US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a press conference following the Nato Foreign Ministers meeting on Ukraine at Nato Headquarters in Brussels, on November 29, 2023. (Photo by Saul Loeb / POOL / AFP)
Doha, Qatar: As truce between Israel and Hamas enters sixth day on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, after additional hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, mediators are pushing for a "sustainable" ceasefire.
After a 48-hour extension of an initial four-day truce, the final 24 hours of the extended agreement begins today (November 29, 2023), but mediator Qatar said it was hoping for a more durable arrangement.
"Our main focus right now, and our hope, is to reach a sustainable truce that will lead to further negotiations for the end of this war," Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari told a press conference.
As the day 6 begins, watch this page for more live updates:
[12:14am Doha Time] Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari reports that, in accordance with the terms of the 6th day of the humanitarian pause agreement, 30 Palestinians will be released today in exchange for the release of 10 hostages in Gaza. In addition, to 2 Russian citizens & 4 Thai citizens outside the framework of the agreement who were handed over to the ICRC.
Palestinians released from Israeli prisons include 16 minors and 14 women, while Israeli hostages released from Gaza include 5 minors & 5 women, those of dual nationality within the group are: a Dutch minor, three Germans and one American.
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[9:20pm Doha Time] Preparations in the vicinity of Ofer Prison in preparation for the start of the release of Palestinian prisoners within the sixth batch of the exchange deal
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[8:14pm Doha Time] Three aircraft belonging to the Qatar Armed Forces arrived today in the city of El Arish in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt, carrying 108 tons of aid, consisting of basic food supplies and shelter equipment, provided by the Qatar Fund For Development, the Qatar Olympic Committee, the Qatar Red Crescent Society, in preparation to be transported to Gaza, bringing the total number of planes sent to 30, carrying a total of 1,018 tons of aid. Read more
[6:00pm Doha Time] Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. welcomed the news of the release of a Filipino woman in Gaza on Tuesday, November 28, as part of the Qatar-mediated humanitarian pause agreement. Read more here.
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[4:21pm Doha Time] World must move ‘decisively’ towards two-state solution: UN
The United Nations has urged the international community to progress towards a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict, emphasising that Jerusalem be the capital for both states.
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[3pm Doha Time] ‘Doing what we can to extend the pause’: Blinken
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says his country is “sending humanitarian assistance to Gaza to make sure its people have what they need to get by”.
“Looking at the next couple of days, we’ll be focused on doing what we can to extend the pause so that we continue to get more hostages out and more humanitarian assistance in,” he said.
“We’ll keep our efforts going to prevent the conflict from spreading and we’ll remain focused on enabling safe departure of American citizens and other foreign nationals from Gaza.
“Finally, we’ll work to build upon principles that I set out in Tokyo a few weeks ago, for the day after in Gaza and to find the steps that we and our partners can take in the region now to lay the foundation for a just and lasting peace.”
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[11:30am Doha Time] Field hospitals in Gaza not yet operational: Health official
While sharing updates on healthcare situation in Gaza, Mohammad Zaqout, the director general of hospitals said that the field hospitals coming into Gaza are currently not in service despite an urgent need for them.
Al-Shifa, Kamal Adwan, and Al-Ahli hospitals have yet to receive fuel. He further warned that the lack of water and hygiene-related materials will increase the risk of epidemics.
[7:30am Doha Time] Sounds of explosions, drones as Israel raid on Jenin continues
Raid in Jenin city that began last night, is still on going reported Al Jazeera with witnesses hearing loud explosions and drones in the air.
It further added that three different areas are being targeted: a village just outside Jenin, in the Jenin refugee camp, and in Jenin city as well.
[7am Doha Time] In Photos: Freed Palestinians welcomed back to West Bank
Thirty Palestinian women and children were released from Israeli prisons as part of the fifth exchange. Here are a few pictures:
Media surround newly freed Palestinian prisoner Lamees Abu Arqub as she greets supporters in the village of Dura in the occupied West Bank on November 28, 2023. (Photo by Hazem Bader/ AFP)
Rouba Assi is carried by supporters during a welcome ceremony in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank (Photo by Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP)
Manal Dudeen hugs her daughter after disembarking a Red Cross bus in Ramallah (Photo by Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP)
Newly released Palestinian prisoners greet friends and relatives. (Photo by Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP)
[6:30am Doha Time] Humanitarian aid to Gaza ‘insufficient’ to meet needs of people: UN
On the fifth day of the truce in Gaza, November 28, 2023, the Red Crescent and UN agencies delivered food, medicine, water and other essential humanitarian supplies to areas in northern Gaza. But the bulk of relief supplies are being distributed in the south, the UN said.
The amount of aid entering Gaza is also “insufficient to meet the extensive needs”, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in its latest situation report on the Palestinian enclave and the occupied West Bank.
The UN report also states:
The World Health Organization has warned of the high risk of infectious disease spreading among Gaza displaced people.
“There have been significant increases in some communicable diseases and conditions such as diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, skin infections and hygiene-related conditions like lice. There are also initial reports of disease outbreaks, including Hepatitis,” the UN said.
As many as 1.8 million people in Gaza, about 80 per cent of the population, are estimated to have been displaced since October 7.
