Israel and Hamas Agree to Temporary Ceasefire
Last week, a four-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas mediated by Qatar was announced. The ceasefire began Friday, Nov. 24 and, on Monday, was extended for two more days. As stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, Israel halted all military action in Gaza. By the fourth day of the ceasefire, 50 Israeli hostages captured by Hamas were released, and 150 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons. Furthermore, Israel stated that, for every additional 10 hostages released, the ceasefire would be extended a day. This ceasefire allowed for trucks carrying humanitarian aid, medical supplies, and fuel to enter Gaza. As of Wednesday, Israel has released over 200 women and children, and as of Thursday 83 Israeli citizens and 24 foreign nationals have been released by Hamas. Around 140 hostages still remain in Gaza, according to the Israeli government.
Largest Rainstorm in the Dominican Republic’s History Causes the Displacement of Thousands
Over the weekend of Nov. 18–19, the Dominican Republic suffered a massive rainstorm. At least 21 people have been killed because of the storm, nine of them being struck by a highway wall that collapsed due to the heavy floods. The rainfall event has caused disruption of communication and power outages, and has damaged bridges and roads. More than 13,000 people have had to relocate to find a secure location from the floods. Dominican President Luis
Abinader urged people to take more serious action towards climate change.
Journalists Returned Unharmed After Abduction in Mexico
Silvia Nayssa Arce, Alberto Sanchez, and Marco Antonio Toledo, three journalists from the digital publication Red Siete, faced abduction this past week. All three were found unharmed on Saturday, Nov. 23 after a search operation in the south of Guerrero, Mexico. Toledo was abducted on Nov. 19 in Taxco, Mexico. His wife, Guadalupe Denora, and their son were abducted as well; as of Nov. 26 Denora has been released, but their son is still missing. Nayssa and Sanchez were abducted from their offices on Nov. 22. There have been at least five murders of journalists this year in Mexico, and 150 murders of journalists in Mexico since 2000.
New Ecuadorian President Promises Safer Country
Daniel Noboa was sworn into the presidency in Ecuador Nov. 23. Noboa promised a safer country and the creation of more jobs amidst the bloody drug war the country has faced. Noboa will only be serving 18 months as president, finishing the term of Ecuador’s former president Guillermo Lasso, who called elections to avoid impeachment. Violence has been prevalent in the last few years because of drug trafficking groups. About 3,600 people have been murdered this year due to drug violence. According to Al Jazeera, “Noboa has said he will implement a state of emergency, suspend some citizen rights such as freedom of movement, and deploy the military to the streets”; since the start of his presidency, he has “allied himself with the leftist movement of former President Rafael Correa and the right-wing Social Christian Party.”
41 People Rescued From Silkyara Tunnel after 17 days
The Silkyara Bend–Barkot tunnel in India collapsed on Nov. 12 for undetermined reasons. 41 low-wage workers were trapped for a total of 17 days. The workers were able to receive medical care, food, and oxygen through pipes and holes drilled into the cave site. Rescuing the workers required manual excavation of the debris. The Silkyara Bend–Barkot tunnel is three miles long and located in an area that is susceptible to landslides, earthquakes, and floods, which could have caused the collapse of the tunnel. The construction of this tunnel is part of a project to connect four Hindu pilgrimage sites through a system of roads.
