Live blog: US believes Israel-Hamas deal on release of hostages is near

Monday, November 20, 2023

1747 GMT — The US is actively engaged in negotiations to secure the release of hostages in Gaza, said the White House, stressing that they have guarded hope.

"We believe we're closer than we've ever been. So we're hopeful," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told a press briefing at the White House.

He said there is still work to be done, adding that "nothing is done until it's all done. So we're working on it.”

The statement came amid reports from Israeli public broadcaster KAN that Tel Aviv had proposed a prisoner swap deal with Hamas; it is not known if the US was involved in that reported deal.

Hours earlier, President Joe Biden said he believes a deal to free hostages in Gaza is near.

"I believe so," Biden responded when asked if a deal to release hostages in Gaza is near during the annual Thanksgiving turkey “pardon” ceremony at the White House.

But he was tight-lipped on further details, stating that he was "not prepared to talk."

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2118 GMT — 200 patients evacuated from Gaza's Indonesian hospital

Gaza's Health Ministry said 200 patients were evacuated from a hospital with the help of the Red Cross just hours after it was hit by a deadly Israeli strike.

Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qudra told AFP that 200 people were evacuated from the Indonesian hospital in Jabalia and taken by bus to Nasser Hospital in the southern town of Khan Yunis.

"The Israeli army is laying siege to the Indonesian hospital," he said.

"We fear the same thing will happen there as it did in Al Shifa," he added, referring to the largest hospital in Gaza which Israeli troops have been searching since Wednesday.

2116 GMT — Palestinian presidency says it’s focusing on stopping ‘barbaric Israeli aggression’

The Palestinian presidency said that it is currently focused on stopping the “barbaric Israeli aggression" against the Palestinian people across the occupied territories.

"The whole world is watching the brutal massacres carried out by the Israeli occupation army in Gaza by targeting children, women, the elderly, hospitals and places of worship, in addition to the crimes of the occupation army and terrorist colonists in the West Bank and Jerusalem," Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement.

Abu Rudeineh added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements since the start of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza "prove that this government seeks to perpetuate its occupation of all the Palestinian territories."

2108 — Hamas says destruction of 60 Israeli military vehicles in Gaza in past 72 hours

The military wing of Hamas said that its fighters had destroyed 60 Israeli military vehicles in Gaza over the past 72 hours.

In a recorded message, Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, stated that among the targeted Israeli military vehicles, ten troop carriers were included in the attacks over the last three days.

He also noted that "fierce clashes" were taking place with the Israeli forces in several areas across Gaza.

"We suspect that the enemy [Israeli army] bombed its troops on the ground believing a number of its soldiers were arrested in an operation we had carried out against a troops carrier vehicle in Gaza City," Obeida said.

2056 GMT — Israeli ambassador recalled from South Africa amid dispute over Gaza remarks

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it recalled its ambassador to South Africa for consultation over remarks by South African officials on Israel's onslaught against Gaza.

While the ministry did not specify the exact comments that prompted the recall, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the South African officials' remarks were supportive of the Palestinian Hamas group and critical of Israel.

According to the Times of Israel news website, a spokesperson for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) said that the party "cannot sit back and watch the genocide actions of the Israeli regime."

1905 GMT — Israeli army shells church in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army hit a church in southern Lebanon with artillery shells, causing significant damage to the church building.

According to the official Lebanese news agency NNA, the Israeli army hit the Saint George Church in the town of Yaroun, southern Lebanon, near the border.

No injuries were reported in the Israeli shelling of the Melkite (Greek) Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church.

1853 GMT — South Africa to host BRICS summit on Israel-Hamas war

South Africa will Tuesday host a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, to discuss the Israel-Palestine war, Pretoria and Moscow said.

The BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — are a group of major emerging economies seeking to reshape the US and Western-led global order. Tuesday's "Extraordinary Joint Meeting on the Middle East Situation in Gaza" will be hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the hope of drawing up a common response to the more than six-week conflict.

Leaders from Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates will also attend the meeting.

