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☆ Israel considers flooding Gaza tunnels with seawater- WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was not clear whether Israel would consider using the pumps before all hostages were released, according to the story. Hamas has previously said it has hidden captives in "safe places and tunnels." The Wall Street Journal said an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official declined to comment on the flooding plan but was quoted as saying: "The IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas’s terror capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools." Israel first informed the United States of the option last month, the Wall Street Journal said, reporting that officials did not know how close Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was to carrying out the plan. Israel has not made a final decision to go ahead or rule it out, the officials were cited as saying.

Persons: Ronen, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Costas Pitas, Steve Holland, Emily Rose, Don Durfee, Stephen Coates Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Wall Street, U.S, Reuters, Street Journal, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Wall Street Journal, Thomson Locations: Al, Gaza City, Gaza, Israel, United States

[1/2] Israeli soldiers stand in order, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near Israel's border with Gaza, in southern Israel, December 4, 2023. The U.S. official spoke after three days of resumed aerial bombardments of southern Gaza left residents pulling the bodies of children and adults from the rubble. But the U.S. official said reducing military support to Israel would carry major risks. On Friday, Israel's military began posting grid-based maps online ordering Palestinians to leave parts of southern Gaza, directing them towards the Mediterranean coast and Rafah, near the Egyptian border. Residents and journalists on the ground said intense Israeli airstrikes hit southern Gaza on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel's, Biden, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ophir Falk, Seth Binder, Binder, Eylon Levy, Jake Sullivan, Omar Shakir, Humeyra Pamuk, Jonathan Saul, Maggie Fick, James Mackenzie, Steve Holland, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, U.S, Health Ministry, Washington, United, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, East Democracy, Biden, Democratic, Israel, . National, Palestine, Human Rights, Amnesty, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Israel's, Gaza, LONDON, BEIRUT, U.S, United States, East, Gaza City, Rafah, Jerusalem, Washington

Residents, many of whom had moved there to flee earlier attacks in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, said they could hear tank fire and feared a new Israeli ground offensive was building. The Israeli military earlier ordered people to evacuate some areas in and near the city, but made no announcement of any new southern ground assault. "The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) continues to extend its ground operation against Hamas centres in all of the Gaza Strip," spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters in Tel Aviv. GROUND OFFENSIVE FEAREDGaza residents said earlier on Sunday they feared an Israeli ground offensive on the southern areas was imminent. Tanks had cut off the road between Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, effectively dividing the Gaza Strip into three.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Khan Younis, Daniel Hagari, Eylon Levy, Younis, United States —, —, Kamala Harris, Isaac Herzog, Mahmoud Abbas, Harris, Israel, Osama Hamdan, Deir, Suhaib Salem, Nidal, Mohammed Salem, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Maggie Fick, Andrew Mills, Nandita Bose, Idrees Ali, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, David Lawder, Lincoln Organizations: Hamas, Pentagon, Palestinian, IDF, Israel Defence Forces, U.S . Defense Department, Yemen's, Reuters, United, Tanks, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Khan, U.S, Sea, Pentagon Iran, GAZA, CAIRO, Tel Aviv, Gaza City, Yemen's Iran, Hamas, Rafah, Gaza's, Beit Lahiya, United States, Lebanon, Egypt, Cairo, Jerusalem, Beirut, Doha, Dubai, Washington

JAKE SULLIVAN - THE LAST GUY IN THE ROOMBiden often turns to Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, when he is considering final options and looking for advice and counsel. "He develops and puts forward the policy options before the president for him to decide," said one U.S. official. Sullivan, 47, was national security adviser for Biden when he was vice president and deputy chief of staff to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He gathers policy options from across government agencies and prepares them for Biden to consider, the traditional role of the national security adviser. JON FINER - ASKING QUESTIONSSullivan relies heavily on his deputy national security adviser, Jon Finer.

