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
Postponed due to “last minute” discussions, the truce in Gaza, which was initially due to come into force this Thursday, will be applied from Friday morning, 6 a.m. (French time). According to the spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who played a mediation role, the first group of hostages should be released in the afternoon. Hamas’ military wing said in a statement that the truce “will last four days starting Friday morning and includes a complete cessation of military activities.”
During this period, “50 Zionist prisoners (hostages, editor’s note) women and children under 19 will be released” in return, for each of them, for the release of “three Palestinian prisoners, women and children”. Benyamin Netanyahu’s advisers indicated that they had a “first list of names” of hostages and were in contact with the families.
The number of the day
236,000. Like the number of Israelis who have requested to carry a weapon since the October 7 attacks, as many as in the previous twenty years according to the Israeli Minister of National Security.
Campaigns such as Gun Free Kitchen Tables (GFKT) say the proliferation of guns could lead Israel down the path of the United States, which is facing a surge in gun violence and mass shootings.
Sentence of the day
Under his leadership, the (Al-Shifa) hospital was the scene of numerous Hamas terrorist activities.”
These are the words of the Israeli army, which announced in a press release the arrest of Mohammed Abou Salmiya, the director of the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip. The doctor was “transferred for questioning,” the army said.
Doctor Abou Salmiya said he received an evacuation “order” on November 18 after having said he had refused a previous one, while the Israeli army claimed to have evacuated hundreds of patients and displaced people from Al-Shifa to the “request” from the same doctor. The Israeli military claimed to have evidence that the facility was used as a military center by Hamas.
Today’s trend
After the loss of seven fighters, Hezbollah intensified its attacks from southern Lebanon against Israel on Thursday. The Shiite party claimed responsibility for around twenty attacks against enemy military positions.
Among these attacks was the firing of 48 Katyusha rockets at a military base near the town of Safed in northern Israel. Since October 7, this is the largest bombing carried out by Hezbollah.