Israeli government meets to decide on deal for Hamas to free some hostages - CNA

Kamelia Hoter Ishay, the grandmother of 13-year-old Gali Tarshansky, who is believed to be held in Gaza, said she was trying not to follow all the deal reports because she was afraid of being disappointed.

"The only thing I am waiting for is the phone call from my daughter, Reuma, who will say, 'Gali is coming back'. And then I'll know that it's really over and I can breathe a sigh of relief and say that's it, it's over," she said.

Tarshansky was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Beeri, one of the communities worst hit by Hamas.

Zvika Itzhaki, a relative of Israeli hostage Omer Wenkert, 22, said although the family was happy for the release of women and children, he hoped for the release also of those who are chronically sick.

"He has colitis, a severe intestinal disease. He has to take his daily pill. We don't know what medical state he's in," Itzhaki said.

Qadura Fares, head of the Commission for Prisoners' Affairs in the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, told Reuters earlier on Tuesday that he had not seen the list of Palestinian prisoners included in the pending deal.

He said among more than 7,800 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel are about 85 women and 350 minors. Most were detained without charges or for incidents such as hurling rocks at Israeli soldiers, not for launching militant attacks, he said.

"Talk of an exchange deal is what has brought attention to the issue of the arbitrary detention of Palestinian children who are being tried in military courts," he said.

"The world must know that Israel detains children and systematically targets them, and that their release from prison will surely be a comfort for their families."

An Israel Prison Service spokesperson said they were not aware of a deal to release Palestinian prisoners. They said they did not have information on how many Palestinian women and children were in its custody and details on the kinds of offences they were sentenced for.

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2023-11-21 21:43:00Z
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China says it would be a 'serious mistake' if Argentina cuts ties - CNA

BEIJING: China said on Tuesday (Nov 21) that it would be a "serious mistake" if Argentina were to cut ties, after the weekend presidential election victory in the South American country of a right-wing libertarian who has said he will not deal with communists.

Argentinian President-elect Javier Milei has criticised China as well as Brazil, which are among his country's most important trading partners.

A few months ago, Milei likened the Chinese government to an "assassin" and said that the people of China were "not free".

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular news briefing that the development of bilateral relations with Argentina had been showing good momentum, and it would be a "serious mistake" for Argentina to cut ties with countries such as China and Brazil.

Diana Mondino, an economist tipped to become foreign minister in the Milei administration, said that Argentina would not join the BRICS grouping, which includes China and Russia, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency cited her as saying.

Argentina was among six countries invited to become new members of the BRICS, a bloc whose members also include Brazil, India and South Africa.

Mondino told RIA Novosti that Argentina would "stop interacting" with the governments of China and Brazil, when asked whether Argentina would encourage exports and imports with those countries.

Mao, asked by reporters about Mondino's remarks, said: "The two sides have strong economic complementarity and huge potential for cooperation.

"China is willing to continue to work together with Argentina to promote the stability and long-term development of bilateral relations."

Milei's tough talk on China stands in sharp contrast with a vow of cooperation by the outgoing president, Alberto Fernandez, who visited Beijing last month and hailed China as a "true friend" of Argentina.

Fernandez also pledged coordination with China under frameworks like the Group of Twenty and BRICS.

Milei has also said that climate change is a "lie of socialism" and that Pope Francis is on the side of "bloody dictatorships".

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2023-11-21 08:34:00Z
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Hamas chief says it is close to truce agreement with Israel - CNA

GAZA: The chief of Hamas told Reuters on Tuesday (Nov 21) that the Palestinian militant group was near a truce agreement with Israel, even as the deadly assault on Gaza continued and rockets were being fired into Israel.

Hamas officials are "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement sent to Reuters by his aide.

The statement gave no more details, but a Hamas official told Al Jazeera TV that negotiations were centered on how long the truce would last, arrangements for delivery of aid into Gaza, and the exchange of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Both sides would free women and children and details will be announced by Qatar, which is mediating in the negotiations, said the official, Issat el Reshiq.

Israel has generally avoided giving commentary on the status of the Qatar-led talks. Israel's Channel 12 television quoted an unidentified senior government source saying "they are close" but giving no further details.

Hamas took about 240 hostages during its Oct 7 rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), met Haniyeh in Qatar on Monday to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the conflict, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a statement. She also met separately with Qatari authorities.

The ICRC said it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing the hostages, but as a neutral intermediary it was ready "to facilitate any future release that the parties agree to."

Talk of an imminent hostage deal has swirled for days. Reuters reported last week that Qatari mediators were seeking a deal for Hamas and Israel to exchange 50 hostages in return for a three-day ceasefire that would boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, citing an official briefed on the talks.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said on ABC's This Week on Sunday that he hoped for an agreement "in the coming days" while Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that the remaining sticking points were "very minor".

