Analysis: Possibility of war raging again still remains in Gaza as US pushes for extension of pause
The fragile pause in Israel’s onslaught against Hamas in Gaza, which has enabled the release so far of 58 hostages, has been surprisingly enduring given that neither side is in direct contact and each is bent on obliterating the other.
The question now is how long the intersection of interests that led to the deal will prevail, allowing the return of more of those abducted in the Hamas terror attacks in Israel and the entry into Gaza of more trucks of desperately needed aid.
While Americans celebrated Thanksgiving, a rush of developments in the Middle East led to emotional reunions among hostages and their families.
But the plight of the majority still in captivity and that of Palestinian civilians underscored the brutal toll of the war. And with President Joe Biden back in Washington after his holiday weekend in Nantucket, Massachusetts, medium- and longer-term factors are coming into view that suggest the fighting could soon be raging again – and become even more intractable and costly.
Still, hopes are rising that after the agreed four-day span of releases, the deal will not end as scheduled on Monday.
Read Collinson’s full analysis: US pushes for extension of Gaza pause, but the possibility of war raging again looms large.
“This is the first time since seven weeks we were able to walk safely in the streets,” aid worker in Gaza says
An aid worker living in Gaza told CNN on Sunday that the pause in fighting has given people the opportunity to “walk safely in the streets,” check on their family members and homes, and grieve the loss of loved ones.
“This is the first time since seven weeks we were able to walk safely in the streets, sleep safely, be in the streets without having that feeling you might get bombed at any second,” Yousef Hammash, an aid worker with the Norwegian Refugee Council, told CNN’s Alex Marquardt.
“We lived these three days and tomorrow we are going to live the fourth day, but we are preparing ourselves that we might die in the fifth day. That’s the situation in Gaza,” Hammash said, referring to the four-day truce.
Hammash, who has two children, said the past few days have allowed him to seek supplies for his family ahead of the winter months, however four days is not enough. “It’s an impossible mission” and “what we need is massive” in terms of humanitarian aid, he said, calling on the international community to reach a permanent peace agreement.
Remember: Both Israel and Hamas have expressed interest in extending the truce, a move which has the support of key nations, including the United States and Qatar.
The agreed upon truce already includes a provision for an extension of one extra day for every 10 hostages Hamas is ready to free.
No such deal has been announced yet.
More than 40 hostages taken on October 7 are not being held by Hamas, diplomatic source tells CNN
More than 40 of the hostages taken from Israel into Gaza on October 7 are not currently held by Hamas, the group that launched the attack, a diplomatic source briefed on the negotiations told CNN Monday.
That creates a complication because the truce agreement calls for Hamas to hand over hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel – which means Hamas must have the hostages to hand over.
CNN has previously reported that an estimated 40 to 50 of the hostages were held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other groups or individuals. That was before the handover of hostages began on Friday. So far, 58 hostages – 40 Israelis (some of whom are dual nationals), 17 Thai citizens and one Philippine citizen – have been freed.
Separately, the source said there was a slight issue with Monday’s lists of hostages and prisoners to be freed which was likely to delay Monday’s hostage release. The source did not say what the issue was, but said Qatar, the main intermediary that brokered the truce, was working with both sides to resolve it.5 h
Elon Musk to meet with Israeli president on Monday
Elon Musk is expected to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday during a visit to Israel, according to the president’s office.
During the meeting with Musk, owner of the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Herzog will emphasize the need to combat rising antisemitism online, the president’s office said in a statement.
Representatives of families of hostages held by Hamas are also expected to join the meeting, where they will share “the horrors of the Hamas terror attack on October 7, and of the ongoing pain and uncertainty for those held captive,” the president’s office added.
The meeting comes after Musk ignited fierce backlash over his endorsement of an antisemitic post on X that accused Jewish people of inciting “hatred” against White people.
Israel receives list of hostages to be released on fourth day of truce
Israel has received a list of hostages expected to be released by Hamas on Monday and “discussions are underway” about it, the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement.
“Discussions are being held on the list that was received overnight and which is now being evaluated in Israel,” the office said in a statement on behalf of the government coordinator for the hostages and missing persons.
Monday is the fourth, and potentially final, day of the initially negotiated truce between Hamas and Israel. As of Sunday both parties had discussed the possibility of extending the truce, but no such deal has been announced yet.7 h
Israel and Hamas have expressed interest in potentially extending the truce, as it enters its last day. Here’s what you need to know
As the truce between Hamas and Israel enters its fourth and final day Monday, both parties have discussed the possibility of extending it, a move which has the support of key nations, including the US and Qatar.
In a statement released Sunday evening, Hamas said it wants “to extend the truce after the four-day period ends, through serious efforts to increase the number of those released from imprisonment as stipulated in the humanitarian ceasefire agreement.”
The agreed upon truce already includes a provision for an extension of one extra day for every ten hostages Hamas is ready to free.
