Truce extended by two days, Qatar says

The negotiations that have led to a temporary pause in hostilities must continue until they result in a full cease-fire, the office of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said today.

Guterres' spokesperson said in a statement that the humanitarian "catastrophe" in Gaza is worsening by the day, as even recently increased aid has barely touched the needs of 1.7 million displaced Palestinians.

The secretary-general "urges all States to use their influence to end this tragic conflict and support irreversible steps towards the only sustainable future for the region: a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side, in peace and security," the statement said.

The statement also reiterated the call to release all hostages "immediately and unconditionally."

Palestinians celebrated in the streets of the West Bank tonight amid another release of prisoners by Israel under the cease-fire agreement with the militant group Hamas.

But the jubilation may be masking underlying anger over Israel's administrative incarceration of Palestinians based on allegations that are sometimes never tested by due process.

Abdulqader Khatib is the father of 17-year-old Iyas, who was released tonight after having been held since February without formal charges. "I don't know why my son was in jail," said Khatib, a U.N. worker.

The Israeli government has approved the potential release of 50 additional Palestinians in detention, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

The decision was made in light of the extension of the temporary truce agreement with Hamas, in which the group agreed to release an additional 20 Israeli hostages. All 50 of the Palestinians were described as "female" prisoners; there was no information about their ages.

All of the Palestinians released from Israeli detention over the last few days have been women or children.

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote that he was "extremely happy" over the news that three French citizens, all under age 18, we among the hostages released today.

They are Eitan Yahalomi, 12, and siblings Sahar Kalderon, 16, and Erez Kalderon, 12. In a statement, France's foreign ministry also thanked representatives from Egypt, Qatar and the International Committee of the Red Cross for their roles in the hostages' release.

"The release of French hostages in the Gaza Strip is a top priority, and we are working tirelessly to achieve this goal," the ministry said. "Five of our compatriots are still missing at this time. They can count on France."

BARCELONA, Spain— Arab states and the European Union agreed at a meeting in Spain today that a two-state solution was the answer to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell saying the Palestinian Authority should rule Gaza.

Borrell said all EU members attending the meeting of Mediterranean nations in Barcelona and almost all attendees had agreed on the need for a two-state solution.

The Palestinian Authority must hold elections as soon as possible to gain further legitimacy and improve its functioning as the only “viable solution” to the future leadership of Gaza, currently run by Hamas Islamists, he said.

“I believe is the only viable solution, but it will be viable if the international community backs it," Borrell said at a news conference. "Otherwise, we will see a power vacuum that will be fertile ground for all sorts of violent organizations."

A Red Cross bus carrying Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah early Tuesday.

Israel’s prison service said it was releasing 33 Palestinian prisoners in the fourth such release as part of the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

The prisoners were greeted by cheering crowds who surrounded the bus as it made its way through the streets of the West Bank city.

So far, 150 Palestinians have been released from Israeli prisons.

After he travels to Brussels for the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit Israel, the West Bank and Dubai this week, a senior administration official said.

In his meetings in the Middle East, Blinken is expected to stress the need to sustain the increased flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, secure the release of all hostages and improve protections for civilians in Gaza, the official said.

He will also discuss the principles he laid out in Tokyo for the future of Gaza and the need to establish an independent Palestinian state, according to the official.

At a news conference Nov. 8 in Tokyo, Blinken said a future Gaza “must include Palestinian-led governance," as well as a unified governance between Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority. He also said there must be "a pathway to Israelis and Palestinians living side by side and states of their own, with equal measures of security, freedom, opportunity and dignity.”

Moran Alony feels like he and his family "finally are able to exhale."

Hamas today released Alony's sister, Sharon Cunio, and her twin 3-year-old daughters, Emma and Julie. The militants last week freed Alony's sister, Danielle, and her 5-year-old daughter, Emilia.

Alony is overjoyed to be reunited with his family in Israel, but he is still desperate for more information about the status of his brother-in-law David (Sharon's husband) and David's brother Ariel.

"We will keep fighting in order to bring them home cause our family is not complete without them," Alony said in a WhatsApp message. "Them, and the rest of the hostages."

Eleven more hostages have been released by Hamas and are currently on their way to Israeli territory, according to the Red Cross.

The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum has released the names and ages of the 11 hostages released by Hamas today. They are:

• Sharon Aloni Cunio, 34
• Emma Aloni Cunio, 3
• Julie Aloni Cunio, 3
• Or Yaakov, 16
• Yagil Yaakov, 12
• Sahar Kalderon, 16
• Erez Kalderon, 12
• Karina Engel-Bart, 52
• Mika Engel, 18
• Yuval Engel, 11
• Eitan Yahalomi, 12

The IDF said the 11 hostages released by Hamas today are now with IDF forces and in Israel's territory.

