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Palestinian Death Toll in Gaza Rises to 31,645

At least 61 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli bombardment taking the death toll up to 31,645 people…reports Asian Lite News

 Gaza Health Ministry on Monday said that the Palestinian death toll has mounted to 31, 645 following Israel’s counter-operations inside the Gaza Strip, media reports said.

“At least 61 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli bombardment taking the death toll up to 31,645 people,” the Gaza Health Ministry said.

Israel media reports said that an Israeli delegation would soon reach Doha again for talks on a ceasefire and the release of prisoners, who are in Hamas captivity.

“More than five months of war and an Israeli siege have led to dire humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, where the United Nations has repeatedly warned of looming famine for the coastal territory’s 2.4 million people,” media reports said.

ALSO READ: Beijing calls for full UN membership for Palestine

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Hopes Up For 6-Week Ceasefire As Israel, Hamas Mull Easing Demands

A six-week ceasefire is on the cards in the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel after both sides communicated to the mediators on stepping down from their earlier demands.

While Hamas has agreed to climb down from the demand for a permanent end of the war to a pause for six weeks, Israel has almost agreed to release 1000 Palestinian prisoners including 100 charged with grievous crimes including murder.

There were a series of meetings in Doha, Cairo, and Paris in the last two days with different negotiators brokering a truce between Israel and Hamas

Sources in Israeli intelligence agencies told IANS that Qatar has communicated to the Hamas leadership that it would “not hesitate to deport them from Qatar if they do not come down from unreasonable demands”.

According to sources, the strong position taken by Qatar and Egypt to prevent any Gazan refugees on its soil if Israel invades Rafah has acted as a trigger for Hamas to rework its earlier demands of a permanent ceasefire.

As per the available information, Hamas would release all Israeli prisoners including soldiers in exchange for 1000 Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli intelligence agencies have communicated to the government that of the 134 remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, 32 have died.

Hamas, according to sources in the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, would release the remaining 102 hostages and send the bodies of 32 hostages in exchange for 1000 Palestinian prisoners. However, it is unclear whether all the hostages would be released in a single go or multiple slots.

ALSO READ: Israeli General Makes Uncommon Rebuke of Leadership

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EU Launches Gaza Aid Project

The European Commission has launched the project to establish a maritime aid corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, reports Asian Lite News

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced the immediate launch of a project to establish a maritime aid corridor from Cyprus to Gaza.

“We are now very close to opening this corridor, hopefully this Saturday-Sunday, and I’m very glad to see an initial pilot will be launched today,” she told journalists on Friday after visiting Cyprus’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in the port city of Larnaca, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We are launching this Cyprus maritime corridor together: the EU, the UAE and the US,” she added.

In a joint statement endorsed by the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Cyprus, the UAE, the UK, and the US, the European Commission said: “Together, our nations intend to build on this model to deliver significant additional aid by sea, working in coordination with UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag — who is charged with facilitating, coordinating, monitoring and verifying the flow of aid into Gaza under UN Security Council Resolution 2720.”

The Amalthea Initiative was proposed by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides due to Cyprus’ proximity to Gaza. It was coordinated by the UAE, aiming for shipment before the start of the Muslim month of Ramadan.

The US has pledged to construct a floating platform off the coast of Gaza for the unloading of aid, while Israeli officials have vetted the aid to address concerns about potential military equipment.

The death toll of Palestinians from the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 30,878, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said on Friday.

Five months ago, Israel began a large-scale military campaign against Gaza in response to a surprise Hamas attack on Israeli towns adjacent to the enclave, in which Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 others as hostages.

ALSO READ: UAE Condemns Israel’s Approval Of New Settlements

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UN Team Visits Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza

The UN team has brought with them medicines, vaccines and fuel to help ensure that the medical facility remains functioning.

A UN team visited Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and brought aid, the first time the world body has been able to deliver aid into besieged northern Gaza in over a week, said UN humanitarians.

A team from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organisation and the UN Children’s Fund visited Al-Shifa and brought with them medicines, vaccines and fuel to help ensure that the medical facility remains functioning, said OCHA.

The team also met with people who were among those injured on Thursday while seeking life-saving aid west of Gaza City, Xinhua news agency reported.

The hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, has reportedly admitted more than 700 people injured in that incident, about 200 of whom were still hospitalised on Friday, OCHA added.

By the time of the team’s visit on Friday morning, the hospital had also received the bodies of more than 70 people who had been killed in the incident. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the overall death toll from Thursday’s incident has reached 112, said OCH.

ALSO READ: Biden Seeks Urgent Ceasefire After Gaza Massacre

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UN Stands Ready to Assist Palestine Amid Government Resignation

The UN stands ready to continue supporting efforts aimed at overcoming the humanitarian, political, financial as well as security challenges facing the Palestinian people, he told a daily press briefing…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations (UN) wants to see a strengthened and empowered Palestinian government, a spokesman of the world body has said in response to the resignation of the government led by Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres takes note of Monday’s announcement by Shtayyeh that he handed his government’s resignation to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN chief.

