Israel-Hamas war top developments Nov 9: Islamic Jihad group ready to free two Israeli hostages

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday there was currently "no possibility" of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"None. No possibility," Biden told reporters as he left the White House for a trip to Illinois when asked about the chances of a ceasefire.

India on Thursday urged Israel and Hamas to eschew violence, de-escalate the situation, and create conditions for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations towards a two-state solution to the Palestine issue. Without naming Hamas, India also called for "immediate and unconditional" release of hostages.

At his weekly media briefing, Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Arindam Bagchi said India has made its position clear on the Hamas-Israel conflict on multiple occasions including during the UN General Assembly debate on October 27.

"We have strongly condemned the horrific attack on Israel, urged the need for zero tolerance for terrorism, and called for immediate and unconditional release of hostages," he said.

"We have also conveyed our deep concern at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the increasing civilian toll and welcomed efforts to de-escalate the situation and provide humanitarian assistance," he said.

The armed wing of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad in Gaza is prepared to release two Israeli hostages, a woman and a boy, for humanitarian and medical reasons, a spokesperson for the al Quds Brigades said in a recorded message on Thursday, accroding to Reuters news agency.

He added that the initiative would take place once appropriate measures are met.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has dismissed reports about the White House spokesperson’s statement that Israel has agreed to a daily four-hour humanitarian pause in northern Gaza starting today on Thursday (Nov 9).

Read More

The White House said Israel has agreed to begin daily four-hour military pauses in northern Gaza to allow people in the area to flee the war with Hamas. 

"Israel will begin to implement four-hour pauses in areas of northern Gaza each day, with an announcement to be made three hours beforehand," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

United States President Joe Biden said there is currently "no possibility" of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. 

"None. No possibility," Biden told reporters as he left the White House for a trip to the US state of Illinois when asked about the chances of a ceasefire.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived Thursday in Egypt for talks about the war with Israel in Gaza, said the Palestinian militant group.

The delegation had met with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel "for discussions on the current situation in the Gaza Strip," said the Hamas, in a statement. 

French prosecutors said that a teenager was arrested and is under investigation for assault after kicking a rabbi in the back in the Paris Metro. The prosecutor at the Bobigny Tribunal said the possibility of an antisemitic motive aggravated the potential charges.

The incident took place around midday on Wednesday and the victim was wearing a black suit and hat, attire often worn by Jewish rabbis, said the prosecutor. This comes as France has reported 1,159 antisemitic acts since the war began on October 7. 

President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that France would combat antisemitism and would "be ruthless against those who carry that hatred."

Following initial reports of a blast in Israel's southernmost city of Eilat, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirms a drone hit a school. "The identity of the aircraft and the details of the incident are under review," said the Israeli army, in a statement. 

Speaking at an aid conference in Paris, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, said Israel's goal of eliminating Hamas "is not going to happen," because the group is "also an idea," rather than just a military organisation.

He also accused Israel of waging war "against all Palestinians" while both violating international human rights law and committing war crimes.

"The Israelis don't want any ceasefire because today the Israelis are in the mood of revenge," said the Palestinian PM, adding that what is needed is "international intervention to put serious pressure on Israel."

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 10,812 people have been killed in the weeks-long war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. 

At least 4,412 children are among those killed, while another 26,905 people have also been wounded, said the Hamas-run health ministry. 

A social media influencer was arrested in France on Thursday after allegedly mocking reported killing of an Israel baby by Hamas fighters, prosecutors told news ageny AFP.

In a video, the woman  -- identified by media as Warda Anwar -- commented on a report by an Israeli first responder who said Hamas attackers had burned a baby alive in an oven when they launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7. 

The report is yet to be confirmed by Israeli authorities. 

"I wonder whether they added salt and pepper first, did they add thyme?" Anwar said in the video. "What was the side dish?" 

The arrest comes after Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Friday he had filed a criminal complaint against Anwar. Prosecutors told the news agency that she was being investigated for "glorifying terrorism" and was taken into custody in Paris early Thursday. 

A trilateral meeting was held in Doha on Thursday between CIA and Mossad chiefs and the Qatari prime minister to discuss the parameters of a deal for hostage releases and a pause in the Gaza attack, a source briefed on the meeting told Reuters.

The advantage of the trilateral meeting was to bring all three parties together at one table in real time to speed up the process, the source said.

The talks also included a discussion over allowing humanitarian imports of fuel into Gaza.

Source: Reuters

The commissioner of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini said 99 of the commission’s staff have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war on October 7. 

He also noted that it is the highest number of UN aid workers killed in a conflict in such a short time.

Lazzarini also said that severely limiting food, water and medicine in Gaza amounts to "collective punishment," adding that killing of thousands of children "cannot be collateral damage". 

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan along with his Iranian counterpart Ibrahim Raisi spoke about steps that needed to be taken for ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stated Turkey's presidency.

