07.18 GMT
More details about the Jerusalem shooting emerge. A second person has died, Portal reports.
Two Palestinian attackers opened fire at a bus stop at the entrance to Jerusalem during the morning rush hour on Thursday, killing at least two people and wounding eight others, Israeli police said.
The attackers came from East Jerusalem, Doron Turgeman, commander of the Jerusalem Police District, told reporters at the scene.
A large number of ambulances and police gathered on the street, which was crowded with morning commuters, and police said they were searching the area to ensure there were no further attackers.
The violence came as Israel and Hamas reached a last-minute agreement on Thursday to extend their six-day ceasefire in Gaza by another day to allow negotiators to continue working on arrangements to exchange hostages held in the coastal enclave for Palestinian prisoners .
Updated at 07:18 GMT
07.02 GMT
Summary
It is now just after 9 a.m. in Gaza and Tel Aviv. Here is the status of the day so far:
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was due to expire at 7 a.m. local time, 5 a.m. GMT, has now been extended. The Israel Defense Forces said on Telegram: “In view of the efforts of the mediators to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the conditions of the framework, the operational pause will continue.”
Hamas also announced its agreement to extend the ceasefire in Gaza for a seventh day.
Qatar, which has mediated between the two sides, confirmed another day of temporary ceasefire had been agreed. Further details of the extension were provided and it was said that it was subject to current conditions.
Qatar Ministry foreign Affairs spokesman Majed al-Ansari said in a statement: “The Palestinian and Israeli sides have reached an agreement to extend the humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip for another day under the existing conditions, which include a cessation of all military activities and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.”
In the Ahead of the deadline, mediators struggled to reach agreement on a further extension after the recent hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
16 hostages held by Hamas were released on Wednesday evening in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners.
hours before the deadline, Hamas’ armed wing urged its fighters in the Gaza Strip to be prepared to resume fighting if the ceasefire was not renewed. “The Al-Qassam Brigades asks its active forces to maintain a high level of combat readiness in the final hours of the ceasefire,” the militant group said in a statement.
Almost an hour before the ceasefire expired, Hamas announced its offer The release of a further seven hostages and the handover of the bodies of three other hostages who were allegedly killed in Israeli bombings had been rejected. Portal reported that Israel had not yet commented on this development.
China’s government has published a position paper on the Israel-Hamas conflict. The country took over the presidency of the UN Security Council this month, and the release of the position paper coincided with an address to the council by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The five-point proposal reiterated much of China’s current position on the conflict, which says a two-state solution remains the answer.
Prominent Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi was among 30 prisoners Israel released early Thursday. Earlier this month, Israeli troops arrested Tamimi, considered a hero in the occupied West Bank since she was a teenager, on suspicion of inciting violence. Her mother has denied the claim, saying it was based on a fake social media post, Portal reports.
Updated at 07.11 GMT
06.48 GMT
A woman was killed and eight others injured in a shooting attack in Jerusalem on Thursday, Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom said.
However, it is unclear who is responsible for the shooting or what the motivation behind it was.
Israeli media reported that two gunmen opened fire near a bus stop. Magen David Adom said two of the wounded were in critical condition.
Update on the Weitzmann Blvd shooting in Jerusalem: MDA rescue workers and paramedics have declared a 24-year-old woman dead and are evacuating 8 victims to Shaare Tzedek and Hadassah Ein Karem hospitals: 5 in serious condition, 1 moderate and 2 minor. pic.twitter.com/USxLGWamZ6
– Magen David Adom (@Mdais) November 30, 2023
Israeli officials work at the scene of an incident in Jerusalem. Photo: Ronen Zvulun/Portal
A large number of ambulances and police gathered at the scene, which happened at one of the city entrances during the morning rush hour.
“Two terrorists who arrived at the scene in a vehicle armed with weapons fired at civilians at a bus stop and were neutralized by security forces and a civilian who was nearby,” Israeli police said.
“Heinous terrorist attack in Jerusalem this morning. “We condemn this brutal violence in the strongest terms,” said US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew.
Updated at 07.08 GMT
06.38 GMT
The Israeli government said it had received a new list of women and children hostage in the Gaza Strip to be released by Hamas on Thursday in exchange for a one-day extension of the ceasefire.
“Recently, Israel was given a list of women and children in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and therefore the ceasefire continues,” the statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said, without mentioning the number of hostages published, reports Agence France- Press.
The ceasefire originally agreed last Friday has led to a temporary halt in fighting over a hostage and prisoner exchange.
