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☆ Relief and Sadness for Palestinian Prisoners Freed in Gaza Hostage Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Ali SawaftaBEITUNIA, West Bank (Reuters) - For the families of Palestinian detainees freed by Israel under a hostage deal agreed with the Islamist group Hamas, Friday brought relief tinged with sadness at the fighting that is set to continue in Gaza after the expiry of a four-day truce. Israeli police were seen raiding her Jerusalem home before her daughter was released. "We are still afraid to feel happy and at the same time, we do not have it in us to be happy due to what is happening in Gaza," she said. More than 100 more Palestinian prisoners are due to be released over the coming four days and more may be freed if the truce is extended. In Beitunia, a city near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, a large crowd, mostly of young men, greeted freed prisoners by cheering, honking car horns and marching in the street carrying Palestinian flags.

Persons: Ali Sawafta BEITUNIA, Sawsan Bkeer, Marah Bkeer, Abu Ubaida, Laith Othman, Ismail Shaheen, Fatima, Shaheen, Yosri AlJamal, James Mackenzie, Daniel Wallis Organizations: West Bank, Reuters, Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem

☆ Palestinian women and youths to be swapped for Israeli hostages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Ali Sawafta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jubilant reunions are expected when Palestinian families greet the prisoners on their return as early as Thursday, most of them to their homes in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. Arrested for such offences as attempted stabbings, stone throwings at Israeli soldiers or having contacts with hostile organisations, many were held under administrative detention, meaning Israel held them without trial. Israel has agreed to a four-day truce, the entry of aid to Gaza and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners in return for the hostages, all children or women. Another 150 Palestinian prisoners could be freed in return for another 50 hostages in days to come, a Palestinian official said. "The resistance didn't call this deal a swap deal but it is a deal for truce and ceasefire," he said.

Persons: Shir Torem, Gilad Shalit, Yahya Sinwar, James Mackenzie, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, West Bank, Jerusalem, Qatari, Palestinian, Commission, Prisoners ' Affairs, Palestinian Authority, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, RAMALLAH, East Jerusalem

☆ Fifteen killed, 22 injured in Israeli strike on a residential building in southern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Fifteen people were killed and 22 others injured in an Israeli strike on a residential apartment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza on Tuesday night, according to Al Jazeera TV and a Telgram channel affiliated to Hamas. The Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV showed video footage of the apartment site and a number of dead children wrapped in bed sheets while other residents were searching the rubble. The victims and the injured arrived at Nasser Hospital, according to Shehab News Agency, a channel close to Hamas on Telegram. Reporting by Omar Abdel-Razek and Ali Sawafta and Omar Editing by Chris Reese and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Khan Younis, Omar Abdel, Razek, Ali Sawafta, Omar, Chris Reese, Chizu Organizations: Al, Hamas, Nasser Hospital, Shehab News Agency, Telegram, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Khan, Gaza, Al Jazeera, Qatar

☆ Fifteen Killed, 22 Injured in Israeli Strike on a Residential Building in Southern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO (Reuters) - Fifteen people were killed and 22 others injured in an Israeli strike on a residential apartment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza on Tuesday night, according to Al Jazeera TV and a Telgram channel affiliated to Hamas. The Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV showed video footage of the apartment site and a number of dead children wrapped in bed sheets while other residents were searching the rubble. The victims and the injured arrived at Nasser Hospital, according to Shehab News Agency, a channel close to Hamas on Telegram. (Reporting by Omar Abdel-Razek and Ali Sawafta and Omar; Editing by Chris Reese and Chizu Nomiyama)

Persons: Khan Younis, Omar Abdel, Razek, Ali Sawafta, Chris Reese, Chizu Organizations: Al, Hamas, Nasser Hospital, Shehab News Agency, Telegram Locations: CAIRO, Khan, Gaza, Al Jazeera, Qatar

