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As of Wednesday, Israel had released 180 Palestinian prisoners and detainees and Hamas had released 81 hostages. Under Israeli law, children as young as 12 can be imprisoned for up to six months. Salman was one of the prisoners released on Friday, after serving almost eight of those nine years. Israeli military police guard the entrance to Ofer Israeli military prison, as Palestinian prisoners arrive from another Israeli prison, as part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas, on November 24. According to a report by Save the Children earlier this year, between an estimated 500 and 1,000 children are held in Israeli military detention each year.

Persons: CNN — Fatima Shahin, Israel, Shahin, hadn’t, ” Shahin, “, It’s, ”, isn’t, Ofer, Ammar Awad, B’Tselem, Khader Adnan, ” Adnan, Malak Salman, Salman, ” Fatima Salman, Malak’s, Itamar Ben Gvir, Ben Gvir, Ilia Yefimovich Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces ’ International Law Department, Israeli Information Center, Human Rights, Israel Prison Service, Israeli Ministry of Justice, Reuters, Geneva Convention, Islamic Jihad, UN, Palestinian, Israel Prison, Israeli National Security, Israel Police Locations: Bethlehem, Israel, Territories, Ramallah, Israeli, Jerusalem, Gaza

[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

☆ Israel seeks recognition of Hamas sexual violence at UN meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Israeli authorities have opened an investigation into sexual violence during the most deadly attack on Israel in its history, including rape, after evidence emerged pointing to sexual crimes, such as victims found disrobed and mutilated. The private event, attended by diplomats, rights groups and U.N. agencies, is the first Israel-organised event outside the country to address acts of sexual violence by Hamas, which Israel's diplomatic mission described as "widespread". U.N. rights bodies "downplayed" and "minimised" the sexual violence, said Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, an Associate Professor at the Bar-Ilan University, who spoke at the event. "The Office is attempting to carry out remote monitoring of these and other human rights violations reported in Israel and the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories). Lack of direct access to Israel and the OPT has hampered the work," said Ravina Shamdasani in response to emailed questions.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Ruth Halperin, Kaddari, " Halperin, Volker Turk, Ravina, Halperin, Emma Farge, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Ilan University, Reuters, Women, Human, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Israel, Geneva, Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem

☆ Disease could be bigger killer than bombs in Gaza - WHO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/ File photo Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - More people could die from disease than from bombings in the Gaza Strip if its health system is not repaired, a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Tuesday. Gaza health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say more than 15,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israel's bombardment of Gaza, around 40% of them children, with many more dead feared to be lost under rubble. Citing a U.N. report on the living conditions of displaced residents in northern Gaza, she said: "(There are) no medicines, no vaccination activities, no access to safe water and hygiene and no food. She described the collapse of Al Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza as a "tragedy" and voiced concern about the detention of some of its medical staff by Israeli forces during a WHO evacuation convoy. They don't have access to safe water and it's crippling them," he said.

Persons: Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Margaret Harris, James Elder, Emma Farge, Rachel More, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Health Organization, United Nations, Al, WHO, Children's Agency, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Geneva, Al Shifa

☆ Lancia to reveal new Ypsilon small car in February in European comeback plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An employee dusts of a Lancia Ypsilon 30th anniversary edition during the first press day ahead of the 85th International Motor Show in Geneva March 3, 2015. The new Ypsilon will initially be presented as a fully-electric, limited edition version of 1,906 units, Lancia said in a newsletter. The car will go on sale in Italy before summer next year and will also be available in a mild-hybrid version. The new Ypsilon will be built in Zaragoza, Spain, on the same platform as several other Stellantis models, including the Jeep Avenger, Fiat 600, Peugeot's 208 and 2008 and Opel's Mokka and Corsa. Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Arnd, Lancia, Opel's, Giulio Piovaccari, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Lancia, REUTERS, Jeep, Fiat, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Italy, Stellantis, Zaragoza, Spain

☆ Will the Profit Motive Fail Us on AI Safety?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

A humanoid AI robot in Geneva, July 5. Photo: fabrice coffrini/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe mission of a for-profit company is, well, profit, the greatest return for investors. That’s the profound ethical crisis at the heart of artificial general intelligence development (“Capitalism Works, Says ChatGPT” by Holman Jenkins, Jr., Business World, Nov. 22). Open AI’s nonprofit mission has been to guard humanity against the possible (and seemingly ever more probable) danger of unleashing artificial general intelligence on the world. If the controlling factor is mere profit, look for the nightmare.