“A strengthened, empowered Palestinian government that can administer the whole of the occupied Palestinian territory is critical as part of a path to achieving the establishment of a fully independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable Palestinian state, on the basis of the 1967 lines, of which Gaza is an integral part, which remains the only way to achieve a lasting peace,” the spokesman was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

The UN stands ready to continue supporting efforts aimed at overcoming the humanitarian, political, financial as well as security challenges facing the Palestinian people, he told a daily press briefing.

Turning to the situation on the ground, the spokesman said the Palestine Red Crescent Society, supported by the World Health Organization and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), has completed the evacuation of 72 critical patients from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The UN Population Fund reports that newborns are dying in Gaza because their mothers are unable to attend prenatal or postnatal checkups while the incessant bombings, fleeing for safety and anxiety are leading to premature births, said the spokesman.

In its daily update on the situation in Gaza, OCHA said intense Israeli bombardment from air, land and sea continued to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip on Monday, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Ground operations and heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups also continued. Between Friday and Monday, tens of rockets were reportedly fired by armed Palestinian groups toward Israel, said OCHA.

Since October 7, 2023, at least 29,782 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 70,043 Palestinians have been injured, OCHA quoted the Ministry of Health in Gaza as saying.

ALSO READ-King Abdullah: Gaza War in Ramadan Risks Expansion

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President Abbas Accepts Shtayyeh’s Government Resignation

Formed by presidential decree in April 2019, Shtayyeh’s government was tasked with facilitating Palestinian reconciliation efforts and preparing for elections…reports Asian Lite News

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh’s government.

Abbas on Monday tasked Shtayyeh’s government with temporarily continuing its duties until a new government is formed, Palestinian News Agency Wafa reported.

Earlier in the day, Shtayyeh submitted the resignation of his government to Abbas, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the weekly cabinet meeting held in Ramallah, Shtayyeh said, “The decision to resign comes in light of the developments in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem,” underscoring the challenging circumstances under which his government operated.

Formed by presidential decree in April 2019, Shtayyeh’s government was tasked with facilitating Palestinian reconciliation efforts and preparing for elections.

ALSO READ-Palestinian PM Submits Government Resignation

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UAE Floating Hospital Receives Wounded Palestinians

The hospital has a capacity of 100 beds, operating rooms, intensive care, radiology, laboratory, pharmacy, and medical cabinets…reports Asian Lite News

The UAE Floating Hospital, anchored in the Port of Al-Arish, officially commenced operations today, providing vital medical assistance to the Palestinian people. The first patients, Gazans suffering from diverse injuries and fractures, were promptly received, marking the initiation of this critical healthcare initiative.

The initiative comes in alignment with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to provide all forms of support and assistance to the people of the Gaza Strip, as part of the ‘Gallant Knight 3’ humanitarian operation.

A 20-year-old Palestinian man underwent the first surgery today at the hospital after sustaining gunshot wounds and shrapnel. The injuries caused a dislocated and fractured shoulder, damaging nerves in his arm and rendering his entire hand immobile. Doctors performed a swift surgical intervention to reposition the shoulder, and he will require a follow-up operation in the near future to address the nerve damage.

The Floating Hospital, established in cooperation with the Department of Health- Abu Dhabi and AD Ports Group, has a medical and administrative staff of 100 people from different specialties, including anaesthesia, general surgery, orthopedics, and emergency medicine, in addition to nurses and support staff.

The hospital has a capacity of 100 beds, operating rooms, intensive care, radiology, laboratory, pharmacy, and medical cabinets.

Dr. Falah Al Mahmoud, Director of the Floating Hospital, said that the inauguration of the hospital will enhance the medical support system provided by the UAE to the people of the afflicted sector and alleviate the severity of the conditions they suffer from. The hospital is equipped with the best and latest equipment that contributes to providing all types of treatment and medical care according to the best international standards and protocols.

He added that the hospital, upon docking at the port of the Egyptian city of Al-Arish, began receiving the wounded and sick cases of the Palestinian people and providing them with all forms of care, treatment, and medicines they need according to the highest levels of health care.

He pointed out that the Floating Hospital is equipped with a helipad and a marine boat, which enhance the response to emergency and difficult cases that require rapid medical intervention.

He noted that all the injured and sick cases that the hospital receives are immediately subjected to a comprehensive evaluation process that includes conducting all types of examinations and tests to deal with them according to the appropriate procedure, whether by surgical intervention or by applying the treatment programme that the patient’s condition requires.

For their part, a number of Palestinians who were received by the Floating Hospital expressed their thanks to the UAE and the wise leadership for this noble humanitarian initiative that provides comprehensive medical care to all the injured and sick cases.

They stressed that this humanitarian response from the UAE embodies its firm approach in standing by the Palestinian people and supporting them under all circumstances, appreciating the efforts of the medical and volunteer teams that have provided them with full support since the onset of the crisis.

