Israel-Hamas truce in Gaza extended by 2 days, more hostages may be released on Nov 28 - The Straits Times

CAIRO/JERUSALEM - A four-day truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was extended by two days, mediator Qatar said on Nov 27.

It raised the prospect that Hamas would free more hostages beyond the 69 that have been released since the truce began on Nov 24.

Israel’s Army Radio reported the government has received a list of hostages expected to be released on Nov 28. The report cited the Israeli prime minister’s office.

The Axios news website reported the list contained 10 hostages.

There was no immediate comment from the prime minister’s office.

The truce is the first pause in a war that has lasted more than seven weeks so far.

The latest escalation of violence was sparked after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on Oct 7. Israel said 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 taken hostage.

In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and launched an aerial and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, which the armed group controls. Officials in the enclave say the Israeli operation has killed more than 15,000 people.

Each day since the four-day truce began, Hamas has released some of the hostages while Israel has freed some of Palestinians it holds in its prisons.

Israel previously said it would extend the truce by one day for every 10 more hostages released, providing some respite to Palestinians in the Mediterranean seaside strip from the war.

“An agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian pause for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip,” a Qatari foreign ministry spokesman said in a post on social media platform X. Hamas also said it had agreed a two-day extension.

There was no immediate comment from Israel, but a White House official confirmed agreement had been reached.

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2023-11-28 01:40:43Z
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Qatar: Israel and Hamas agree to extend truce for two more days - CNA

UN pushing for full humanitarian ceasefire

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is pushing for a full humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas instead of a temporary truce, as the "humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is getting worse by the day".

Egyptian, Qatari and US negotiators have been working on an extension to the original four-day truce in Gaza that expired on Monday, Egyptian security sources said, amid growing global pressure to roll over a deal which has paused seven weeks of fighting. 

"The dialogue that led to the agreement must continue, resulting in a full humanitarian ceasefire, for the benefit of the people of Gaza, Israel and the wider region," Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

"The United Nations will continue to support these efforts in every possible way," he said.

Guterres again called for the remaining hostages held by Hamas to be released immediately and unconditionally, Dujarric said. 

The United Nations has scaled up the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza over the past four days during the truce and sent aid to some northern areas of the coastal enclave that had been largely cut off for weeks, Dujarric said.

"But this aid barely registers against the huge needs of 1.7 million displaced people. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is getting worse by the day," he said.

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2023-11-27 17:31:59Z
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Could the four-day truce between Israel and Hamas be extended? - CNA

“From the beginning of the truce, the idea was that this would be a day-by-day process that it is about building trust on both sides, that this exchange of hostages and prisoners can work,” Dr Samaan told CNA938.

He noted, however, that the Israeli government is still indicating that it is ready to continue with military operations in Gaza.

“I assume that even if it is extended, that will be just for a few more days. We won't have at this stage, any scenarios such as to have a permanent ceasefire,” said Dr Samaan.

While there have been some disagreements over the selection of hostages to be released on both sides, they are just “minor details”, he said, adding that the arrangement has gone well overall.

There has not been a major breach of the terms of the ceasefire in the past few days, giving hope for a potential extension, said Dr Samaan.

HAMAS REGROUP 

Dr Anas Iqtait, lecturer of economics and political economy of the Middle East at the Australian National University, told CNA’s Asia First on Monday that the pause in fighting will give Hamas a chance to regroup.

The Gaza Strip has seen an extensive level of damage, and the truce would allow Hamas to reorganise itself.

“It's important to mention that the Gaza Strip’s governance system is run by Hamas, and this includes things such as healthcare, education – which has been suspended since the beginning of the war – and other municipal services and the like,” he noted.

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2023-11-27 09:14:03Z
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Beijing frets over Taiwan opposition split as parties go on the attack over China ties - CNA

Other Chinese Weibo accounts that follow Taiwan have been similarly despondent.

State-run Shenzhen Television wrote that the breakdown in talks signalled "a chaotic battle" to come in the election.

One Chinese Weibo user wrote simply: "I saw news that the talks broke down, and now I've lost hope."

