Israel-Hamas cease-fire nears end as dozens of hostages released: The Morning Rundown, Nov. 27, 2023

AS ISRAEL AND HAMAS PREPARE FOR THE FINAL DAY OF THE LIMITED CEASE-FIRE, THERE ARE TALKS OF EXTENDING THE DEAL

AND — THE WORLD’S LARGEST ICEBERG – GROUNDED FOR DECADES — IS ON THE MOVE

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH

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I’M SHANNON LONGWORTH.

AS ISRAEL AND HAMAS PREPARE FOR THE FINAL DAY OF THE FOUR-DAY CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT – THE TWO SIDES APPEAR TO BE OPEN TO EXTENDING THE HOSTAGE RELEASE DEAL.

SINCE FRIDAY – HAMAS HAS RELEASED DOZENS OF HOSTAGES – MOSTLY ISRAELI WOMEN AND CHILDREN — AS WELL AS FOREIGN NATIONALS.

IN EXCHANGE — ISRAEL HAS RELEASED MORE THAN 100 IMPRISONED PALESTINIAN WOMEN AND TEENAGERS – AND ALLOWED FOR MORE HUMANITARIAN AID TO ENTER GAZA.

TODAY A FOURTH EXCHANGE IS EXPECTED THAT WOULD SEE A TOTAL OF 50 HOSTAGES FREED BY HAMAS AND 150 PALESTINIANS RELEASED BY ISRAEL.

ISRAEL HAS SAID IT WOULD EXTEND THE PAUSE IN FIGHTING BY ONE DAY FOR EVERY 10 ADDITIONAL HOSTAGES RELEASED.

HAMAS ISSUED A STATEMENT SUNDAY SAYING IT IS LOOKING TO EXTEND THE SHORT-TERM PEACE AGREEMENT BY QUOTE “SERIOUSLY SEEKING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF THOSE RELEASED FROM IMPRISONMENT.”

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU RESPONDED SUNDAY EVENING – SAYING AN EXTENSION IN THE PAUSE IN FIGHTING WOULD BE QUOTE “WELCOME.”

HE SAID HOWEVER AFTER THE AGREEMENT ENDS – ISRAEL WOULD CONTINUE ITS MISSION OF “ELIMINATING” HAMAS.

ON SUNDAY – HAMAS RELEASED MORE THAN A DOZEN MORE HOSTAGES – INCLUDING 4-YEAR-OLD ABIGAIL MOR EDAN (MOORE E-DON) – WHOSE PARENTS WERE KILLED IN HAMAS’ TERROR ATTACK ON ISRAEL.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SPOKE AFTER THE NEWS OF HER RELEASE.

Biden: “Abigail was among 13 hostages released today from Gaza under the brokered and sustained, though intensive U.S. diplomacy. She’s now safely in Israel and we continue to press and expect for additional Americans will be released as well. And we will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones.”

U.S. OFFICIALS THIS MORNING ARE NOT SAYING IF AN ATTACK ON A COMMERCIAL CARGO SHIP BY PIRATES NEAR SOMALIA ON SUNDAY WAS RELATED TO THE GROWING TENSIONS IN THE REGION.. THE U.S. NAVY INTERVENED TO STOP THE HIJACKING. OFFICIALS SAY TWO BALLISTIC MISSILES WERE FIRED HOURS LATER AT THE NAVY DESTROYER THAT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE THE MISSILES WERE FIRED FROM THE PART OF YEMEN THAT IS CONTROLLED BY IRANIAN-BACKED HOUTHI REBELS. THE U.S. IS INVESTIGATING IRAN’S POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT.

POLICE IN BURLINGTON VERMONT HAVE ARRESTED A SUSPECT IN THE SHOOTING OF THREE STUDENTS OF PALESTINIAN DESCENT WHO WERE WOUNDED NEAR THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT ON SATURDAY.

THE SUSPECT — IDENTIFIED AS FORTY EIGHT YEAR OLD JASON J. EATON – IS SET TO BE ARRAIGNED TODAY IN CONNECTION WITH THE SHOOTING.

POLICE SAY THE THREE STUDENTS – ALL MEN IN THEIR TWENTIES WHO ATTEND OTHER U.S. COLLEGES – WERE SHOT OUTSIDE THE HOME OF ONE OF THE VICTIM’S RELATIVES THEY WERE VISITING OVER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. THE SHOOTING SCENE WAS ALSO NEAR EATON’S APARTMENT BUILDING.

POLICE SAY THE GUNMAN FIRED HIS WEAPON AT LEAST FOUR TIMES – WITHOUT SPEAKING.

TWO OF THE STUDENTS WERE WEARING TRADITIONAL PALESTINIAN SCARVES AT THE TIME.

AUTHORITIES SAY TWO OF THE VICTIMS ARE U.S. CITIZENS — THE THIRD IS A LEGAL RESIDENT.

ONE OF THE STUDENTS SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES – THE OTHERS ARE IN STABLE CONDITION.

