Negotiators are working toward extending the pause in Gaza. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
As the extended truce between Israel and Hamas enters its sixth and potentially final day on Wednesday, diplomatic efforts are underway to maintain the pause in fighting.
The agreement between Israel and Hamas was extended Monday for two additional days. Now Hamas is "striving to extend the truce," a member of the militant group's political bureau said. Ghazi Hamad said Hamas is using all of the cards it has in negotiations.
The expectation is that if everything goes well on Wednesday —and Hamas releases at least 10 Israeli hostages as planned — Hamas could produce an additional list of hostages for the following day, extending the pause for another 24 hours, according to a source familiar with the ongoing discussions in Doha, Qatar amongst officials representing Israel, the US, Qatar and Egypt.
Negotiators believe there are enough women and children in Hamas captivity to extend the truce by two additional days before the discussion turns to men and soldier hostages, the source said.
Here's what else you need to know:
More hostages released: Hamas released 12 more hostages Tuesday — 10 Israelis and two Thai citizens, according to the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli prime minister's office. Some of the Israelis hold dual citizenship, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum in Israel said. No Americans were released, even though the White House previously said two women were expected to be freed as part of the deal announced between Israel and Hamas last week. The White House said it remains hopeful that some Americans may be released Wednesday.
Palestinian detainees freed: In compliance with the truce agreement, a total of 30 Palestinians were released Tuesday from Israeli prisons in Damon, Megiddo and Ofer, the Israeli prison service said. A bus believed to be carrying some of the released Palestinians arrived in the occupied West Bank.
CIA chief's visit: CIA Director Bill Burns visited Qatar on Tuesday for meetings with Qatari officials as well as his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts to push for a broader hostage deal that would expand beyond women and children to include negotiations for men and soldiers, a source familiar with the talks told CNN.
Israeli raid in Jenin: The head of Médecins Sans Frontières said Tuesday that he had been “trapped” with staff inside a hospital in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp amid an ongoing Israeli raid in the densely populated area. Two Palestinians died from their wounds after ambulances could not reach them, he said. Video obtained by CNN shows military vehicles inside the city near the refugee camp and the sounds of heavy gunfire.
The fight ahead: The IDF said it's getting ready to resume its military campaign against Hamas when the truce ends. On Tuesday, the fifth day of the pause, Hamas and Israel clashed in northern Gaza — a skirmish both sides said was a violation of the ongoing agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation will continue until Gaza is “no longer a threat to Israel," which includes freeing all of the hostages and eliminating Hamas "above and below the ground."
Aid for Gaza: The United States airlifted more than 54,000 pounds of medical items and food to a logistics hub in Egypt to be brought into Gaza, according to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The US military said it will fly three planeloads of humanitarian aid in the coming days. United Nations officials have also been emphasizing the increased need for assistance, especially the need for supplies to operate critical services and sectors like sewage, water or hospitals.
1 min ago
Negotiators in Doha are working toward extending the pause in Gaza
From CNN's MJ Lee and Alex Marquardt
Majed Al-Ansari, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, holds a weekly briefing in Doha. Imad Creidi/Reuters
During discussions in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday, officials representing Israel, the US, Qatar and Egypt were in consensus about working toward extending the current pause in the Israel-Hamas war to get more hostages out of Gaza, a source familiar with the discussions said.
The expectation is that if everything goes well on the sixth day of the truce Wednesday —and Hamas releases at least 10 Israeli hostages as planned — Hamas could produce an additional list of hostages for the following day, extending the pause for another 24 hours, the source said.
Negotiators believe there are enough women and children in Hamas captivity to extend the truce by two additional days before the discussion turns to men and soldier hostages, the source said.
CIA Director Bill Burns, who traveled to the region to participate in discussions about next steps in the Israel-Hamas truce, was involved in discussions with his counterparts about eventually broadening the category of hostages to be released to men and soldiers, sources said. There were also talks related to getting the bodies of those killed by Hamas out of Gaza.
14 min ago
Hamas has given Israel list of hostages expected to be released Wednesday
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins and MJ Lee
The list of the sixth set of hostages expected to be freed has been given to the Israeli government, and families are being notified, two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.
This will be the second release in the extension of the truce.
Another group of 12 hostages, comprising 10 Israelis and two Thai citizens, were released by Hamas on Tuesday, according to officials. Thirty Palestinians were also freed from Israeli prisons, officials said.
