Negotiations have focused for months on trying to secure a ceasefire of at least six weeks, as well as the release of about half of the nearly 100 hostages believed to remain in Gaza, in exchange of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. Hamas announced it would send a delegation to Cairo on Sunday, following an invitation from Egyptian officials.
Before the latest round of negotiations this weekend, Biden also told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that “everything must be done to secure the release of the hostages,” the administration official said , who spoke on condition of anonymity under the rules. set by the White House.
The Israeli military said Saturday that overnight its forces in Khan Younis, Gaza, recovered the body of an Israeli hostage, Elad Katzir, killed in captivity by militants. Katzir was taken hostage during the Hamas attack on October 7, in which his father was killed, and his mother was released in November during a break in fighting under a deal between Hamas and Israel.
In a scathing social media post, his sister Karmit Palti Katzir said having a grave for him would end uncertainty, but accused Israeli leaders, including the army, of abandoning hostages in Gaza and having “no idea” where most of them are. detainees or “how to ensure their safety”.
She said her brother was filmed twice in captivity by militants. “It was possible to save it if a deal had been reached in time. Our leaders are cowardly and motivated by political interests and that is why no agreement has been reached,” she wrote. “Look at yourself in the mirror and tell us your hands didn’t shed that blood.”
The anger of the hostages’ grieving families added to a chorus of different voices calling for an agreement. Ahead of the latest round of negotiations, pressure also increased on Israel following its attack this week on World Central Kitchen aid workers delivering food to a besieged population facing looming famine in Gaza.
Australia said on Saturday it had “not yet received sufficient information to satisfy our expectations” in Israel’s investigation into the strikes, which killed seven members of the aid convoy, including an Australian, as well as as American, Palestinian, Polish and British workers. Australia is appointing a special adviser “so that we can be informed of the timeliness of the process” of the Israeli investigation, added Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
On Friday, a group of 40 Democrats in the House of Representatives called for suspending transfers of offensive weapons to Israel. on the WCK attack, “until a full investigation into the airstrike is completed.” The letter, signed by lawmakers including Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), address the Biden administration as global calls to suspend arms to Israel grow.
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The Israeli army fired two officers and reprimanded three commanders following the WCK attack., after Israel said its investigation found it was a “serious violation” of procedures. But the nonprofit said the Israeli military “cannot credibly investigate its own failure,” calling for an independent review. About 200 aid workers were killed during the war, most of them Palestinians, according to the United Nations.
Nearly a third of children under the age of 2 in northern Gaza suffer from “severe wasting.” the deadliest form of malnutrition, the UN humanitarian affairs office said. “A severely wasted child is reduced to the most basic bodily functions,” according to UNICEF. “It takes all their energy just to keep breathing. » At least 28 children have died from lack of food and water, the UN office said, citing Gaza’s health ministry, and more than 50,000 children under the age of 5 are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says ‘the real test is results’ after Israel announced it would open more aid routes to Gaza. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the measures were “not enough to prevent famine” in the Palestinian enclave. Israel’s announcement came hours after a call in which Biden told Netanyahu that the United States would reassess its war policy if Israel did not immediately address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and protect the humanitarian workers.
Iran vows to take “revenge” for Israeli strike in Damascus that left two dead senior Iranian commanders this week, and stoked fears of an extension of the war in the region. Iran’s armed forces chief, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, said Saturday that Iran would retaliate “at the right time and with maximum damage,” adding that the United States, as Israel’s biggest ally, was also “responsible” for the attack on the diplomatic building. The Israeli army is on alert, preparing for the response promised by Tehran.
The Israeli army said one of its military helicopters mistakenly killed a hostage on October 7. when he fired on a vehicle carrying Hamas militants and hostages. The air force commander “found no fault in the operation carried out by the helicopter crew”, he added, following an investigation.
At least 33,137 people have been killed and 75,815 injured in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants and says the majority of the dead are women and children. Israel estimates that around 1,200 people were killed in the October 7 Hamas attack, including more than 300 soldiers, and says 256 soldiers have been killed since its military operation in Gaza began.
Karen DeYoung, Victoria Bisset, Mohamad El Chamaa and Michael Miller contributed to this report.
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