WORLD BRIEFING: November 26, 2023

Israel - Hamas War

Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals released from Hamas captivity arrived in Israel on Sunday in the second step of a crucial hostage deal that briefly risked falling apart due to a dispute over the delivery of aid supplies into Gaza. The short-lived dispute that threatened the temporary truce to free captives was overcome with the mediation of Qatar and Egypt, but it underscored the fragility of the agreement, under which a total of 50 Israeli hostages are to be exchanged for 150 Palestinian prisoners over four days. Television footage showed hostages on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing after leaving Gaza, as Hamas handed over the captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross late on Saturday. Of the 13 Israelis released, six were women and seven were children and teenagers. "The released hostages are on their way to hospitals in Israel, where they will reunite with their families," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement - Reuters

The Israel Prime Minister's Office said early Sunday that Israel had received the list of hostages expected to be released later on Sunday and that the information was relayed to the relevant families - Haaretz

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on Saturday with Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani about the implementation of the hostage deal and humanitarian pause in Gaza. The leaders discussed hurdles to implementation of the deal and mechanisms for resolving those hurdles as soon as possible. They agreed to remain in close contact to ensure the deal is fully implemented according to its terms - Haaretz

Freed hostages say they had access to Israeli TV and radio in captivity, some learned about killing of their family members - Israel 24 TV

Sixty-one truckloads of aid were delivered to northern Gaza on Saturday, the largest number since the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Oct 7, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Saturday.

"The virtual collapse of the sewage system and displacement of about 1.7 million Gazans" have "brought on a hygiene crisis and illnesses....Diarrhoea, scabies and lice are ripping through the population, hitting younger children particularly hard." - NYT

Ukraine War

  • The White House on Saturday reaffirmed its commitment to Ukraine in a statement marking the anniversary of Holodomor, drawing parallels between Russia’s offensive and the 1930s Soviet-imposed famine that killed millions of Ukrainians “Today, Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure is once more being deliberately targeted—this time by Vladimir Putin as part of his drive for conquest and power,” President Joe Biden said in the statement, further citing "the inhumane policies of Josef Stalin" that included "death by hunger." “Putin is hurting the world’s most vulnerable communities, for Russia’s profit,” he added.

  • Russia has stolen and exported $1 billion worth of Ukrainian grain on world commodities markets, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Nov. 24 at a grain market forum in Kyiv. “The occupiers have prepared technical means to steal and take away 12,000 tons of grain from the captured territories every day”

  • Nearly 500 tons of humanitarian aid being concealed from the Ukrainian public has been uncovered in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Regional Governor said at a news conference on Nov. 24. "Tons of food products sent to the Zaporizhzhia Oblast in 2022 have deteriorated due to criminal negligence," said Yurii Malashko, governor of Zaporizhzhia. Authorities discovered a large amount of humanitarian aid, including food products, essential items, and other materials, stored without proper documentation at three different local enterprises in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Malashko notes that investigations into the illegal storage of aid are ongoing. "We will do everything in our power to ensure hold accountable the individuals responsible for this criminal negligence." - Kyiv Independent

Elsewhere

  • Ireland's prime minister on Friday condemned anti-immigrant protesters who rampaged through central Dublin after three young children were stabbed, saying the rioters simply wanted to cause chaos, not protect the country's way of life. Police made a number of further arrests on Friday evening as they mounted a significant security operation in Dublin to ensure that there was no repeat of Thursday's disorder. A number of people were taken away in police vans following sporadic altercations - NPR

  • Tens of thousands took to the streets of Italy’s main cities on Saturday to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, just as an Italian man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend was extradited from Germany - AP

  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is slated to attend the OSCE ministerial summit in Skopje on November 30-December 1, North Macedonia’s foreign minister said, an event that could also include the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “Secretary of State Blinken has been confirmed for the informal dinner [on November 29]," Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani told reporters on November 25 in North Macedonia's capital.


Michael Bociurkiw