Persons: fabrice coffrini, ChatGPT ”, Holman Jenkins , Jr, “ won’t Organizations: Agence France Locations: Geneva

An agreement has been reached to extend the Israel-Hamas truce for another two days, the spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesIsrael has said it would extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released. Here’s what's happening in the war:QATAR SAYS ISRAEL AND HAMAS AGREE TO EXTEND TRUCE FOR TWO MORE DAYSQatar’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that an agreement has been reached to extend the Israel-Hamas truce for another two days. Hamas has released some hostages during a truce that began Friday in return for Israeli releases of Palestinian prisoners.

Persons: —, Benjamin Netanyahu, — Elon, Majid Al Ansary, Elma Avraham, wasn’t, Tzachi Slotsky, Beer Sheba, Avraham’s, Tali Amano, Avraham, Amano, “, ”, Cross, Jason Straziuso, ELON, Elon Musk, who’s, Isaac Herzog, Musk, ” Musk, Eylon Levy, Shlomo Karhi, ” Karhi, Riad, Malki, JERUSALEM, ” Yelena Magid, Roni Krivoi, ” Magid, UNRWA's, Morris Tidball, Alice Jill Edwards, Wang Yi, Wang Wenbin, ” Wang Wenbin, Frank, Walter Steinmeier, ” Steinmeier, “ Beeri, Hassan Fadlallah, Fadlallah, Islam, France’s, Samuel Paty, Charlie Hebdo, Jason J, Eaton Organizations: Qatar’s Foreign, Hamas, Sunday, Israel, Health Ministry, —, Navy, Qatari Foreign, Soroka Medical, International Committee, ICRC Media, The Associated Press, Twitter, Israeli Ministry of Communications, Palestinian Foreign Affairs, European Union, Union for, Associated Press, United Nations, ISRAEL, BEIJING, Security, Chinese Foreign Ministry, ISRAEL BERLIN —, Beeri, Hezbollah, GO, PARIS —, MEN, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT Police, University of Vermont, Burlington Police Department, Burlington Locations: Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Barcelona, — U.S, israel, QATAR, ISRAEL, Beer, BARCELONA, Spain, Africa, HANOUN, Beit Hanoun, Geneva, New York, China, GERMANY, ISRAEL BERLIN — Germany, Beeri, BEIRUT, Iran, Lebanon, Aita, Paris, UNIVERSITY, Burlington

Last month's slayings of about 1,200 people in Israel by armed Palestinian militants represented the biggest killing of Jews since the Holocaust. ACTS OF ANTISEMITISM — AND HOW THAT'S DEFINEDAntisemitism is broadly defined as hatred of Jews. Criticism of Israel's policies and antisemitism have long been conflated by Israeli leaders such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and by some watchdog groups. Some of Europe's Jews say they see it on the streets and the news. Many Jews, though, say the chant is inherently anti-Jewish and calls for the destruction of Israel.

Persons: Michel Dreifuss, —, Herbert Traube, Benjamin Netanyahu, Susan Neiman, “, you’ve, ”, Israel, Israel —, There's, Anna Segal, Segal, ” Segal, Peggy Hicks, “ I’ve, Hicks, ” ___ Kellman, Kirsten Grieshaber, Silvia Stellacci, Karel Janicek, Lorne Cook, Jari Tanner, Vanessa Gera, John Leicester, Sylvie Corbet Organizations: GENEVA, Einstein, —, French Interior Ministry, Community Security Trust, Israel, West Bank Locations: Geneva, Israel, Gaza, Europe, Germany, Austria, Potsdam, Britain, Russia, Berlin, Lyon, France, In Berlin, Palestine, Jordan, Jerusalem, London, Rome, Prague, Brussels, Helsinki, Warsaw, Poland, Paris

☆ Human Rights Watch says rocket misfire likely cause of deadly Gaza hospital blast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A satellite image shows Al-Ahli hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza November 7, 2023. The explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital triggered outrage across the Arab world. Palestinians blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said it was caused by a misfiring Palestinian rocket launch. The Al-Ahli hospital blast was one of the most fiercely disputed incidents in a war marked by accusations from both sides of disinformation and war crimes. Palestinians accuse Israel of targeting hospitals and schools, while Israel says Hamas uses ordinary Gazans as human shields by placing military positions in civilian buildings.

