Truce & hostage/prisoner update, humanitarian situation, West Bank killing, Ahed Tamimi, attempted bribes, Burlington shooter pleads “not guilty,” and more
Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here. For more news, go here and here. Live broadcast news from the region is here.
Some people are led to be skeptical of the Al Jazeera news network. However, the network has won several Emmys, a Peabody and the Overseas Press Association’s Edward R. Murrow award, among many other honors. The New York Times reports that “its reporting hews to international journalistic standards and provides a unique view on events in the Middle East.” it’s important to remember that all news sources may potentially have bias. For example, CNN uses anchors who used to work for the Israel Lobby, who have lifelong attachment to Israel, and who often exhibit pro-Israel spin and omission in their broadcasts. Similarly, Fox News is strongly influenced by Rupert Murdoch, who has a similarly strong attachment to Israel, and who may have fired Tucker Carlson, the network’s most popular host, in part due to the host’s opposition to war and his pattern of failing to exhibit sufficient devotion to Israel).
Latest statistics:
Palestinian death toll: at least 14,571* (~14,329 in Gaza** (including at least 6,150 children and 4,000 women), and at least 242 in the West Bank). It remains unknown how many Americans are among the casualties.
*IAK does not yet include 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast since the source of the projectile is being disputed; although much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, experts are still looking into the incident. Israel is blocking an international investigation. Israel killed more Palestinians in a little over a month after Oct. 7 than in all the previous 22 years combined.
Palestinian injuries: 39,093** (including at least 36,000 in Gaza** and 3,093 in the West Bank). **NOTE: it is impossible to offer an accurate number of injuries in Gaza due to the ongoing bombardment and communication disruption.
in Gaza**, About 1.8 million people have been forcibly displaced (nearly 80% of the population); 7,000 are missing (4,700 women and children) and presumed to be under rubble.
Israeli death toll ~1,200*** (recently 4 killed in West Bank, 75 in Gaza), including 32 Americans, The names of the 1,220 identified (about 30 of them children) are here.
About 200,000 Israelis internally displaced – “Hotels are near capacity as government orders evacuations of dozens of communities” near Gaza Strip, Lebanon border
RECOMMENDED READING: Israel has lost control of the narrative – October 7 truths coming out
***NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries in Israel may have been caused by Israeli soldiers; additionally, since Israel has a policy of universal conscription, it is unknown how many of those attending the outdoor rave a few miles from Gaza on stolen Palestinian land were Israeli soldiers.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org
Truce and hostage/prisoner update:
As Israel and Hamas have extended the truce by two days, what do we know about this new arrangement?
The two-day truce extension comes in the light of negotiations between Qatar, the United States, and Egypt to prolong the pause in hostilities and allow more aid into the besieged enclave. Since the truce came into effect on Friday, Israel has released 150 prisoners in three batches. Hamas has also released 69 women and children, including 51 Israelis and 18 foreign nationals.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says Israeli forces have detained 168 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the start of the truce on Friday. During the same period, 150 Palestinians have been released by Israel during the same time. (11:45 GMT)
NYT: “Ahed Tamimi, 22, is one of the highest-profile Palestinians arrested by Israel since Oct. 7, as it has conducted a sweeping campaign of raids and detentions that it says is aimed at deterring terrorist attacks but has also prompted alarm from international human rights groups.
“On Sunday, after holding Ms. Tamimi for nearly three weeks without access to a lawyer or her family, Israel moved to incarcerate her under administrative detention, according to her lawyer, Mahmoud Hassan. She now faces indefinite imprisonment, without charges or trial, based on evidence that neither she nor her lawyer are allowed to view.”
Humanitarian update:
Disease risk: The World Health Organization warns that more people risk dying from diseases than from bombings in Gaza if the enclave’s health system is not put back on its feet quickly. “Eventually we will see more people dying from disease than from bombardment if we are not able to put back together this health system,” spokesperson Margaret Harris said. (11:05 GMT)
Relief for northern Gaza: Several tons of aid have been delivered to northern Gaza, which has borne the brunt of Israel’s military assault. The supplies include ready-to-eat meals, drinking water, tents and blankets, as well as medicines. Fuel for electricity production and supplies for operating desalination and sewage treatment plants, as well as water pumping stations, had also been delivered. (09:55 GMT)
The Government Media Office in Gaza has stated that the Gaza Strip needs 1,000 aid trucks daily to recover.