15 min ago
2 Palestinians died after Jenin hospital was blocked by Israeli forces, charity care agency official says
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
Two Palestinians died after Israeli military vehicles blocked the entrance of the hospital in Jenin, denying the patients access to care for their wounds, according to Dr. Christos Christou, international president of Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
"For two hours, we were not able to leave to provide care and people could not reach us, as Israeli military vehicles blocked the entrance of the hospital and the road, preventing ambulances from leaving. Two Palestinians died of wounds while ambulances could not reach them, " Christou wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Christou said he was visiting the MSF team at the Khalil Suleiman Hospital in Jenin in the occupied West Bank when the "Israeli army conducted an incursion on Jenin refugee camp."
"This must stop now. Patients should have access to healthcare at all times," Christou wrote.
"There's nothing worse for a doctor to know that there are people there needing our care and they cannot get it," Christou said in a video posted on X.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN that clashes were ongoing in Jenin.
“The IDF is conducting counterterrorism activities in the area,” the IDF said, adding that it would not provide any more details until operations were completed.
15 min ago
White House hopeful some Americans could be released Wednesday
From CNN's Sam Fossum
The White House said it remains hopeful that some Americans may be released Wednesday as part of the two-day extension of the initial pause in hostilities between Hamas and Israel.
“No Americans, unfortunately, now today. But we're hopeful, tomorrow's another day, and we certainly hope that we can see some more Americans come out,” National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby told reporters Tuesday.
Kirby said that there remains no indication “at all” that Hamas not releasing American hostages is some sort of tactic or leverage, pointing to the small pool of Americans being held captive and the difficult logistics.
“We want to see all the hostages released and so there be extended pauses beyond these two days extension then you know, we're in favor of that. And we're going to keep working on this, as I said, hour by hour with all our partners in the region," Kirby said.
He declined to say more when asked to put a likelihood on whether another extension will be agreed to by all parties.
Kirby said Israel has an “added burden” as it plans for potential offensives in southern Gaza to account for civilian lives when the truce is over. Israel previously urged thousands of Gaza to move to that part of the enclave due to its offensive in the north.
“So it's even all that more of an added burden on Israel to make sure that as they start to plan for operations in the south, whatever that looks like, that they have properly accounted for the innocent life — the extra innocent life that is now in south Gaza,” he said.
16 min ago
Grandfather grieves 3-year-old granddaughter killed as she slept in Gaza
From CNN's Florence Davey-Attlee, Abeer Salman and Jomana Karadsheh
Khaled Nabhan in his home on November 27. CNN
The pause in fighting in Gaza has given many families the chance to return home to retrieve belongings — and in some cases, the bodies of their relatives.
CNN followed one man back to his destroyed home. Grieving grandfather Khaled Nabhan was seen around the world in a widely shared video of his moment of grief last week as he kissed his lifeless 3-year-old granddaughter goodbye.
In the video posted on social media, Nabhan shakes the little girl Reem gently and tries to open her eyes, as if she is asleep.
“I used to kiss her on her cheeks, on her nose and she would giggle,” Nabhan told CNN in an interview. “I kissed her but she wouldn’t wake up.”
Reem Nabhan. Courtesy of Nabhan family
Reem was killed last week, alongside her 5-year-old brother Tarek, while they were sleeping when their home was brought down by a nearby airstrike in Al Nuseirat refugee camp in southern Gaza.
Speaking to CNN, Nabhan described the final evening he had with his grandchildren, breaking down in tears as he recalled how they begged him to take them outside to play. He had refused because of the danger from Israeli airstrikes, he said.
In another social media video, the two children’s bodies lay prepared for burial in white shrouds while Nabhan fixes Tarek’s hair.
“I combed his hair like he would always ask me to, like a photo he would always show me,” Nabhan said later. “He loved his hair like that, now he’s gone.”
Khaled Nabhan kisses Reem's doll found in the rubble of his family's home on November 27. CNN
Picking through the rubble of his family’s home on Monday, Nabhan showed CNN where his daughter Maysa — Reem and Tarek’s mother — was sleeping with the children when the house collapsed. She and her sister survived but were seriously injured.
From the debris, he picked up a doll that had belonged to his granddaughter, kissing it. Clutched in his hand was a tangerine that he’d given Reem as a treat, but that she never had the chance to eat.