Persons: Israel, Basem Naim, Emmanuel Nahshon, Naim, Ida Sawyer, Emma Farge, Nick Macfie, Giles Elgood, Alexander Smith Organizations: Hamas, Maxar Technologies, REUTERS, Rights, Rights Watch, Al, Ahli Arab Hospital, HRW, Israel's Foreign Ministry, Authorities, Hospitals, Thomson Locations: Ahli, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Al

☆ 'Immense relief' as UN deliveries to northern Gaza ramp up
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A dispute over aid flows to the north of the Israeli-besieged enclave temporarily held up a deal to free captives on Saturday. The deliveries were made to hospitals where rations were controlled, Elder said. "It seems callous and cold to think that we may be getting to the end of those deliveries and hostilities will continue, (that) the war, this war on children will continue." Even as the aid deliveries flowed north, Elder said he saw hundreds of Gazans heading in the other direction, fearing the renewal of Israeli bombardments if the four-day truce is not prolonged. I saw grandmothers carrying children, children pushing grandmothers in wheelchairs through the dust," he said.

Persons: gaunt, children's agency's James Elder, UNICEF's Elder, Elder, Emma Farge, Giles Elgood Organizations: Palestine Red Crescent Society, Hamas, UNICEF, GENEVA, UN, Cross, Thomson Locations: Palestine, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza City

☆ What is the humanitarian situation in besieged Gaza?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Parts of northern Gaza has been cut off from outside help for weeks, with one U.N. spokesperson describing it as a "hell on earth". AID DELIVERIESThe Rafah crossing reopened for limited aid supplies on Oct. 21 and all other crossings into Gaza remain shut. Egypt has said 130,000 litres of diesel and four trucks of gas will be delivered daily to Gaza when the truce starts, and that 200 trucks of aid would enter Gaza daily. WATERFresh fuel deliveries in recent days has allowed some water wells and pumping stations to resume operations in southern Gaza. FUELIsrael has been allowing a limited daily amount of fuel to enter Gaza from Egypt, with 75,000 litres arriving on Nov. 23.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, OCHA, Emma Farge, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, World Health Organization, WHO, Oxfam, UNRWA, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Khan, Egypt, Rafah

☆ Switzerland to bid for 2030 or 2034 Winter Games
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A view shows the Olympic Rings in front of the Olympic House, headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), during the executive board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in Lausanne, Switzerland, March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Switzerland on Friday announced it would bid for either the 2030 or 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, which would be the third time the Alpine country has hosted the event. Japan's northern city of Sapporo last month dropped its bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics and said it would consider hosting the Games in 2034 or in subsequent years. According to studies by the IOC's future host commission for Winter Games, only 10 nations would be able to host the snow sports of the Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games by 2040. Switzerland - which hosted the Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz in 1928 and 1948 - has struggled in recent years to get its population behind its Olympic bids.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Jurg Stahl, Urs Lehmann, Moritz, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Noele, Toby Davis Organizations: Rings, Olympic House, International Olympic Committee, REUTERS, Rights, Paralympic Games, Swiss Olympic Association, Olympic, IOC, Swiss, Swiss Ski Association, Games, Winter Games, Swiss Olympic, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Thomson Locations: Lausanne, Switzerland, Salt Lake City, United States, Sweden, France, Japan's, Sapporo, St, Milan

☆ Red Cross begins operation to transfer Gaza hostages, Palestinian detainees
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The International Red Cross confirmed on Friday that its teams had started carrying out a multi-day operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages held in Gaza and of Palestinian detainees. A spokesperson confirmed that 24 hostages were transferred out of Gaza and handed over to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing. He said they were accompanied by eight staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a four-car convoy. The ICRC, a neutral, Swiss-based organisation, also says the operation also involves the delivery of additional, much-needed aid into Gaza. Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by Rachel More and Sarah MarshOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, Emma Farge, Rachel More, Sarah Marsh Organizations: Cross, International Committee, ICRC, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Gaza, Rafah, Swiss

