Tens of thousands of Moroccans gathered in Casablanca on Sunday to demand a lasting cease-fire in Gaza and the suspension of diplomatic relations with Israel. Despite the once-growing ties between Morocco and Israel since their normalization in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, the recent Palestinian conflict  has strained their relationship.

The demonstration in Casablanca saw participants waving Palestinian flags and urging Rabat to sever ties with Israel. Socialist MP Nabila Mounib emphasized the need for a permanent cease-fire, advocating for peace and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem.

Hassan Bahadou, representing the anti-normalization alliance of leftist parties and Islamists that organized the protest, condemned what he described as the silence of Arab regimes allied with Israel.

While pro-Palestinian demonstrations had been on the decline in Morocco in recent years, the Gaza war has sparked a resurgence in activism. Moroccan cardiologist Safae Abderazzak participated in the protest to denounce Israeli aggression against Palestinians and fellow doctors in Gaza.

The four-day truce that began on Friday marked a temporary halt to the conflict between Hamas and Israel, triggered by an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7. The conflict resulted in casualties on both sides, with Hamas raids into southern Israel killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials. Israel, in reprisal, bombarded the densely populated Gaza Strip, resulting in a significant number of casualties.

As part of the truce, Hamas released 39 Israelis and 19 foreign and dual-national hostages on Friday, in exchange for the liberation of 117 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The situation remains complex, with ongoing concerns about the prospects for lasting peace in the region.

Read Also: Hamas Ceasefire Success: 24 Hostages Freed on Day One in Gaza

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In Gaza on Friday, the initial group of hostages was liberated, marking a day of heightened tensions. Despite relief, concerns about the future lingered, following weeks of unyielding violence in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Hamas released a total of 24 hostages as part of a deal facilitating a temporary cessation of hostilities. The liberated individuals comprised 13 Israelis, 10 Thais, and a Philippine national. This agreement also encompasses the release of Palestinians detained by Israel.

Across Israel, there were jubilant celebrations, while Gaza experienced a day of relative calm after enduring significant casualties. Despite the optimism for a more enduring ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed his commitment to continue Israel’s campaign to dismantle Hamas.

The 13 Israelis, including very young children, who were held hostage by Hamas have safely returned to Israel. Recognition from friends and neighbors from their kibbutz communities marked their arrival. The release occurred on the first day of a four-day ceasefire, bringing relief to families in Israel and the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have endured intensive Israeli bombardment.

In addition to the Israeli hostages, 39 Palestinian prisoners, including 24 women and 15 teenagers, were released by Israel. Some of the released Palestinians had not seen their families for many years.

The four-day ceasefire, the first break in seven weeks of conflict in Gaza, offers hope for a more lasting pause in the violence. As part of the agreement, Hamas is set to release at least 50 of the approximately 240 hostages it has held since launching attacks in October. In return, Israel will release at least 150 Palestinian prisoners and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the return of the hostages but emphasized the commitment to securing the release of all hostages as one of the war’s aims.

The Israeli offensive on Gaza has resulted in a significant death toll, with more than 14,000 people, including thousands of children, according to Palestinian officials. The ceasefire, while initially showing signs of fragility, has brought relative calm to much of Gaza.

In a surprising development, the Thai prime minister announced the release of Thai hostages, believed to be farm workers employed in communities around Gaza. The hostages were transferred out of Gaza and handed over to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing, accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

“The deep pain experienced by family members separated from their loved ones is indescribable. Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC’s regional director for the Near and Middle East, expressed relief at the reunification of some hostages after prolonged agony. The Israeli military conducted an initial medical assessment on the hostages within Israeli territory. Subsequently, they were flown to medical facilities across Israel for reunification with their families. Families and supporters in Tel Aviv celebrated the return.

The families’ vocal campaign played a significant role in pressuring Prime Minister Netanyahu to agree to a deal with Hamas, an organization he has vowed to ‘crush.’ Ziv Agmon, a legal adviser to Netanyahu’s office, expressed hope for a positive outcome and assured that Israel would follow the agreement.