☆ Palestinian Red Crescent, UN agencies evacuate Al Shifa premature babies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GAZA, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Ambulance crews of the Palestinian Red Crescent evacuated 31 premature babies from Shifa Hospital on Sunday in coordination with the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the group said in a post on its Facebook page. [1/7]Premature babies which were evacuated from an incubator in Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City receive treatment at an hospital in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled Acquire Licensing RightsThe babies were transferred to the south of Gaza "in preparation for their transfer to the Emirates Hospital in Rafah" the group added. Later in the day Ashraf Al-Qidra, spokesperson for the Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, told a news conference that the babies had been moved to Tal Alsultan Hospital in Rafah and will be sent to Egyptian hospitals with their families tomorrow. Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Ahmed Tolba, writing by Omar Abdel-Razek; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hatem Khaled, Ashraf Al, Ali Sawafta, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Ambulance, Palestinian, Crescent, Shifa Hospital, World Health Organization, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, REUTERS, Emirates Hospital, Health Ministry, Hamas, Tal Alsultan, Thomson Locations: GAZA, Al Shifa, Gaza City, Rafah, Gaza, Tal

[1/5] Palestinian Hamza al-Qawasmi takes care of trees near his home, in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma Acquire Licensing RightsRAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Hamza al-Qawasmi was at home in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron last month when Israeli forces stormed in after midnight and told him he was under arrest. The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment on Qawasmi's case. The Israeli military has said it operates in the West Bank against suspects involved in militant activity. Prisons are overseen by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has long advocated for a crackdown on Palestinian prisoners.

Persons: Hamza al, Mussa, Qawasmi, Mohammad Shtayyeh, Israel, Qadura, Fares, Heba, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Yosri al, Jamal, Howard Goller Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, West, Islamic, Hebron University, Reuters, ISIS, Israel, Palestinian Health Ministry, East, Palestinian, Amnesty, Hamas, Israel Prison Service, Palestinian Prisoners Society, Commission, Prisoners ' Affairs, Palestinian Authority, Prisons, National, Thomson Locations: Hebron, RAMALLAH, West, West Bank, Gaza, Israel, East Jerusalem, Ramallah, East, North Africa, Palestinian, Banat, Nizar Banat

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Hamza al-Qawasmi was at home in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron last month when Israeli forces stormed in after midnight and told him he was under arrest. The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment on Qawasmi's case. Palestinian detainees and officials say Israel has conducted mass arrests in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem and that prisoners were increasingly facing physical assaults and humiliating treatment in Israeli detention facilities. The Israeli military has said it operates in the West Bank against suspects involved in militant activity. Prisons are overseen by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has long advocated for a crackdown on Palestinian prisoners.

Persons: Hamza al, Qawasmi, Mohammad Shtayyeh, Israel, Qadura, Fares, Heba, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Yosri al, Jamal, Howard Goller Organizations: West Bank, West, Islamic, Hebron University, Reuters, ISIS, Israel, Palestinian Health Ministry, East, Palestinian, Amnesty, Hamas, Israel Prison Service, Palestinian Prisoners Society, Commission, Prisoners ' Affairs, Palestinian Authority, Prisons, National, Thomson Locations: RAMALLAH, West, West Bank, Hebron, Gaza, Israel, East Jerusalem, Ramallah, East, North Africa, Palestinian, Banat, Nizar Banat

☆ Israeli strike on West Bank refugee camp kills five -medics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 18 (Reuters) - At least five Palestinians were killed and two more injured in an Israeli strike on a building in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service said early on Saturday. The Israeli military did not immediately provide comment on the incident at Balata refugee camp, in the central city of Nablus. The Palestinian Red Crescent earlier said its medics were dealing with five serious injuries from the blast, all of them men ranging from 19 to 25 years in age. At least 186 Palestinians, including 51 children, have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, according to U.N. figures. An additional eight have been killed by Israeli settlers, while four Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians, according to the figures.

Persons: Ali Sawafta, Diane Craft, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: West Bank, Palestinian, Crescent, The Palestinian, Thomson Locations: RAMALLAH, West, Nablus, The, Israel, Gaza

☆ France calls West Bank Israeli settler violence 'policy of terror'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Israeli army vehicle operates during an Israeli raid in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 9, 2023. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - France on Thursday condemned violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, calling it a "policy of terror" aimed at displacing Palestinians and urging Israeli authorities to protect Palestinians from the violence. Speaking in Geneva on Thursday, Turk said he was deeply concerned about the intensification of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. But just in the three weeks since the Oct 7 attack, more than 120 West Bank Palestinians have been killed. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and it has been under military occupation since, while Israeli settlements have consistently expanded.

