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Middle East conflict

No word on evacuations as fighting resumes in Gaza — Russian mission

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that the evacuation campaign via the Rafah crossing had been suspended "due to the exchanges of people held by the sides"

MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. The humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip is over but it is not clear when evacuations will resume, Aliya Zaripova, a spokeswoman for the Russian mission to the Palestinian National Authority, told TASS.

"The humanitarian pause has ended, combat operations have resumed but nothing is known about evacuations," she said when asked when the evacuation of Russian nationals from the Gaza Strip could continue.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that the evacuation campaign via the Rafah crossing had been suspended "due to the exchanges of people held by the sides." She stressed that Russia hoped "for the soonest resumption" of the evacuation efforts.

On November 22, Hamas announced an agreement with Israel, which was brokered by Egypt and Qatar, on a four-day humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire took effect at 7:00 a.m. local time (5:00 a.m. GMT) on November 24. The deal stipulated the release of Israeli women and children being held hostage in Gaza in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.

Israel said it was ready to extend the truce for an additional day in exchange for the release of ten more hostages, vowing to free 30 Palestinian prisoners every time. However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on the morning of December 1 that Hamas had violated the truce in Gaza and opened fire on Israeli territory, thus prompting the IDF to resume combat operations in the Gaza Strip.

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