[1/6] A man sings for customers touring the Erhai lake on a sightseeing bus, in Dali, Yunnan province, China November 10, 2023. Many are former city-dwellers in search of an elusive prize in authoritarian China: Space for open discussion and exchange of ideas. POLICE OVERSIGHTThe local government has sought to attract young tech talent and in September asked digital nomads for input on policies, two community organisers told Reuters. Many digital nomads who use co-working spaces are involved with technologies like blockchain, according to organisers, which they say has drawn scrutiny from local authorities. Since digital nomads, unlike university students, "are not subject to structured discipline, they are harder to manage", she said.

Persons: Florence Lo, DALI, Trump, Xi Jinping, Minhua Ling, Dali, Xi's, Bai Yunxi, Xi, Bai, Chen Zhengyun, Chen, Ling, Laurie Chen, Katerina Ang Organizations: REUTERS, Geneva Graduate Institute, Reuters, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Dali, Yunnan province, China, China's, Israel, Gaza, Yunnan, Beijing

☆ Chasing a Different China Dream, Young Digital Nomads Head for the Hills
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Many are former city-dwellers in search of an elusive prize in authoritarian China: Space for open discussion and exchange of ideas. POLICE OVERSIGHTThe local government has sought to attract young tech talent and in September asked digital nomads for input on policies, two community organisers told Reuters. Many digital nomads who use co-working spaces are involved with technologies like blockchain, according to organisers, which they say has drawn scrutiny from local authorities. "We are more low-key and don't emphasise digital nomads in our marketing anymore," one co-working space staffer told Reuters, adding that conservative local governments in rural towns like Dali are "cautious of emerging technologies". Since digital nomads, unlike university students, "are not subject to structured discipline, they are harder to manage", she said.

Persons: Laurie Chen DALI, Trump, Xi Jinping, Minhua Ling, Dali, Xi's, Bai Yunxi, Xi, Bai, Chen Zhengyun, Chen, Ling, Laurie Chen, Katerina Ang Organizations: Geneva Graduate Institute, Reuters, Communist Party Locations: China, China's, Israel, Gaza, Dali, Yunnan, Beijing

Agriculture has suffered losses of over $25 billion since the war began, Ukrainian grain trader association UGA estimates. Ukraine's grain exports so far in the 2023/24 season that started in July are running 28% below the year-earlier volume, according to agriculture ministry data. A new Black Sea shipping channel may offer a lifeline, like for Ukraine's depleted steel industry. An additional 943,000 tons should leave from Black Sea ports and 464,000 tons from the Danube by the month-end. A Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa on Nov. 21 added to a series of attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea and Danube grain ports.

Persons: Stringer, Jean, Francois Lepy, Dmitry Skornyakov, Denys Marchuk, Skornyakov, Yuriy Stelmakh, Roman Gorobets, Soliman, Scott Wellcome, Pavel Polityuk, Gus Trompiz, Nigel Hunt, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Agriculture, UGA, Spike, Agrarian Council, FE ASTRA, Kremlin, Mediterranean, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, PARIS, Russia, UN, Geneva, Black, Russian, Odesa, Romania's Constanta, Brazil, Egypt, GoodMills, Kyiv, Paris, London

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says it has made an official request to China for information about a potentially worrying spike in respiratory illnesses and clusters of pneumonia in children. The U.N. health agency cited unspecified media reports and a global infectious disease monitoring service as reporting clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in northern China. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesWHO said media reports about a week later reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in northern China. WHO said that northern China has reported a jump in influenza-like illnesses since mid-October compared to the previous three years. It is rare for the U.N. health agency to publicly ask for more detailed information from countries, as such requests are typically made internally.