Persons: Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Evelyn Hockstein, ANTONY BLINKEN, Biden, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, JAKE SULLIVAN, Sullivan, Jake, Hillary Clinton, BRETT MCGURK, Brett McGurk, McGurk, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, BILL BURNS, spymaster, Bill Burns, It's, Burns, LLOYD AUSTIN, STARK, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Israel, KAMALA HARRIS, Kamala Harris, Harris, ”, JON, Jon, John Kerry's, Kerry, Arshad Mohammed, Nandita Bose, Don Durfee, Heather Timmons, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Israeli, Biden, White House, National Security, U.S ., CIA, . Defense, Pentagon, Islamic State, U.S . Army, ISIS, Palestinian, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, Gaza, East, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, United States, Qatar, Doha, Iran, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Ankara, U.S, Austin, Dubai, West

[1/8] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris disembarks an aircraft as she arrives to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2, 2023. The White House said Harris will carry a message about post-conflict Gaza as the region grapples with the fallout from a war that has upended the Middle East. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' mainstream Fatah party and has ruled the enclave ever since. How post-conflict Gaza should realistically be managed is an issue that has confounded regional leaders and Middle East experts. "In her meetings, the vice president will outline our principles for post-conflict Gaza, lay out specific proposals that put Palestinian voices at the center, and build regional support for our efforts," the White House official said.

Persons: Kamala Harris disembarks, Amr Alfiky, Kamala Harris, Harris, Joe Biden, Mahmoud Abbas, Biden, Critics, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we’ve, John Kirby, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, West Bank, White, Palestinian, Fatah, Middle, Authority, United, White House, House, Munich, Conference, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Israel, Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Washington, Russia, Ukraine

Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas following its Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel in which it says 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage. "Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering, and the images and videos coming from Gaza, are devastating," Harris told reporters. The United States has been increasingly vocal that Israel must narrow the combat zone during any offensive in southern Gaza and ensure safe zones for non-combatants. Gaza health officials said that in addition to the death toll, 650 people had been wounded since the truce collapsed. Gaza health officials said three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a house in Rafah.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Lloyd Austin, Israel, Harris, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Wessam Farhat, Amir Cohen, Mark Regev, Robert Mardini, Emmanuel Macron, Saleh Al, Arouri, Yoav Gallant, Khan Younis, Suhaib, Nidal, Mohammed Salem, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Andrew Mills, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, Matt Spetalnick, Nick Zieminski, Matt Lewis, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Hamas, U.S . Defense, Simi Valley , California ., U.S, REUTERS, International Committee, Reuters, Crescent, Palestinian, Al, Israeli, Palestinian News Agency, Tel, Thomson Locations: GAZA, CAIRO, Israel, Gaza, Washington, Egypt, Dubai, Simi Valley , California, Simi Valley , California . Austin, U.S, Tel Aviv, United States, Palestinian, Rafah, Qatar, Al Jazeera, Suhaib Salem, Cairo, Jerusalem, Doha

WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday it was prepared to "pause" sanctions relief for OPEC member Venezuela in coming days unless there is further progress on the release of Venezuelan political prisoners and "wrongfully detained" Americans. Any “snapback” of partially lifted U.S. sanctions would mark a major shift from President Joe Biden's new approach toward Venezuela. In the most significant lifting of tough Trump-era sanctions, Washington issued a six-month general license authorizing U.S. transactions with Venezuela’s vital oil and gas sector and a second license authorizing operations of state gold mining company Minerven. Washington had vowed to reverse that sanctions relief unless the Venezuela's Socialist government took steps by the end of November to release political prisoners and three Americans it considers unlawfully jailed, and also lift public-office bans on opposition candidates. The Venezuelan government released five political prisoners in October but there have been no releases since.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, John Kirby, Joe Biden's, Washington, “, ” Kirby, ”, we're, Kirby, Maria Corina Machado, Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland, Mayela Armas, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Venezuelan, White House, Trump, Socialist, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Venezuelan, Maduro, Washington, U.S, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Caracas

According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020. He declined to offer details when asked whether those plans had been raised with international partners, including Arab states. A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said Israel had "floated" the buffer zone idea without saying to whom. The regional sources compared the Gaza buffer zone plan to the "security zone" Israel once had in south Lebanon. "The buffer zone could make (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's forces a target also in the zone," he said.

Persons: Ronen, Israel, Abu Dhabi, Ophir Falk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Lebanon's, it's, Mohammad Dahlan, Benjamin, Netanyahu's, Samia Nakhoul, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Jonathan Saul, Dan Williams, Aidan Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Edmund Blair, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Saudi, Reuters, U.S, Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Palestinian Fatah, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Gaza Israel, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, U.S, DUBAI, CAIRO, LONDON, Israel, Riyadh, Arab Turkey, Qatar, Qatari, Turkish, Palestinian, Cairo, Lebanon, PLO, Dubai, London, Jerusalem, Washington

☆ White House Says Israel to Allow Aid Trucks Into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday it believed Israel will allow humanitarian aid trucks to enter Gaza after a lull due to resumed fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, but the number of deliveries will likely be reduced. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, citing reports from Israel, said Israel had agreed to resume letting truck deliveries through at the urging of the United States. But he said truck deliveries would likely be reduced to dozens a day rather than the hundreds of trucks that were getting into Gaza daily during a week-long pause in fighting that ended on Thursday. Kirby said Gaza needs much more aid, but that the decision to resume aid deliveries, after stringent inspections, "looks like a good sign going forward." U.S. officials are pushing for a resumption of a pause in fighting in order to extract more hostages held in Gaza by Hamas.