"After they undergo an initial medical assessment of their health, our forces will accompany them until they are reunited with their families," the IDF said in a statement.

A spokesperson from kibbutz Nir Oz confirmed that all 11 hostages were from their community, which was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7. The spokesperson noted that 49 community members remain in captivity in Gaza.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a post on X that its team is moving 40 trucks of aid into Gaza City and northern areas of the strip.

Earlier today, the organization said it had delivered 150 trucks of aid into the northern part of the strip since the beginning of the temporary truce agreement on Friday. Distribution of aid into that area proved difficult as it was the hardest-hit area of Gaza as a result of Israel's siege on the strip.

Hamas delayed the release of Israeli hostages Saturday over its accusations that Israel violated terms of their agreement, including Hamas' belief that not enough of the promised aid made its way north.

President Joe Biden thanked his partners in Israel, Egypt and Qatar for helping negotiate an extension of the temporary truce deal and said that he has been "deeply engaged" in making sure the hostages are released as per the agreement.

He said in a statement today that U.S. efforts won't stop until all the hostages are released. He added that he's spoken with the family of 4-year-old American citizen Abigail Edan, who was released from captivity more than 50 days after her parents were killed in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.

Biden also said that the U.S. has "led the humanitarian response into Gaza," which was bolstered by the pause in hostilities.

"We are taking full advantage of the pause in fighting to increase the amount of humanitarian aid moving into Gaza, and we will continue our efforts to build a future of peace and dignity for the Palestinian people," he said.

The IDF said it has received information from the Red Cross that 11 newly released hostages are currently en route to Israel.

Authorities said earlier today that 11 hostages would be exchanged for 33 Palestinians in Israel detention, the majority of whom are children.

The released Israeli hostages include six Argentinian citizens, three French citizens and two German citizens, according to an X post from Majed Al Ansari, a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

The "Dexmuth," a French medical ship, arrived today at the Al-Arish seaport as France's president has previously promised, said Mohamed Salim Salam, a spokesperson for Egypt's North Sinai governorate.

A team of senior surgeons are on board the ship, which hosts 40 beds and two operating rooms, according to Salam. At least 15 of the beds are reserved for pediatric patients.

France's delegation met with the Egyptian health minister and the Palestinian health minister at the seaport, which is roughly 39 miles from the Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza.

According to the commission for Palestinian prisoners, 30 of the 33 Palestinians who are set for release from Israeli detention are children.

The commission released a list identifying the prisoners who will be released as part of the exchange today. Ages were not included as part of the list but it was separated between adults and minors, with only three adult women listed.

All of the prisoners released by Israel over the last few days as part of the temporary truce agreement have been women or children. In exchange, Hamas has also agreed to release women and children being held hostage in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attack.

At least 218 displaced people who were sheltering at the United Nations' schools in Gaza were killed, according to today's report from the U.N.'s Palestinian refugee agency.

In addition to the deaths, almost 900 people have been injured while trying to find safety at UNRWA schools. The U.N. has verified 99 "incidents" across more than 70 locations, but the report did not elaborate on what those incidents were.

A third group of wounded Palestinian children arrived in the United Arab Emirates today for treatment.

The 93 children were flown to the UAE as part of the country’s promise to aid thousands of cancer patients and injured children.

Officials expect 11 hostages will be released today in exchange for 33 Palestinian prisoners, according to Diaa Rashwan, Egypt's chairperson for state information.

Disagreements over the fourth release in as many days were overcome through Egyptian-Qatari mediation efforts, Rashwan said. Officials anticipate the exchange will take place in the coming hours but Rashwan did not offer additional details on the releases.

The current agreement between Hamas and Israel's government is that Hamas will release Israeli women and children — 50 from the original four-day framework and 20 more in the next two days — in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children in Israeli detention.

Other countries, such as Thailand and Russia, have also brokered individual agreements for the release of their own citizens being held hostage in Gaza.

An aid convoy of 200 trucks was sent today through the Rafah crossing into Egypt to be offloaded by United Nations personnel, according to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.

According to him, this is the largest convoy that has entered Gaza since the start of the war. More than 2,000 trucks of aid have gone into the strip since Oct. 21, after Israel permitted the delivery of food, water and medical supplies.

"Our team has prioritized getting this much needed relief into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians ... of course, most of them have nothing to do with Hamas," Kirby said.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. does not know whether the American hostages in Gaza are being held captive by Hamas or another group in the enclave.

He added that the U.S. does not have details on the status of all the American citizens who were kidnapped from Israel on Oct. 7.

"We think the number is less than 10, probably in the neighborhood of 8 to 9," Kirby said, referring to the captives. "But we don’t necessarily have firm information on each and every one of them."