The DPP has defied Chinese pressure. Beijing views DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te as a separatist and has rebuffed repeated offers of talks from both him and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

Speaking at a campaign rally on Sunday night in Taipei's sister city New Taipei, Lai said that if Taiwan accepts it is part of China - Beijing's bottom line for talks - it will lose sovereignty.

"With no sovereignty, you will have no ownership over your land, your homes," Lai said.

Hou Yu-ih, the candidate for Taiwan's largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), told his supporters that a vote for Lai was a vote for war and only he could bring peace. Lai and the DPP strongly dispute that point of view.

On Monday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office repeated its attacks on Lai and running mate Hsiao Bi-khim, formerly Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the United States.

Lai and Hsiao "distorted facts and downplayed the harmfulness and danger of 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities to deceive voters in the 2024 leadership election in Taiwan", it said.

Opinion polls since the opposition talks collapsed have given a mixed picture.

The Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation said that just more than half of respondents to the question of who they regarded as having the "best prospects" of winning answered Lai.

Television station ETtoday put Lai at about 35 per cent, with Hou nipping at his heels with 33 per cent and former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je from the small Taiwan People's Party at 21 per cent.

A split opposition gives Lai an increased chance of victory in Taiwan's first-past-the-post system. In 2020's election, the DPP won in a landslide, taking 56 per cent of the vote, but only had to face one main opponent, the KMT's Han Kuo-yu.

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2023-11-27 08:34:00Z
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Malaysia to allow visa-free entry for China, India citizens: PM Anwar - The Straits Times

PUTRAJAYA - Malaysia will allow citizens of China and India 30-day visa-free entry to the country from Dec 1, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said, as part of efforts to boost tourism and the economy.

He made the announcement on Nov 26, during his closing speech on the final day of Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) congress to mark his unity government’s first year in power.

“To celebrate our 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China next year, starting Dec 1, we will allow China citizens 30-day visa exemption,” he said, adding that travellers from India will also enjoy the same facility.

The move comes after China announced on Nov 24 that it will allow visa-free entry for Malaysians and citizens of five European countries for 15 days.

The highest number of tourists into Malaysia are from Singapore and Indonesia, but outside of Asean, China tourists make up the largest group of visitors.

“The potential is huge,” said Datuk Seri Anwar, adding that transportation and facilities at airports would be enhanced.

In September, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing had said that Malaysia was set to implement visa exemptions for Chinese tourists, a move aimed at attracting and increasing the number of China citizens visiting Malaysia. A similar move was also in the works for tourists from India at the time.

Defending his frequent travels abroad during his first year as premier, Mr Anwar in his speech stressed the importance of Malaysia’s foreign relations in boosting business at home, citing investment plans with Singapore and Thailand.

He said Malaysia’s relationship with Singapore had improved.

“Sentiments and old prejudices must be buried,” he said, adding that he has told Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong several times that Malaysia’s unity government had a “positive” stance on the relationship, and that both countries would boost cooperation further in the proposed economic zone in Johor.

Mr Anwar added he would meet his Thai counterpart, Mr Srettha Thavisin, on Nov 27 in Sadao, Songkhla province, for bilateral talks on the development of the border area between Malaysia and Thailand.

They are slated to discuss how to ease travel between both countries, and the construction of key connectivity projects at the border to bolster economic development in Thailand’s deep south.

Approximately 2.7 million Malaysians visited Thailand in 2022, the largest group of tourists to the country. More than a third of these entered through the Sadao checkpoint.

As at Nov 19, Malaysian tourists topped the list of visitors to Thailand, with a total of 3.9 million visitors.

Mr Anwar’s announcement comes on the back of a recent survey released by independent pollster Merdeka Center on Nov 22, which found that his approval rating had slipped to 50 per cent from 68 per cent in December 2022, driven chiefly by voter concerns about the economy.

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2023-11-26 14:27:17Z
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Thai Paralympian kills 5 at his wedding party, including himself and his bride - The Straits Times

A Thai wedding party on Nov 25 took a tragic turn when the groom shot dead four people, including his bride, before turning the gun on himself.