Persons: John Kirby, Israel, Kirby, Steve Holland, Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, Franklin Paul, Leslie Adler Organizations: WASHINGTON, Hamas, White House Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Henry Kissinger, the most powerful U.S. diplomat of the Cold War era, who helped Washington open up to China, forge arms control deals with the Soviet Union and end the Vietnam War, but who was reviled by critics over human rights, has died aged 100. While many hailed Kissinger for his brilliance and statesmanship, others branded him a war criminal for his support for anti-communist dictatorships, especially in Latin America. Kissinger won the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, but it was one of the most controversial ever. When Nixon's pledge to end the Vietnam War helped him win the 1968 presidential election, he brought in Kissinger as national security adviser. And in the India-Pakistan War of 1971, Nixon and Kissinger drew heavy criticism for tilting toward Pakistan.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Nixon's, Gerald Ford, Joe Biden's, John Kirby, Biden, Le Duc Tho, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abdul Momen, Kissinger's, Momen, Ford, Henry, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Egon Bahr, Fabrizio Bensch, Lyndon, Nixon, Premier Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong, China Winston Lord, Leonid Brezhnev, Salvador Allende, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George W, Bush, Xi Jinping, Ann Fleischer, Nancy Maginnes, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Steve Holland, Arshad Mohammed, Dan Whitcomb, Don Durfee, Kanishka Singh, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Bill Trott, Diane Craft, Rosalba O'Brien, Tomasz Janowski, Frances Kerry, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Jewish, Kissinger Associates, Arlington National, Republican, Paris Peace, Democratic, U.S, HARVARD, Nazi, Social Democratic, Mary's, REUTERS, Army, Harvard University, State Department, Paris Peace Accords, Communist, Premier, Former U.S, Ford, CIA, Democrat, House, New York Governor, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, China, Soviet Union, Vietnam, German, Connecticut, New York, Arlington, Israel, Paris, North Vietnam, America, Cambodia, North Vietnamese, Beijing, Russian, statesmanship, West, East Pakistan, Bangladesh, Fuerth, Germany, United States, St, Berlin, Europe, Jerusalem, Damascus, Syria, Golan, Vladivostok, Egypt, Sinai, India, Pakistan, Saint Paul , Minnesota, Long Beach , California

☆ Biden praised Kissinger in life, offers measured reaction on his death
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Heather Timmons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks In the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2023. Fifteen years later, Biden's White House took a more distant approach, waiting about 24 hours to issue a statement after Kissinger died at age 100 on Wednesday. Biden said he first met Kissinger when he was a young Democratic senator from Delaware and he was secretary of state. Biden said after Kissinger retired from government "he continued to offer his views and ideas to the most important policy discussion across multiple generations." “It’s a huge loss,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday, noting Kissinger’s military service during World War Two and years of public service afterward.

Persons: Joe Biden, Eisenhower, Evelyn Hockstein, Henry Kissinger, Biden, Kissinger, Biden's, " Biden, Jill, Nancy, Elizabeth, David, “, John Kirby, Kirby, Heather Timmons, Steve Holland, Caitlin Webber, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Paris Peace, White, Biden, ” National Security, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Iraq, Delaware, China, U.S, Israel, Paris, North Vietnam, America

☆ US asks Israel to narrow zone of combat in any southern Gaza attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Palestinians cook among the houses destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, amid the temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at Khan Younis refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, November 29, 2023. U.S. officials from President Joe Biden on down, including in the State Department and Pentagon, are pleading with Israel to take a more cautious approach if and when the Israeli military extends its offensive to southern Gaza. Two-thirds of the enclave's population of 2.3 million have fled south to avoid the war zone in the north. Israel's operation in the north drew strong international criticism and Biden has taken fire at home for his sweeping support for Israel. Many of the lead architects of the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, in which 1,200 people were killed, are in the south, one official noted.