Speaking to Raisi, Erdogan said that the Islamic world will have to increase pressure on Israel to end its attacks, further stating that Ankara is willing to get into the shoes of a guarantor role for resolve the issues between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza, stated the presidency, in a statement.

As per the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the majority of hospitals in Gaza are not functioning anymore.

The health ministry stated that 71 per cent of primary-care facilities have been shutdown because of damage or lack of fuel.

Gaza's largest medical facility, Al-Shifa Medical Complex, has shut down six operating rooms "due to inadequacy of supplies, including fuel,” the statement read.
 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in a statement, claimed that its soldiers have taken control of a stronghold of Hamas in northern Gaza. 

“The fighters completed the takeover of the outpost after 10 hours of fighting, during which they eliminated terrorists, captured many weapons, uncovered terrorist tunnel shafts, including a shaft located near a kindergarten and leading to an extensive underground route,” the statement stated.

Heavy smoke were seen rising from the building in northern Gaza Strip due to Israeli strikes, as reported by Reuters.

Iran condemned a statement issued by G7 which appealed Tehran to not support Hamas militants and take actions which "destabilise" the Middle East.

The comment of Tehran came a day after foreign ministers from the G7 group of advanced economies expressed support for "humanitarian pauses and corridors" in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war.

The G7 appealed Iran to "refrain from providing support for Hamas and taking further actions that destabilise the Middle East, including support for Lebanese Hezbollah and other non-state actors."

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that they "strongly condemn" the statement issued by G7.

Palestinian health ministry stated that six Palestinians lost their lives in an Israeli raid on Jenin, which is located in the north of the occupied West Bank.

The ministry, in a statement, confirmed that the current death toll stood at six, which was earlier said to be five.

The Israeli army stated that its forces were deployed in Jenin.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths, while addressing the humanitarian conference on Gaza in Paris, said that the organisation is npt part of forceful evacuation of Palestinians.

“The United Nations cannot be part of unilateral proposal to push Palestinians into so-called safe zones,” Griffiths stated.

An Israeli military official stated that there is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

"We know the civil situation in the Gaza Strip is not an easy one," stated Colonel Moshe Tetro, head of coordination and liason at COGAT, which is Israeli defence ministry's section that handles civil affairs in Gaza.

"But I can say that there is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip," he added, as reported by AFP.

French President Emmanuel Macron appealed countries to "work towards a ceasefire" between Israel and militant outfit Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the leader opened a conference organised for providing aid to the Palestinian territory.

"In the immediate term, we need to work on protecting civilians. To do that, we need a humanitarian pause very quickly and we must work towards a ceasefire," Macron said to the delegates.

The Israeli military says that the road out of Gaza City is open again on November 9 for people in the north to flee to the south. It is open until 4pm local (2pm GMT).

"The northern Gaza Strip area is considered a fierce combat zone and time is running out to evacuate it," the IDF said in an Arabic-language post.

A "public health catastrophe" is imminent in Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a warning amid ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The warning comes amid mass displacement, overcrowding and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure, a spokesperson for the agency said.

Associated Press has reported that the negotiations are currently underway with an aim to reach a three-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in return of the release of about a dozen hostages held captive by Hamas. The AP report was based on purported comments by the United Nations and a western diplomat.

The deal would mean more aid, including more fuel and food. 

The deal is being negotiated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, according to the officials and the diplomat.

Israel reportedly carried out an air raid targeting military sites in southern Syria, the Syrian state media said on Wednesday (Nov 9). 

The source cited by the Syrian state media said missiles that were apparently flying over Lebanon's Baalbek region had targeted several military sites. 

US Presidential race contender Ron DeSantis has claimed the credit for saving lives, limiting the number of hostages, militant group Hamas kidnapped during its October 7 attack.

Read more here

Amid a devastating military operation in Gaza, with a tragically high civilian death toll, the Biden administration has chosen to move forward with a $320 million arms deal for Israel.

Read more here

A large explosion hit near Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City in the early hours of Thursday (November 9).

While the cause of the explosion could not be identified immediately, people, as per Reuters could be seen running for cover, following the loud impact and flash reflected on surrounding buildings.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday (Nov 8), 50,000 civilians moved from northern Gaza to the southern part of the Palestinian territory due to ongoing clashes between Hamas militants and Israeli forces.

Over 1,000 employees of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have signed a letter urging for a prompt Gaza ceasefire. These signatories comprise of people from various departments and international missions within USAID. Their participation adds to the increasing number of government workers expressing opposition to US backing of Israel's military campaign in the region, a sentiment also demonstrated by Congressional staffers who staged a walkout on Wednesday (Nov 8), reported Al Jazeera. 