Persons: Raneen, Anne, Claire Legendre, Volker Turk, Turk, Israel, France's Legendre, France, John Irish, Bernadette Baum, Angus MacSwan Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Bank, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Jenin, France, Israel, Gaza, Geneva, East Jerusalem, Palestinian

☆ Palestinian officials say harder to update Gaza casualty toll as health system buckles
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A makeshift operating theater area is seen inside Al Shifa hospital during the Israeli ground operation around the hospital, in Gaza City November 12, 2023. Ahmed El Mokhallalati/via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsRAMALLAH, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Palestinian health authorities said on Wednesday it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain accurate casualty figures from Gaza due to the collapse of the hospital and health system in parts of the Israeli-besieged enclave. The Palestinian health ministry has been issuing a constantly updated total of the casualties from the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, launched in the wake of the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen on Oct. 7. The latest total since Oct. 7 shows 11,320 people killed, including 4,650 children or minors. An official from Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, said on Tuesday that 25 of the 35 hospitals in the enclave were out of use due to the bombardment.

Persons: Al, Ahmed El Mokhallalati, Ali Sawafta, James Mackenzie, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Gaza, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Al Shifa, Gaza City, RAMALLAH, Gaza, Israel

☆ Israeli forces kill six Palestinians in West Bank clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Israeli troops backed by the air force raided a town in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, touching off clashes in which at least six Palestinians were killed, medics and local media said. The Israeli army and police said their forces, sent into Tulkarm to detain suspected militants, came under fire and killed several Palestinian gunmen in the ensuing skirmish. An Israeli air strike hit a group of Palestinians who shot and threw a bomb at the group, the army and police statement added. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said the air strike was carried out by a drone and killed three people. Anger over the fighting has risen in the West Bank and many parts of the Arab world with growing calls for a Gaza ceasefire.

Persons: WAFA, Anger, Ali Sawafta, Jacqueline Wong, Michael Perry, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: West Bank, Islamic, Thomson Locations: RAMALLAH, West, Tulkarm, Israeli, Israel, Gaza

☆ Israel says Palestinian Authority in current form should not run Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Israel has vowed to destroy Palestinian group Hamas, which governs Gaza, after its shock Oct. 7 cross-border assault and has launched a full-scale invasion of the territory. Washington has said Israel cannot occupy the enclave after the war, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week saying that the Gaza administration had to be re-unified with the nearby West Bank, parts of which are run by the Palestinian Authority (PA). Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Abbas, told Reuters the Israelis were seeking to perpetuate divisions between the two Palestinian territories -- the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. "Israeli attempts to separate Gaza from the West Bank will fail, and it will not be allowed, regardless of the pressures," he told Reuters. The PA used to run both the West Bank and Gaza but was ousted from the latter in 2007 after a brief civil war with Hamas.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Antony Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Netanyahu, Israel, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Abbas, Emily Rose, Rami Ayyub, Ali, William Maclean, David Goodman Organizations: Rights, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, West, NBC News, Reuters, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, ABIR, Gaza, Washington, West Bank, Jerusalem

☆ Israel Says Palestinian Authority in Current Form Should Not Run Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Crispian BalmerJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thrown up more doubts about the future of the Gaza Strip, suggesting that the Palestinian Authority in its current form should not take charge of the coastal enclave. Israel has vowed to destroy Palestinian group Hamas, which governs Gaza, following its shock Oct. 7 cross-border assault, and has launched a full-scale invasion of the territory. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Abbas, told Reuters the Israelis were seeking to perpetuate divisions between the two Palestinian territories -- the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. "Israeli attempts to separate Gaza from the West Bank will fail, and it will not be allowed, regardless of the pressures," he said. The PA used to run both the West Bank and Gaza, but got ousted from the latter in 2007 after a brief civil war with Hamas.

