(Bloomberg) — Israel released video it says proves its assertion of a Hamas tunnel beneath Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital, which the military raided last week amid broad international criticism. The footage shows an opening to a fortified tunnel that the military said is 10 meters (33 feet) deep and 55 meters long leading to a blast-proof door.
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A deal for Hamas to release hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel may be the closest yet and would require a multiday pause in the fighting, US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said.
Israel’s government said on Sunday that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen hijacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea, endangering a key global shipping route. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 13,000, Hamas said.
For more stories on the Israel-Hamas war, click here.
(All times are Israeli time)
Hamas Chief Returns to Hostage Talks, Axios Reports (9:42 p.m.)
Hamas’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, has re-engaged in talks on a hostage release, Axios reported. He’s agreed in principle to increase the number of women and children to be freed to more than 50, Axios said, citing three unnamed sources. Sinwar wants in return the release of all Palestinian woman and children in Israeli prisons and a six-hour daily halt in Israeli aerial surveillance of Gaza during a pause in fighting.
Axios quoted two of the sources as saying that Qatari mediators have narrowed the differences but not enough for a deal.
Israel Says Hostage Was Killed in Shifa Hospital Complex (9:10 p.m.)
An Israeli hostage, whose body was recovered a few days ago in Gaza, was taken alive by Hamas to Shifa Hospital and killed there, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing. Hagari also presented camera footage that showed that two non-Israeli hostages, a Nepali and a Thai, were taken to Shifa Hospital by gunmen on Oct. 7. An additional photograph showed that an Israeli military vehicle that was stolen during the attack was taken to Shifa Hospital.
“These findings add to previous evidence presented regarding Hamas’ use of the hospital area as infrastructure for its terrorist activities in a systematic and ongoing manner,” the IDF said.
Palestinian Death Toll Rises Above 13,000, Hamas Says (8:30 p.m.)
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 13,000, the Hamas-run government media office said.
More than 5,500 children are among the dead and more than 6,000 people are reported missing or trapped under rubble. Injuries exceed 30,000.
Israel Says It Arrested Over 100 Hamas Operatives in Gaza (8:02 p.m.)
Israeli troops have arrested more than 100 Hamas operatives in Gaza and transferred them to Israel for questioning, the military said. Three took part in the Oct. 7 massacre. The Hamas militants disclosed the locations of underground tunnels, storage compounds and weaponry, as well as operating methods used by the organization.
Israel Says Iran-Backed Rebels Seize Cargo Ship (7:57 p.m.)
Israel’s government said on Sunday that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen hijacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea, endangering a key global shipping route.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office condemned the seizure of what it said was a vessel owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese firm, without naming either of those.
The vessel, named Galaxy Leader, is owned by Israeli businessman Rami Ungar, according to a person familiar with the matter. It is registered in the UK.
Israeli Army Says It Uncovered Fortified Tunnel Under Al-Shifa Hospital (7 p.m.)
Israel said it has exposed a 10-meter deep, 55-meter-long fortified tunnel underneath the Shifa hospital complex.
The Israel Defense Forces released a video showing a deep staircase leading to the entrance to the tunnel shaft. The tunnel leads to a blast-proof door with a firing hole. This type of door is used by Hamas to block Israeli forces from entering the command centers and the underground assets belonging to Hamas, the military said. Forces are continuing to uncover the route of the tunnel, it said.
The tunnel shaft was uncovered in the area of the hospital under a shed alongside a vehicle containing numerous weapons including RPGs, explosives and Kalashnikov rifles, the IDF said.
Hostage Deal is Closer, Biden Aide Says (4 p.m.)
An agreement for Hamas to release hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel may be the closest yet and would require a multiday pause in the fighting in Gaza, US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said.
Read more: Deal to Free Hamas Hostages Has Gotten Closer, Biden Aide Says
UNRWA Estimates Gaza Needs 160,000 Liters of Fuel Daily (2 p.m.)
Gaza needs 160,000 liters (42,000 gallons) of fuel daily to maintain “a reasonable level of humanitarian services,” said Adnan Abu Hassna, United Nations Relief and Works Agency spokesman.
The fuel is needed for water desalination, sewage treatment plants, wells and hospitals, as well as hundreds of vehicles for UNRWA’s operations. Israel said it would allow entry of nearly 70,000 liters of fuel per day, according to OCHA.
Hundreds of Gaza Cancer Patients Will Head to Turkey (1:35 p.m.)
Some 351 cancer patients in Gaza will travel to Turkey to resume treatment, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
The patients had been receiving treatment at the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only oncology hospital in Gaza, which was shut down shortly after the start of Israel’s ground assault.
Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said it evacuated 31 premature babies from Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza in coordination with the World Health Organization and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. They’ll be transferred to a UAE-run hospital in the Egyptian border city of Rafah.
Iran’s Khamenei Repeats Call to Isolate Israel (12:35 p.m.)
Iran’s Supreme Leader urged Muslim countries to cut off diplomatic ties with Israel “at least for a limited time.”
“Some Muslim states have ostensibly condemned Israel in conventions and some haven’t, but this is unacceptable,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sunday, according to his Telegram account. “The principal task is to cut off Israel’s lifelines, and Muslim governments must stop the supply of energy and goods to this regime.”
Qatar Sees ‘Good Progress’ in Reaching a Hostage Deal (11:36 a.m.)
Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said there’s been “good progress” in the past few days on reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release hostages.
Al Thani, who’s also the foreign minister, said he’s “more confident” about sealing a deal, with the remaining challenges “practical and logistical.” He spoke at a joint press conference with European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.
Israel Says It Raids Residences of Senior Hamas Officials in Gaza (11 a.m.)
Israeli paratroopers and other forces operated in the Sheikh Ijlin and Rimal areas of northern Gaza “in order to identify and destroy Hamas infrastructure and assets,” the defense force said in an operational update.
“The soldiers located approximately 35 tunnel shafts as well as a large number of weapons and eliminated terrorists,” according to the update. “Embedded in the Rimal area are the residences of senior Hamas officials.”
The troops also located a military base belonging to Hamas’s military intelligence unit, as well as ammunition depots and seven rocket launchers. Israel’s claims can’t be independently verified.
Israeli Forces Engage Enemies in North and South (9 a.m.)
Israel’s air, sea and land forces fought enemies on two fronts early Sunday, destroying infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon and that of Hamas in Gaza, the military said.
Air-raid sirens blared in Israel’s southern and northern towns, while mortar shell launches from Lebanon fell in open areas. Hezbollah said it attacked two Israeli sites, the Iran-backed militant group’s Al Manar TV reported.
About 2,500 People Vacated Al Shifa Hospital, OCHA Says (3:11 a.m.)
Some 2,500 internally displaced persons, along with patients and staff, vacated Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital on Nov. 18, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. That followed orders from Israel’s military, which continued its operations within the compound for a fourth consecutive day, OCHA said.
About 123,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt on Nov. 18, according to the UN agency. Israel said it would allow entry of nearly 70,000 liters of fuel per day, which “is well below the minimum requirements for essential humanitarian operations,” according to OCHA.
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