Persons: David Heymann, ” Heymann, Francois Balloux, ” Balloux, China's, ___ Cheng, Wanqing Chen Organizations: GENEVA, World Health Organization, WHO, National Health Commission, London School of Hygiene, Tropical Medicine, University College London, Beijing Children’s Hospital, China National Radio, Health Commission, Xinhua News Agency Locations: China, Beijing, London

☆ China says no unusual pathogens found after WHO queries respiratory outbreaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The WHO had asked China for more information on Wednesday after groups including the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in north China. No unusual pathogens have been detected in the capital of Beijing and the northeastern province of Liaoning. The U.N. health agency had also asked China for further information about trends in the circulation of known pathogens and the burden on healthcare systems. WHO China said it was "routine" to request information on increases in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children from member states, such as China. The WHO said that while it was seeking additional information, it recommended that people in China follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, pneumoniae, Ben Cowling, Deena Beasley, Andrew Silver, Jennifer Rigby, Emma Farge, Urvi, Robert Birsel, Miyoung Kim, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, World Health Organization, WHO, International, National Health Commission, FTV News, Hong Kong University, Health Commission, Xinhua, Influenza, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Liaoning, Wuhan, WHO China, Taiwan, Los Angeles, Shanghai, London, Geneva, Bengaluru

GENEVA (AP) — International aid groups say they are ready to deliver thousands of truckloads of food, water and other supplies to besieged Gaza if a temporary cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war takes hold as hoped on Thursday. Della Longa lamented bottlenecks he said have confounded the delivery of already insuffient aid into Gaza. The only route for international humanitarian aid into Gaza since the start of the war has been through the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Some aid groups say they wouldn’t be able to get enough fuel into Gaza over the four days to distribute aid to the hard-to-reach north. “And very ineffective Band-Aids.”Uncertainty is also looming over possible arrangements for contacting Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Persons: ”, Tommaso Della Longa, Israel, Della Longa, Joel Weiler, “, doesn’t, Jan Egeland, Shani Sasson of COGAT, “ It’s, Jason Lee, Mirjana Spoljaric, ’, Ismail Haniyeh, ___ DeBre, Melanie Lidman, Jon Gambrell Organizations: GENEVA, —, Aid, International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Norwegian Refugee Council, Red Crescent, International Committee, Red Cross, ICRC, Monday, Associated Press Locations: Gaza, Israel, Egypt, Egyptian, El, Arish, Paris, Rafah, Nitzana, Della, Red, “, Palestinian, Geneva, Qatar's, Qatar, United States, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

☆ Israeli children held hostage in Gaza face a long road to recovery after release
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nathan Frandino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Hamas and allied groups captured around 240 hostages when Islamist gunmen rampaged through southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in an attack that Israeli authorities say killed more than 1,200 Israelis and foreigners. According to the Israeli government, up to 40 of the hostages are children, including a 10-month-old baby and preschoolers, some of whom saw their relatives murdered before their eyes just before being kidnapped. Four hostages have been returned so far while a fifth was rescued by Israeli troops. Their accounts suggest that the captives were separated into small groups and held at least part of the time in a web of tunnels built by Hamas under Gaza. "We do have skills and knowledge and it's going to be very painful to hear the stories and meet the children," Dollberg said.

Persons: Daphna Dollberg, Dollberg, Hagai Levine, Emily Rose, Howard Goller Organizations: des Nations, United Nations, Academic College of Tel, Yaffo, Forum, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Israel, Gaza, Switzerland, JERUSALEM, Hamas, Academic College of Tel Aviv

☆ Deportation drive sparks 'sense of panic' among Afghan refugees in Pakistan: UNHCR
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Pakistan says documented refugees are exempt, but the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said even those with the right documents were being targeted. She reiterated that the return of Afghans should be voluntary and that Pakistan should identify vulnerable individuals who need international protection. Pakistan says harassment of documented refugees is rare and it is taking action against perpetrators. "With over six million people already internally displaced throughout the country, Afghans returning from Pakistan face a precarious, uncertain future," IOM said.

Persons: Philippa Candler, Philippa Candler's, Gibran Peshimam, Akhtar Soomro, Nick Macfie Organizations: National Database, Commission, Refugees, Organization for Migration, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, KARACHI, Islamabad, Kabul, Geneva, Afghanistan, U.S

"We're closer now than we've been before," White House spokesman John Kirby said of a hostage agreement. The Palestinian militant group Hamas took about 240 hostages during its Oct. 7 rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people. The Washington Post on Saturday reported a deal had been agreed but the White House and Israel denied that. Hamas' raid on Oct. 7, the deadliest day in Israel's 75-year-old history, prompted Israel to invade the Palestinian territory to target Hamas. Hospital staff denied there were any armed militants on the premises.

