Summary
The time in Gaza City is 7.30pm. Here is a round-up of the day’s news so far:
Israelis have gathered across the country to mark the second anniversary of the Hamas-led 7 October attack, in which about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage during an unprecedented assault on southern Israel. Unofficial commemorations are being held in the small kibbutzim of southern Israel whose members were killed or kidnapped, and a large rally will be held in Tel Aviv to call for the release of the remaining hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Tuesday about progress toward a Gaza deal and said a US team just left to take part in the negotiations. Talking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said “I think there’s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East” beyond just Gaza.
A US delegation led by presidential envoy Steve Witkoff will join talks aimed at a truce in Gaza and hostage and prisoner exchange on Wednesday, Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdelatty has said. In a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, Abdelatty said they “had a long conversation with Steve Witkoff, who is expected in Egypt in the coming hours”.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a globally recognised organisation that classifies the severity of food insecurity and malnutrition, declared in August that an “entirely man-made” famine was taking place in Gaza City and its surrounding area. “If a ceasefire is not implemented to allow humanitarian aid to reach everyone in the Gaza Strip, and if essential food supplies and basic health, nutrition and [sanitation and water] services are not restored immediately, avoidable deaths will increase exponentially,” the IPC report said.
Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum has said that the Palestinian militant group’s delegation now in talks in Egypt on Donald Trump’s plan is seeking to overcome all obstacles to achieving a deal to end the war. “The (Hamas) movement’s delegation participating in the current negotiations in Egypt is working to overcome all obstacles to reaching an agreement that meets the aspirations of our people in Gaza,” Barhoum said in a televised statement.
Israel has repeatedly denied permission to transfer incubators from an evacuated hospital in North Gaza, a UN children’s agency official said on Tuesday, adding to strain on overcrowded hospitals further south where newborn babies are now sharing oxygen masks. Two years of war between Israel and Hamas has increased stress and malnourishment among pregnant mothers, leading to a rise in premature and underweight babies who the World Health Organization says now account for a fifth of all Gaza newborns.
Japan’s foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya warned Israel that any action to destroy the foundation of a two-state solution will lead Tokyo to consider sanctions against Israel or the recognition of Palestinian statehood. Marking the anniversary of the 7 October attacks, Iwaya said it is essential to stop Israel’s one-sided actions, achieve a sustainable ceasefire and an immediate release of all hostages and support humanitarian relief to Gaza.
Pope Leo’s debut overseas trip will be to Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to make appeals for peace across the Middle East, the Vatican has announced. Leo, who was elected pontiff in May after the death of Pope Francis, will visit Turkey between 27 and 30 November and Lebanon from 30 November until 2 December.
Italy will submit a proposal for a worldwide ceasefire to the United Nations ahead of next year’s Milano-Cortina winter Olympics, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday. As a concept, a global truce during the Olympics dates to the ancient games in Greece where warring factions agreed to put down their arms for the duration of the event, so that athletes could safely travel to and from ancient Olympia.
Trump says he is optimistic about a Gaza deal
President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Tuesday about progress toward a Gaza deal and said a US team just left to take part in the negotiations.
Talking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said “I think there’s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East” beyond just Gaza.
