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[Live] Israel-Hamas War: Official Beginning of Truce in Gaza Strip
The truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip officially begins on Friday morning, November 24, followed by the release of 13 hostages, the first signs of respite after weeks of war in the Gaza Strip in its death throes.
At Ras Al-Naqoura school in Khan Youniss, southern Gaza Strip, on November 22, 2023. AFP - SAID KHATIB
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Key takeaways:
■ The truce in the Gaza Strip begins this Friday, 24 November, from 5:00 GMT, 7:14 local time. The release of Israeli hostages, provided for in the temporary truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, will take place in the afternoon from 00:13 GMT. A first group of 50 civilians will leave Palestinian territory. The deal provides for the release of <> hostages – women and children – from Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a four-day truce in the Gaza Strip.
■ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel's determination to continue the war.
■ The death toll from Israeli shelling of the Gaza Strip has risen to 14,854 since the war began on October 7, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, according to the health ministry of Hamas, which rules the Palestinian enclave. Since then, more than 1,200 Israelis have been killed. The Israeli army reports that 239 people are being held hostage by the Palestinian Islamist movement.
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5:00 a.m.: Truce officially begins in Gaza Strip after night of fighting
The establishment of the truce and the start of the release of Palestinian hostages and detainees at 16 p.m. local time are the two highlights of this long-awaited day, reports our correspondent in Jerusalem, Michel Paul. Israel warns that any violation of the agreement will provoke a strong reaction. Over the past few hours, there has been intense aerial bombardment, artillery shelling and fighting, particularly in the refugee camps in Jabalya and Nusseirat. In the southern Gaza Strip, Israel claims to have eliminated Amar Abu Jalalah, a Palestinian described as a "senior Hamas naval force official" by the Israeli military. And there have also been rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli communities on the outskirts of the Palestinian enclave. Four days of ceasefire begins, with the possibility of extension. Israel says it is preparing for the continuation of its ground operation, this time in the southern Gaza Strip.
4:50 a.m.: Special flight brings back 103 Russians evacuated from Gaza
A special plane has brought 103 Russian nationals evacuated from Gaza back to Moscow, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced early Friday. In a Telegram post, the ministry said the group had returned home on a chartered Ilyushin-76 plane. 101 Russian nationals were taken from Gaza to Egypt in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of Russians evacuated to more than 750. More than 650 of them, including more than 300 children, were flown to Russia. On Wednesday, the Kremlin hailed the Gaza ceasefire agreement as the "first good news in a long time" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said that humanitarian pauses were the only way to strengthen efforts for a lasting settlement.
4:45 a.m.: Huge pro-Palestinian demonstration in Cuba in the presence of the head of state
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Thursday led a massive protest in Havana in support of the Palestinians, in which the United States was also criticized for its support of Israel. Flanked by his wife Lis Cuesta and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, the Cuban president led the demonstration, which was called by the Communist Youth and took place on the Malecon, Havana's coastal avenue where the U.S. embassy is located. For nearly an hour, protesters waved Palestinian flags and placards reading "Free Palestine" and "No to genocide. Long live Palestine." More than 100,000 Havanese took part in the rally, according to a tally by the Interior Ministry published on X. Students, high school students, as well as employees of state-owned enterprises were called to participate in the march organized on the day of the visit to the capital of the European Union's special representative for human rights, Eamon Gilmore. This is the largest demonstration held in Cuba since the beginning of the war.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, center, and his wife Lis Cuesta, during a pro-Palestinian protest in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. AP - Ramon Espinosa
► A look back at the day of November 23 by clicking here
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