AP-ML-Israel-Palestinians-Live-Updates
Nov 22, 2023 11:00 AM
By The Associated Press —
A cease-fire agreement between the Hamas militant group and Israel has been confirmed by both parties, along with Washington and Qatar, which helped broker the deal that would bring a temporary halt to the devastating war that is now in its seventh week.
The Israeli government said that under an outline of the deal, Hamas is to free over a four-day period at least 50 of the roughly 240 hostages taken in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and Israel is to release some Palestinian prisoners in exchange. Egyptian state media say the truce will begin Thursday morning. Egypt helped mediate the cease-fire agreement, which would bring the first respite to war-weary Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 11,000 people have been killed, according to health authorities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before the Cabinet voted early Wednesday to back the agreement that the war would continue even if a deal was reached. Some 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas.
Currently:
— Truce deal raises hopes of freeing hostages in Gaza and halting worst Mideast violence in decades
— Iranian-backed militant group vows to expand conflict if U.S. airstrikes continue
— Pope Francis meets with relatives of Israeli hostages and Palestinians
— South African lawmakers vote in favor of closing Israel’s embassy and cutting diplomatic ties
— Bahrain government websites are briefly inaccessible after a cyberattack over the Israel-Hamas war
— Gaza health officials say they lost the ability to count dead as Israeli offensive intensifies