The World Health Organization issued a warning on Wednesday (Nov 8), stating that Israeli air bombardments in the Gaza Strip have heightened the risk of disease transmission. These attacks have disrupted the healthcare system, access to clean water, and led to overcrowding in shelters, posing a significant threat to public health.

"As deaths and injuries in Gaza continue to rise due to intensified hostilities, intense overcrowding and disrupted health, water, and sanitation systems pose an added danger: the rapid spread of infectious diseases," WHO said.

"Some worrying trends are already emerging," it added.

British Foreign Minister James Cleverly has travelled to Saudi Arabia, as reported by Reuters, after attending the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Tokyo. The UK foreign office has stated that Cleverly will convene with foreign ministers from the Middle East who have gathered in Saudi Arabia ahead of an emergency meeting of the Arab League concerning Gaza scheduled for Saturday (Nov 11). 

As the US rushes to formulate a post-Hamas defeat plan for Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reports that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has turned down a proposal for his nation to oversee security in the Palestinian enclave until the Palestinian Authority can assume control.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that high civilian death toll in the Gaza Strip was indicative of something "clearly wrong" with Israel's military operation against Hamas.

"There are violations by Hamas when they have human shields. But when one looks at the number of civilians that were killed with the military operations, there is something that is clearly wrong," Guterres told the Reuters NEXT conference.

"It is also important to make Israel understand that it is against the interests of Israel to see every day the terrible image of the dramatic humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people," Guterres said. "That doesn't help Israel in relation to the global public opinion."

Chris Murphy, a Democratic Party Senator and member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee has said that civilian death toll in Gaza is 'too high'

"I think that the civilian death toll has been too high and a more surgical approach would be important and vital," he said, as quoted by AFP.
 

Houthi rebels in past have shot down American drones, but the latest incident has taken place just when situation in the Middle East is tense due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Click here to read the story

Second convoy carrying much needed medical aid has reached Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, BBC has reported citing statement from UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). However, there is a need for more medicines.

Americans who have returned home after their evacuation from war-torn Gaza have urged the American government to 'do more' to bring more Americans home from the Palestinian enclave.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, has said that Israel has conducted air strikes in Syria near capital Damascus. Three pro-Iran fighters have been killed. The Israeli air strikes targeted sites belonging to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

"Three non-Syrian pro-Iran fighters were killed in Israeli strikes on farms and other sites belonging to Hezbollah near Akraba and Sayyida Zeinab," said Rami Abdel Rahman, hea of Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as quoted by AFP.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has mentioned "terrifying" spike in antisemitic incidents across the globe and even in Canada. He said Molotov cocktails have been thrown at synagogues. He also mentioned increase in Islamophobia

Click here to read full story

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained firm on his position that a ceasefire was not possible before all hostages are released by Hamas

Click here to read the full story

In a strong statement, United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk has said that Israel's 'collective punishment' to Palestinians after Hamas attack amounts to 'war crime'.

"The collective punishment by Israel of Palestinian civilians amounts also to a war crime, as does the unlawful forcible evacuation of civilians," he said. He was talking during a press conference in Cairo after he visited Rafah crossing on border of Egypt and Gaza.

(Image: Reuters) File photo of White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby has said that more than 80 trucks carrying humanitarian aid have entered Gaza in past 24 hours. He added that about 500-600 US citizens are yet to leave the besieged enclave

"We know we had 400 or so out so far, that leaves a population of about five to 600 left when you count family members in there," Kirby told reporters.
 

A pro-Palestinian march in London is set to go ahead after permission from the police. Meanwhile, UK PM Rishi Sunak summoned police chief, Commissioner Mark Rowley and demanded assuarance that the march would be held safely.

The Israel Army has said that 50,000 civilians have fled north Gaza for South on Wednesday. The number in the Israeli claim is considerably higher than the UN estimate of 15,000 taken earlier in the day.

"We saw today how 50,000 Gazans moved from northern Gaza to southern Gaza," said army spokesman Daniel Hagari. "They're leaving because they understand that Hamas lost control in the north, and in the south it's safer."

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hasn't budged from his position against ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. He has rejected such a possibility yet again.

"I'd like to put to rest all kinds of false rumours we're hearing from all kinds of directions, and reiterate one clear thing: There will be no ceasefire without the release of our hostages," he said, as quoted by AFP.

Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has been closed due to a "security circumstance", said US States Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel. He added that US officials are working with Egypt and Israel to get the border crossing reopened.

Rafah crossing is controlled by Egypt and does not have a border with Israel. It was the only border crossing through which humanitarian aid was trickling in to the besieged Gaza Strip. The evacuations of foreign passport holders is taking place through Rafah crossing. The evacuation was suspended on Saturday after Israeli attackj on an ambulance but the crossing was opened again on Monday and Tuesday.

As per the latest statement from US State Department deputy spokesperson, the crossing is closed while efforts to reopen it go on.