According to officials, the goal of the hostage discussions was to broker a multi-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of some of the around 240 people thought to have been kidnapped by terrorists in Gaza. The talks, which were going well on Sunday, took an unexpected turn.
Participating in the talks, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani stated, “To be honest, at this level, the points stuck in the negotiations are more practical, logically sound; in reality, there is nothing to cancel the deal.” This was stated during a news conference.
For weeks, reports of various bargains for the release of scores of women and children have circulated. So yet, however, only four hostages have been released, with one rescued. Nonetheless, according to US National Security Adviser John Finer, the talks have reached a “very sensitive” stage. The fate of the hostages is a “unbelievably high priority” for President Biden and his whole administration, he said.
Since the terrorist group launched a deadly onslaught on Israeli border settlements on October 7, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and the arrest of over 240 people, who were transferred to Gaza as captives, Israel has been focused on smashing Hamas. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 12,000 Palestinians have perished as a result of Israel’s continuing military onslaught.
According to a UN official, accessing Gaza with fuel to address humanitarian requirements is ‘insufficient.’
Developments:
President Biden offered his plan for post-war Gaza and the West Bank in an op-ed for The Washington Post, pushing for the reunification of both Palestinian areas under a “revitalized Palestinian Authority.” However, following the Israeli conflict, Qatar is reticent to surrender control of security in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Noa Marsiano, a 19-year-old Israeli soldier whose body was discovered in Gaza last week, was killed by Hamas after suffering non-lethal injuries during military operations. She was apprehended and detained during the October 7 attack. According to Hamas, she was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
On Sunday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that it would host a delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, including the Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority, to help resolve the Gaza conflict.
Efforts to Rescue:
The World Health Organization (WHO) led a team at Gaza’s beleaguered Shifa Hospital on Sunday, saving 31 preterm newborns and at least 16 healthcare professionals and other staff. This was WHO’s second visit to the hospital in as many days. On Saturday, WHO branded the hospital a “death zone” due to a lack of food, water, and electricity. Last week, Gaza Hospital Director Mohammed Zakout reported four infant fatalities in the hospital.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, complimented the Palestinian Red Crescent Society for carrying out evacuations in dangerous situations. He went on to say, “We are profoundly affected and impressed by the extraordinary courage and service of health workers in Gaza, who are providing care even in the most severe and challenging circumstances.”
Thirty-one infants were transferred from a maternity facility in southern Gaza’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, with the intention of reaching facilities in Egypt. In certain cases, Zakout mentioned dehydration, hypothermia, and sepsis.
Tedros indicated that continuing efforts are being made to prepare the safe relocation of dozens of medical staff members and critically ill patients to the hospital. The hospital has been under siege for weeks because to Israeli suspicions that Hamas is using it to hide fighters and weapons.
According to Israeli authorities, fresh films show Hamas militants utilizing hospitals to achieve their goals. In response to criticism of Shifa Hospital, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim that Hamas controls a huge 20-acre facility as a command center and utilizes patients as human shields. They upload videos in an attempt to back up their assertions.
On Sunday, the IDF showed a video of the Shifa Hospital grounds as the “first, highly fortified shaft,” along with numerous weaponry and ammunition. According to the IDF, the shaft is around 30 feet deep and leads 180 feet to a tunnel with stairs, a blast-proof door, and a firing hole that snipers may use. The assertions, however, have not been independently corroborated.
The IDF also releases security camera footage showing Hamas troops transporting two foreign hostages to the hospital following the October 7th attacks. According to the statement, “These findings prove that Hamas, on the day of the massacre on October 7th, used the Shifa Hospital premises as a terrorist infrastructure.” These allegations and the video footage could not be independently verified.
In reaction to the films revealing the shaft and tunnel, senior Hamas leader Osama Hamdan told the Associated Press, “The Israelis claim there was a command and control center there, meaning the case is larger than just a tunnel.”
Hamas Captures 100 Militants:
The Israeli military reported that it has captured over 100 Hamas militants in recent days and sent them to Israel for questioning. Some of the captives allegedly revealed information regarding Hamas operations, tunnel digging, and recruitment procedures.
The statement goes on to explain that, “Interrogations of the terrorists provide valuable information about the activities of those working in the Gaza Strip in both the air and ground units.” The information acquired is meant for offering “precise and updated intelligence from the field in support of military efforts.”
Iran-Backed Militants Capture Cargo Ship in the Red Sea:
Israeli officials confirm that the cargo ship hijacked in the southern Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi militia fighters does not belong to Israel, and there were no Israeli crew members on board. The ship, which was labeled as British-owned and operated by a Japanese corporation, was apparently en route from Turkey to India, carrying approximately 25 nationals.
According to the UN, 24 people were killed in an attack on a school shelter.
According to UN Relief and Works Agency Commissioner-General Philip Lazzarini, at least 24 individuals were murdered in an Israeli bombardment on a school housing displaced families in northern Gaza on Sunday. Two weeks ago, the school was targeted, resulting in 12 deaths and 54 injuries. The IDF maintains a military presence in the area in order to target militants. “This is yet another piece of evidence that no one in Gaza, and nowhere, is safe.
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