US President Joe Biden and other US officials said on Monday a deal was near, but an agreement has appeared close before.

"Sensitive negotiations like this can fall apart at the last minute," White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told NBC's Meet the Press program on Sunday. "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

Hamas' raid on Oct 7, the deadliest day in Israel's 75-year-old history, prompted Israel to invade the Palestinian territory to target Hamas.

Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run government says at least 13,300 Palestinians have been confirmed killed, including at least 5,600 children, by Israeli bombardment that has turned much of Gaza, especially its northern half, into wasteland.

Around two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been made homeless, with thousands a day still trekking south on foot with belongings and children in their arms. The central and southern parts of the enclave, where Israel has told them to go, have also regularly come under attack.

Hamas said on its Telegram account on Monday that it had launched a barrage of missiles towards Tel Aviv. Witnesses also reported rockets being fired at central Israel.

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2023-11-21 09:08:03Z
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Hamas chief says it is close to truce agreement with Israel - CNA

GAZA: The chief of Hamas told Reuters on Tuesday (Nov 21) that the Palestinian militant group was near a truce agreement with Israel, even as the deadly assault on Gaza continued and rockets were being fired into Israel.

Hamas officials are "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement sent to Reuters by his aide.

The statement gave no more details, but a Hamas official told Al Jazeera TV that negotiations were centered on how long the truce would last, arrangements for delivery of aid into Gaza, and the exchange of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Both sides would free women and children and details will be announced by Qatar, which is mediating in the negotiations, said the official, Issat el Reshiq.

Hamas took about 240 hostages during its Oct 7 rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), met Haniyeh in Qatar on Monday to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the conflict, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a statement. She also met separately with Qatari authorities.

The ICRC said it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing the hostages, but as a neutral intermediary it was ready "to facilitate any future release that the parties agree to."

Talk of an imminent hostage deal has swirled for days. Reuters reported last week that Qatari mediators were seeking a deal for Hamas and Israel to exchange 50 hostages in return for a three-day ceasefire that would boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, citing an official briefed on the talks.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said on ABC's This Week on Sunday that he hoped for an agreement "in the coming days" while Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that the remaining sticking points were "very minor".

US President Joe Biden and other US officials said on Monday a deal was near, but an agreement has appeared close before.

"Sensitive negotiations like this can fall apart at the last minute," White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told NBC's Meet the Press program on Sunday. "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

Hamas' raid on Oct 7, the deadliest day in Israel's 75-year-old history, prompted Israel to invade the Palestinian territory to target Hamas.

Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run government said at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,600 children and 3,550 women, by unrelenting Israeli bombardment.

Hamas said on its Telegram account on Monday that it had launched a barrage of missiles towards Tel Aviv. Witnesses also reported rockets being fired at central Israel.

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2023-11-21 03:48:00Z
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South Korean President Yoon kicks off three-day UK state visit - CNA

LONDON: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee begin a three-day trip to the UK on Tuesday (Nov 21), with King Charles III hosting his first state visitors since his coronation.

Yoon will receive the full red carpet treatment, attending a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and lunching with the king and his wife, Queen Camilla.

But it will also be about business, with Yoon and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set to agree on deepening cooperation and launch negotiations on an upgraded free-trade deal.

"Trade and investment is expected to be a key focus of the visit, with ... trade secretaries from both countries preparing to sign an agreement to launch the negotiations for an upgraded modern, world-leading Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Wednesday," said Downing Street.

The UK government is keen to strike new deals with countries around the world following its departure from the European Union, particularly with fast-growing economies in the Indo-Pacific region.

President Yoon will address parliament in a visit that his office says is a "sign that London considers Seoul a key partner in global cooperation and the Indo-Pacific region".

Yoon will deliver the speech, expected to be in English, on bilateral ties between the two countries and how to boost the relationship going forward, according to South Korean media.

DEFENCE TIES

Charles's eldest son and heir Prince William and wife Catherine will meet the visitors on Tuesday morning, joining them for an official welcoming ceremony at Horse Guards Parade in central London.

The couple will then get the full royal treatment, attending a grand state banquet at the nearby palace.

It is the first time the king has hosted a state visit since he was officially crowned in May.

Yoon told his cabinet last week that "the upcoming visit will serve as a springboard for further deepening economic cooperation between the two countries," according to local media.

That cooperation will centre on science and technology, with South Korea aiming to expand business opportunities and high-tech industry supply chains, he added.

Major business figures including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor chief Chung Eui-sun will join Yoon on the visit.

"As two nations focused on innovation, harnessing new technologies and defending the international rules-based order, the UK and Republic of Korea are natural partners," Sunak said ahead of the visit.

The UK last year launched consultation for an enhanced free trade agreement, to upgrade the existing accord which replicates the EU's agreement with South Korea.

UK ministers are eyeing an expansion of exports in digital, business and financial services.

