2023-11-08 21:16:59
To better understand the latest events in the conflict between the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and Israel, 20 Minutes takes stock every evening. Between the strong declarations, the diplomatic advances or the dramatic results of the fighting, here are the main points of the day.
News of the day
Hope for families of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. Qatar is negotiating with the armed group for the release of around ten hostages, “half of them Americans” in exchange for “a three-day humanitarian truce,” said a source close to Hamas in Gaza. . In Doha, a source close to the discussions speaking on condition of anonymity indicated that Qatar was leading this mediation “in coordination with the United States (…) to obtain the release of 10 to 15 hostages”, out of the 240 people kidnapped.
These discussions are stalling for the moment “over the duration” of the truce and the inclusion in this agreement of “the north of the Gaza Strip, the scene of large-scale combat operations,” said this source. “Qatar is waiting for a response from the Israelis,” she added. Such a truce should also allow Egypt, which borders the Gaza Strip, to “deliver more humanitarian aid” to the besieged Palestinian territory, via the Rafah crossing, according to the same source. Benjamin Netanyahu, however, once again rejected any ceasefire in the Gaza Strip without the release of the hostages held by Hamas.
The number of the day
50.000. This is the number of civilians who fled the north of the Gaza Strip to the south in one day through the “evacuation corridor” secured by its troops for the second day in a row, according to the Israeli army. “They are leaving because they understand that Hamas has lost control of the north and the situation is more secure in the south. There is a secure area where medicines, water and food are available,” spokesperson Daniel Hagari said during his daily press briefing, adding that the corridor would be open again on Thursday.
Sentence of the day
It is very premature to discuss the scenarios of the “day after” Hamas”
The future of Gaza is unclear. Two days after Benjamin Netanyahu’s ambiguous declaration on military control of the Palestinian enclave, the Israeli government backpedaled, judging it “very premature” to evoke “scenarios” for the future of the Gaza Strip which must be “demilitarized “.
Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesperson, “would like to
Today’s trend
On the ground, Israel announced that it was tightening its “grip” on the city of Gaza, in the north of the Palestinian territory where its soldiers continued their advance. After a month of war, soldiers are now “in the heart” of Gaza City, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Tuesday evening.
“Gaza is the largest terrorist base ever built,” he said, adding that soldiers were “tightening their grip” around Gaza City, the most densely populated part of the territory where, according to Israel, there is the “center” of Hamas entrenched in a network of tunnels. Israeli soldiers are advancing “with a single target: Hamas’ infrastructure, its commanders, its bunkers, its communication centers,” added Yoav Gallant. Images released Wednesday by the Israeli army show tanks and bulldozers advancing through the smoking ruins of the Gaza Strip. Soldiers infiltrate the shattered buildings as explosions erupt from the ground.
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