Israel said it was entering the “next stage” of the six-week-old war with Hamas, turning its attention to the south of the besieged Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wouldn’t say if he believed top Hamas leaders were hiding around the city of Khan Younis in the area. “We’ll get to them,” he told reporters, describing the leadership as “dead men walking.” About 2,500 internally displaced persons, along with patients and staff, on Saturday vacated northern Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital, the focus of Israel’s ground offensive for the past week, a United Nations agency said.
Meanwhile, Hamas — designated a terror organization by the US and European Union — said it had lost contact with groups assigned to guard some hostages. A senior US diplomat said Hamas must free more of them in return for a significant increase in aid to Gaza and a pause in fighting.
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US Says No Deal Yet on Hostages (4:30 a.m.)
The US said there is no agreement yet between Israel and Hamas on the release of hostages after the Washington Post said a tentative one had been reached to free dozens of women and children held in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting.
“No deal yet but we continue to work hard to get a deal,” White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in response to the report of a US-brokered agreement.
About 2,500 People Vacated Al Shifa Hospital, OCHA Says (3:11 a.m.)
Some 2,500 internally displaced persons, along with patients and staff, vacated Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital on Nov. 18, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. That followed orders from Israel’s military, which continued its operations within the compound for a fourth consecutive day, OCHA said.
About 123,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt on Nov. 18, according to the UN agency. Israel said it would allow entry of nearly 70,000 liters of fuel per day, which “is well below the minimum requirements for essential humanitarian operations,” according to OCHA.
Al Shifa Hospital a ‘Death Zone,’ WHO Says After Visit (2:07 a.m.)
Al Shifa hospital is a “death zone” and “desperate,” according to a UN team allowed to visit Gaza’s largest hospital, and team members saw a mass grave near the entrance holding possibly 80 bodies. The team, led by the World Health Organization, was allowed one hour at the hospital facilitated by the Israeli military, the group said in a press release.
Though the team said Al Shifa was “essentially” no longer operating as a hospital, there remain 291 patients, including 32 babies “in extremely critical condition.” The “vast majority” of patients were suffering war wounds, including amputations, burns and spinal trauma, WHO said.
“WHO and partners are urgently developing plans for the immediate evacuation of the remaining patients, staff and their families” and are seeking safe passage in coming days to transport the sick to two other hospitals, the group said.
Biden Proposes Postwar Framework, Warns on Settlers (12:44 a.m.)
US President Joe Biden outlined a framework for Gaza’s postwar future in an op-ed article, including no renewed Israeli occupation, unified governance by “a revitalized Palestinian Authority” and an eventual reconstruction effort that includes interim security arrangements.
“To start, Gaza must never again be used as a platform for terrorism,” Biden said in the Washington Post on Saturday. “There must be no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, and no reduction in territory.”
In a warning to Israel, he floated the threat of US visa bans on “extremists” who attack Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.
School Struck in Northern Gaza (10:43 p.m.)
Palestinians said the Israeli military struck a UN school-turned-shelter in the northern Gaza Strip.
According to the Hamas-run government media office, the shelling resulted in the deaths and injury of 200 Palestinians sheltering at Al-Fakhoura school.
Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, said images he received from the school that shelters thousands of displaced were “horrifying.”
The Israeli military received reports of an incident in the Jabalya region. The incident is under review, the IDF said.
Israel to Turn South in War’s ‘Next Stage’ (10:15 p.m.)
Israel said it’s entering the “next stage” of its war against Hamas, as attention turns from the rubble of Gaza City to the city of Khan Younis in the south. Prime Minister Netanyahu, at a news conference, wouldn’t say if he believed top Hamas leaders are hiding there. “We’ll get to them,” he said. “All Hamas leaders are dead men walking.”
“The places where Hamas can circulate are shrinking,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at the news conference of Israel’s war cabinet. “Whoever was on the western side of the city understands that well — they’ve already met the deadly power of the IDF. Those on the eastern side are understanding that tonight and will understand it more in the next few days.”
“And those who are located in the south of the Gaza Strip will understand that soon,” Gallant said.
In recent days Israel has dropped leaflets in Khan Younis — the hometown of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — warning residents to leave the city for a safe zone in the south of the strip where humanitarian aid is available. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have moved to the safe zone since the war began, defying Hamas efforts to prevent them from fleeing the battle zone.
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