The incident occurred at a village in Wang Nam Khieo district, in the north-eastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima.

The man was identified as Mr Chaturong Suksuk, the Bangkok Post reported. He had represented Thailand in swimming and shooting at the Paralympic Games.

Mr Chaturong, 29, married Ms Kanchana Pachunthuek on the morning of Nov 25.

They had lived together as a couple for three years before they decided to tie the knot.

A wedding party was then held at night, during which guests and family members said Mr Chaturong did not appear as happy as was expected.

He left the party at some point and returned with a 9mm pistol. He fired shots that killed Ms Kanchana, her mother and her younger sister.

Stray bullets hit two guests, who were rushed to the district hospital. One of them died.

Police are investigating the motive for the killings.

A preliminary probe found that the couple had an argument during the party, The Nation reported. Witnesses said the argument was triggered by the groom’s insecurities, as he feared his wife would leave him for another man because of his disability.

Mr Chaturong, a former paramilitary ranger, lost his right leg in an accident while on duty.

He had won a silver medal in the 11th Asean Para Games in Indonesia in 2022, Khaosod newspaper said.

The incident on Nov 25 came just days after a report that Thai Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had signed an order to halt the issue of gun licences for a year.

The order followed a recent spate of shootings in the Thai capital and was aimed at curbing gun violence in the country.

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2023-11-26 13:34:47Z
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Hamas fighters to free more hostages as families reunite - CNA

CEASEFIRE EXTENSION?

Egypt has said that it received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners.

"It's only a start, but so far it's gone well," US President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday, adding "the chances are real" for extending the truce.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for "a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression".

But Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said Saturday that the war to eliminate Hamas would continue.

"We will return immediately at the end of the ceasefire to attack Gaza," Halevi said.

"We will also do this in order to dismantle Hamas, also to create a great deal of pressure to return as quickly as possible and as many abductees as possible, every last one of them."

The latest hostage handover was delayed when Hamas said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and not allowing aid to reach civilians in Gaza.

Hamas later said it relented when Egyptian and Qatari mediators relayed a promise by Israel to uphold the accord.

Israeli officials denied any breach of the ceasefire's terms, describing Hamas' actions as "psychological warfare".

WEST BANK CELEBRATIONS

Despite the row, Sunday's release would be the third since the four-day truce entered into force on Friday.

Hamas has released 26 Israeli hostages in exchange for 78 Palestinian prisoners in the two releases already completed.

The militants have also freed a total of 14 Thais and one Filipino. Iran's foreign ministry said it had joined with key mediator Qatar to help negotiate the release of the Thai nationals.

Israeli hostages who were let go in the initial swap on Friday have since reunited with their families in touching scenes.

Nine-year-old boy Ohad rounded the corner of a corridor in a hospital near Tel Aviv, breaking into a run when he caught sight of his father and hurling himself into his arms, video images showed.

The boy, his mother and grandmother were among those released in the first exchange Friday.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, fireworks exploded and crowds filled the streets to welcome the first release of Palestinian prisoners on Friday.

"I was just waiting for the day I would be released from prison so I could hug my mother like this," said Rawan Abu Matar, who served eight years for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.

Hamas is expected to free a total of 50 hostages during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, under an agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

AID TRUCKS ENTER GAZA

The pause in fighting has also allowed more aid to reach Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under near-total siege.

A total of 61 trucks delivered food, water and humanitarian aid via a "humanitarian passageway" to northern Gaza on Saturday, the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs said.

Another 187 trucks of vital supplies had been sent separately to aid organisations operating in the Gaza Strip, it said.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.4 million people have been displaced by the fighting.

Thousands have been returning since the truce to what is left of their homes.

"We are civilians," said Mahmud Masood, standing in front of flattened buildings in Jabalia, northern Gaza. "Why have they destroyed our houses?"

Palestinian health authorities say Israeli troops killed six Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Saturday.

The included four people killed by Israeli army fire in Jenin during an incursion by a large number of armoured vehicles, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

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2023-11-26 09:40:00Z
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