Hamas imposes conditions while Netanyahu appeals for Red Cross intervention for captured hostages - Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu seeks Red Cross intervention for hostage aid; Hamas imposes stipulations in response
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed shock over the latest hostage videos published by Hamas and the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, as the situation in the Gaza Strip continues to escalate.
Hamas, the militant group controlling the Gaza Strip, has stated its willingness to cooperate with the Red Cross to provide aid to hostages it is holding, but has set conditions that Israel must meet first.
The key conditions demanded by Hamas include the permanent opening of humanitarian corridors to Gaza, allowing passage of food and medicine across all areas of the Gaza Strip. Hamas also insists that Israeli airstrikes must halt during the distribution of aid for the operation to proceed safely.
These conditions have been communicated in response to calls from the Red Cross and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for humanitarian access to the hostages. As of the latest reports, approximately 50 hostages remain in Gaza under Hamas control, with limited or no humanitarian access so far.
Months of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages have been unsuccessful. Israel demands the disarmament of Islamists and the exile of their leaders as a condition for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, which Hamas rejects.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested the ICRC for help in providing food and immediate medical aid to Israeli hostages being held in the Gaza Strip. However, Netanyahu is reportedly considering a military operation to free the remaining hostages.
The war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by Hamas' unprecedented large-scale attack on Israel, has resulted in over 1,219 people killed and 251 taken hostage in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli reports. Six more people have died in the past 24 hours from hunger or malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of deaths from an impending famine since the start of the war to 175, including 93 children.
Over a hundred aid organizations have warned of "mass starvation" in the Gaza Strip, and internationally, pressure has grown on Israel to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip and agree to a new ceasefire. France, Britain, the USA, and Germany have sharply criticized Hamas over the hostage situation.
The Al-Kassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, stated that the hostages in the Gaza Strip eat the same food as their fighters and the population, and no special privileges are granted to them due to their status as hostages. At least 80 people were killed by Israeli shelling and airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
The Hostage Families Forum, which represents the relatives of the hostages, stated that Hamas has been holding innocent people under impossible conditions for over 660 days and has the duty to provide them with everything necessary until their release. Hamas seeks an end to the Gaza war on its terms, offering to release hostages if Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip and stops all military operations against Hamas.
As the situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate, both Israel and Hamas face pressure to find a solution that ensures the safety and well-being of the hostages and the civilian population.
- The European Union, alongside various nations, including France, Britain, the USA, and Germany, has joined the chorus of criticism towards Hamas regarding the ongoing hostage crisis and the overall situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been escalating politically, garnering attention in general news, and raising concerns in crime and justice sectors.
- As the international community pressures both Israel and Hamas to find a resolution to the hostage crisis, negotiations have moved beyond just military and political aspects, now including humanitarian concerns, with the European Union expressing its concern over the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip.
