(9 Nov 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Southern Israel near Gaza Strip border - 9 November 2023
++NIGHT SHOTS++
1. Various of flares seen over Gaza Strip
2. Various of explosions [1'48-end]
STORYLINE:
Explosions and flares lit Gaza's night sky on Thursday as Israeli strikes continued to pound the coastal enclave and ground forces battled Hamas militants in Gaza City.
Battles were reportedly taking place in Gaza City's dense urban neighborhoods near a hospital where tens of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering.
Gaza’s largest city is the focus of Israel’s campaign to crush Hamas following its deadly incursion into Israel— and the military says Hamas’ main command center is located in and under the Shifa Hospital complex.
The militant group and hospital staff deny that claim. Troops were around 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the hospital, according to its director.
Amid a drumbeat of international concern over dire conditions inside Gaza, mediators were closing in on a possible deal for a three-day cease-fire in exchange for the release of around a dozen hostages held by Hamas, according to two Egyptian officials, a United Nations official and a Western diplomat.
The deal would also allow a small amount of fuel to enter the territory, which is currently reliant on generators for electricity, for the first time since the war began.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said any temporary cease-fire would have to be accompanied by the release of hostages.
Israel has said around 240 people are held captive, and their plight has galvanized Israeli support for the war despite growing international concerns.
The number of Palestinians killed in the war has risen to 10,818, including more than 4,400 children, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza has said.
In the occupied West Bank, more than 160 Palestinians have been killed in the violence and Israeli raids.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that started the fighting, and 239 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group.
===========================================================
Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected].
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
