Morning Briefing: Nov. 30, 2023

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Thursday with, including the extension of a humanitarian pause in Gaza, the release of 10 Israeli captives, the Israeli army vowing to continue ground operation in Gaza, and the death of controversial US diplomat Henry Kissinger.

TOP STORIES

• Humanitarian pause extended in Gaza Strip

The temporary humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip was extended on Thursday for one day.

Majid Al-Ansari, spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry told Qatar’s official news agency QNA that the humanitarian pause between the Palestinian and Israeli sides was extended for one more day under the same terms.

Palestinian group Hamas confirmed extending the pause with the same previous conditions.

The Israeli army also stressed that the extension came due to the efforts of the mediators in order to release more hostages.

• Red Cross receives 10 Israeli captives held in Gaza: Israeli Army Radio

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has received 10 Israelis who were being held captive in Gaza by Hamas, Israeli Army Radio said late Wednesday.

The Israelis are the sixth batch of detainees to be released under a prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas, including, five Israeli minors and five women.

Regarding the Palestinians released from Israeli jails, it said the list includes 16 minors and 14 women.

Earlier, Hamas said that it released two Israeli-Russian nationals in response to requests by Russia’s leadership.

• Israeli military approves plans to continue ground operation in Gaza

Israel’s military chief approved on Wednesday evening operational plans to continue the ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

“Herzi Halevi, the chief of staff, held a session today (Wednesday) to approve plans for the subsequent stages of the fighting at the Southern Command headquarters,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

On the other hand, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as saying: “The forces of the army in the air, on land, and at sea are ready to resume fighting immediately.”

• Polarizing Cold War US statesman Henry Kissinger dead at 100

Henry Kissinger, the man who served as America's top diplomat under the Nixon and Ford administrations, and who played a prominent role in US statecraft for much of his life, died Wednesday at the age of 100.

His role in the US bombing of Cambodia and the 1970 invasion alongside the South Vietnamese, in particular, earned him widespread condemnation.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said on X that Türkiye will expedite its efforts for the release of all hostages and establishment of a permanent truce in Gaza.
  
  
• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday reiterated his call for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, at the joint stakeout by the ministerial committee assigned by the joint Arab-Islamic extraordinary summit.
  
  
• Addressing a UN Security Council session on the Gaza conflict, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki demanded a permanent cease-fire on Wednesday and said life in Gaza must prevail against those who seek to destroy it.
  
  
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel late Wednesday to discuss the possibility of extending a humanitarian pause in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
  
  
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted Wednesday that more than 2 million residents cannot get sufficient aid in the Gaza Strip as he demanded a full cease-fire.
  
  
• Hamas’ armed wing on Wednesday said that three hostages in the Gaza Strip were killed as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, without specifying the date of the airstrike.
  
  
• Two children were shot dead by Israeli forces during their 18-hour military operation in the city of Jenin that involved destroying businesses, and demolishing homes, according to authorities.
  
  
• While reiterating NATO's support for Ukraine, the bloc’s chief Jens Stoltenberg claimed that Russia is losing influence in the near abroad, becoming "much more dependent on China," and mortgaging its future to Beijing.
  
  
• China's foreign minister demanded a "comprehensive and lasting cease-fire" in Gaza on Wednesday, and shared hopes that the current humanitarian pause will not be a "hiatus before a new round of offensive."

SPORTS

• Galatasaray salvage 3-3 draw at home against Manchester United in Champions League

Galatasaray staged a comeback in a 3-3 draw at home against Manchester United in week five of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho made a close-range finish in the 11th minute at Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex in Istanbul. Another goal from Bruno Fernandes doubled the lead.

Galatasaray’s Hakim Ziyech scored a goal from a free kick.

Manchester United's Scott Mctominay scored in the 55th minute. Later, Ziyech scored another goal.

Kerem Akturkoglu notched Galatasaray's third goal with a strike in the 71st minute.

• Nordsjaelland to host Fenerbahce in Conference League in Denmark

The Nordsjaelland team from Denmark will host Fenerbahce from Türkiye at the Right to Dream Park in Copenhagen in a UEFA Europa Conference League Group H match Thursday.

Fenerbahce, which have won nine of 10 games in European competitions this season, will look to secure at least one point to advance in the group stage.

The Yellow Canaries beat Nordsjaelland 3-1 in Istanbul.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• World Climate Summit starting in Dubai with huge participation

The UN's 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28), being held for the first time this year in a major oil and gas exporter country, is expected to be the largest climate summit to date, while negotiations on the phase-out or phase-down of fossil fuels, the Loss and Damage Fund and climate finance are expected to be tough due to differences of opinion among countries.

The COP28, chaired this year by the UAE, will be held between Nov. 30 and Dec. 12 at Expo City Dubai.

More than 70,000 delegates from different countries are expected to join.

• Germany's inflation slows more than forecast to over 2-year low

Germany's annual consumer inflation eased more than expected to over a 2-year low with the back of a slowdown in rising food prices and the decrease in energy prices, according to a flash reading released on Wednesday.

Consumer prices rose 3.2% year-on-year in November, the slowest pace since June 2021, the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) data showed. Economists expect Germany's consumer prices would hike 3.5% year-on-year in November.