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Israel-Palestine live: Israel says 39 more Palestinians freed under truce deal

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Israel-Palestine live: Israel says 39 more Palestinians freed under truce deal
Meanwhile, Israel carries out deadly raids across the occupied West Bank
Key Points
Six women and 33 children released from Israeli jail on Saturday night
Three Palestinian students shot in US on Saturday
Al-Shifa hospital left in ruins after Israeli withdrawal
Palestinian Mohammed Al-Awar (L), former prisoner released from an Israeli jail in exchange for hostages freed by Hamas in Gaza, kisses his father's forehead upon return to his home in east Jerusalem, on November 26, 2023. AFP 2.jpg

Live Updates

7 months ago

Hello MEE readers. It is now past 9 am in Gaza on the fourth day of the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel. The original agreement between the two parties was to hold a four-day truce, with the extension of it being extended for several days.

Hamas has said it is willing to extend the truce, and US President Joe Biden has also supported the extension. Qatar has said Hamas must locate 40 captives not held by the group in Gaza if it wants to be able to extend the halt in fighting.

Here's a recap of the past several hours:

  • A senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group told Al Jazeera that the proposal to extend the humanitarian truce is still under “evaluation” by PIJ.
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Egypt for its role in helping reach a deal for the release of captives held by Hamas in Gaza.
  • Ahead of a 10 October address, US President Joe Biden rejected advice from his staffers to omit a line referencing an unverified claim that Hamas beheaded babies.
  • Thailand's prime minister said the three Thai captives released by Hamas are in good health conditions.
  •  The US Navy said that its aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower crossed the Strait of Hormuz and reached the waters of the Gulf.
  • The US also said two ballistic missiles coming from Houthi-held Yemen landed just 10 miles away from an American vessel.

We are closing this page now but will be continuing to provide you with around-the-clock updates on the war in Gaza. You can follow our new live page by clicking here.

8 months ago

The US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement that two ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen landed about 10 nautical miles (18.5km) from an American vessel.

The vessel, a part of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, was responding to a distress call sent by a commercial vessel off the Gulf of Aden.

“There was no damage or reported injuries from either vessel during this incident,” the Centcom statement said.

On Sunday, the US Navy said that the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower crossed the Strait of Hormuz and reached the waters of the Gulf.

The Navy said the aircraft carrier is patrolling the area “to ensure freedom of navigation in key international waterways”.

“Maritime domain security is essential to regional stability,” General Michael Erik Kurilla, Centcom commander, said in a statement. “We will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure the safety and security of international shipping lanes.”

8 months ago

More than two dozen Palestinians were arrested during Israeli raids on areas across the West Bank late on Sunday night and early Monday morning.

Al Jazeera reported that about 26 were arrested in Bani Naim, near Hebron, and the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces arrested one man in Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, another man in Beitunia, and a third man in the Jalazoun refugee camp.

These arrests come as Israel released a total of 117 Palestinian prisoners as a part of the truce deal with Hamas.

More than 3,000 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli forces in the West Bank since 7 October.

Israeli forces have also killed at least six Palestinians in the West Bank since the truce began on Friday.

8 months ago

Samidoun, a Palestinian prisoner solidarity network, released the names of the Palestinians who were released from Israeli jail on Sunday, in the third captive exchange between Israel and Hamas.

Here are their names:

  • Sultan Samer Mahmoud Sarhan, from Jerusalem.
  • Qassam Iyad Ahmed A'war, from Jerusalem.
  • Muhammad Ahmad Mahmoud A'war, from Jerusalem
  • Nasrallah Iyad Amjad A’war, from Jerusalem
  • Khalil Ahmed Khalil A’war, from Jerusalem
  • Amin Muhammad Amin Abbasi, from Jerusalem
  • Mustafa Muhammad Ibrahim Abbasi, from Jerusalem
  • Ahmed Qadri Mahmoud Shiha, from Jerusalem
  • Samir Samer Samir Bakhtan, from Jerusalem
  • Muhammad Abouda Hassan Ghaith, from Jerusalem
  • Musa Humaidan Fadl Mohtaseb, from Jerusalem
  • Ayham Adnan Sobhi Shair, from Jerusalem
  • Rayan Adnan Hassan Ateeq, from Jerusalem
  • Malek Murad Khaled Bouja, from Jerusalem
  • Muhammad Ibrahim Muhammad Abdel-Jabbar, from Jerusalem
  • Nashat Bassem Talib Dawabsheh, from Jerusalem
  • Youssef Fawaz Fayez Burgan, from Jerusalem
  • Nour al-Din Ziyad Rashid Qawasmeh, from Jerusalem
  • Ghannam Musa Ghannam Abu Ghannam, from Jerusalem
  • Hassan Yasser Hassan Yasser, from Jerusalem
  • Abdul Rahman Amer Fakhri Al-Zaghal, from Jerusalem
  • Mahmoud Nimr Eid Atta, from Ramallah
  • Omar Imad Hassan Atshan, from Ramallah
  • Obada Hossam Ahmed Khalil, from Ramallah
  • Khalil Muhammad Badr Zama’ara, from Hebron
  • Hassan Walid Jamal Sabarneh, from Hebron
  • Zaid Naeem Shehadeh Arar, from Hebron
  • Ammar Mahmoud Youssef Thawabteh, from Bethlehem
  • Yazan Amer Ali Sabah, from Bethlehem
  • Musa Muhannad Musa Al Waridat, from Jericho
  • Moueid Omar Abdullah Al-Hajj, from Jericho
  • Osama Nayef Osama Marmash, from Nablus
  • Ibrahim Muayyad Ibrahim Zafer, from Tulkarm
  • Omar Shaker Suhail Mahajna, from Tulkarm
  • Adnan Hazem Adnan Eid, from Tulkarm
  • Ahmed Attia Ahmed Al-Adini, from Qalqilya
  • Majd Raed Masoud Freihat, from Jenin
  • Waheed Ismail Jamil Sobeih, from Jenin
  • Alaa Fathi Abdel Hadi Abu Sneimah, from Rafah
8 months ago

Nestled along Gaza's coastline, Rimal was an upscale neighbourhood in Gaza City, boasting ice cream parlours, cafes and vibrant boutique clothes shops. 

Today, it lies in complete ruin - a clear sign that no part of Gaza, residential or otherwise, is safe from Israeli bombardment.

Since Israel began bombing the coastal enclave of 2.3 million people after Palestinian fighters launched an attack on southern Israel on 7 October, Rimal was one of four areas of Gaza City to face relentless Israeli air strikes.

The bombing was especially devastating where I lived, an area which Israel has claimed served as the headquarters and control centre for the 7 October attack.

Read the full story by Mohammed al-Hajjar, one of our correspondents in Gaza, who wrote about what happened to his own neighbourhood.

My neighbourhood was vibrant and beautiful. Israel turned it into a wasteland

Displaced Palestinians walk through the ruins of Gaza City on 24 November 2023.

8 months ago

A senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group said in an interview with Al Jazeera that the proposal to extend the humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas is still under “evaluation” by PIJ.

Daoud Shehab said PIJ is “committed to the interests of the Palestinian people more than anything else”.

He added the group is seeking to end the war and the displacement of more Palestinians. However, Shehab said PIJ will not allow Israel to impose its will on the people of Gaza.

8 months ago

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and thanked Cairo for its role in helping reach a deal for the release of captives held by Hamas in Gaza.

Blinken said in a post on X that he also spoke of the need to reduce civilian harm as well as “increasing aid to Gaza, and steps toward a prosperous and viable Palestinian state”.

8 months ago

Ahead of a 10 October address, described as one of the most pro-Israel speeches by a sitting president, US President Joe Biden was told by staffers he should omit a line referencing beheaded babies killed by Hamas.

The staffers warned that the information had not been verified. But Biden ignored the warning and made the unverified claim anyway.