AUTHORITIES SAY THEY ARE INVESTIGATING WHETHER THE SHOOTING WAS A HATE CRIME.

IN A LETTER TO HIS DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES SUNDAY — SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER LAID OUT HIS PLAN TO BRING A NATIONAL SECURITY PACKAGE TO THE SENATE FLOOR.

THE BILL WOULD INCLUDE FUNDING FOR BOTH UKRAINE AND ISRAEL  — AND COULD BE BROUGHT TO A VOTE AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK.

THIS COMES FOLLOWING REPUBLICAN HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON’S ATTEMPT AT PUSHING THROUGH AN AID PACKAGE TO ISRAEL WHILE SLASHING IRS FUNDING – THAT PACKAGE PASSED THE HOUSE BUT WAS QUICKLY REJECTED BY THE SENATE.

FOR THE SENATE TO PASS ANY SORT OF FUNDING FOR ISRAEL AND UKRAINE – SENATE REPUBLICANS INSIST IT MUST INCLUDE STRICTER BORDER POLICIES – AN ISSUE SCHUMER SAYS IS HYPER-PARTISAN.

SCHUMER ADDED THAT HIS GOAL IS TO BRING THE PACKAGE TO A VOTE THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 4TH – FOLLOWING AN ALL-SENATORS BRIEFING ON UKRAINE.

PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THE U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE IN DUBAI LATER THIS WEEK – ACCORDING TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

WORLD LEADERS FROM NEARLY 200 COUNTRIES ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND.

BIDEN HAS ATTENDED THE CONFERENCE THE PAST TWO YEARS.

THOUGH NO REASON HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR BIDEN’S ABSENCE – SENIOR WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS HAVE POINTED TO THE PRESIDENT BEING CONSUMED IN RECENT WEEKS WITH THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS IS ALSO NOT EXPECTED TO BE AT THE CONFERENCE – THOUGH U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE JOHN KERRY AND OTHER TOP OFFICIALS ARE SCHEDULED TO ATTEND.

IN DUBAI — NATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DISCUSS AMONG OTHER TOPICS — WHETHER TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON PHASING OUT FOSSIL FUELS.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST ICEBERG — ROUGHLY THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF NEW YORK CITY —  IS DRIFTING OUT OF ARCTIC WATERS AFTER BEING GROUNDED TO THE OCEAN FLOOR FOR DECADES.

THE ICEBERG DUBBED A-23-A BY SCIENTISTS —  DETACHED FROM AN ANTARCTIC ICE SHELF IN 1986 BUT GOT STUCK TO THE OCEAN FLOOR.

SCIENTISTS SAY THAT THE ICEBERG – BEING PUSHED BY THE WIND AND CURRENTS – HAS BEEN MOVING FASTER AND FASTER MAKING ITS WAY PASSED THE NORTHERN TIP OF THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA.

THE REASON BEHIND THE ICEBERG’S SUDDEN MOVEMENT IS UNCLEAR — BUT SCIENTISTS SAY IT IS LESS LIKELY DUE TO CHANGING WATER TEMPERATURES, WITH A SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS THAT EVENTUALLY IT WOULD DECREASE IN SIZE AND LOSE ITS GRIP ON THE OCEAN FLOOR.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – A THREE-YEAR CRUISE ON THE OPEN SEAS SOUNDED LIKE PARADISE FOR THE PASSENGERS WHO BOOKED LIFE AT SEAS CRUISES’ INAUGURAL VOYAGE. HOWEVER WITH JUST DAYS TO GO BEFORE THE DEPARTURE DATE – THE DREAM TRIP OF A LIFETIME WAS CANCELED.

PASSENGERS WHO WERE WILLING TO SPEND ALMOST THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR WERE PROMISED A TRIP THAT WOULD COVER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND MILES, NEARLY 400 PORTS AND OVER 130 COUNTRIES.

THE THREE-YEAR CRUISE WAS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN AMSTERDAM ON NOVEMBER 30TH – WHICH WAS THE THIRD DEPARTURE DATE TOLD TO PASSENGERS AFTER DELAYS.

ON NOVEMBER 17TH — PASSENGERS WERE NOTIFIED BY THE TURKEY-BASED COMPANY THAT THE CRUISE WAS NOT HAPPENING.

THE COMPANY ADMITTING IT HAD NO SHIP – ANOTHER CRUISE COMPANY HAD PURCHASED THE VESSEL IT WAS PLANNING TO USE.

SOME PASSENGERS REMAIN IN ISTANBUL – THE ORIGINAL DEPARTURE LOCATION – SAYING THEY SOLD THEIR HOMES IN ANTICIPATION OF THEIR MULTI-YEAR JOURNEY.

THE COMPANY HAS SAID IT WOULD ISSUE REFUNDS – IN MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS BEGINNING NEXT MONTH.

AND IT WOULD PAY FOR FLIGHTS FOR PASSENGERS STILL STRANDED IN ISTANBUL.

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UNTIL THEN I’M SHANNON LONGWORTH. HAVE A GREAT DAY!