Hamas’s main political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, affirmed the group’s commitment to the truce and hostage swap, contingent on Israel’s commitment. In the occupied West Bank, families eagerly awaited news of the prisoners to be released. Israeli security forces used tear gas on crowds outside Ofer Prison, where the freed prisoners were expected.

Originally scheduled for Thursday afternoon, the exchange was delayed due to last-minute logistical issues resolved during 24 hours of frantic diplomacy. The agreement includes restrictions on Israeli military flights over Gaza, and Israel has committed not to arrest anyone in Gaza during the truce, according to Hamas. If the initial exchanges go well, there may be further releases on both sides, and some sources suggest the ceasefire could last up to 10 days.”

Aid trucks from Egypt began entering the Gaza Strip approximately 90 minutes after the ceasefire commenced at 5 am local time. However, humanitarian officials noted that the aid provided was only a fraction of what was needed, and concerns were raised about the almost total blockade of Gaza by Israel leading to severe shortages of essentials and “catastrophic” conditions.

Medical facilities in Gaza have been extensively damaged, and doctors are struggling to treat a high number of seriously injured casualties with inadequate supplies. The ceasefire, mediated by Qatar, the US, and Egypt, was reached after lengthy and complex talks, coming more than six weeks after the conflict began.

Swaths of northern Gaza have been destroyed, displacing up to 1 million people. Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters, although evidence for this count has not been presented. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) cautioned Gaza residents that the humanitarian pause is temporary, emphasizing the northern Gaza Strip as a dangerous war zone.

Despite warnings, some Palestinians in southern Gaza attempted to return to their homes in the north at the start of the ceasefire, facing obstacles from Israeli troops. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant described the ceasefire as a short respite, anticipating intense fighting to continue after its conclusion. He mentioned the expectation of at least another two months of fighting.

On Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, there was calm, a day after Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, carried out the highest number of attacks in one day since fighting began on October 8. While Hezbollah is not a party to the ceasefire agreement, it was widely expected to halt its attacks.

Read Also: Gaza Truce: Morocco Supports and Calls for Palestinian State

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Morocco, through its Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita, expressed satisfaction on November 23, 2023, following the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza starting Friday between Israel and Hamas. The agreement also involves the release of some Palestinian hostages and prisoners.

In a press briefing attended by Abdoulaye Bathily, the Special Representative for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Bourita stated, “We welcomed this agreement with satisfaction, hoping that the parties achieve a long-lasting and durable truce and ceasefire.”

This positive development aligns with Morocco’s commitment to regional stability and highlights its diplomatic engagement in the pursuit of peace. The statement underscores the Kingdom’s hope for a sustained period of calm and cooperation between the involved parties.

The Foreign Affairs Minister emphasized King Mohammed VI’s repeated appeals, urging conflict parties to commence a de-escalation process in the ongoing Gaza war. The aim is to establish a lasting ceasefire, enabling the distribution of crucial aid to the distressed residents of Gaza. This aligns with Morocco’s commitment to regional stability and humanitarian efforts.

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Read Also: Libya : UN Special Rep Credits Morocco for Electoral Success

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced that his office received a referral from South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, and Djibouti. The referral requests an investigation into potential crimes committed in the Palestinian territories during Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas terror attacks.

Khan explained, ‘In accordance with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, a State Party may refer to the Prosecutor a situation in which one or more crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court appear to have been committed, requesting the Prosecutor to investigate the situation.’

He clarified that his office was already investigating the situation in the Palestinian territories, focusing on possible crimes since June 2014 in Gaza and the West Bank. This ongoing investigation was initiated in March 2021.

“It is ongoing and extends to the escalation of hostilities and violence since the attacks that took place on 7 October 2023,” Khan said. “In accordance with the Rome Statute, my Office has jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of a State Party and with respect to the nationals of States Parties.”

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Israeli Army Enters Al-Chifa Hospital in Gaza – Concerns Rise for Palestinian Civilians. UN and NGOs Express Alarm over Civilian Situation in Northern Palestinian Enclave amid Ongoing Israeli Military Operations.