1831 GMT — China welcomes Arab and Muslim foreign ministers for talks on ending the war in Gaza

China’s top diplomat welcomed four Arab foreign ministers and the Indonesian one to Beijing, saying his country would work with “our brothers and sisters" in the Arab and Islamic world to try to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible.

The ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia chose to start in Beijing a tour to permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, a testament to both China's growing geopolitical influence and its longstanding support for the Palestinians.

The ministerial committee stressed the need for an immediate stop to "military escalation" in Gaza and to propel the political process forward with the goal of lasting peace, as well as "hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the blatant violations and crimes in Gaza and occupied West Bank," according to a statement.

1705 GMT — Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbs to 13,300 — media office

At least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to a statement published by the Palestinian media office.

The death toll includes 5,600 children and 3,550 women, the statement said, adding that at least 6,500 people have been reported as missing, 4,400 of whom are women and children.

1608 GMT — UN protectorate in Gaza is not a solution —Guterres

Antonio Guterres said it was "important to be able to transform this tragedy into an opportunity" — which, for him, meant moving "in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution."

This means, after the current war between Israeli army and Hamas fighters in Gaza ends, "a strengthened Palestinian Authority, assuming responsibilities in Gaza," he said.

But the Palestinian Authority cannot go into Gaza backed by Israeli tanks, he added — meaning the "international community needs to look into a transition period."

"I do not think that a UN protectorate in Gaza is a solution," however, Guterres said.

"Everybody needs to come together to create the conditions for the transition, allowing for a strengthened Palestinian Authority to assume responsibilities in Gaza," and from there to a two-state solution, he said.

1702 GMT — Israeli army detects 25 rockets, 3 drones launched from Lebanon towards Israel

The Israeli army reported detecting 25 rocket launches and three suicide drone attacks originating from Lebanon, targeting Israeli positions along the border.

According to an Israeli army statement, the Iron Dome air defence system successfully intercepted several rockets, while others struck open areas.

1650 GMT — Israeli army hits surgery floor of Indonesian Hospital in Gaza

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that the Israeli army had targeted the surgery floor of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, causing significant damage to its medical equipment.

Munir al-Bursh, the director of hospitals in Gaza, spoke from the hospital and mentioned that dead bodies were still accumulating within the facility, which has been surrounded by Israeli military vehicles for several days.

He further explained that the hospital was the only one partially functioning in Gaza City and the northern Gaza region, as all other hospitals in Gaza City had become non-operational, including Al Shifa Hospital, which is currently under Israeli military control.

1529 GMT — Civilian deaths in Gaza 'unparalleled, unprecedented' — Guterres

The UN chief has decried events in Gaza since October 7, calling them a "killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented” since he took office.

“We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I am secretary general,” Guterres said in New York while presenting a new UN environmental report.

It is important to be able to transform the tragedy into an opportunity, Guterres said, adding: "It is essential that after the war we move in a determined, and reversible way to a two-state solution."

1502 GMT — Turkish communications chief commemorates over 5,000 Gaza children

For November 20, World Children's Day, the Turkish communications director remembered the thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza killed by Israel's attacks on the besieged enclave.

"Today is, November 20, World Children's Rights Day. Children who should live in peace, tranquillity, and security are witnessing weapons, bombs, and death in Gaza today," Fahrettin Altun wrote on X.

"The pain of the 5,500 innocent children and infants we have lost due to Israel's attacks since October 7 is breaking our heart."

While the "ongoing oppression in Gaza" not only disregards the rights of children but also denies the right to life, the world remains silent in the face of "oppression and brutality," he added.

1436 GMT — Germany backs UN Palestinian aid agency amid Israeli criticism

In the face of Israeli criticism, Germany expressed support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA in Gaza.

The UN agency makes a "very important contribution to the humanitarian care of the people in the Palestinian areas of the West Bank as well as Gaza and is therefore also an important partner for our humanitarian aid and for the international organizations that provide it,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christian Wagner told a press briefing in Berlin.

Wagner was reacting to remarks by Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel, who criticized the agency on Sunday, saying: "Instead of funnelling money to rebuild Gaza or to the failed UNRWA, the international community can assist in the costs of resettlement, helping the people of Gaza build new lives in their new host countries.”

1408 GMT — Israel's response to Hamas attack 'inexcusable': AU chief

The African Union said that Israel's response to Hamas's attack last month was "inexcusable", warning that civilian casualties would fuel further "extremism".

"The acts (of Hamas) are reprehensible... but the response is inexcusable," AU chairman Azali Assoumani told a press conference in Berlin.

"Imagine a child who has seen his mother, who has seen his father killed... it creates extremism," he said.

1356 GMT — Putin to take part in virtual BRICS summit on Gaza

Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations on Tuesday to discuss the Israeli war on Gaza, the Kremlin said.

"On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in an extraordinary BRICS summit (via videoconference) to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," the Kremlin said in a statement, referring to the influential bloc that includes Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

1339 GMT — 61 more patients from Gaza brought to Türkiye for treatment

Another 61 patients and 49 companions from Gaza arrived in Türkiye for treatment.

The 110 passengers and 10 health personnel landed in the capital Ankara on a Turkish A400M military transport plane after departing from El Arish International Airport in Egypt.

They were transferred to the Bilkent City Hospital and Etlik City Hospital by waiting ambulances.

1256 GMT — ‘We are witnessing holocaust of children in Gaza:’ Pakistani PM

Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar drew a parallel between the ongoing spree of children’s killing in Gaza and one of the West’s few red lines, the holocaust.

"We are witnessing a holocaust of Palestinian children in Gaza. This appalling and atrocious children holocaust must stop immediately," Kakar said, while addressing a World Children’s Day ceremony in the capital Islamabad, state-run Pakistan Television reported.

Denouncing the "senseless" killing of children in Gaza, Kakar said Palestinian children have emerged as the prime victims of the Israeli actions in the besieged enclave.

"We are trying along with our global partners from the platform of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) and others to pressurize the western hemisphere led by the United States that some sort of sanity must prevail," he went on to say.

1252 GMT — Iran denies involvement in ship seizure in Red Sea

Iran denied involvement in the seizure of a cargo ship by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the southern Red Sea amid soaring tensions over the conflict in Gaza.

In his weekly news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani termed as "false" the Israeli accusations of Iran’s involvement in the incident.

He said regional groups, including Yemen’s Houthis, "represent their own countries and make decisions based on the interests of their respective countries and act spontaneously."

Kanaani said the Israeli accusation was "in the framework of projection and to escape from the dire situation that the Zionist regime is facing."

1252 GMT — 880 Palestinian children detained by Israel this year: NGO

The Israeli army has detained 880 Palestinian children since the start of this year, a local non-governmental organisation said.

"More than 200 children are still in custody, including 26 held under Israel’s policy of administrative detention" without charge or trial, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a statement marking World Children’s Day.

1222 GMT — First field hospital enters Gaza since war began

Palestinian officials said a field hospital sent by Jordan entered Gaza for the first time, since the war erupted, according to a Palestinian official.

The hospital will be established in Khan Yunis, to receive the wounded and the sick, under catastrophic conditions which southern hospitals are experiencing, with the influx of hundreds of wounded each day and continued aggressive aerial and artillery strikes," said Mohammed Zaqout, director-general of Gaza hospitals.

1221 GMT — Multiple deaths as Israel bombs UN-run school — Hamas

More than 10 people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a UN-run school in the Bureij refugee camp in Gaza, Palestinian resistance group Hamas said.

"This is a heinous crime and a disdain for the UN refugee agency UNRWA and the United Nations," Hamas said in a statement.

It called for an immediate action "to stop the targeting of civilians in schools protected under international law."

There was no comment yet from the Israeli military on the statement.

1201 GMT — Israel seeks to turn Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital into 'mass grave': Health Ministry

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has accused Israel of seeking to turn the Indonesian Hospital into a "mass grave."

At least 12 people were killed and several people were killed and injured in Israeli shelling targeting the hospital in northern Gaza.

“The Israeli occupation is seeking to turn the hospital into a mass grave as they did at the Al Shifa Complex” in Gaza City, ministry spokesperson Ashraf al Qudra told Anadolu.

"The occupation is trying to repeat its actions in the Al Shifa Medical Complex at the Indonesian Hospital, which constitutes the backbone of health care service in northern Gaza," the spokesperson said.

1149 GMT — Xi, Macron discuss Israel-Palestine war in call: state media

Chinese President Xi Jinping and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed the Israel-Palestine war in a phone call, agreeing "to avoid a more serious humanitarian crisis", Beijing's state media reported.

"The two heads of state exchanged views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and both believe that the top priority is to avoid further deterioration of the situation between Palestine and Israel, especially to avoid a more serious humanitarian crisis," state broadcaster CCTV reported.

According to CCTV, Xi and Macron agreed to "continue to maintain communication on international and regional issues of common concern and contribute to maintaining world peace and stability".

"The 'two state solution' is the fundamental way to solve the recurrent conflict between Palestine and Israel," the state broadcaster added.

1056 GMT — Premature babies arrive in Egypt

Twenty-nine premature babies have arrived in Egypt, local media said, after they were evacuated from Gaza's largest hospital which has become a focal point of Israel's ground invasion.

The infants were evacuated Sunday from the Al Shifa hospital, which the World Health Organization has described as a "death zone" as Israel seeks to uncover what it claims are Hamas bases in tunnels underneath the facility.

An initial 31 babies were reported evacuated from Al Shifa to another Gaza clinic and it was not immediately clear why only 29 arrived in Egypt.

1033 GMT — Israel kills over 3,000 students in its Gaza onslaught: Ministry

More than 3,000 students killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, the Palestinian Education Ministry has said on the occasion of World Children’s Day.

1006 GMT — Israel kills 17 Palestinians in fresh hospital compound strikes

At least 17 Palestinians were killed and scores injured in Israeli air strikes near the Yousef El Najar Hospital in southern Gaza, according to witnesses.

Fighter jets struck two houses near the hospital in Rafah city, witnesses said. Dozens of people were reported to remain under the rubble.

"Israeli warplanes struck the houses before dawn, causing massive destruction in the area," an eyewitness told Anadolu.

0952 GMT — Indonesia ships fresh aid consignment to Gaza

Indonesia sent a second consignment of humanitarian aid to Gaza, a besieged Palestinian enclave that has been under relentless Israeli aggression for more than a month.

President Joko Widodo said more than 21 tonnes of aid which included food, medicine, mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits and hospital equipment were flown to Egypt in two flights from Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in the capital Jakarta.

The humanitarian aid will be distributed in Gaza, he said on X.

0834 GMT — Lebanon's Hezbollah strikes Israeli military camp amid border tension

Lebanese group Hezbollah said that it had fired anti-tank missiles at the Biranit military camp in northern Israel.

In a statement, the group said it targeted the camp twice "in support of our Palestinian people in Gaza."

No injuries were reported. The Israeli army, for its part, said it responded to the anti-tank missiles fired from Lebanon.

0821 GMT — Macron discusses Gaza, West Bank conflict with Palestinian, Israeli leaders

French President Emmanuel Macron held separate phone conversations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

In a statement, the French presidency said Macron and Abbas discussed the humanitarian ceasefire and evaluated the situation in the occupied West Bank.

Macron condemned the violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank and urged Israeli officials to put an end to such actions.

0721 GMT — Doctors Without Borders reiterates call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) called for a ceasefire in Gaza prevent continued bloodshed.

"We reiterate our call for a ceasefire, now more than ever, to stop the bloodshed that is happening," the France-based international organisation said in a statement on the X platform.

The NGO said that following an Israeli airstrike on Saturday "about half a mile away from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis where MSF teams are working, 122 patients arrived at the hospital within minutes." It said that upon arrival, 70 people were dead.

0707 GMT — Israel shells Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza, kills many

At least 12 people were killed and scores injured in Israeli shelling of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, the Health Ministry in the blockaded enclave said.

In a statement, the ministry warned that the lives of thousands of patients, medical personnel and displaced people "are at the risk of death as a result of the direct and repeated bombardment of the Indonesian Hospital."

The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, said there are 150 patients, 100 medical staff and thousands of displaced people inside the facility.

0703 GMT — Israel's claim about captives in Al Shifa Hospital 'misleading and false': Hamas

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said that Israel's claim about using Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza by the group to detain prisoners is "misleading and false."

"The occupation army's statements about using Al Shifa Hospital to detain Zionist [Israeli] prisoners are misleading and false to cover up its security and military failure," the group said.

The group went on to say that the Israeli army "continues its campaign of lies and misinformation in its talk about Zionist prisoners who were taken to Al Shifa Hospital, and claims that the body of a female soldier that it claims was killed was found in the hospital."

0642 GMT — Hamas denies reports about prisoner swap deal with Israel

A senior Hamas member denied media reports that the Palestinian movement has reached a prisoner exchange agreement with Israel.

"Reports about a prisoner swap deal are untrue," Izzat al Rishq said in a brief statement.

Israeli newspapers also denied reports about a deal with Hamas to exchange prisoners. "There is nothing yet," The Jerusalem Post newspaper said, citing a senior Israeli official.

0630 GMT — Killed several Israeli soldiers, destroyed 29 army vehicles: Qassam Brigades

The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, said it killed a number of Israeli soldiers and destroyed 29 Israeli military vehicles in several areas in Gaza.

The brigades, in a statement on Telegram, said that its fighters on Sunday killed and wounded Israeli forces holed up inside a building in Juhor Addik, a neighbourhood in Gaza City, after targeting it with two anti-fortification and anti-individual TBG shells and clashing with them with machine guns.

The statement added: "29 Zionist vehicles were completely or partially destroyed in all areas of the incursion into Gaza."

0434 GMT — Colombia's president slams Netanyahu, compares him to Herod

Colombia's president said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a "crazy man" who is "killing many people" in Gaza in the style of Herod, the king of Judea who ordered the slaughter of innocents according to the Christian New Testament.

"Today we are seeing a crazy man who is Netanyahu," Gustavo Petro said over the weekend in Caracas at the Book Fair of Venezuela, where he also criticised the US for supporting Israel's war on Palestine's Gaza because "the Israeli capital owns American banking."

"They don't realise that they are killing a lot of people, not just people and babies," said Petro, who compared Netanyahu to "a very powerful Herod killing and killing children on Earth."

0403 GMT — Palestine Mission in UK raises alarm over repeated attacks on its building

The Palestine Mission in the UK expressed deep concern and frustration over a recent surge in attacks on its London-based building, accusing the British government of neglecting repeated requests for diplomatic protection.

In a statement shared on X, it revealed that the embassy had been targeted in yet another assault on Saturday night, marking the fourth such incident in recent weeks.

It included security camera footage capturing one of the attacks, underscoring the severity of the situation.

0354 GMT — London Jews rally for 'immediate' ceasefire in Gaza

Hundreds of Jews gathered at London's Victoria Embankment Park in response to a call from Na'amod: British Jews Against Occupation.

The demonstrators demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling for a resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, a hostage exchange and an end to the siege imposed by Israel on the Palestinian enclave.

Carrying banners bearing slogans such as "Jews are against genocide," "End the occupation" and "This Jew is for a ceasefire," they expressed their dissent in both English and Hebrew.

0335 GMT — Israel launches intense phosphorus bombardment on southern Lebanese border town

The Israeli army targeted the Lebanese town of Kafr Kila with phosphorus shelling in its most intense attack since October 8, according to Lebanese media.

The official Lebanese News Agency reported that Kafr Kila was subjected to intense Israeli shelling, including phosphorus bombing in populated areas.

The agency described the Israeli bombing as "the most intense since the beginning of the events" on October 8.

0254 GMT — Protests continue in Sweden against Israeli attacks on Gaza

Protests were held in Sweden against Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza.

Crowds rallied near parliament in the capital Stockholm with around 1,000 people carrying Palestinian flags and chanting "Stop the Genocide," "Palestine Forever" and "Freedom for Palestine."

