Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal Extended by Two Days

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at an extension to the Israel-Hamas hostage deal, the latest from the Russia-Ukraine war, and controversy surrounding COP28.

Israel, Hamas Extend Truce

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend their four-day pause in fighting by two days, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday, continuing a tenuous wartime agreement that has brought temporary relief to civilians in Gaza and seen more than 50 hostages returned to Israel.

U.S. officials welcomed the announced extension, which is expected to result in the release of 20 more hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Israel’s release of 60 additional Palestinian prisoners. In accordance with the initial deal, Israel had agreed to a one-day extension for every 10 additional hostages freed—so long as the total duration of the humanitarian pause does not exceed 10 days.

“In order to extend the pause, Hamas has committed to releasing another 20 women and children over the next two days,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Monday. “We would, of course, hope to see the pause extended further, and that will depend upon Hamas continuing to release hostages.”

Of the 240 hostages that Hamas was estimated to be holding, the militant group has already released 58 hostages, 39 of whom were Israeli or dual-national women and children. In return, Israel has freed more than 100 Palestinian women and children. The Israeli government is currently holding as many as 7,200 Palestinian prisoners, according to estimates from the Palestinian Prisoners Society.

The deal has also allowed the entry of much-needed humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medical supplies, into Gaza, where the death toll has climbed to more than 14,800, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. But delays in hostage releases and other complications over the past four days have underscored the fragility of the deal, with both Hamas and Israeli officials accusing each other of violating the agreement at separate points.

U.S. President Joe Biden remains hopeful that the pause in fighting could pave the way for a broader cease-fire, declaring that the “chances are real” that the temporary cessation could become a longer-term deal. So far, however, Israeli officials appear committed to resuming operations. “I want to assure the families of all the hostages: We will not stop, we will resume the efforts and the military action in Gaza to retrieve the hostages and restore deterrence,” war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said on Friday.

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The World This Week

Sunday, Nov. 26, to Wednesday, Nov. 29: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visits Israel, Oman, and Qatar. 

Monday, Nov. 27: Argentine President-elect Javier Milei visits Washington. 

Tuesday, Nov. 28: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is due to visit Turkey for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell hosts talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosts talks with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Tuesday, Nov. 28, to Wednesday, Nov. 29: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pays a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia. 

Thursday, Nov. 30: U.S. President Joe Biden hosts talks with Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço.

Bhutan holds parliamentary elections.

Thursday, Nov. 30, to Tuesday, Dec. 12: The U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP28) is held in Dubai.

Friday, Dec. 1: Official results are announced for the Dutch elections.

Brazil assumes presidency of the G-20.

What We’re Following

Storms hit Russia-Ukraine war zone. An intense storm swept Ukraine and Russia on Monday, triggering extensive floods and cutting power to communities in southern Ukraine and the country’s Russian-occupied territories amid frigid temperatures. In the aftermath of the storm, nearly 2 million people were left without power in southern Russian regions, the Crimean Peninsula, and Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine, according to the Russian Energy Ministry.

The storm’s disruptions came just days after Kyiv faced its worst Russian drone attack since the beginning of the war, according to Ukrainian officials. “A total of nearly 75 Shahed drones were launched from two directions – Primorsko-Akhtarsk and the Kursk region, Russia,” the Ukrainian Air Force said in a Telegram post, adding that it was a “record number” of drones.

Sierra Leone lifts curfew. Sierra Leone has relaxed a 24-hour nationwide curfew that it imposed on Sunday after gunmen attempted to force their way into the country’s biggest military barracks and successfully breached detention centers. The detention center attacks allowed some prisoners to escape, while others were abducted by the assailants, according to the country’s information minister.

Officials said they have arrested most of the leaders involved in the attack, although they have not divulged the gunmen’s identities or motives. President Julius Maada Bio has characterized Sunday’s events as a “breach of security,” and authorities plan to enforce a nine-hour-long curfew Monday night.

COP28 controversy. With just days to go before key U.N. climate talks, known as COP28, kick off on Thursday in Dubai, the summit is facing new controversy over reports that its president, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber—who is also the CEO of the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company—and his team schemed to use the UAE’s host nation position to secure new fossil fuel deals with more than 15 countries, according to leaked documents secured by the BBC and the Centre for Climate Reporting.

Al-Jaber’s leadership of this year’s summit had already faced opposition from critics who argued that having the head of one of the world’s largest oil producers host global talks aimed at addressing the climate crisis—primarily by reducing fossil fuel use—presented a conflict of interest that threatens the summit’s credibility.

The BBC report seems to provide vindication of those concerns. A spokesperson for the COP28 presidency refuted the report: “The documents referred to in the BBC article are inaccurate and were not used by COP28 in meetings,” they said. “It is extremely disappointing to see the BBC use unverified documents in their reporting.”

As world leaders prepare to attend the climate talks, one big name won’t be participating: U.S. President Joe Biden. Top U.S. climate officials—including U.S climate envoy John Kerry, national climate advisor Ali Zaidi, and senior advisor John Podesta—are set to attend in his place. Like Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to skip the summit.

Odds and Ends

New York City famously appointed a rat czar to stamp out its “relentless rat population.” Now, one coastal Australian town may have to resort to similar tactics to handle its own “rat plague.” Droves of hungry, long-haired rats are wreaking havoc on the small town of Karumba, chewing on electrical wires and washing up dead in large numbers. “They come in waves,” one resident told the 4BC radio station in Brisbane. “They almost seem trained and organized. They’re in numbers, mate, and they swim around in the rivers like little puppy dogs.”