The list of the sixth set of hostages expected to be freed Wednesday has been given to the Israeli government, and families are being notified, two sources told CNN.
Wednesday marks the sixth and potentially final day of the extended truce between Israel and Hamas, though negotiators are working toward another extension to get more hostages out of Gaza.
Over the first five days of the truce, Hamas has released 81 hostages, primarily women and children. Israel has freed 180 Palestinians from prison — mainly women and minors — many of whom were detained but never charged.
Meanwhile, the CIA director, a central player in the Biden administration’s effort to negotiate a hostage deal, is in Qatar to push for a broader agreement that would include men and soldiers, according to a source familiar with the talks.
As the extended truce between Israel and Hamas enters its sixth and potentially final day on Wednesday, diplomatic efforts are underway to maintain the pause in fighting.
The agreement between Israel and Hamas was extended Monday for two additional days. Now Hamas is "striving to extend the truce," a member of the militant group's political bureau said. Ghazi Hamad said Hamas is using all of the cards it has in negotiations.
The expectation is that if everything goes well on Wednesday —and Hamas releases at least 10 Israeli hostages as planned — Hamas could produce an additional list of hostages for the following day, extending the pause for another 24 hours, according to a source familiar with the ongoing discussions in Doha, Qatar amongst officials representing Israel, the US, Qatar and Egypt.
Negotiators believe there are enough women and children in Hamas captivity to extend the truce by two additional days before the discussion turns to men and soldier hostages, the source said.
Here's what else you need to know:
More hostages released: Hamas released 12 more hostages Tuesday — 10 Israelis and two Thai citizens, according to the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli prime minister's office. Some of the Israelis hold dual citizenship, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum in Israel said. No Americans were released, even though the White House previously said two women were expected to be freed as part of the deal announced between Israel and Hamas last week. The White House said it remains hopeful that some Americans may be released Wednesday.
Palestinian detainees freed: In compliance with the truce agreement, a total of 30 Palestinians were released Tuesday from Israeli prisons in Damon, Megiddo and Ofer, the Israeli prison service said. A bus believed to be carrying some of the released Palestinians arrived in the occupied West Bank.
CIA chief's visit: CIA Director Bill Burns visited Qatar on Tuesday for meetings with Qatari officials as well as his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts to push for a broader hostage deal that would expand beyond women and children to include negotiations for men and soldiers, a source familiar with the talks told CNN.
Israeli raid in Jenin: The head of Médecins Sans Frontières said Tuesday that he had been “trapped” with staff inside a hospital in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp amid an ongoing Israeli raid in the densely populated area. Two Palestinians died from their wounds after ambulances could not reach them, he said. Video obtained by CNN shows military vehicles inside the city near the refugee camp and the sounds of heavy gunfire.
The fight ahead: The IDF said it's getting ready to resume its military campaign against Hamas when the truce ends. On Tuesday, the fifth day of the pause, Hamas and Israel clashed in northern Gaza — a skirmish both sides said was a violation of the ongoing agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation will continue until Gaza is “no longer a threat to Israel," which includes freeing all of the hostages and eliminating Hamas "above and below the ground."
Aid for Gaza: The United States airlifted more than 54,000 pounds of medical items and food to a logistics hub in Egypt to be brought into Gaza, according to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The US military said it will fly three planeloads of humanitarian aid in the coming days. United Nations officials have also been emphasizing the increased need for assistance, especially the need for supplies to operate critical services and sectors like sewage, water or hospitals.
Majed Al-Ansari, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, holds a weekly briefing in Doha. Imad Creidi/Reuters
During discussions in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday, officials representing Israel, the US, Qatar and Egypt were in consensus about working toward extending the current pause in the Israel-Hamas war to get more hostages out of Gaza, a source familiar with the discussions said.
The expectation is that if everything goes well on the sixth day of the truce Wednesday —and Hamas releases at least 10 Israeli hostages as planned — Hamas could produce an additional list of hostages for the following day, extending the pause for another 24 hours, the source said.
Negotiators believe there are enough women and children in Hamas captivity to extend the truce by two additional days before the discussion turns to men and soldier hostages, the source said.
CIA Director Bill Burns, who traveled to the region to participate in discussions about next steps in the Israel-Hamas truce, was involved in discussions with his counterparts about eventually broadening the category of hostages to be released to men and soldiers, sources said. There were also talks related to getting the bodies of those killed by Hamas out of Gaza.
