath the war-torn complex where troops have been conducting a major operation
A deal to free hostages seized by Hamas in its October 7 attack on Israel now hinges on “minor” practical issues, Qatar’s prime minister said Sunday.
Thirty-one premature babies were evacuated from Gaza’s biggest hospital Sunday, the World Health Organization said, seeking to get the last patients and staff out of what it has dubbed a “death zone”.
At least 13,000 Palestinians, including at least 5,500 children, have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7, the government media office in the Hamas-controlled enclave said on Saturday.
Some 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial attack by Hamas, and around 240 were taken captive by militants.
Read yesterday’s blog here.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