Building on the success of the UAE integrated field hospital in Gaza, the Floating Hospital expands vital medical services to the Gaza Strip. Opened in December 2023, the existing integrated field hospital boasts 200 beds and a dedicated team of 83 volunteers from 21 nations, including 59 men and 24 women.

The UAE field hospital in Gaza performed more than 764 major and minor surgeries, and dealt with more than 6,620 cases during the past months that required medical intervention by the hospital team to provide the necessary treatment and care, starting from first aid, through performing the necessary surgeries to save lives, providing the necessary treatments and medicines, and ending with care and intensive care for those cases, in addition to consultations and other medical and therapeutic services.

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Possibility of Ceasefire Grows As Hamas Eases Demands

Hamas is insisting for a permanent withdrawal of Israel troops from Gaza Strip, it has come down on many of its demands including release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from the Israel jails against the release of each Israeli hostage.

A Hamas delegation — which is in Paris for negotiations for a ceasefire deal with Israel — has come down on many of its demands.

Sources in Israel defence ministry told IANS that while Hamas is insisting for a permanent withdrawal of Israel troops from Gaza Strip, it has come down on many of its demands including release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from the Israel jails against the release of each Israeli hostage.

Even as the Hamas negotiators are sticking to their demand for a permanent ceasefire, they may agree for a two months ceasefire, which Israel has not agreed to.

Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told media persons that Hamas has come down from their earlier demands due to Israel moving towards a ground offensive in Rafah in Gaza that borders Egypt.

Egypt is wary that if Israel Defense Forces attack Rafah, then there will be a huge spill over of Palestinians into its territory.

Ahmad Kamal, head of Egyptian intelligence who is part of the mediatory talks, has told Arabian media that the talks were progressive and that things were heading in the right direction.

During one week ceasefire from November 24 to December 1, 105 Israel hostages in the custody of Hamas were released in exchange of 324 Palestinian prisoners from Israel jails.

There are 134 Israeli hostages in custody of Hamas — all of whom are not alive, and according to information, 35 Israeli hostages would be released.

Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief William Burns are part of the negotiations in Paris.

Hamas and Israel are not directly talking to each other but communicating through the mediators on their respective demands.

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Palestine: Statehood Key to Regional Stability

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that recognising a Palestinian state at this stage would be a “reward for terrorism”…reports Asian Lite News

The Palestinian presidency has said that a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital was essential for resolving the conflict and ensuring stability in the region.

The statement by Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh came on Sunday after the Israeli government unanimously rejected any “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state by other countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

Abu Rudeineh warned of “different and dangerous” challenges ahead and said the Palestinian position was firm against the “extremist and obstinate” Israeli stance and the “contradictory” US position.

He urged more Arab and international action to stop “aggression and war,” and said Israel’s continued attacks on Palestinians and their holy sites in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem would not bring security and stability to anyone.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that recognising a Palestinian state at this stage would be a “reward for terrorism” and would undermine the chances of a lasting peace deal.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations did not need Netanyahu’s approval or permission.

It said all countries could recognise the state of Palestine without any legal or political obstacles and accused Netanyahu of destroying the prospects of statehood by annexing and expanding settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and isolating Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 28,985, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said.

In a press statement sent to Xinhua news agency, the Ministry said on Sunday that 68,883 Palestinians have been wounded in the coastal enclave since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli army killed 127 Palestinians and wounded 205 others during the last 24 hours, the Ministry added as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

It noted that some victims remain under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of civil defence and ambulance crews.

In addition, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that Al-Amal Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip witnessed several direct attacks from Israeli tanks.

The association said in a press statement that Israeli forces targetted the fourth floor, causing major material damage and setting the eastern side of the hospital on the blaze, which led to a patient being trapped with his companions, and the medical teams were able to evacuate them at very high risk.

The statement indicated that gunfire targetted the hospital’s fuel tanks, and the crews were not able to determine the extent of the damage due to the high risk.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.

ALSO READ: Second UAE aid ship arrives at Al Arish Port

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Palestinian Presidency Stands Firm Against Israeli Stance, US Position

Abu Rudeineh warned of “different and dangerous” challenges ahead and said the Palestinian position was firm against the “extremist and obstinate” Israeli stance and the “contradictory” US position…reports Asian Lite News

The Palestinian presidency has said that a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital was essential for resolving the conflict and ensuring stability in the region.

The statement by Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh came on Sunday after the Israeli government unanimously rejected any “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state by other countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

Abu Rudeineh warned of “different and dangerous” challenges ahead and said the Palestinian position was firm against the “extremist and obstinate” Israeli stance and the “contradictory” US position.

He urged more Arab and international action to stop “aggression and war,” and said Israel’s continued attacks on Palestinians and their holy sites in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem would not bring security and stability to anyone.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that recognising a Palestinian state at this stage would be a “reward for terrorism” and would undermine the chances of a lasting peace deal.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations did not need Netanyahu’s approval or permission.

It said all countries could recognise the state of Palestine without any legal or political obstacles and accused Netanyahu of destroying the prospects of statehood by annexing and expanding settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and isolating Gaza.

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