what to remember from Monday, November 20

On the sidelines of a ceremony at the White House on Monday, Joe Biden said he “believed” that an agreement was close to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The war between Israel and Hamas entered its 45th day, Monday, November 20. And while the Israeli army estimates that around 240 people were taken hostage during the attacks perpetrated by the Islamist group Hamas on October 7, the President of the United States declared “believe” that an agreement was close to release them. Franceinfo takes stock of what to remember from the day on the front of the war in the Middle East.

US president ‘believes’ deal to release hostages is near

Joe Biden said “believe” that an agreement was close to release hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, on the sidelines of a ceremony at the White House. A journalist asked him the following question: “Is a hostage release agreement near?” The American president responded: “I believe !” The Israeli military estimates that around 240 people were taken hostage during attacks by the Islamist group Hamas on October 7.

The Red Cross announces that its president met with the leader of Hamas in Qatar

The Red Cross announced in the evening that its president, Mirjana Spoljaric, had traveled to Qatar to meet the leader of Hamas, Ismaïl Haniyeh, in order to“advance on humanitarian issues linked to the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza”. This visit comes as Qatar, which is mediating to try to obtain the release of Israeli hostages, assured Sunday that only obstacles remained “very minor” with a view to reaching an agreement.

Israeli strike hits hospital in Gaza Strip, says Hamas

At least “12 patients and their relatives” were killed and “dozens injured” in an Israeli strike on the Indonesian hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, said Ashraf al-Qidreh, spokesman for the Hamas health ministry. An assessment impossible to confirm independently.

Around 200 patients were evacuated from this hospital, in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), announced Ashraf al-Qidreh. There are 400 patients remaining in the facility, he added.

Twenty-eight premature babies arrived in Egypt

Twenty-eight newborns hospitalized at al-Chifa hospital in Gaza arrived in Egypt, after leaving the enclave via the Rafah crossing, according to the World Health Organization. The latter, who participated in the evacuation of infants, had compared the Gazan hospital to “a death zone”.

The head of the organization said that 12 of these babies had been transported to Cairo. Three premature babies are still hospitalized in the south of the Palestinian territory.

A field hospital was delivered to Gaza

A field hospital from Jordan, the first of its kind since the start of the war, has arrived in the Gaza Strip. Forty trucks containing equipment and 17 Jordanian caregivers and technicians entered from Egypt through the Rafah terminal. The hospital is to be set up in Khan Younes, in the south of the Palestinian enclave.