Persons: Crispian Balmer JERUSALEM, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony J, Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Netanyahu, Israel, Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Emily Rose, Ali Sawafta, William Maclean Organizations: Palestinian Authority, Hamas, West, Reuters, West Bank Locations: Gaza, Israel, Washington, West Bank, Jerusalem, Ramallah

☆ Palestinian Authority Could Play Gaza Role as Part of Wider Palestinian Solution -Abbas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday the Palestinian Authority could play a role in administering the Gaza Strip, on condition that there was a full political solution that also encompassed the occupied West Bank. The United States has said that Palestinians should govern Gaza after the war but how that would work in practice remains open. The Palestinian Authority could be part of a wider political solution with an independent Palestinian state, Abbas said. Attempts to secure an agreement for a two state solution with an independent Palestinian state have been stalled for almost a decade after the last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks stalled in 2014. Although countries including the United States have continued to call for a two state solution, there have been no firm signs of any revival in the peace process.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Ali Sawafta, James Mackenzie, Clauda Tanios, Alison Williams, Grant McCool Organizations: Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Israeli, Hamas, United, Palestinian Locations: RAMALLAH, Gaza, United States, Israel, Palestine, East Jerusalem

☆ Palestinian Authority could play Gaza role as part of wider Palestinian solution -Abbas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday Oct. 17, 2023. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsRAMALLAH, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday the Palestinian Authority could play a role in administering the Gaza Strip, on condition that there was a full political solution that also encompassed the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority could be part of a wider political solution with an independent Palestinian state, Abbas said. Attempts to secure an agreement for a two state solution with an independent Palestinian state have been stalled for almost a decade after the last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks stalled in 2014. Abbas said there should be an international peace conference to work out specific timelines, backed by international guarantees.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, Jacquelyn Martin, Abbas, Israel, Ali Sawafta, James Mackenzie, Clauda Tanios, Alison Williams, Grant McCool Organizations: Palestinian, U.S, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Israeli, Hamas, United, Thomson Locations: Amman, Jordan, RAMALLAH, Gaza, United States, Israel, Palestine, East Jerusalem

"The Israeli occupation launched simultaneous strikes on a number of hospitals during the past hours," Gaza Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra told Al Jazeera television. Qidra said Israel targeted the courtyard of Al Shifa, the biggest hospital in Gaza City, and there were casualties, but he did not provide details. Israel said Hamas has hidden command centres and tunnels beneath Al Shifa, allegations Hamas denies. "Indonesia once again condemns the savage attacks on civilians and civilian objects, especially humanitarian facilities in Gaza," the ministry said in a statement. Palestinian officials said 10,812 Gaza residents had been killed as of Thursday, about 40% of them children, in air and artillery strikes.

Persons: Raneen, Ashraf Al, Qidra, Israel, Al Shifa, Nasr, ISRAEL, Joe Biden, John Kirby, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Nidal al, Angel, Emily Rose, Maayan, Rami Amichay, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Cynthia Osterman, Grant McCool, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Indonesian, Hamas, Gaza Ministry, Health, Al, Reuters, Rights Watch, Rantisi Pediatric Hospital, Indonesian Hospital, White House, Fox News, Thomson Locations: Jenin, Gaza, Indonesia, GAZA, WASHINGTON, Israel, Israeli, Al Jazeera, Al, Gaza City, Egypt, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Washington

☆ Eight Palestinians Killed by Israeli Forces in Jenin - Palestinian Health Ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Eight Palestinians were killed and at least 14 others were injured by Israeli forces in a raid on Jenin city and refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said on Thursday. Israel's military said it was conducting counter-terrorism raids in Jenin, but gave no further details. At least 173 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank since the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian Health Ministry figures. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Clauda Tanios in Dubai; Writing by Maytaal Angel; Editing by Alison Williams and Toby Chopra)

Persons: Ali Sawafta, Maytaal Angel, Alison Williams, Toby Chopra Organizations: West Bank, Palestinian Health Ministry Locations: RAMALLAH, Jenin, Israel, Gaza, Ramallah, Clauda, Dubai

☆ Israeli troops arrest Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi in West Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Israeli military said it apprehended Ahed Tamimi, 22, in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. The text threatened to "slaughter" Israel's West Bank settlers. Violence has also flared in the West Bank, which has seen regular clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians. Since Oct. 7, Israeli troops have killed at least 141 Palestinians in the territory, including 43 children, according to U.N. figures. Reporting by Ismael Khader in Nabi Saleh, West Bank; Writing by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ahed Tamimi, Raneen, NABI SALEH, Nabi Saleh, Tamimi, Nariman Tamimi, Hitler, Ismael Khader, Rami Ayyub, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Bank, REUTERS, West Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nabi Saleh, West, West Bank, Israel, Gaza