Elon Musk has struck a deal with Israel that will formally limit use of potential Starlink satellite internet terminals in Gaza, the company's minister of communications, Shlomo Karhi, said today.

Palestinians in Gaza have experienced severe telecommunications blackouts since the war began, with the area's largest internet provider citing Israel's bombing campaigns and fuel and electricity embargoes as the reasons. All broadband internet and phone calls in Gaza are routed through Israeli infrastructure.

Thanks to its fast speeds and ease of use, Starlink, owned by Musk's company SpaceX, is widely regarded as some of the most effective satellite internet to deploy to conflict zones.

Musk had initially claimed back in October that Starlink “will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza.” But Khari, whose office approves internet licensing in Israel, said at the time that "Israel will use all means at its disposal" to stop that deployment.

Abigail Edan, who was released yesterday by Hamas, with her aunt and uncle at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Israel. Abigail’s parents were killed by Hamas militants in the same attack in which she was kidnapped.

A spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed today that efforts are underway toward extending the humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip for two additional days.

Majed Al-Ansari said the extended truce would allow for the delivery of more aid to Gaza, as well as the release of the largest possible number of hostages and prisoners, according to the state-run Qatar News Agency.

In a statement to Qatar's news agency, Al-Ansari said his nation hopes that the pause would lead to a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.

In a statement, Hamas also announced that it has agreed to extend the truce for two days.

Earlier today, a senior Arab official with "direct knowledge of negotiations" told NBC News that there would be a truce extension, though deals of the deal were still being finalized.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New York this week to preside over a United Nations Security Council meeting over the war in Gaza, Chinese state media said today.

"China, as the rotating President of the United Nations Security Council for this month, will hold a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council on the Palestinian-Israeli issue on November 29," spokesperson Wang Wenbin was quoted as saying on CCTV.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara will visit Israel this week to bring home the 17 released Thai hostages, the Foreign Ministry said today in a statement.

He will also visit the three Thai nationals who are injured and are in hospitals, the ministry said, adding that he will meet with representatives of the Red Cross and local embassy staff.

A senior Arab official with "direct knowledge of negotiations" confirms to NBC News that there will be a truce extension. Details of the deal are still being finalized and it could still collapse.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said today it worried about the fate of Awni Khattab, head of the Khan Younis Medical Center in Gaza, who was arrested by Israeli authorities along with the head of Al-ShifaHhospital and other medical staff.

"The Israeli Occupation Forces refuse to provide any information about the whereabouts or the fate of the detainees despite the repeated calls by the WHO and the UN," it said in a statement, demanding their immediate release.

Khattab was arrested by Israeli forces during the evacuation led by World Health Organization from Al-Shifa Hospital. "The members of the medical team were taken at the checkpoint which separates north and south Gaza on 22 of November, 2023," it said.

NBC News has reached out to the IDF for comment.

TEL AVIV — Nofooth Hammad's family sat anxiously at the east Jerusalem detention center last Friday after Israeli authorities told them her name was on the list of prisoners to be released under the truce agreement with Hamas.

But a 12-hour wait ended with them being told to leave, Nofooth's mother Amani Hammad told NBC News. They later found out that Nofooth, 16, had been beaten and was at the Hadassah Hospital, she said, but the hospital denied her presence.

She was arrested two years ago and jailed for 12 years. Now nobody knows where Nofooth is, her mother says.

NBC News has reached out to the Israeli police.

After being released from an Israeli jail, a Palestinian prisoner kisses his mother in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, late yesterday.

Negotiations around the list of hostages to be released under the truce agreement are still continuing, Netanyahu's office said today in a statement.

“The negotiations regarding the list of the next freed people as part of the release plan for the abductees continues," the office said.

"We are aware of the stress that families are under, and we will add information when it becomes possible," it added.

A total of 200 aid trucks are expected to enter Gaza today, the head of the Sinai Red Crescent, Khaled Ziad, told NBC News.

He added that 350 Palestinians who were stranded in Egypt are also returning to Gaza and 17 wounded and injured are being taken to Egypt.

Netanyahu said today that Israel has to "demilitarize" and "deradicalize" Gaza after it achieves a victory over Hamas, before it can begin rebuilding the strip.

"We have to rebuild Gaza," he said in a talk hosted with Elon Musk on X, hoping the Arab nations would help in the process.

He also said that Israel is preventing civilian causalities but some were "unavoidable."

Gaza health officials say more than 14,500 people have been killed after weeks of Israeli bombardment.

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers will reignite a debate over approving U.S. aid to Israel and Ukraine when Congress returns from Thanksgiving recess this week, with deep uncertainty underscoring the path forward amid divisions between the two parties.

Along with a defense policy bill and reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration by the end of the year, Congress must also grapple with a two-part deadline to fund the government that could creep up on it sooner than expected.