Persons: Mohammed Salem, Joe Biden, Israel, Biden, Washington, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Sonali Paul Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, State Department, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Khan, Gaza, United States, U.S

An Israeli Merkava tank manoeuvres near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, as seen from southern Israel, November 28, 2023. "You cannot have the sort of scale of displacement that took place in the north, replicated in the south. The official said the campaign needed to be "deconflicted" from power, water, humanitarian sites and hospitals in south and central Gaza, meaning avoid attacks on those types of infrastructure sites. A second U.S. official said Washington would like to see the humanitarian pause extended as long as possible. The officials said aid deliveries to Gaza were currently running at about 240 truckloads a day but this was nowhere near enough to meet needs.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Israel, Joe Biden, Antonio Guterres, Steve Holland, David Brunnstrom, Mary Milliken, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, United Nations, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Qatar, Washington, Sinai, Egypt

[1/9] People react after the release of Palestinian prisoners amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 28, 2023. Those have been mostly Israeli women and children along with foreign citizens. Israel has said the truce could be prolonged further, provided Hamas continues to free at least 10 Israeli hostages per day. Separately, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations on Tuesday called in a joint statement for an extension of the ceasefire and more humanitarian aid. It had been due to expire overnight into Tuesday, but both sides agreed to extend the pause to allow for the release of more Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Cross, Tuesday's, John Kirby, Kirby, Antonio Guterres, Martin Griffiths, Griffiths, Israel, Nidal al, Mohammed Salem, Henriette Chacar, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Steve Holland, Cynthia Osterman, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Qatar, Palestinian, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, International Committee, Ofer, Palestinian Prisoner's, CIA, U.S, World Health Organization, United Nations, Air Force One, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Ramallah, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Jerusalem, Qatar, United States, U.S, Egypt, Amman, Rafah, Geneva, Cairo

Nov 27 (Reuters) - The man accused of shooting and wounding three college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington, Vermont, over the weekend pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges on Monday and was ordered by a judge to remain held without bond. All three men are undergraduate students at colleges in other cities but were staying with Awartani and his relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday. [1/8]Jason J. Eaton, 48, a suspect who was arrested in the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent, poses for a police booking photograph in Burlington, Vermont, U.S. November 27, 2023. Police said the suspect had legally acquired the gun used in the shooting a few months ago. Police said all three are of Palestinian descent - two of them U.S. citizens and the third a legal U.S. resident.

Persons: Jason J, Eaton, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen, Kinnan, Awartani, Easton, Investigators, I'VE, I've, Sarah Fair George, Jon Murad, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Aliahmad, Rich McKay, Susan Heavey, Luc Cohen, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Katharine Jackson, Steve Gorman, Frank McGurty, Bill Berkrot, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Police, University of Vermont, FBI, U.S . Bureau, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Burlington Police Department, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Palestinian, Hamas, Burlington Police, U.S . Department of Justice, of, Brown University, Haverford College, Trinity College in, Ramallah Friends School, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Burlington , Vermont, Chittenden County, Burlington, Vermont's, U.S, United States, Israel, of New York, America, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Trinity College in Connecticut, Ramallah, Atlanta, Los Angeles

☆ Suspect in shooting of Palestinian American students pleads not guilty in Vermont
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Rich Mckay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 27 (Reuters) - The suspect in the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont over the weekend pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted second-degree murder on Monday and was ordered by a judge to be held without bond. Police say Eaton used a pistol to shoot them on the street near the University of Vermont in Burlington on Saturday evening and then ran away. Police said the suspect had legally acquired the gun used in the shooting a few months ago. [1/5]Jason J. Eaton, 48, a suspect who was arrested in the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent, poses for a police booking photograph in Burlington, Vermont, U.S. November 27, 2023. Two of the students were visiting the home of the third student's family in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Persons: Jason J, Eaton, Sarah Fair George, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, Tahseen Ahmed, Rich McKay, Susan Heavy, Luc Cohen, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Katharine Jackson, Frank McGurty, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Police, University of Vermont, Palestinian, Hamas, Burlington Police Department, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Institute for Middle, U.S . Department of Justice, of, Brown University, Haverford College, Trinity College in, Ramallah Friends School, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Vermont, Chittenden, Burlington, East, Chittenden County, United States, Israel, Burlington , Vermont, U.S, of New York, America, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Trinity College in Connecticut, Ramallah, Atlanta