GAZA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Having rebuffed calls for a ceasefire, Israel was set to come under sustained pressure on Monday to avoid civilian casualties during its assault on Gaza, while a U.S. diplomatic blitz in the region sought to reduce risks of the conflict escalating. But after Blinken repeated U.S. concerns that a ceasefire could aid Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled that out unless hostages held by Hamas were released. "We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately," Abbas told Blinken, urging an "immediate ceasefire" from Israel. "Stop in the name of God," he said, calling for humanitarian aid and help for the injured to ease the "very grave" situation in Gaza. Instead, the U.S. wants localized pauses in fighting to allow in humanitarian aid and for people to leave Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, WAFA, we're, Jonathan Conricus, Conricus, William Burns, Burns, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, Kamala Harris, King Abdullah, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Jonathan Ernst, Saeed al, Abbas, Israel, Mohammed al, Pope Francis, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Simon Lewis, Dan Williams, Costas Pitas, David Lawder, Lincoln, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Sunday, West Bank, Palestinian, Israeli, Hamas, Paltel, CNN, U.S, CIA, Israel, New York Times, Times, Reuters, . Defense, Pentagon, U.S . Central Command, Baghdad International, REUTERS, Israel Defense Forces, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: GAZA, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Ankara, Turkey, Gaza City, Palestinian, Jordanian, Ohio, Iran, Baghdad, Iraq, LEBANON, Lebanon, Kiryat Shmona, Qatar, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan, Amman, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, Washington

☆ Blinken says Palestinian voices key to Gaza future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Blinken passed through Israeli checkpoints to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, and then traveled on to Iraq. Palestinian views, voices and aspirations need to be “at the center” of conversations about the future of Gaza, Blinken told reporters in Baghdad. Blinken had some "good ideas" about the future he said, but "now is the time to ....stop the murder of civilians"Abbas told Blinken there should be an immediate ceasefire and that aid should be allowed into Gaza, according to spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh. While Hamas tightly controls besieged Gaza, the West Bank is a complex patchwork of hillside cities, Israeli settlements and army checkpoints that split Palestinian communities. Blinken credited Abbas for tamping down tension in the West Bank and told him he had pressed Israeli officials for accountability, the senior State Department official said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel, Abbas, WAFA, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Matthew Miller, Miller, Jordan, Simon Lewis, Ali Sawafta, Doina Chiacu, Ted Hesson, Hugh Lawson, Alexander Smith, Heather Timmons Organizations: U.S, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian, West Bank, Hamas, CBS, United Nations, senior State Department, Thomson Locations: RAMALLAH, BAGHDAD, Gaza, Ramallah, Iraq, Israel, Baghdad, Iran, United States, East Jerusalem, Palestinian, U.S, United Kingdom, Egypt, Washington

☆ Blinken visits West Bank to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Blinken told Abbas that the Palestinian Authority should play a central role in what comes next in the Gaza Strip, a senior State Department official told Reuters. Abbas told Blinken there should be an immediate ceasefire and that aid should be allowed into Gaza, according to spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh. Abbas' Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has seen its popularity shrivel amid allegations of graft, incompetence and widely hated security cooperation arrangements with Israel. The meeting was Blinken’s second with Abbas since the conflict began, but the first to take place in the West Bank. Blinken and Abbas "discussed efforts to restore calm and stability in the West Bank, including the need to stop extremist violence against Palestinians and hold those accountable responsible," Miller said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, General Hussein al, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Israel, Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Matthew Miller, Miller, Jordan, Simon Lewis, Ali Sawafta, Hugh Lawson, Alexander Smith Organizations: PLO, Hamas, West Bank, Sunday, Palestinian Authority, State Department, Reuters, Palestinian, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Ramallah, RAMALLAH, Gaza, United States, Egypt

A spokesman for the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Israeli forces had struck the camp overnight, killing at least 47 people. In a separate attack, 21 Palestinians from one family, including women and children, were killed in strikes overnight, the health ministry said. 'NO WORDS'"We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately," Abbas told Blinken, urging an "immediate ceasefire" from Israel. The Palestinian health ministry said three Palestinians were killed in the incident, which it described as clashes with Israeli forces. Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Hebron, the ministry said.

