Israeli Cabinet Approves Ceasefire, Hamas To Release 50 Hostages (Image:X/UNRWA)
The Israeli cabinet reportedly approved four-day ceasefire agreement with the Hamas militant group and is expected to bring a temporary pause to the continuing annihilations on the Gaza Strip. The deal was made in exchange of at least fifty hostages, who were kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack. As part of the agreement, Israel will also free around 150 Palestinian prisoners and facilitate additional humanitarian aid into the Strip, says some media reports, but the Israeli statement made no mention of either of these accords.
Meanwhile the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the regime will continue the war until all the hostages “come home”. He called to destroy Hamas completely to ensure that there would remain no element in Gaza to threaten Israel anymore. “We are at war – and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals”, the PM said on Wednesday. He along with the War Cabinet met the families of the abductees on Tuesday. “Restoring our abductees is a sacred and supreme task – and I am committed to it”, Mr Netanyahu took to X (formerly Twitter) after the meeting.
אנחנו במלחמה – ונמשיך במלחמה עד שנשיג את כל היעדים שלנו:
לחסל את החמאס, להשיב את כל חטופינו ונעדרינו ולהבטיח שבעזה לא יהיה שום גורם שמאיים על ישראל. pic.twitter.com/chUp7aalGo
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 21, 2023
The Health Ministry in Gaza said Tuesday that they have lost the ability to count the dead since the health functions and systems were heavily destroyed and were unable to retrieve dead bodies from areas overrun by Israeli troops. Even the last verified death-toll provided by the Palestinian health officials were released on November 10. The intensifying ground invasions and blockaded communication and internet services restricts the officials for accurate verifications of the affected persons.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), on Wednesday reported that the number of children killed in Gaza exceeded 5,000. “Every minute, every hour, the situation is getting worse in the Gaza Strip. Ceasefire NOW. End this horror NOW”, said the agency and confirmed 108 of their staff members have been killed since October 7. Two journalists who were reporting for a Beirut-based TV station were also killed in Israeli airstrikes, reported the Lebanese officials and the broadcaster.
Every minute, every hour, the situation is getting worse in the📍#GazaStrip
The reported number of children killed in #Gaza has now exceeded 5,000
Ceasefire NOW. End this horror NOW. pic.twitter.com/yn6V9bWSBM
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) November 21, 2023
The South African President Cyril Ramaphosa accused and criticised Israel for escalating brutalities and acts of “tantamount to genocide” in Gaza. He was addressing the Extraordinary Joint Meeting of the BRICS Leaders and raised concern over the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza. He called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, opening of humanitarian corridors, ceasing the supply of weapons to the parties, release of all civilian hostages. Mr Ramaphosa also demanded the International Criminal Court to urgently initiate prosecutions against those responsible for the perpetration of war crimes.
We urge the international community to agree on urgent and concrete actions to end the suffering in #Gaza and establish a path towards a just and peaceful resolution of his conflict.
As South Africa, we call for:
1) An immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.
2) The opening of… pic.twitter.com/HmcNfZwMLT
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) November 21, 2023