☆ Three Americans expected to be included in Gaza hostage release-US official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli bombardments since have flattened large swaths of Hamas-led Gaza and killed 13,300 civilians, according to authorities in Gaza. Under terms of the deal, Hamas is to release 50 hostages and Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners during a four- to five-day pause in the fighting. The hostage group will include two American women and an American girl named Abigail who will turn four on Friday, the official said. The deal will also include more deliveries of humanitarian relief aid to Gaza, the official said. A rigorous inspection regime will ensure Hamas does not use the pause to rearm the group's fighters in Gaza with weaponry, the official said.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Abigail, Steve Holland, Costas Pitas, Humeyra Pamuk, Arshad Mohammed, Scott Malone, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, U.S, Qatar, American

☆ The secret negotiations that led to the Gaza hostages deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Pictures of hostages held in Gaza, who were seized from southern Israel on October 7 by Hamas gunmen during a deadly attack, are displayed in Tel Aviv, Israel, November 15, 2023. Demands were made that Hamas produce the lists of hostages it was holding, their identifying information, and guarantees of release. Biden held a previously undisclosed phone call with the Qatari prime minister when the phasing of releases began to take shape, the official said. Shortly after Biden's call, Hamas produced details for the 50 hostages it said would be released in the first phase of any deal. Biden in a Nov. 14 call urged Netanyahu to take the deal - Netanyahu agreed.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Bill Burns, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Brett McGurk, Sullivan, McGurk, Josh Geltzer, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim, Biden, Netanyahu, Judith Raanan, Burns, David Barnea, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, ”, Abbas Kamil, Word, Steve Holland, Don Durfee Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, White, U.S, Israeli, CIA, U.S . Middle East, National Security Council, Hamas, Qatari, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, Qatar, Egypt, United States, U.S, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sullivan’s, Doha, Cairo, San Francisco, Asia, Lincoln

☆ Israel-Hamas war: Four-day truce agreed, 50 hostages to go free
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Hamas and allied groups captured around 240 hostages when Islamist gunmen rampaged through southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7. Beyond that, the truce could be extended day by day as long as an additional 10 hostages were freed per day. Hamas said the initial 50 hostages would be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israel. The truce deal is a first small step towards peace in the most violent ruction of the 75-year-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel," Netanyahu said in a recorded message.

Persons: Guterres, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Foreign Ministry Mohammed Al, Alexander Ermochenko, Mona, Joe Biden, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Antonio Guterres, Netanyahu, James Mackenzie, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Andrew Mills, Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich, Cynthia Osterman, Stephen Coates, Simon Cameron, Moore, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hamas, Israeli, State, Foreign Ministry, Reuters, REUTERS, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Israel’s Defence Ministry, Saudi Foreign, Thomson Locations: GAZA, JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Israel ., Jabalia, U.S, Jerusalem, Doha, Washington, Cairo

Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the proposal on a hostage release deal was delivered to Israel in the early hours of Tuesday. Before gathering with his full government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday with his war cabinet and wider national security cabinet over the deal. Israeli media including Channel 12 news said that if the deal was approved, the first release of hostages was expected on Thursday. Implementing the deal must wait for 24 hours to give Israeli citizens the chance to ask the Supreme Court to block the release of Palestinian prisoners, reports said. HOSPITAL ORDERED TO EVACUATEAs attention focused on the hostage release deal, fighting on the ground raged on.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Majed Al, Ansari, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Judith Raanan, Natalie Raanan, Nurit Cooper, Yocheved Lifshitz, Al Quds, Mounir, Al Shifa, Israel, WAFA, Khan Younis, Nidal al, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Andrew Mills, Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Cynthia Osterman, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Netanyahu, Media, Officials, Hamas, Qatar Foreign Ministry, U.S, Islamic, Al Quds Brigades, Al, Indonesian, United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, Qatar, GAZA, JERUSALEM, U.S, State, Israeli, Gaza ., Al Jazeera, Gaza City, Palestinian, Jabalia, Hamas, Khan, Jerusalem, Doha, Washington, Cairo

A Houthi fighter holds up a pistol in the cargo area of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. Kirby's comment was significant because one of the Biden administration's first acts after taking office in January 2021 was revoking terrorist designations of the Houthis over fears the sanctions they carried could worsen Yemen's humanitarian crisis. Kirby called the Houthis' seizure of the vessel a "flagrant violation of international law" in which "Iran is complicit." "In light of this, we have begun a review of potential terrorist designations and we will be considering other options as well with our allies and partners as well," Kirby said at a White House press briefing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Feb. 12, 2021, revoked the designations in "recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen."