Total trade in goods and services between the UK and South Korea was £16.1 billion (US$20.1 billion) in the year to the end of second quarter this year.

Defence cooperation will also be on the agenda, with both countries pledging to step up joint training and operations "to create the most comprehensive exercise regime between the UK and any partner other than the US", said Downing Street.

Science ministers from both countries are also expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on space cooperation, it added.

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2023-11-21 01:49:00Z
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Premature babies from Al Shifa evacuated to Egypt as Israeli tanks encircle Indonesian Hospital in Gaza - CNA

12 DEAD IN INDONESIAN HOSPITAL RINGED BY ISRAELI TANKS

At the Indonesian Hospital, funded by Jakarta, Gaza's health ministry said at least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by firing into the complex encircled by Israeli tanks.

200 patients were evacuated from the hospital in Jabaliya with the help of the Red Cross and taken by bus to Nasser hospital in the southern town of Khan Yunis.

"The Israeli army is laying siege to the Indonesian Hospital," Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP.

"We fear the same thing will happen there as it did in Al-Shifa," he added.

The evacuation of the 140-bed hospital, which is close to the Jabaliya refugee camp, was carried out in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), he said, in a condition laid down by doctors after Israel struck an ambulance in northern Gaza, claiming it was being used by Hamas militants.

"There are still 400 patients in the hospital and we are working with the ICRC to evacuate," he said, indicating that "around 2,000 displaced persons" were in and around the hospital.

Health officials said 700 patients along with staff were under Israeli fire.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said the facility in the northeast Gaza town of Beit Lahia had been hit by artillery rounds. Hospital staff denied there were any armed militants on the premises.

WHO chief Tedros said he was "appalled" by the attack that he too said had killed 12 people, including patients, citing unspecified reports.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said troops had fired back at fighters in the hospital while taking "numerous measures to minimise harm" to non-combatants.

"Overnight, terrorists opened fire from within the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza toward IDF troops operating outside the hospital," the IDF told Reuters. "In response, IDF troops directly targeted the specific source of enemy fire. No shells were fired toward the hospital."

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking to reporters during a trip to Ukraine, reaffirmed the position of the United States, Israel's strongest ally, on the need to get humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians.

"We have said every step of the way that our expectation is Israelis conduct their operations in accordance with the law of armed conflict," Austin said. "They must do everything, or should do everything, that they can to get humanitarian assistance in to the people in Gaza."

The UN said that 69,000L of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt on Sunday after Israel confirmed it would start allowing the daily delivery of about 70,000L, "which is well below the minimum requirements for essential humanitarian operations".

Like all other health facilities in the northern half of Gaza, the Indonesian Hospital has largely ceased operations but is still sheltering patients, staff and displaced residents.

Israel has ordered the evacuation of the north, but thousands of civilians remain. Food, fuel, medicines and water have been running out across the enclave under Israel's six-week-old siege.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said its clinic in Gaza City also came under fire on Monday.

In the south, where hundreds of thousands of Gazans who fled the north of the enclave are sheltering, at least 14 Palestinians were killed in two Israeli strikes on houses in Rafah, according to Gaza health authorities.

At least five people were killed and 10 wounded when an Israeli air strike hit an apartment unit in Khan Younis, at the southern end of the strip, according to medical sources at Gaza's Nasser Hospital. There was no immediate Israeli comment.

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2023-11-20 18:27:00Z
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Anti-junta forces pause offensive to let aid workers leave Myanmar's Kayah State - CNA

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press briefing in Beijing that China was helping other countries get their people out.

"Recently, some countries have asked China for assistance. From a humanitarian point of view, we have provided convenience for their citizens in northern Myanmar to evacuate through China," Mao said.

"END WAR"

China, which has extensive economic interests in Myanmar, also urged "the relevant parties to put the interests of the people first, cease fire and end war as soon as possible, resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and avoid escalation", Mao said.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted a government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in the 2021 coup, ending a decade of tentative democratic reform and triggering widespread protests.

In various parts of the country, democracy activists have taken up arms alongside ethnic minority insurgents who have been battling for self-determination for decades.

One of the group that launched the latest offensive, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), reported heavy clashes in Shan State on the weekend and said some of its fighters had been affected when junta forces used "gas bombs containing an internationally banned chemical weapon".

It said its fighters had been given medical treatment but provided no evidence to back up its accusation.

A junta spokesperson confirmed the fighting with the TNLA and dismissed their accusation of poisonous gas.

"They attacked and the military responded. TNLA experienced many losses and as usual, they started the regular accusations of us using toxic gas etc," said the spokesperson, Zaw Min Tun.

The junta has acknowledged it is facing "heavy assaults" from the insurgent groups and ordered all government staff and those with military experience in the capital to prepare to serve in case of emergency.

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2023-11-20 11:23:00Z
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