Persons: Joseph Campbell, Israel, Joe Biden, We're, we've, John Kirby, Mirjana Spoljaric, Cross, Ismail Haniyeh, United States Michael Herzog, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman, Thani, Jon, Gaza's, Witnesses, WAFA, Beit Lahia, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Al Shifa, Shifa, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Idres Ali, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Nations, Fund, UNICEF, REUTERS, Red Cross, Indonesian, U.S, Palestinian, International Committee, Reuters, Qatar's, Washington Post, White, House, Press, Gaza's Hamas, Indonesian Hospital, Health, Health Organisation, Israeli Defence Forces, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Qatar, Gaza, GAZA, JERUSALEM, United States, Gaza City, Geneva, Hamas, Israel's, Jakarta, Palestinian, Beit, Gaza's, Egypt

☆ Baby Anas, rescued from Gaza's Al Shifa Hospital, feels warmth of mother's embrace
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ibraheem Abu Mustafa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"I was losing hope to see my baby alive," said Warda Sbeta in an interview with Reuters TV on Tuesday. Anas was one of only three out of the 31 premature babies rescued from Al Shifa who stayed behind in Gaza. Of the other two, one was unidentified, according to doctors at the Rafah hospital. "They called us from Al Shifa to come and take the baby but it was hard for us to return. The parents rushed to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, but were told they had to go to the maternity hospital in Rafah, where they were finally reunited with Anas.

Persons: Anas, Mother, couldn't, Gaza City's, hadn't, Warda, Sbeta, Khan Younis, Al Shifa, Gaza's Al Shifa, James Elder, Elder, Israel, Emma Farge, Estelle Shirbon, Nick Macfie Organizations: Al Shifa, Reuters, Health Organization, Hamas, REUTERS, Monday, UNICEF, Nasser Hospital, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Egypt, RAFAH, Al, Rafah, Gaza City, Gaza's Al, Israel, Palestinian, Khan, Geneva

He said the EU had to show "more empathy" for the loss of Palestinian civilian lives in Israel's war against Hamas, launched in response to the deadly Oct. 7 cross-border assault by the Palestinian militant group. On the trip, which ended on Monday evening, Borrell heard Arab leaders and Palestinian civil society activists complain that the 27-nation EU was not applying the same standards to Israel's war in Gaza that it applies to Russia's war in Ukraine. EUROPE STRUGGLESAs High Representative for foreign policy, Borrell is charged with crafting common positions among EU members. It has largely limited itself to support for Israel's right to defend itself within international law and calls for pauses in fighting. Borrell, a veteran Spanish Socialist politician, last month declared that some of Israel's actions contravened international law - to the annoyance of some EU member countries.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Defence Margarita Robles, Isabel Infantes, Kibbutz Be'eri, Borrell, Israel's, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: EU, Representative, Foreign Affairs, Defence, REUTERS, Palestinian, European Union, Ukraine, Hamas, Reuters, West Bank, United Nations, Spanish Socialist, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Toledo, Spain, Ukraine, BRUSSELS, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Kibbutz, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, EU, United States, East, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Belgium, France, Spanish

☆ Civilian death toll in Ukraine tops 10,000 - U.N. Human Rights Office
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A worker inspects a site in a residential area damaged during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 21, 2023. REUERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Nov 21 (Reuters) - More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022, with about half of recent deaths occurring far behind the front lines, the U.N. Human Rights Office said on Tuesday. The U.N. human rights mission in Ukraine, which has dozens of monitors in the country, said it expects the real toll to be "significantly higher" than the official tally since corroboration work is ongoing. "Ten thousand civilian deaths is a grim milestone for Ukraine," said Danielle Bell, who heads the monitoring mission. Older people who may be unable or unwilling to relocate to safer places make up a disproportionate fraction of those killed in Ukraine, the U.N. data showed.

Persons: Valentyn, Danielle Bell, Emma Farge, Andrew Heavens, Bernadette Baum, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Rights, Human Rights, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Moscow

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