While Israel’s war cabinet discussed the possibility of an extension on Sunday evening, a source told CNN, those conditions for one, as outlined in the initial truce, remain unchanged.
Earlier this weekend, Qatar, which played a central role in mediating the original agreement, said it too was hoping to extend the truce.
“What we are hoping for is that the momentum that has carried from the releases … and from this agreement of four days will allow us to extend the truce beyond these four days, and therefore get into more serious discussions about the rest of the hostages,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, told CNN on Saturday.
In a news conference Sunday, US President Joe Biden also expressed wanting to extend the pause in fighting to try to ensure the safe release of more hostages and to get critical aid to civilians in the enclave.
If you’re just joining us, here are other key headlines:
First American freed: Among the 17 hostages released Sunday was 4-year-old American-Israeli Abigail Edan whose release marks the first time an American hostage has been successfully freed since the start of the truce. Biden praised Edan’s release in an address and spoke with her family Sunday afternoon, according to the White House. Officials released a full list of the freed hostages’ names and ages. They include two mothers with their children and a pair of siblings.
Palestinian prisoners released: Thirty-nine prisoners and detainees from a total of seven Israeli prisons were released Sunday as part of the reciprocal deal, the Israel Prison Service confirmed. The group is made up of boys aged 18 and younger; two are 15, and one — the youngest released — is 14. Twenty-three of those released had been held under administrative detention, a widely criticized practice in which a detainee is unaware of any charges against them, and their case is not subject to any legal process.
Aid enters Gaza: At least 120 aid trucks entered Gaza through the Rafah border on Sunday, the Egyptian government confirmed. The delivery of aid to Gaza has been a key factor in sustaining the truce and exchanges between Israel and Hamas.
Hostages leave hospital: Some Israelis from the first wave of released hostages — members of two families — have been discharged from the Schneider Children’s Medical Hospital in Israel. They are the first former hostages to be discharged.
Palestinians killed in West Bank: Eight Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank over the course of 24 hours, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement Sunday. CNN has asked the Israel Defense Forces for comment about the killings.
Netanyahu welcomes possibility of extending truce
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Biden on Sunday that the possibility of extending the truce with Hamas would be “welcome” in return for the further release of 10 hostages per day from Gaza.
“We brought back another group of hostages this evening – women and children, and we are moved from the depths of our hearts, the entire nation, when we see this reuniting of families. It simply stirs the soul,” Netanyahu said in a statement posted by the Prime Minister’s Office on X, formerly Twitter.
“There is also an outline that says that it is possible to release an additional ten hostages each day. That would be welcome,” he added.
Netanyahu said he told Biden that if and when the truce expires, Israel “will go to realizing our goals with full force: Eliminating Hamas, ensuring that Gaza will not go back to being what it was and – of course – releasing all of our hostages.”
On Sunday, Netanyahu visited Israeli troops inside the Gaza Strip, where he vowed, “we will continue until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.”
In the statement released later Sunday he said: “After being today in Gaza and I met with our soldiers, our heroes, and courageous our reservists and soldiers, with fire in their eyes, I am convinced that we’ll succeed, because we have no other choice.”8 h
Three Thai nationals released from Gaza on Sunday, foreign ministry confirms
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday they have received confirmation of the release of three more Thai nationals from Gaza on Sunday.
The three former hostages are at a designated medical center where the Royal Thai Embassy officials are on hand to contact their families, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The ministry said it is working to bring back the 17 Thai nationals released so far from Gaza.
It thanked “all parties involved in the efforts towards this latest release” and said it continues to exert “all efforts” towards the safe release of the remaining 15 Thai nationals still being held by Hamas. 7 h
Hamas says it wants the truce to continue — and Israel’s war cabinet discussed a potential extension Sunday
Hamas says it wants to extend its four-day truce with Israel, which has now seen the release of three groups of Israeli hostages from Gaza and three groups of Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails.
In a statement released Sunday evening, Hamas said it wants “to extend the truce after the four-day period ends, through serious efforts to increase the number of those released from imprisonment as stipulated in the humanitarian ceasefire agreement.”
Israel’s war cabinet discussed the possibility of extending the temporary truce when it met Sunday evening, an Israeli source told CNN.
The source said conditions for an extension remain unchanged from the original agreement: Hamas would need to release an additional 10 hostages for each additional day’s pause in the fighting.
Support from key nations: Qatar, which played a central role in mediating the original agreement, said it too was hoping to extend the truce.
US President Joe Biden also expressed wanting to extend the pause in fighting during remarks Sunday.
Biden said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will remain “personally engaged to see that this deal is fully implemented and work to extend the deal, as well. For weeks I’ve been advocating the pause in the fighting for two purposes: to increase the assistance getting in to the Gaza civilians who need help, and to facilitate the release of hostages.”
CNN
