GAZA: Hamas said that it is willing to work with the Red Cross to deliver aid to Israeli hostages held in Gaza, provided Israel agrees to certain conditions.
These include a complete halt to airstrikes and the establishment of permanent humanitarian corridors. The announcement followed international condemnation of a recent Hamas-released video showing visibly malnourished hostage Evyatar David, who was seen digging what he said was his own grave.
Israeli authorities estimate that 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with only 20 presumed alive, according to Reuters. So far, Hamas has denied humanitarian groups access to the captives, leaving families with limited or no information about their condition.
The disturbing video of David, released just a day after a previous clip, sparked strong reactions from countries including France, Germany, the UK, and the U.S. In response, Israel’s foreign ministry stated that the UN Security Council will convene on Tuesday to address the hostage crisis.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had urged the Red Cross to provide humanitarian support to the hostages in a recent call with the head of its local delegation.
Meanwhile, the Hostages Families Forum condemned Hamas’s latest remarks as a distraction from the group’s prolonged mistreatment of captives, now held for over 660 days. The forum emphasized that Hamas bears full responsibility for the hostages’ wellbeing and demanded their immediate release.
Amid worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, the territory’s health ministry reported six more deaths from starvation or malnutrition in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 175—93 of them children—since the conflict began.
Israel said it had allowed fuel deliveries into Gaza to help address the crisis. Egyptian media reported that two trucks carrying over 100 tons of diesel were preparing to enter the strip, following months of tight Israeli restrictions that have only recently been eased.
(Inputs from Reuters)
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