Persons: Gazans, Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, Jonathan, Saeed al, Abbas, Blinken, WAFA, Israel, Pope Francis, Matthew Miller, Mohammed Salem, Benjamin Netanyahu, Crescent, Gaza's Tal Al, David Satterfield, Cindy McCain, Mc Cain, Abu Dis, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Simon Lewis, Dan Williams, Yusri Mohamed, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Clauda Tanos, Michael Perry, Ingrid Melander, William Mallard, Alexander Smith, Conor Humphries Organizations: U.S, West Bank, Israel, U.S . State Department, Gaza, Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Hamas, REUTERS, Palestinian, Food, Thomson Locations: GAZA, RAMALLAH, Egypt, Ramallah, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, U.S, Qatar, Saudi, Jordan, Amman, United States, Palestinian, Al, Quds, Gaza's, Gaza City, Jerusalem, Hebron, Ismailia, Cairo

Gaza City - traditionally a Hamas stronghold - was surrounded, military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. The Israeli military said its troops and tanks were encountering mines and booby traps as they advanced in Gaza. Those who live in Gaza City and the north will have to find shelter elsewhere as the Israeli forces have cut off roads. Israeli spokesperson Hagari said Israeli was also "highly prepared" on its northern border with Lebanon, where he said Iranian-backed militants were carrying out actions with the aim of diverting it from the war in Gaza. Palestinians trapped in Gaza City hoped that a truce could be reached soon.

Persons: Daniel Hagari, Leo Varadkar, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mustafa Dalul, Khan Younis, Amir Cohen, Ayman Safadi, Safadi, Abu Ubaida, Gazans, Hagari, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Maytaal, Clauda, Patricia Zengerle, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Michael Perry, Angus MacSwan, Miral Fahmy, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Ireland's, Palestinian, Palestine, United, Israel, REUTERS, Jordan's, Qatari, West Bank, Workers, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Gaza City, Blinken, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Amman, United States, Egypt, Rafah, Lebanon, Iranian, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Dubai, Washington

☆ UN cites 'alarming' rise in Israeli army operations in West Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Palestinian woman checks the damage after an Israeli raid, in Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The United Nations rights office on Friday described "alarming" conditions in the occupied West Bank, saying Israeli forces were increasingly using military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations there. The Israeli military has reported a sharp increase in operations against militants in the West Bank since the Oct. 7 attack, making some 1,260 arrests, of whom it said some 760 were affiliated with Hamas. While Hamas and the smaller Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad militant group are mainly based in Gaza, over recent years they have also expanded their presence across the West Bank, notably in volatile cities including Jenin and Nablus. "We have documented that in many of these incidents, settlers were accompanied by members of the Israeli forces, or the settlers were wearing uniforms and carrying army rifles," she said.

Persons: Raneen, Liz Throssell, Throssell, Ammar Al, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Emma Farge, Rachel More, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Rights, United, Human Rights, Hamas, Jihad, Independent Commission of Human, Thomson Locations: Jenin, United Nations, Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Nablus, Palestine, Ramallah, Geneva, videolink

☆ Israeli settler attacks fuel the fire as Gaza war rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( John Davison | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Ben-Gvir's office did not respond to a request for comment about whether guns had already been distributed in the West Bank. At least eight of those were since Oct 7. alone, worrying ordinary Palestinians, Israeli security experts and Western officials. Washington has condemned settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank while the European Union on Tuesday denounced "settler terrorism" that risked a "dangerous escalation of the conflict." Hamas cited Israeli actions in the West Bank, core to a would-be Palestinian state, in waging its killing spree. 'GREAT DANGER'Settler-related violence is becoming harder to stem with the ongoing Gaza war and the augmented power of far-right politicians, Israeli security experts say.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Father, QUSRA, Mourning, Mohammed Wadi, Israel hurtled, Wadi's, Shira Liebman, Itamar Ben, Mohammed's, Ahmed, Ibrahim, Abdullah Abu Rahma, Liebman, We've, Lior Akerman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ben, Ariel Danino, Akerman, Den, Wadi, I'm, Emily Rose, Ali Sawafta, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, Yesha, National, Twitter, Humanitarian Affairs Office, OCHA, European Union, Wall Resistance Commission, Hamas, United Nations, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Nablus, West, Bank, Gaza, Qusra, Yesha Council, Lebanon, Washington, Israel's, Israel, Lebanese, Wadi, Abdullah, Jerusalem, Ramallah

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