Day 53 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Nov. 28

The US, Israeli and Egyptian intelligence chiefs are gathering in Doha to push for an expansion of the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.

Rina Bassist, Ezgi Akin, Beatrice Farhat, Elizabeth Hagedorn, Adam Lucente, Jack Dutton, Jared Szuba and Al-Monitor’s contributors on the ground in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel contributed to this blog.

Click here for our most recent updates.

Live updates (all times EDT):

Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023

10:00 pm: Israel receives list of 10 hostages set to be freed Wednesday 

Israel received the list of hostages set to be released on Wednesday evening. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the news and said that their families have been notified. The release of the 10 new hostages will bring the total number of freed Israeli hostages via the Qatar-mediated deal to 70, alongside about 20 foreign nationals so far resulting from separate negotiations.

Wednesday marks the sixth day of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. It is not clear yet whether any foreign nationals are set to be released.

5:00 pm: Biden says war must not be allowed to serve Hamas 

US President Joe Biden shifted his tone on Tuesday, saying that the continuing war is a gift to Hamas and cannot go on. 

“Hamas unleashed a terrorist attack because they fear nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace,” Biden said in a post on X.

“To continue down the path of terror, violence, killing, and war is to give Hamas what they seek. We can’t do that,” he added.

2:25 pm: Pentagon has paused intel drone flights over Gaza

The US has halted flights of intelligence-collecting drones over Gaza, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder told reporters that the flights had halted in accordance with the Israel-Hamas agreement to pause the war. Ryder had previously said the drones only collected intelligence for potential operations to save the lives of hostages, and that the United States was not helping Israel pursue Palestinian militants.

1:00 pm: Hamas releases 10 Israeli, 2 Thai hostages

Hamas released 12 more hostages, including 10 Israelis and two Thai nationals, Israeli authorities said on Tuesday. Rina Bassist reports.

11:45 am: Truce extension buys both Israel, Hamas time

In a rare convergence of interests, the truce extension between Israel and Hamas buys both Benjamin Netanyahu and militant group chief Yahya Sinwar much-needed time. Al-Monitor’s Ben Caspit reports.

10:00 am: Israel says three explosive devices detonate in northern Gaza

Three explosive devices were detonated in two locations in the northern Gaza Strip near Israeli military forces in an apparent breach of the Qatar-mediated temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Tuesday. In one of the cases, shots were also fired at Israeli forces, mildly wounding some of the troops. Hagari said that in both cases, the Israeli troops were located within the parameters laid out in the truce. Hamas’ military wing said the attack was a response to a “clear violation” of the cease-fire by Israeli forces in northern Gaza, though it provided no further details.

6:42 am: Israeli, US intelligence chiefs meet with Qatari PM

The directors of Israel's Mossad and the US Central Intelligence Agency met with Qatar’s prime minister in Doha to discuss a possible second extension of a truce in the Gaza Strip, Reuters and Axios reported. Egyptian officials also attended the meeting, according to a source briefed on the visit who spoke to Reuters. A temporary cease-fire between Hamas and Israel continued on Tuesday after it was extended by two days to allow for the release of more hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

5:00 am: US planes carry Gaza aid to Egypt

The first of three US military planes carrying aid to the Gaza Strip is set to land in Egypt on Tuesday, a senior administration official told reporters, adding that the other two relief flights will arrive in North Sinai “in the coming days.” The flights carrying medical items, food aid and winter gear were facilitated by the US military and the goods will be delivered to Gaza via the United Nations. The aid deliveries come amid a temporary pause in the fighting between Hamas and Israel.

4:15 am: Qatar sends 31 tons of aid to Gaza

A plane belonging to Qatar’s armed forces headed to Egypt’s El-Arish carrying 31 tons of aid, including food supplies, to be transported to the Gaza Strip, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced in a statement. Qatar has sent a total of 910 tons of aid aboard 27 planes to Gaza since the opening of the Rafah border crossing in mid-October. The latest delivery comes after Hamas and Israel agreed to extend a truce in Gaza for a fifth day under Qatari, Egyptian and US mediation.

3:30 am: Death toll in West Bank rises to 240 since Oct. 7

At least 240 Palestinians have been killed in confrontations with Israeli forces in the West Bank since the Hamas-Israel war erupted in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, the Ramallah Ministry of Health said in a press release. Israel has intensified its raids and arrests in West Bank cities and towns in efforts to prevent a new front from opening. Earlier on Tuesday, two Palestinians including a 17-year-old were killed in clashes that erupted during an Israeli raid in the village of Kafr Ein, west of Ramallah, the official WAFA news agency said.

1:50 am: Israel informs families of upcoming hostage releases 

Families of hostages held in Gaza due for release on Tuesday were informed by Israeli authorities that their relatives were being freed, hours after the government received and verified the list of names. 10 hostages are set to be released on the first extended day of the Qatar-mediated truce between Hamas and Israel in exchange for the release out of 30 Palestinians from Israeli jails. Another 10 Israeli hostages are expected to be released on Wednesday.

Click here for our most recent updates.