Gaza update

On November 9, Israeli police arrested Jerusalem history and civics teacher Meir Baruchin after he posted a message on Facebook about his opposition to the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians. Police seized his phone and two laptops before interrogating him on suspicion of committing an act of treason and intending to disrupt public order. After being in jail for four days, Baruchin was freed but lost his job as a teacher and is still facing charges. “These days Israeli citizens who are showing the slightest sentiment for the people of Gaza, opposing killing of innocent civilians, they are being politically persecuted, they go through public shaming, they lose their jobs, they are being put in jail,” says Baruchin, who says if he had been Palestinian, he would have faced more violence.

Guardian - At a press conference in Doha, a Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson has said the ceasefire will begin Friday at 7am (5am GMT) and that the first hostage release, of 13 hostages, will be at 4pm Friday (2pm GMT).The spokesperson said they expect aid to start moving into Gaza through the Rafah crossing as soon as the ceasefire starts.

Water is one of the most precious resources in Israel and the Palestinian territories. But there is a stark imbalance in how this resource is distributed. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli-owned farms are flourishing, while Palestinians often do not have enough water to drink. And in Gaza, Palestinians are facing deadly levels of water shortage. 

A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross has told Al Jazeera that its staff were fired upon while trying to deliver humanitarian support in northern Gaza.

Gaza’s health ministry, which is run by the Hamas-led government, has resumed its detailed count of casualties from the Israel-Hamas war in the territory. The director of the health ministry, Medhat Abbas, confirmed the resumption, said it has documented more than 13,000 deaths, and that another 6,000 people have been reported missing and are feared buried under the rubble. Israel’s assault on Gaza followed the Hamas attack on 7 October which killed at least 1,200 Israelis. It has not been possible for journalists to independently verify casualty figures during the conflict.

Under the agreement, Hamas will free at least 50 of the more than 240 mostly Israeli hostages they took on 7 October. In turn, Israel will release at least 150 Palestinian prisoners and allow up to 300 trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza after more than six weeks of bombardment, heavy fighting and a crippling blockade of fuel, food, medicine and other essentials.

The Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson has described the Israel-Hamas deal as “a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.” He has said that the criteria to prioritise hostages was humanitarian with a focus on women and children. He said he hoped there would be momentum generated by the deal to help everybody get out and “lessen the hardship of the people in Gaza through the humanitarian pause that is taking place.”