The mediators of the Gaza ceasefire are trying to keep the truce on track. On Friday 13 November, the intelligence chiefs of Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye met in Cairo to review the situation in the Palestinian territory, Egypt's MENA news agency reported, as quoted by Xinhua.
The next day, 18 Arab and Muslim-majority countries issued a joint statement condemning an Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
What the mediators agreed in Cairo
According to the account published by MENA, the three officials agreed to:
- advance and complete the first phase of the ceasefire agreement;
- halt attacks in the Gaza Strip;
- increase humanitarian aid, as bad weather worsens living conditions for displaced people;
- demand an immediate halt to Israeli violations of the agreement.
They called for concrete steps without delay. The names of the officials present were not given in the reports consulted.
A ceasefire in force since October 2025
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, has been in force since 10 October 2025. Its first phase provided for an exchange of prisoners and detainees, the entry of aid and a partial Israeli withdrawal.
The stage reached is unclear. Egypt Daily News states that a move to the second phase was announced on 15 January, despite difficulties. The Cairo statement, however, speaks of advancing and completing the first phase. The sources consulted do not explain this difference.
Condemnation of the strike on Nasser hospital
The 18 countries, which were not individually named in the reports consulted, condemned an Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex, the main hospital in the south of the Strip. The strike took place overnight around 12 November. It caused casualties among patients and medical staff, according to the statement.
The signatory countries called for compliance with:
- the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement;
- the US president's plan for Gaza;
- UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
They also asked the United States and the Board of Peace to press for the unhindered entry of aid. Israel's account of the strike is not included in the sources consulted.
Figures from the Gaza authorities
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported 16 people killed in 48 hours and a total of 74,695 deaths since 8 October 2023. A drone strike in Jabalia, in the north, killed two people. These figures could not be independently verified.
The Gaza Government Media Office, which is run by Hamas, gives the following tally of the ceasefire as of 2 November:
- 5,989 violations attributed to Israel;
- more than 1,590 people killed and more than 5,740 injured;
- 217 people detained;
- 77,657 aid lorries entered, out of 232,800 planned, about a third.
Aid still well below what was planned
The gap between planned and delivered aid is at the heart of the mediators' demands. With the arrival of winter rains, humanitarian organisations warn of the situation of displaced families living in tents and damaged buildings. The Cairo meeting explicitly mentioned the weather as a reason to increase deliveries.
What remains to be confirmed
- Which phase of the agreement is actually in progress, as the sources differ.
- The identity of the 18 signatory countries and of the officials present in Cairo.
- Israel's version of the strike on Nasser hospital and the exact number of victims.
Main image: aid lorries at the Zikim crossing point, November 2025 (file photo) — U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Ito, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
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