At the 40th day of the war between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli army announced early Wednesday a ‘targeted operation against Hamas in a specific section of Al-Chifa Hospital’ in the northern Gaza Strip, as stated in a press release. Israeli soldiers are questioning individuals, including patients and doctors, within the hospital, while tanks and troop carriers surround the complex.

While the UN and NGOs express concerns about the situation of civilians in hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip, the focal point of Israeli military operations, the Israeli army stated that it has dispatched ‘Arabic-speaking and trained medical teams’ for this ‘complex’ environment to ensure ‘no harm is caused to civilians.

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In Al-Chifa Hospital, Youssef Abou Rich, the Hamas Deputy Health Minister, informed AFP that ‘dozens of Israeli soldiers and commandos’ were present ‘in the emergency and reception’ areas, with ‘tanks entering the hospital complex.’ He pleaded for immediate intervention from the UN and the international community to halt this operation.

With thousands, including the sick, medical staff, and war-displaced civilians, crowded into Al-Chifa Hospital, doctors and international NGOs state that none can leave without risking being targeted by gunfire, amidst ongoing clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters.

The war triggered on October 7 by the Hamas attack has resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties, the majority being civilians, according to Israeli authorities. About 240 hostages and prisoners have been abducted and taken to Gaza, as reported by the army.

In retaliation, Israel has relentlessly shelled the Gaza Strip and launched a ground operation on October 27. Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of 11,320 people, predominantly civilians, including 4,650 children, according to the Hamas Health Ministry.

During the night, the Hamas Health Ministry stated that the Israeli army had notified the hospital of its intention to carry out an operation. ‘We hold the occupation, the international community, and the United States entirely responsible for the safety of thousands of medical team members, the wounded, and the displaced within the compound. We warn against a massacre at the hospital,’ the ministry had indicated.

The Israeli army contends that Al-Chifa Hospital harbors strategic infrastructure of Hamas, accusing the group of using the population as ‘human shields,’ a claim echoed by the United States, Israel’s main ally. Palestinian officials, including the Gaza Health Ministry, vehemently deny this and have repeatedly called for the visit of ‘international investigative commissions.’

‘The adoption of the false narrative by the White House and the Pentagon, asserting that the resistance is using Al-Chifa for military purposes, has given the occupation the green light to commit further massacres against civilians,’ stated Hamas.

Al-Chifa’s director, Mohammed Abou Salmiya, reported on Tuesday that at least ‘179 bodies’ had to be buried in a mass grave. ‘There are bodies scattered in the hospital complex, and the morgue refrigeration units are no longer powered,’ he also told AFP before the Israeli operation in the hospital.

The pressure is mounting in Israel for the government to secure the release of hostages. The Families of Hostages and Missing Persons Forum demanded on Tuesday evening that the government approve an agreement in this regard. Earlier, about a hundred relatives of hostages had started a march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, heading to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Simultaneously, an Egyptian television report indicated that the head of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, had discussed ‘the prisoner exchange file’ in Cairo, especially as two hostages were recently released by Hamas through Egyptian territory.

On Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister mentioned the possibility of an agreement to free hostages. However, Hamas later accused Israel of ‘hesitating’ on the release.

In Gaza, under complete Israeli siege since October 9, the humanitarian situation is dire, as per NGOs. The population is deprived of water, electricity, food, and medicine supplies. Humanitarian aid trickles in from neighboring Egypt.

In recent days, tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled the northern Gaza Strip, turned into a field of ruins, following Israel’s opening of ‘corridors’ for evacuation. According to the UN, over 1.6 million of the territory’s 2.4 million inhabitants have been displaced by the war.

In the southern part of the territory, also affected by Israeli airstrikes, hundreds of thousands of displaced people are crowded near the border with Egypt, close to the Rafah crossing point. This is the only exit from the Palestinian enclave not controlled by Israel, and conditions there are extremely harsh.

Read Also: Morocco Condemns Israeli Bombing of Qatar’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee HQ

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