Netanyahu Hints That Gaza Ceasefire Talks Now Focus On The Release Of All Hostages At Once

Trending 3 months ago

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Tuesday hinted that ceasefire efforts successful Gaza are now focused connected a broad woody that would merchandise nan remaining hostages each astatine once, alternatively than successful phases.

Arab officials told The Associated Press past week that mediators Egypt and Qatar were preparing a caller model for a woody that would see nan merchandise of each remaining hostages successful 1 spell successful return for a lasting ceasefire and nan withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The long-running indirect talks appeared to break down past month. But a Hamas delegation arrived successful Cairo for ceasefire talks connected Tuesday, Egypt’s state-run Qahera news transmission reported, a motion that efforts person not been abandoned after 22 months of war.

Israel has threatened to widen its subject violative against Hamas to nan areas of Gaza that it does not yet control, and wherever astir of nan territory’s 2 cardinal residents person sought refuge.

Those plans person sparked world condemnation and disapproval wrong Israel, and could beryllium intended to raise unit connected Hamas to scope a ceasefire. The militants still clasp 50 hostages taken successful nan Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught that sparked nan war. Israel believes astir 20 of them are alive.

‘I want each of them’

In an question and reply pinch Israel’s i24 News web broadcast Tuesday, Netanyahu was asked if nan model had closed connected a partial ceasefire deal. Egyptian Foreign Ministry Badr Abdelatty told reporters that Cairo is still trying to beforehand an earlier connection for an first 60-day ceasefire, nan merchandise of immoderate hostages and an influx of humanitarian assistance earlier further talks connected a lasting truce.

“I deliberation it’s down us,” Netanyahu replied. “We tried, we made each kinds of attempts, we went done a lot, but it turned retired that they were conscionable misleading us.”

“I want each of them,” he said of nan hostages. “The merchandise of each nan hostages, some live and dormant — that’s nan shape we’re at.”

He added, however, that Israel’s demands haven’t changed, and that nan warfare will extremity only erstwhile each hostages are returned and Hamas has surrendered. He has said that moreover then, Israel will support open-ended information power complete nan territory.

Hamas has agelong called for a broad woody but says it will only merchandise nan remaining hostages successful return for nan merchandise of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The militant group has refused to laic down its arms, arsenic Israel has demanded.

UN warns astir starvation, malnutrition

The United Nations connected Tuesday warned that starvation and malnutrition successful Gaza are astatine nan highest levels since nan warfare began.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric reported nan informing from nan World Food Program and said Gaza’s Health Ministry told U.N. unit successful Gaza that 5 group died complete nan past 24 hours from malnutrition and starvation.

The ministry says 121 adults and 101 children person died of malnutrition-related causes during nan war.

“Against this backdrop, humanitarian supplies entering Gaza stay acold beneath nan minimum required to meet people’s immense needs,” Dujarric said.

The U.N. and its humanitarian partners are doing everything imaginable to bring assistance into Gaza, he said, but still look important delays and impediments from Israeli authorities that forestall nan transportation of nutrient and different essentials astatine nan standard needed.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 group and killed astir 1,200 people, mostly civilians, successful that 2023 attack. Most of nan hostages person been released successful ceasefires aliases different deals.

Israel’s aerial and crushed violative has since displaced astir of Gaza’s population, destroyed immense areas and pushed nan territory toward famine. It has killed much than 61,400 Palestinians, according to nan Gaza Health Ministry, which does not opportunity really galore were fighters aliases civilians but says astir half were women and children.

The ministry is portion of nan Hamas-run authorities and staffed by aesculapian professionals. The U.N. and independent experts see it nan astir reliable root connected warfare casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.

Israel says it struck militants disguised arsenic assistance workers

In a abstracted development, nan Israeli subject said it precocious struck a group of militants successful Gaza who were disguised arsenic assistance workers and utilizing a car pinch nan logo of world kindness World Central Kitchen.

The service said it carried retired an airstrike connected nan men aft confirming pinch nan kindness that they were not affiliated pinch it and that nan car did not beryllium to it.

World Central Kitchen confirmed that nan men and nan conveyance were not affiliated pinch it. “We powerfully condemn anyone posing arsenic World Central Kitchen aliases different humanitarians, arsenic this endangers civilians and assistance workers,” it said successful a statement.

The subject shared video footage showing respective men successful yellowish vests opinionated astir a conveyance pinch nan charity’s logo connected its roof. The subject said 5 of nan men were armed.

The charity, founded successful 2010, dispatches teams that tin quickly supply meals connected a wide standard successful conflict zones and aft earthy disasters.

In April, an Israeli onslaught killed 7 World Central Kitchen workers successful Gaza. Israel quickly admitted it had mistakenly killed nan assistance workers and launched an investigation.

In November, an Israeli onslaught killed 5 people, including a World Central Kitchen worker who Israel said was portion of nan Hamas onslaught that sparked nan war. The kindness said astatine nan clip that it was unaware nan worker had immoderate relationship to nan attack.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

More