The total number of hostages released is 102 people, including 70 Israelis, out of about 240 taken to the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacks on October 7, when militants crossed the border and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Israel’s subsequent air and ground assault in Gaza killed nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians, and reduced much of the territory’s north to rubble, according to Hamas officials.
Israel has released 210 Palestinian prisoners.
Updated at 06:38 GMT
06.13 GMT
In New York, videos posted on social media showed several hundred chanting pro-Palestinian protesters, many carrying Palestinian flags, crowding outside the News Corp building, not far from the site of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, reports said Associated Press.
Footage from the scene showed some protesters clashing with police outside the media company’s building as they tried to advance to the tree, but they were held back by police and the lighting ceremony was not disrupted.
Then the protesters turned and marched down Sixth Avenue.
Last week, a group of protesters carrying a banner reading “Free Palestine” briefly interrupted the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving parade and blocked the front of parade floats on the street.
A security guard takes a Palestinian keffiyeh from a pro-Palestinian protester during the 91st lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City. Photo: Eduardo Muñoz/Portal
Updated at 07:14 GMT
05.52 GMT
Qatar has provided further details on the terms of the current ceasefire extension. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said in a statement:
The Palestinian and Israeli sides have reached an agreement to extend the humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip for another day under existing conditions, which include a cessation of all military activities and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
He added that the ceasefire would take place “within the framework of the joint mediation of the State of Qatar with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America,” AFP reports.
Qatar, backed by Egypt and the United States, has been involved in intensive negotiations to extend the ceasefire in Gaza, which was due to end on Thursday morning.
Updated at 07:15 GMT
05.39 GMT
For a full summary of events leading up to the ceasefire deadline, see our full report, now online.
The Israeli military said early Thursday that the ceasefire with Hamas would last just minutes before the end of the seventh day, as negotiators continued to work toward another exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Israel-Hamas war: ceasefire extended by one day due to short-term mediation efforts
Updated at 07:16 GMT
05.16 GMT
Let’s take a look back at the events that just took place. In Israel and Gaza it is now 7:15 a.m. and 5:15 a.m. GMT. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was supposed to expire on time, but has now been extended.
The Israel Defense Forces recently said on Telegram:
Given the efforts of the mediators to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the Framework, the operational pause will continue.
As Portal reports, Hamas also announced its agreement to extend the ceasefire in Gaza for a seventh day.
Qatar, which has mediated between the two sides, confirmed that another day of temporary ceasefire had been agreed.
Ahead of the deadline, mediators had tried to reach agreement on a further extension following the recent hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The six-day lull in fighting in Gaza was due to end on Thursday morning and follows the release on Wednesday evening of a group of 16 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners.
Since the ceasefire began on November 24, 70 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for 210 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel said on Wednesday that about 160 hostages were still being held in Gaza.
Hours before the deadline, Hamas’ armed wing told its fighters in the Gaza Strip that they were prepared to resume fighting if the ceasefire was not renewed. “The Al-Qassam Brigades asks its active forces to maintain a high level of combat readiness in the final hours of the ceasefire,” the militant group said in a statement.
With just an hour to go before the ceasefire expired, Hamas said its offer to release another seven hostages and hand over the bodies of three more hostages it said were killed in Israeli bombings had been rejected. Portal reported that Israel had not yet commented on the development.
We will keep you updated on all further developments here.
Updated at 07:17 GMT
04.51 GMT
Israel says ceasefire with Hamas will continue
The Israeli military said Thursday that a ceasefire with Hamas would continue “in light of mediators’ efforts to continue the hostage release process and subject to the terms of the agreement.”
As Portal reports, Hamas has agreed to extend the ceasefire for a seventh day.
The six-day pause in fighting in Gaza was due to end at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Thursday and follows the release on Wednesday evening of a group of 16 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners.
לאור מאמצי המתווכים להמשך תהליך שחרור החטופים ובכפוף לתנאי ההסכם, ההפוגה תמשך
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 30, 2023
Updated at 07:18 GMT
04.39 GMT
An emotional meeting took place between freed Thai hostages and the Thai foreign minister.
Four Thai workers were released late Wednesday, bringing the total number released to 23. Two others were released on Tuesday and taken to Shamir Medical Center, where they hugged each other upon arrival.
“We survived! We survived!” They cheered and one of them wiped away tears.
“We are not part of the conflict,” said the Foreign Minister. Parnpree Bahiddha Nukarahe said in a Portal interview after his meeting with workers on Tuesday. He said there were no conditions for their release.
Thailand’s foreign minister said he hoped the remaining hostages would be released from his country soon. Read our full story here.
Thailand’s foreign minister greets hostages freed by Hamas in emotional meeting
Updated at 07:19 GMT