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The temporary truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has been extended by two days, Qatar and Hamas have said.

A White House official has also told NBC News – the US partner of Sky News – that an agreement has been reached to extend the ceasefire.

The temporary truce was initially due to end at 5am UK time on Tuesday 28 November.

However, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Qatar – which has been involved in mediating the temporary truce – said it would last an “additional two days”.

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In a post on X, formerly Twitter, spokesperson Dr Majed al Ansari wrote: “The State of Qatar announces, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas has also confirmed the truce, while Israel has yet to comment.

“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces that it has been agreed with the brothers in Qatar and Egypt to extend the temporary humanitarian truce for an additional two days under the same conditions as the previous truce,” a Hamas statement read.

Diplomatic developments are positive – but continuation of fighting still looks most likely


Dominic Waghorn - Diplomatic editor

Dominic Waghorn

International Affairs Editor

@DominicWaghorn

The extension of the truce between Israel and Hamas, by another two days, is further proof that mediation channels through Egypt and Qatar, with support from the US, are working.

The process of release, over the past four days, has been proven. Although neither side trusts the other, that will have built a degree of confidence.

Both sides have their own reasons to agree an extension: Israel will get more of its hostages back home and Hamas has more time to regroup after the seven weeks of intense bombardment and military ground operations.

Hamas is also being credited in the West Bank for securing the release of Palestinian prisoners. That political windfall is not to be under-estimated.

Nevertheless, there will come a point when all the women, children and elderly have been released and then Hamas is unlikely to free young Israeli men, or IDF soldiers, without demanding a much larger price from Israel.

We understand that Israel is not ready to entertain a prolonged ceasefire, although such is the intensity of negotiations behind-the-scenes, that could yet change.

Even if Israel were to get all the hostages back, as unlikely as that might currently seem, they still wouldn’t have achieved their objective of eliminating Hamas’s leadership.

And so, despite the positive developments, a continuation of the fighting still looks like the most likely eventuality – it would take considerable diplomatic efforts to persuade Israel to change course.

Hamas had been pushing for an extension to the temporary ceasefire if “serious efforts” were made to increase the number of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel.

Under the terms of the current deal, Hamas has agreed to release a total of 50 hostages, while Israel will release 150 Palestinian detainees over four days.

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Israel previously said the deal allows for the truce to be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed.

Earlier, Diaa Rashwan, the head of the State Information Service of Egypt, which has also been involved in mediation, said an extension deal would include the release of 20 Israeli hostages and 60 Palestinian prisoners.

Released Palestinian prisoners react from inside a vehicle after leaving the Israeli military prison, Ofer, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 26, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
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Palestinians celebrate the release of Palestinian detainees as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal

He added that 11 Israeli hostages are expected to be released today, but negotiations are ongoing for the freedom of 33 Palestinian detainees.

So far, 117 Palestinian prisoners have been freed by Israel, while 40 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange.

As part of a separate deal, 17 Thai and one Filipino national have been released by Hamas.

The temporary truce has also allowed for humanitarian aid to enter into Gaza.

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Thai hostages arrive at Shamir Medical Centre

A spokesman for the head of the UN said he hoped to see the temporary truce turn into a full humanitarian ceasefire.

“The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is getting worse by the day,” Stephane Dujarric said on behalf of UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.

“The dialogue that led to the agreement must continue, resulting in a full humanitarian ceasefire, for the benefit of the people of Gaza, Israel and the wider region.”

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Netanyahu faces condemnation over plan for Israel to take full military control of Gaza

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Netanyahu faces condemnation over plan for Israel to take full military control of Gaza

Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for Israel to take full military control of the Gaza Strip has been condemned, amid fears a reoccupation could put the lives of Palestinians and the remaining Israeli hostages at risk.

Asked in a Fox News interview on Thursday if Israel would “take control of all of Gaza”, the prime minister replied: “We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza.”

Latest updates from war in Gaza

“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter,” he continued. “We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life.”

Israel already controls around 75% of Gaza and has largely sealed its borders.

To take full control, it would need to launch ground operations in the remaining areas that have not been destroyed, where most of Gaza’s two million population have sought refuge.

Israel’s security cabinet, which would need to approve the military operations, began a meeting on Thursday evening, but for now no official announcement has been made.

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Netanyahu on Israel’s plans for Gaza

Plan will ‘put hostages and soldiers in danger’

The plan has been criticised by many, including families of hostages being held by Hamas and a top Israeli Defence Force (IDF) official.

Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, said Mr Netanyahu promised her that he would pursue a deal to free the hostages.

She said in a post on X: “Someone who talks about a comprehensive deal doesn’t go and conquer the Strip and put hostages and soldiers in danger.

“Netanyahu and his partners are about to condemn [Matan] to death.”