The list of the sixth set of hostages expected to be freed has been given to the Israeli government, and families are being notified, two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.
This will be the second release in the extension of the truce.
Another group of 12 hostages, comprising 10 Israelis and two Thai citizens, were released by Hamas on Tuesday, according to officials. Thirty Palestinians were also freed from Israeli prisons, officials said.
Two Palestinians died after Israeli military vehicles blocked the entrance of the hospital in Jenin, denying the patients access to care for their wounds, according to Dr. Christos Christou, international president of Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
"For two hours, we were not able to leave to provide care and people could not reach us, as Israeli military vehicles blocked the entrance of the hospital and the road, preventing ambulances from leaving. Two Palestinians died of wounds while ambulances could not reach them, " Christou wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Christou said he was visiting the MSF team at the Khalil Suleiman Hospital in Jenin in the occupied West Bank when the "Israeli army conducted an incursion on Jenin refugee camp."
"This must stop now. Patients should have access to healthcare at all times," Christou wrote.
"There's nothing worse for a doctor to know that there are people there needing our care and they cannot get it," Christou said in a video posted on X.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN that clashes were ongoing in Jenin.
“The IDF is conducting counterterrorism activities in the area,” the IDF said, adding that it would not provide any more details until operations were completed.
The White House said it remains hopeful that some Americans may be released Wednesday as part of the two-day extension of the initial pause in hostilities between Hamas and Israel.
“No Americans, unfortunately, now today. But we're hopeful, tomorrow's another day, and we certainly hope that we can see some more Americans come out,” National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby told reporters Tuesday.
Kirby said that there remains no indication “at all” that Hamas not releasing American hostages is some sort of tactic or leverage, pointing to the small pool of Americans being held captive and the difficult logistics.
“We want to see all the hostages released and so there be extended pauses beyond these two days extension then you know, we're in favor of that. And we're going to keep working on this, as I said, hour by hour with all our partners in the region," Kirby said.
He declined to say more when asked to put a likelihood on whether another extension will be agreed to by all parties.
Kirby said Israel has an “added burden” as it plans for potential offensives in southern Gaza to account for civilian lives when the truce is over. Israel previously urged thousands of Gaza to move to that part of the enclave due to its offensive in the north.
“So it's even all that more of an added burden on Israel to make sure that as they start to plan for operations in the south, whatever that looks like, that they have properly accounted for the innocent life — the extra innocent life that is now in south Gaza,” he said.
Khaled Nabhan in his home on November 27. CNN
The pause in fighting in Gaza has given many families the chance to return home to retrieve belongings — and in some cases, the bodies of their relatives.
CNN followed one man back to his destroyed home. Grieving grandfather Khaled Nabhan was seen around the world in a widely shared video of his moment of grief last week as he kissed his lifeless 3-year-old granddaughter goodbye.
In the video posted on social media, Nabhan shakes the little girl Reem gently and tries to open her eyes, as if she is asleep.
“I used to kiss her on her cheeks, on her nose and she would giggle,” Nabhan told CNN in an interview. “I kissed her but she wouldn’t wake up.”
Reem Nabhan. Courtesy of Nabhan family
Reem was killed last week, alongside her 5-year-old brother Tarek, while they were sleeping when their home was brought down by a nearby airstrike in Al Nuseirat refugee camp in southern Gaza.
Speaking to CNN, Nabhan described the final evening he had with his grandchildren, breaking down in tears as he recalled how they begged him to take them outside to play. He had refused because of the danger from Israeli airstrikes, he said.
In another social media video, the two children’s bodies lay prepared for burial in white shrouds while Nabhan fixes Tarek’s hair.
“I combed his hair like he would always ask me to, like a photo he would always show me,” Nabhan said later. “He loved his hair like that, now he’s gone.”
Khaled Nabhan kisses Reem's doll found in the rubble of his family's home on November 27. CNN
Picking through the rubble of his family’s home on Monday, Nabhan showed CNN where his daughter Maysa — Reem and Tarek’s mother — was sleeping with the children when the house collapsed. She and her sister survived but were seriously injured.
From the debris, he picked up a doll that had belonged to his granddaughter, kissing it. Clutched in his hand was a tangerine that he’d given Reem as a treat, but that she never had the chance to eat.