Persons: John Kirby, Biden, Houthis, Kirby, Trump, Antony Blinken, Jonathan Landay, Steve Holland, Grant McCool Organizations: Galaxy Leader, Houthi Military, REUTERS, Rights, White House, Japan's Nippon, Car Carriers, Ray Shipping, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Red, United States, Iran, Israel, Bahamas, Isle of, Tel Aviv, Yemen, Hodeidah, Islam, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, U.S

☆ The Secret Negotiations That Led to the Gaza Hostages Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Five days later, on Oct. 23, the White House team's work helped yield the release of two American hostages, Natalie and Judith Raanan. Demands were made that Hamas produce the lists of hostages it was holding, their identifying information, and guarantees of release. Biden held a previously undisclosed phone call with the Qatari prime minister when the phasing of releases began to take shape, the official said. Shortly after Biden's call, Hamas produced details for the 50 hostages it said would be released in the first phase of any deal. Biden in a Nov. 14 call urged Netanyahu to take the deal - Netanyahu agreed.

Persons: Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Bill Burns, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Brett McGurk, Sullivan, McGurk, Josh Geltzer, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim, Biden, Netanyahu, Judith Raanan, Burns, David Barnea, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, ”, Abbas Kamil, Word, Steve Holland, Don Durfee Organizations: White, U.S, Israeli, CIA, U.S . Middle East, National Security Council, Hamas, Qatari Locations: Israel, Qatar, Egypt, United States, U.S, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Tel Aviv, Sullivan’s, Gaza, Doha, Cairo, San Francisco, Asia

☆ Netanyahu asks Israeli government to back Hamas hostage deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A U.S. official had said the deal will include a four- or five-day ceasefire, the first pause in six weeks of an Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Hamas took about 240 hostages, including children and elderly people, during its rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israel's tally. Relatives of the Israeli hostages and supporters had marched by the thousands along the highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to pressure the government to secure the captives' release. An Israel Prison Service spokesperson said they were not aware of a deal to release Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has to date released only four captives: U.S. citizens Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17, on Oct. 20, citing "humanitarian reasons," and Israeli women Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, on Oct. 23.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Daniel Hagari, Ishay, Reuma, Tarshansky, Zvika, Omer Wenkert, Itzhaki, Qadura, Judith Raanan, Natalie Raanan, Nurit Cooper, Yocheved Lifshitz, Maayan Lubell, Rami Amichay, Eli Berlzon, Henriette Chacar, Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Steven Scheer, Howard Goller Organizations: Rights, U.S, Hamas, Qatar, Defence Ministry, Prisoners ' Affairs, Palestinian Authority, Reuters, Israel Prison Service, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, ABIR, Gaza, Jerusalem, Gali, Kibbutz Beeri, Ramallah

☆ Israeli Government Debates Deal for Release of Gaza Hostages, Truce
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: Nidal, Majed Al, Ansari, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Judith Raanan, Natalie Raanan, Nurit Cooper, Yocheved Lifshitz, Al Quds, Mounir, Al Shifa, Israel, WAFA, Khan Younis, Nidal al, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Andrew Mills, Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Cynthia Osterman, Deepa Babington Organizations: Officials, Hamas, Qatar Foreign Ministry, U.S, Islamic, Al Quds Brigades, Al, Indonesian, United Nations, Reuters Locations: Maayan, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel, Qatar, U.S, State, Israeli, Gaza ., Al Jazeera, Gaza City, Palestinian, Jabalia, Hamas, Khan, Jerusalem, Doha, Washington, Cairo

☆ Biden turns 81 as worries about his age weigh on re-election prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden disembarks from Marine One at Delaware Air National Guard Base en route to Wilmington, in New Castle, Delaware, U.S., November 17, 2023. "I know I'm 198 years old," Biden joked back in June. If re-elected, Biden would be 86 by the end of his second term in office. Republican Ronald Reagan, who had the prior record as oldest U.S. president, ended his second four-year term at age 77 in 1989. Seventy-seven percent of respondents, including 65% of Democrats, said Biden is too old to be president, while just 39% said Biden was mentally sharp enough for the presidency.

Persons: Joe Biden disembarks, Julia Nikhinson, Joe Biden, Biden, Republican Ronald Reagan, Trump, Steve Holland, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Delaware Air National Guard Base, REUTERS, Rights, White, Republican, Trump, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Marine, Wilmington, New Castle , Delaware, U.S

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