President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the head of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan are working with Qatar on the release of hostages held by Hamas, as he highlighted the importance of establishing an independent Palestinian state for permanent peace in the region.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Erdoğan said Türkiye was striving to make progress in the release of hostages as Israel continues to incessantly bomb civilians in the Gaza Strip.
“Türkiye hopes to achieve positive results on hostage exchange as soon as possible,” the president said, adding that Türkiye was in constant communication.
Erdoğan noted that Türkiye’s priority is a permanent cease-fire and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza. He rejected Israeli attacks, which he said constituted collective punishment of innocent civilians and amounted to war crimes.
“Attacks on hospitals, places of worship, and facilities in Gaza that should be protected as well as the forced displacement of people amount to inhumanity, barbarity,” the president said.
Türkiye unequivocally rejects Israeli attacks in Gaza, which constitute collective punishment, war crimes,
Algerian and Turkish leaders signed several bilateral agreements, including a contract with Sonatrach to supply gas.
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The Chinese President has again reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire of all parties in the Israel-Hamas conflict and for the release of detained civilians.
He made the comments while speaking Tuesday to a BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israel issue.
“Under the current situation, it is timely and necessary for BRICS to sound a voice of justice and peace on the Palestine-Israel question,” Xi said, according to a readout from state news agency Xinhua.
Xi also called for all violence and attacks on civilians to be stopped, steps to be taken to ensure the safe and smooth passage of humanitarian relief, the provision of more humanitarian aid to people in Gaza and halting the “collective punishment” on the people of Gaza through forced migration and cutting off water, electricity and oil supplies.
“I have stressed multiple times that the ultimate way to solve the recurring conflicts between Palestine and Israel is the ‘two state solution’,” Xi said, adding that without a just resolution to the Palestine question, there will be no lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
The emergency virtual summit was attended by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
South Africa chaired the virtual summit. The South African presidency said leaders of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates were also invited to attend and speak.
https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-11-21-23/index.html
Israel’s war cabinet has been meeting as the contours of a hostage deal become clearer.
A senior Israeli official, speaking to the BBC, suggests an agreement would involve the release by Hamas of around 12 hostages per day – reaching up to 50 – in return for a four-day ceasefire.
Elsewhere, it’s been reported Israel would free up to 150 Palestinian prisoners it holds – with women and children the focus of releases by both sides.
The potential release of Palestinian detainees explains why the wider Israeli government is also meeting tonight – as it would have to sign this off.
The measure could also be open to legal appeal, although it’s said this could be carried out within 24 hours.
The senior Israeli official said all the Israeli security bodies – the IDF, the spy agency Mossad, and the domestic intelligence agency the Shin Bet, were in favour of the deal.
The official said: “Within four days, 50 people, Israelis who are alive, [would] be released. In addition, maybe Hamas will release Thais unilaterally. At most it will reach 80 people.”
This is from BBC