Under the official calendar, the House has just 12 legislative days left this year, during which top lawmakers believe they must break the logjam over foreign aid to maximize its chances of passage.

The goal is complicated by multiple factors. Republicans insist on enacting tougher U.S. border enforcement and stricter asylum laws in exchange for any Ukraine aid. And as the civilian death toll rises in the Middle East, there’s a new division among Democrats about whether or not to condition funding for Israel on its government taking active steps to stop the fighting.

“The blank check approach must end,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a leader in the progressive movement.

Read the full story.

Israeli forces have arrested at least 60 people in the occupied West Bank since yesterday evening, including former prisoners, the Commission for the Affairs of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners and the Palestinian Prisoners Club said this morning.

The arrests were mostly concentrated in the town of Hebron and Ramallah, it said, adding a total of more than 3,260 arrests that have been made since the Oct. 7. attacks by Hamas.

"During the arrest campaigns, the occupation forces continue to carry out widespread acts of abuse, severe beatings, field investigations, and threats against detainees and their families," the statement said.

NBC News has not verified the figures, and Israel has not released further information.

Tal Almog-Goldstein, a hostage released by Hamas, stands in a bus transporting him to an army base in Ofakim, southern Israel, late yesterday.

TEL AVIV  —  Tech billionaire Elon Musk today toured the Kibbutz Kfar Aza with Netanyahu, meeting with the Israel Defense Forces and some family members of those killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, Netanyahu's office said today in a statement.

The visit comes as Israel said it reached an agreement with Musk to bring his SpaceX company’s Starlink communications to the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported.

"Musk heard about the story of the family of the 4-year-old girl Abigail Mor Edan, whose parents were murdered and she was kidnapped to Gaza and released from Hamas captivity yesterday," it said.

Musk also visited a youth neighborhood, Netanyahu's office said, "which took the brunt of the fire in the October 7th atrocities."

A woman is helped as she disembarks from a plane upon landing in Abu Dhabi today, as part of a humanitarian mission organized by the United Arab Emirates to aid civilians fleeing Gaza.

The European Union’s top foreign policy official Josep Borrell is calling for an extension of the truce in the Gaza Strip. The truce is set to end today.

“The pause should be extended to make it sustainable and long lasting while working for a political solution,” Borrell said at the start of a meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean in Barcelona earlier today.

“A political solution that should allow us to break the cycle of violence once and for all,” he added.

There are more challenges today with both the Israeli government and Hamas questioning the lists of hostages and prisoners to be released, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks tells NBC News. There was a similar hurdle on day one and it was resolved, they said, adding that it’s a "slight issue" that all sides are working to resolve.

Bigger challenges lie ahead this week. Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who has been leading negotiations to secure the release of hostages, agree a cease-fire and enable the entry to Gaza of desperately needed humanitarian aid, says efforts to extend the pause are underway. There is a willingness by Israel to extended so long as Hamas can locate an additional 40 or so hostages including women and children, he tells NBC News.

But even an extension of the truce is not a solution to the crisis. The Israeli military is indicating it is ready to return to war. Hamas too will have been regrouping and preparing to fight.

Videos show the emotional moments when some of the people held hostage were reunited with their families.

In one video, released Israeli hostages were met by thousands of Israelis waving flags and recording their arrival near Hatzerem, Israel. In others, 9-year-old Emily Hand is seen running into her father’s arms and hugging her sister as her dogs excitedly welcome her home.

Mother and daughter Sharon and Noam Avigdori are also seen in a video embracing family members in an Israeli hospital, and in another video, Maya Regev, whose younger brother is still being held by Hamas, hugs her mother in an emotional reunion.

Biden is pushing for more Americans to be freed from Gaza and is encouraging an extension in the four-day cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Biden said he is “hopeful” that more Americans will be released in tomorrow’s exchange.

Only one day remains in the deal, and so far only one American has been released — 4-year-old Abigail Mor Edan.

The temporary four-day truce between Hamas and Israel is due to end today, but both sides have expressed their openness for an extension if an agreement is reached.

An extension could see more hostages released from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt in fighting. Israel has said it would extend the cease-fire by a day for every 10 additional hostages released.

Hamas also said yesterday it was hoping to extend the truce which came after weeks of intense negotiations mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt and began on Friday.

• American girl who turned 4 while held hostage is freed by Hamas
• Among released hostages, kids who love music and sisters described as joyful
• Suspect arrested in shooting of 3 U.S. college students of Palestinian descent
• National security adviser Jake Sullivan doesn’t rule out conditions on aid to Israel
• After the rush of release, hostages and their families can be torn by competing emotions
• Video: Hundreds call for cease-fire in Gaza during protest on Manhattan Bridge