Gaza’s cultural, educational landmarks destroyed by Israeli attacks: Israeli forces have destroyed many landmarks in Gaza, including cultural and educational centers, including the Municipal Public Library in Gaza City, the Rashad El Shawa Cultural Center, the Diana Tamari Sabbagh Library, the mmunicipal printing press, the Childhood Happiness Center, and the Islamic University. (08:10 GMT)
RECOMMENDED READING: A ceasefire in a time of genocide
Gaza Zoo: Gaza’s zoo has become one of the many casualties of the intense Israeli bombardment over the last month. The true extent of the damage is only being seen, now that the truce is in place – but it is already too late to save most of the animals. (06:40 GMT)
Unexploded ordnance: Humanitarian partners have increased efforts to educate people about the dangers of unexploded ordnance. This includes training of trainers, holding in-person information sessions for IDPs in shelters, sharing posters and sending text messages. These actions have become more urgent with the ongoing pause, because more people are now moving through areas that might be contaminated.
Housing: Across the Gaza Strip, more than 46,000 homes have been destroyed and over 234,000 housing units have been otherwise damaged. These constitute over 60 per cent of the housing stock.
Alleged Israeli tank action in spite of truce: Journalists in Gaza are reporting that, according to witnesses in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, Israeli tanks fired smoke bombs this morning then they repositioned to the west of Gaza City. (07:55 GMT)
A journalist in Gaza reports that Israeli drones have been seen flying over Beit Hanoon and other areas in northern Gaza. (12:10 GMT)
Next target: southern Gaza? A Palestinian reporter in East Jerusalem reports that Israel is now briefing that in the south of the Gaza Strip, Hamas has a command and control center. There is nowhere safe in Gaza per se, but the fact that they are briefing now that there is a command and control center means if they go in, it’s likely that that will be the next front line. (06:50 GMT)
Medical aid from France and US: A French warship, converted into a hospital for children, has docked in Egypt and could start treating wounded children from Gaza later this week. It has 40 beds and 2 operating theaters, and is staffed with 22 civilian doctors. 50 more beds are available in Paris for seriously wounded and sick children. (09:32 GMT)
The United States is sending three military aircraft to Egypt to bring vital humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza during the truce, senior US officials have said. The first plane bringing medical items, food aid and winter gear will land in North Sinai on Tuesday, and the other two will arrive “in coming days”, the officials said in a briefing call on Monday. (10:10 GMT)
Journalists: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says it has confirmed the deaths of 57 journalists and media workers since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. The death toll includes 50 Palestinians, 4 Israelis, and 3 Lebanese, according to CPJ, while 19 journalists have also been arrested. CPJ said it is investigating numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, detained, hurt or threatened. (05:30 GMT)
RECOMMENDED VIEWING: Israeli public opinion and the war on Gaza
West Bank news:
As the extended truce appears to be holding in Gaza, Israeli raids have continued in the occupied West Bank. Here’s a summary of what has happened overnight and this morning:
- A young Palestinian man was killed by Israeli forces in a raid on the village of Kafr Ein, northwest of Ramallah.
- Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces in the town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah, during a raid coinciding with preparations for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
- Israeli forces blew up the house of Daoud Abdel Razzaq Daras, a Palestinian man who was shot dead by them in August, in Deir Ammar camp, northwest of Ramallah. Two Palestinians were also wounded in the raid.
- More Israeli raids were reported in Marah Rabah, Beit Furik and Dheisheh camp. (05:55 GMT)
- Omar Wahdan, from the village of Tayasir near Tubas in the occupied West Bank, has died from his wounds after Israeli forces shot him during confrontations this morning.
Elsewhere:
Senate Dems meet with Israeli military: A group of US Senate Democrats has held a meeting with Israeli army officials on Monday in Washington, DC, for a discussion about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to NBC News. “We just want to be assured that they are abiding by American values as they try to dismantle Hamas, and we all conveyed that collectively and clearly,” Senator Brian Schatz said according to the US media outlet. “I do believe they heard us, but obviously, we have a long way to go.”
NBC reported that Senator Bernie Sanders said that it “was informative and important to hear the Israeli military perspective” but added that aid approved for Israel should come with conditions. (12:15 GMT)
American support for Israel – especially among Democrats – has been dropping in recent years.
“A second Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan says he was offered $20 million to run against U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib.” “Hill Harper, another Democratic candidate running for Michigan Senate, said a donor offered him $20 million if he ran against Tlaib.”
RECOMMENDED READING: Phones ringing off the hooks for a ceasefire, but Congress members aren’t listening
Alleged shooter pleads not guilty: An American man arrested over the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. Jason J Eaton, 48, appeared in court on Monday by video-link to face three counts of attempted murder. He was ordered held without bail. Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed were seriously injured on Saturday in a shooting near the University of Vermont campus in the city of Burlington. The US Department of Justice is probing whether the shooting was a hate crime. (02:45 GMT)
#Update: @pressfreedom has documented the assaults on Palestinian journalists who reported in front of Ofer prison, in addition to the threats received by freelance journalist @azaizamotaz9 and @AlJazeera's journalist Anas Al-Sharif.https://t.co/QNbTkj9kt1
— CPJ MENA (@CPJMENA) November 27, 2023