Quickly after his speech, the White House issued a statement saying that he had seen no photos of beheaded babies, sparking outrage as to why the president would publicly spread an unverified claim.

The debacle is one of many that have taken place in the Biden administration over the past week, chronicled in a new report by the Washington Post.

8 months ago

Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the three Thai captives released by Hamas on Sunday are in good health.

In a post on X, Thavisin named the captives as: Wichian Temthong, Surin Rae Sung Noen, and Phonsawan Pinakalo.

The three are among the 17 captives released from Gaza on Sunday.

8 months ago

The US Navy said that its aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower crossed the Strait of Hormuz and reached the waters of the Gulf.

US Central Command said on X that the aircraft carrier is patrolling the area “to ensure freedom of navigation in key international waterways”.

It's being accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely and the USS Stethem.

8 months ago

Hello MEE readers, it is now passed 2 am in Gaza, the start of what is potentially the last day of the temporary truce.

Hamas and Israel engaged in a third captive exchange that saw another 39 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli detention, while 13 Israeli captives were released by Hamas.

If you're just tuning in to us, here are some news updates to catch you up:

  • An Israeli-linked tanker was seized in the Red Sea on Sunday. This comes a week after Yemen's Houthis seized another Israeli-linked ship.
  • Israeli air strikes have made the Damascus airport in Syria inoperable just hours after flights had resumed following a similar attack last month.
  • Hamas said it is willing to extend the truce, while Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that in order for any truce to be extended, Hamas must locate 40 other captives who are not being held by the group in Gaza.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Gaza, marking the first visit to the besieged enclave by an Israeli prime minister in around two decades.
8 months ago

Here are some more images of the celebrations following Sunday evening's release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

A girl hugs a newly released Palestinian prisoner in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on 26 November 2023 (AFP)
A girl hugs a newly released Palestinian prisoner in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on 26 November 2023 (AFP)

A crowd surrounds a Red Cross bus carrying Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails, in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on 26 November 2023 (AFP)
A crowd surrounds a Red Cross bus carrying Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails, in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on 26 November 2023 (AFP)

Palestinian prisoners are welcomed by a crowd after being released from Israeli jails, in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on 26 November 2023 (AFP)
Palestinian prisoners are welcomed by a crowd after being released from Israeli jails, in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on 26 November 2023 (AFP)

Palestinian prisoners (wearing grey jumpers) cheer among supporters and relatives after being released from Israeli jails, in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, 26 November 2023 (AFP)
Palestinian prisoners (wearing grey jumpers) cheer among supporters and relatives after being released from Israeli jails, in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, 26 November 2023 (AFP)

Palestinian brothers Qassam (L) and Nasrallah (R) reunite with their father Iyad al-Awar after both were released from an Israeli prison, at their home in east Jerusalem, 26 November 2023 (AFP)
Palestinian brothers Qassam (L) and Nasrallah (R) reunite with their father Iyad al-Awar after both were released from an Israeli prison, at their home in east Jerusalem, 26 November 2023 (AFP)

8 months ago

A collective of language activists has accused the BBC of mistranslating an interview recorded in Arabic with a released Palestinian prisoner, so that she appeared to be praising Hamas despite never mentioning the group. 

Respond Crisis Translation said that her original quote attacking her Israeli captors for the inhumane conditions prisoners were kept under - "they imprisoned us for a month. As winter came, they cut off the electricity. We almost died from the cold weather" - was translated into English subtitles as "and no one helped us. Only Hamas cared. Those who felt our suffering, I thank them very much".

She then said "they sprayed us with pepper spray and left us to die inside the prison", which the subtitles translated as "and we love them very much", which could make it appear as if her sentiments were directed at Hamas.

"She never mentioned Hamas or a word like it," the organisation tweeted. 

"This egregious mistranslation is not just a language error; it is a racist fabrication that fans the flames of the war.

"Mistranslations such as these - intentional or not - are exacerbating the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza."