WORLD BRIEFING: November 20, 2023
Israel-Hamas War
Gaza's government media office says at least 13,000 Palestinians killed since start of conflict on Oct. 7, including at least 5,500 children
31 premature babies were evacuated from Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital. They’re in Rafah now and will be moved to Egypt on Monday for further care - Fox News
U.S. and Israeli officials said a deal to free some of the hostages being held in Gaza was edging closer. Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, said in an interview on ABC's "This Week" that Israel was hopeful a significant number of hostages could be released by Hamas "in coming days". Reuters reported on Nov. 15 that Qatari mediators had been seeking a deal between Israel and Hamas to exchange 50 hostages in return for a three-day ceasefire that would help boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, citing an official briefed on the talks. At the time, the official said general outlines had been agreed but Israel was still negotiating details. On Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told a press conference in Doha that the main obstacles to a deal were now "very minor", with mainly "practical and logistical" issues to surmount - Reuters
Separately, a White House official also said the "very complicated, very sensitive" negotiations were making progress. "I believe we are closer than we have been in quite some time, maybe closer than we have been since the beginning of this process, to getting this deal done," White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told NBC's "Meet the Press".
Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, condemned Hamas’ actions on the 7th of October. His condemnation came during his speech at the 19th IISS Manama Dialogue. He described Hamas’ actions as ‘Barbaric’ and said it didn’t align with any Abrahamic faith. Al-Khalifa said his condemnation comes from his siding with civilians and innocents. He has condemned the Israeli strikes killing over 11,000 according to his speech, and emphasised that both actions should stop.
Jordan is calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which Jordanian Ambassador to the U.S., Dina Kawar, tells CBS Face the Nation "is the only way forward to stop" the war. "Our worry is that this violence is going to breed violence and is putting pressure in the region."
Ukraine War
There are Ukrainian nationals among those aboard the shipping vessel hijacked in the Red Sea by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Nov. 19, Israeli Prime Minister's Office said. Israel's Defense Forces said the Bahaman-flagged ship, registered under a British company and leased out to a Japanese company, was sailing from Turkey to India with an international civilian crew before it was hijacked. According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, the vessel was carrying 25 crew members of various nationalities, including Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino, and Mexican. There were reportedly no Israelis onboard. "Israel strongly condemns the Iranian attack against an international vessel," the Israeli President's Office said. "This is another act of Iranian terrorism and constitutes a leap forward in Iran's aggression against the citizens of the free world, with international consequences regarding the security of the global shipping lanes” - Kyiv Independent
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia may be planning to ignite a war in the Balkans to distract from its ongoing fight with Ukraine. “Pay attention to the Balkans. Believe me, we are receiving information: Russia has a long plan,” Zelensky told reporters Thursday, according to news agency Interfax-Ukraine. “If the countries of the world do nothing now, there will be such an explosion,” he added, explaining additional conflicts would undermine the amount of aid allies could provide his own country. Zelensky did not offer evidence for his ominous prediction, which came almost two months after an incident along the border between longtime Balkans foes Kosovo and Serbia which left four people dead - NY Post
Elsewhere
Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in a virtual meeting of G20 leaders on November 22 after again skipping the annual in-person summit in India in September, Russian state television reported. Putin has not attended the annual G20 meeting in person since launching his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The November 22 virtual meeting will seek to build on the outcomes of the September meeting, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement on November 18. India is the current chair of the G20 - RFE/RL
Rosalynn Carter, Politically Active First Lady, Dies at 96. A full 16 years before Bill and Hillary Clinton offered themselves to the nation as a package deal, she and Jimmy Carter worked as near co-presidents - NYT
Sunday's presidential runoff is like no other election in recent Argentine history. The country is in its worst financial crisis in years, with annual inflation topping 140%, poverty rising and the national currency losing value daily. A far-right libertarian who brandishes a chainsaw at rallies while pledging to radically slash state spending has shaken up the political establishment. Polls are too close to call. And the strong standing of the current ruling party's candidate is just one more twist: He is the current economy minister, responsible for overseeing Argentina's recent failing finances.