NEWS GLEAMS | Truce in Gaza Extended; $27M in Participatory Budgeting Process Projects Announced

A roundup of news and announcements we don't want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

Truce in Gaza Extended After 4 Days of Successful Hostage and Prisoner Releases

2-Day Extension of the Truce

Following the fourth day of a humanitarian truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, Hamas has released 50 hostages over four days — from the estimated 240 people who it took during its initial Oct. 7 attack — in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners who have been held under Israeli custody for variable amounts of time. In addition to the Israeli hostages stipulated by the initial truce deal, Hamas has also released additional citizens from a number of other countries, including 17 Thai, 1 Filipino, 1 Russian Israeli, and 1 American, who is a 4-year-old girl.

Under the initial terms, Israel has stated it will be willing to extend the pause in fighting one added day for each additional 10 hostages released by Hamas. Hamas, the Qatari government, and the Egyptian government have announced today that the temporary cease-fire will be extended by an additional two days. Within those two days, an additional 20 hostages will be released by Hamas; Israel will release an additional 60 Palestinian prisoners in response.

As of the time of reporting by South Seattle Emerald, Hamas, Qatar, and Egypt have confirmed the two-day extension; Israel has yet to comment through official channels. If successful, the temporary truce will extend from Tuesday morning to Thursday morning.

Hostage and Prisoner Exchanges

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has served as an intermediary party throughout this process of hostage and prisoner exchange. Once Hamas releases its hostages, they are picked up by the ICRC, which transfers them to the Rafah border crossing shared with Egypt. From there, the hostages are transported to Israeli hospitals based on the level of care they may require. Israel then releases its prisoners to Israel-controlled prisons in the occupied West Bank or other similar sites.

As the Hamas-held hostages are released back onto Israeli territory, Israeli citizens and the families of hostages have enjoyed street celebrations in Tel Aviv and near Israeli military bases. In contrast, Palestinians have been warned by Israel that they are not allowed to celebrate the release of Palestinian prisoners, whether that be on social media, inside their houses, or outside of their houses. Journalists covering the releases have also been deterred from coverage. During an Oct. 25 release of Palestinian prisoners, the Associated Press (AP) reported, "The Israeli government has ordered police to shut down celebrations over the release. Israeli security forces at one point unleashed tear gas canisters on the crowds, sending young men, old women and small children sprinting away as they wept and screamed in pain."

Palestinian prisoners have alleged widespread abuse and mistreatment while in Israeli custody, whether the prisoners are children or adults. Many of those who have been released were arrested when they were only teenagers — often for minor crimes, such as throwing rocks — and have spoken of being brutally beaten or witnessing the deaths of other Palestinians. "Our happiness is not complete because there are other captives still in detention," a Palestinian teen told Al Jazeera on Sunday, after citing a captive who was beaten to death while in Israeli custody. "He was subjected to too much beating. We cried for help, but doctors arrived after an hour and a half after he was already dead from torture."

Most hostages released by Hamas have been "in good condition, able to walk and speak normally," according to reporting from AP. However, at least two have required more serious medical attention — including an 84-year-old woman with "a pre-existing condition that had not been treated properly in captivity" — and many have described being held in dark spaces with minimal food, lack of showers, and uncomfortable sleeping quarters. Freed hostages have also been able to share updates about those who are still being held by Hamas, as many of the hostages were kept in shared quarters. As Haaretz reported, "Some freed hostages have talked with family members of Israelis who are still held by Hamas in Gaza, informed them about their relatives' state of health and shared details of the conditions under which they are being held."

Humanitarian Aid Access

Humanitarian aid convoys have been able to enter Gaza within this cease-fire period at numbers unseen up until this point, as the entire Gaza Strip has been under Israeli blockades since Oct. 7. The blockades have forbidden most food, water, fuel, and medicine from entering Gaza, leading to widespread starvation and a lack of clean water or medical facilities.

Though United Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres described the current period as "a glimpse of hope and humanity," international humanitarian agencies have warned that the aid is not enough and that a longer cease-fire is necessary to address the humanitarian crisis. Guterres has also called for aid to travel through other Israeli crossings to help facilitate and expedite services.

After the Temporary Truce

While a Hamas official has stated hopes the temporary truce might eventually lead to the end of the war, a number of high-ranking Israeli officials have long vowed the war will resume as soon as the pause is lifted. Today, Yoav Gallant, Israel's defense minister, assured their troops that following the truce, fighting will expand. The "strength will be greater, and it will take place throughout the entire strip," he said. "You now have a few days, we will return to fighting, we will use the same amount of power and more."

President Joe Biden has vowed the U.S. "will not stop until we get these hostages brought home and an answer to their whereabouts." He also continues to reiterate his support for a "two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can one day live side by side in a two states solution with equal measure of freedom and dignity."

$27M in Participatory Budgeting Process Projects Announced for The People's Budget

Through ranked-choice voting, six project proposals will soon receive funding through the City's new participatory budget process, called The People's Budget. Participatory budgeting processes allow community members to democratically decide how to spend a portion of public funds. With a budget of $27M, this Seattle program is one of the largest participatory budgeting processes in the nation.

Votes were cast on Sunday, Nov. 12, and 4,000 voters decided to award full funding to five top projects and partial funding for a sixth. The funded projects are:

• Native Youth: Past, Present, Future ($7.2 million):A Duwamish-centered community center that will offer a number of programs focused on facilitating connections among urban Native community members, education, cultural preservation, well-being, and more.
• People Not Police Crisis Response Team ($2 million)A trauma-informed program that will serve as an alternative to policing by providing trained mental health professionals as first responders for mental health crises.
• 24/7 Public Restrooms ($7.2 million)Investments in increased numbers of 24-hour bathrooms and hygiene facilities.
• Urban Farming and Food Equity ($7 million)A leasing of green spaces for community-based food production and farms, to increase access to fresh food and promote local business.
• Housing Support ($2 million)Support for housing navigation and assistance services, with special emphasis on Tiny Home Villages.
• Housing Support for Youth (funded at $1.8 million, proposed at $2 million)Services to connect youth and young adults with supportive housing or rental assistance, including funding for a youth committee to oversee community connections.

Implementation of awarded funds will take place immediately and continue through the end of June 2024. According to The People's Budget, the original funding for this program "came from a $100 million fund earmarked by then-Mayor Jenny Durkan after community groups demanded investments into Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities during the protests for Black lives in the summer of 2020."

Sound Transit Survey Seeks Feedback on West Seattle Link Extension Project

In November 2016, Seattle voters approved the West Seattle Link Extension project, which will expand light rail services to residential and commercial cores in SoDo, Delridge, and West Seattle. The project is presently in its planning phase until 2024, after which design is slated to begin. Construction is anticipated for 2027, with services to start in 2032.

According to a press release, Sound Transit — the entity in charge of link light rail — plans to "study all the station locations analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement as part of the Final EIS, which is expected to be published in mid-2024. The Sound Transit Board will make the final decision on the project to be built after the Final EIS is published."

Feedback is a crucial part of planning around the expansion of any public transportation services. Sound Transit is accepting feedback for planning around three future link light rail stations in West Seattle, including Delridge Station; Avalon Station; and Alaska Junction Station.

An online survey is open through Dec. 20 and is available in English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese. It includes questions around preferred use, accessibility, and transit options getting to and from the stations.

📸 Featured Image: Photo via Rokas Tenys/Shutterstock.com

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