They then marched to the city centre while chanting slogans condemning the government's policy toward the conflict, saying Sweden is complicit in Israel's war crimes.

0237 GMT — Israel lied about what happened at Oct 7 music festival to 'justify genocide': Hamas

Reports by Israeli media that an Israeli combat helicopter opened fire on attendees of the Nova music festival on October 7 "confirm that Israel fabricated lies to justify genocide and displacement from Gaza," the Palestinian resistance group Hamas said.

In a statement, Hamas said "what was published by Israeli media, confirming that a Zionist helicopter opened fire on celebrants in the Gaza envelope on Oct 7 unequivocally proves that the occupation government resorted to fabricating lies and false narratives about the events of that day."

It added that this was done "to justify the acts of killing and genocide committed by the occupation forces with the aim of displacing Palestinians from their land and homes."

0152 GMT — Turkish Center for Combating Disinformation rejects Israeli claim that Hamas killed innocent person

Türkiye's Center for Combating Disinformation said that a claim by Israel that the Palestinian group Hamas killed an innocent person based on images depicting an execution shared by the Israeli Foreign Ministry and official state accounts is not accurate.

"It has been determined that the images in question were taken during the public execution of a drug trafficker in Iran in the year 2014," the centre, which is under Türkiye's Communications Directorate, said on X, formerly Twitter.

"As a result of the ongoing efforts of our Center for Combating Disinformation since October 7, we have exposed over 100 intentional false news stories regarding Israel's attacks on Gaza and revealed the truth," said Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun.

0002 GMT — France reiterates support for Palestinians' 'legitimate aspiration to have a state'

France reiterated its support for Palestinians’' "legitimate aspiration to have a state."

Citing presidential sources, French broadcaster BFMTV announced that President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el Sisi to discuss the latest developments related to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

He stressed the need for the protection of civilians in Gaza and underscored the importance of the "resumption of the peace process, intending to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians to have a state, living in peace and security alongside Israel."

2305 GMT — EU's foreign policy chief warns of spiral of violence in Israel-Palestine conflict

The EU's foreign policy chief warned of a spiral of violence amid Israel's intensifying attacks on Gaza, which are leading to an escalating civilian death toll in the besieged enclave.

Speaking in Bahrain at a joint press conference with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Josep Borrell said "there is no hierarchy between horrors. One horror does not justify another horror."

"And the pain that you inflict on the children of others will not justify, never, will not compensate the pain your children have been suffering," he added in reference to the October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. "On the contrary, it will create a violent spiral that will come once again unless we get a peace, a sustainable peace."

0050 GMT — Doctors Worldwide Türkiye sets out to deliver aid to Gaza

Members of Doctors Worldwide Türkiye headed to the Rafah border crossing to deliver medical supplies and food aid to Gaza.

“Every day, a limited amount of humanitarian aid materials are being transported to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing. We are also on our way to Egypt today to deliver the specified medical equipment and supplies from the Rafah crossing to our team in Gaza, and from there to Kuwait Hospital,” the association said on X.

It said that part of their medical team in Gaza has moved from Al Shifa Hospital to Kuwait Hospital in southern Gaza, where they are striving to provide health services.

2250 GMT — Bombing of Gaza has only incited ‘hunger for justice': Julian Assange's father

Israel’s bombing of Gaza has only incited more anger and a “hunger for justice” across the world, the father of imprisoned Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said.

John Shipton was addressing thousands of people attending a pro-Palestine rally in Australia’s Victoria state, one of numerous such rallies being held across Australia for the sixth straight week calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide in support of a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, the Australia Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The rallies were the latest in a string of marches held across Australia since October 7.

2200 GMT — Yemen rebels say they seized Israeli vessel, Israel denies

Yemen's Houthi rebels said they had seized an Israeli ship in the Red Sea, a claim immediately denied by Israel.

The allegation came days after the rebel group had threatened to target Israeli vessels in the waterway over Israel's war on Gaza.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that the rebels "seized an Israeli ship and took it to the Yemeni coast." Israel's military denied the ship was Israeli.

For our live updates from Sunday (November 19), click here.