Israel’s military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, has warned against occupying Gaza, saying it would endanger the hostages and put further strain on the IDF, according to Israeli media reports.

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In an illustration of the kind of opposition Israel could face internationally if it purses the plan, a Jordanian official aid Arabs would “only support what Palestinians agree and decide on”.

“Security in Gaza must be done through legitimate Palestinian institutions,” the source said.

“Arabs will not be agreeing to Netanyahu’s policies nor clean his mess.”

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Israeli hostage families sail near Gaza

At least 42 more Palestinians killed by Israeli fire, say hospitals

It comes after at least 42 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes and shootings across southern Gaza on Thursday, according to local hospitals.

At least 13 of those people were seeking aid in an Israeli military zone where UN aid convoys are regularly overwhelmed by desperate crowds and looters.

An Israeli soldier, standing next to an Israeli flag, looks out across Gaza. Pic: Reuters
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An Israeli soldier, standing next to an Israeli flag, looks out across Gaza. Pic: Reuters

Another two were killed on roads leading to sites run by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.

The GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites on Thursday.

Read more:
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Aid sites are scenes of ‘orchestrated killing

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The war in Gaza began when Hamas killed about 1,200 people – mostly civilians – in its attack on 7 October 2023 and abducted 251 others. They still hold approximately 50 of those hostages – with 20 believed to be alive – after most of the others were released in ceasefires or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between militants and civilians in its count.

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Putin plays down idea of meeting Zelenskyy, saying ‘certain conditions’ must be met

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Putin plays down idea of meeting Zelenskyy, saying 'certain conditions' must be met

Vladimir Putin has played down the possibility of a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying that while it is possible, certain conditions must be met.

The Russian president was responding to an American proposal of a trilateral meeting between him, the Ukrainian president and Donald Trump.

The idea was floated by Steve Witkoff, the US president’s envoy during talks with Mr Putin on Wednesday, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.

War in Ukraine: Latest updates

Mr Ushakov said the three-way option was “simply mentioned by the American representative during the meeting in the Kremlin”.

He added, however: “This option was not specifically discussed.”

On the prospect of meeting Mr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin said: “I have already said many times that I have nothing against it in general – it is possible.”

However, he distanced himself from any such meeting happening soon, adding: “But certain conditions must be created for this. Unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions.”

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Mr Zelenskyy offered to speak to Vladimir Putin in May, challenging him to meet in Istanbul for talks on ending the war in Ukraine – an invitation the Russian leader declined.

While a trilateral meeting appears to be off the agenda, Mr Ushakov said an agreement had been reached for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to meet “in the coming days”.

After the US president touted a “very good prospect” of the leaders meeting for Ukraine ceasefire talks, Mr Ushakov said on Thursday that Russian and American officials had started working on the details.

“At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was essentially reached to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days,” he said.

“We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues.”

Regarding a trilateral meeting, Mr Ushakov said: “We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive.”

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Will Putin agree to Trump’s condition to meet Zelenskyy?

It would be the first time the two leaders have met since Mr Trump returned to office, and follows a three-hour meeting between Mr Putin and Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday.

Following the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it appeared that Russia was “more inclined to a ceasefire”.

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The Ukrainian president said he planned to speak on Thursday to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as well as contacts from France and Italy.

He said he planned to discuss a ceasefire, a leaders’ summit and long-term security, adding: “Ukraine has never wanted war and will work toward peace as productively as possible.”

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A poll from Gallup suggests 69% of Ukrainians support a negotiated end to the war with Russia – an almost complete reversal from 2022, when 73% favoured fighting until victory.

Most said they were sceptical the war would end soon, with 68% saying they believed it was unlikely that active fighting would stop within the next 12 months.

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Trump vowed to end Ukraine war in first 24 hours of his presidency – nearly 200 days in, could he be close?

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Trump vowed to end Ukraine war in first 24 hours of his presidency  - nearly 200 days in, could he be close?

Seven hours is a long time in US politics.

At 10am, Donald Trump accused Russia of posing a threat to America’s national security.

By 5pm, Mr Trump said there was a “good prospect” of him meeting Vladimir Putin “soon”.

There had, he claimed, been “great progress” in talks between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian president.

It’s difficult to gauge the chances of a meeting between the two leaders without knowing what “great progress” means.

Is Russia “inclined” towards agreeing a ceasefire, as Ukraine’s president now claims?

Is Mr Putin prepared to meet with his Ukrainian foe, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, too?

The very fact that we’re asking those questions suggests something shifted on a day when there was no expectation of a breakthrough.

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Mr Trump repeatedly vowed to end the war within 24 hours of becoming president.

On day 198 of his presidency, he might, just might, be one step closer to achieving that.

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