Live updates: Israel and Hamas extend truce, agree to free more hostages and prisoners

Jerusalem, November 28

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend their cease-fire until Wednesday, raising the prospect of further exchanges of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and a longer halt to their deadliest and most destructive war.

11 Israeli women and children freed by Hamas entered Israel on Monday night after more than seven weeks in captivity in Gaza in the fourth swap under the original four-day truce. 33 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived early on Tuesday in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, Ramallah. The prisoners were greeted by loud cheers as their bus made its way through the streets of Ramallah.

The deal for two additional days of cease-fire raised hopes for further extensions, which would also allow more aid into Gaza, which has been battered by weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground offensive that have driven three-quarters of the 2.3 million population from their homes.

But Israel says it remains committed to crushing Hamas military capabilities and ending its 16-year rule over Gaza. That would likely mean expanding a ground offensive from devastated northern Gaza to the south.

Roughly 240 hostages were captured by Hamas in its October 7 attack in southern Israel that ignited the war. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza. About 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas.

Currently:

Israel and Hamas extend their truce, but it seems only a matter of time before the war resumes.

Freed Israeli hostage describes deteriorating conditions while being held by Hamas.

Blinken would return to the Middle East as United States (US) hopes for longer cease-fire and more hostage releases.

Here’s what’s happening in the war:

Relatives of Israelis killed by Hamas seek support from Australia         

Canberra, Australia

Relatives and a friend of Israelis kidnapped and killed by Hamas visited Australia’s Parliament House on Tuesday, sharing personal stories in an effort to lobby for international support for all hostages to be freed — and to support Israel’s war effort.

The group of five would meet political leaders during a two-day visit in Canberra.

“Our aim first is to get the hostages back, all of them,” Elad Levy told reporters outside the Parliament House. Levy’s niece, Roni Eshel, was a 19-year-old soldier initially thought kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7 incursion into Israel but confirmed dead weeks later.

“Our second aim is to get the support of the Australian people and the Australian government for Israel’s actions in wiping out Hamas and in our military actions right now to eradicate Hamas,” Levy said.

Australia’s major political parties have supported Israel’s right to defend itself but have urged Israel to comply with international law by containing non-combatant casualties in Gaza.

Freed Palestinian prisoners arrive in the West Bank  

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

Israel’s prison service said it was freeing 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.

11 more hostages released by Hamas are back in Israel  

Jerusalem

The Israeli military says 11 hostages were released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip late on Monday.

It is the fourth such release under a cease-fire deal with the Hamas military group. Israel freed 33 Palestinian prisoners later in the day. The hostages were back on Israeli territory and undergoing initial medical checks before being reunited with their families.

The cease-fire had been set to expire early on Tuesday. But Qatar, which has been mediating between the sides, said Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the truce by two more days.

Israeli media said the hostages included two women and nine children. Two of the children are 3 years old.

Blinken to return to mid-east as US seeks to extend cease-fire  

Brussels

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would return this week to the Middle East as the US hopes to find a way to extend a cease-fire in Gaza and get more hostages released, the state department said. It would be his third trip to the region since Israel’s war with Hamas began last month.

Blinken would travel to Israel and the West Bank after attending Ukraine-focused meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels and Skopje, North Macedonia, where foreign ministers from NATO and the Organization for Peace and Security in Europe are gathering.

Israel has agreed to pauses in its military operations in exchange for the gradual release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 attacks on Israel. The agreement had been due to expire on Monday but was extended for an additional two days, meaning the extension would be expiring just as Blinken is arriving in Israel.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Monday that the US hopes to see the pause extended further, but it is dependent on Hamas continuing to release hostages.

Suspect in shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent near University of Vermont pleads not guilty     

Burlington, Vermont

Three college students of Palestinian descent out for a walk near the University of Vermont were seriously injured over the weekend when a man shot them at close range on a city street — an attack being investigated as a possible hate crime, authorities said on Monday.

A suspect, Jason J. Eaton, made his initial court appearance by video from jail on three counts of attempted murder, and a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf on Monday. He was ordered held without bail.

The US Department of Justice, along with Vermont authorities, were investigating whether Saturday’s shooting was a hate crime amid an increase in threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities across the US since the Israel-Hamas war began, Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “There is understandable fear in communities across the country,” he said.

The three men, all age 20, were spending their Thanksgiving break in Burlington and were out for a walk while visiting one of the victims’ relatives when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun, police said.