A hostage agreement could be struck soon, according to Hamas officials.Senior officials from Hamas claimed on Tuesday that negotiations were close to reaching a deal wherein Israel would liberate Palestinian inmates and the militant group would release hostages. Israeli officials, in the meantime, declared that discussions on “the issue of the release of hostages” would take place late on Tuesday in important decision-making bodies.
For weeks, negotiations have been underway between Israel, the US, and Qatar—which acts as a mediator with Hamas—over the release of hostages in exchange for the introduction of further humanitarian aid and a provisional cease-fire in Gaza. In previous weeks, similar forecasts of a hostage accord have turned out to be inaccurate.
The Israeli army is expanding its operations throughout the northern Gaza region. On Tuesday, they engaged in combat with Palestinian terrorists in the most populous refugee camp in the region, Jabaliya.
According to the military, they have killed dozens of militants in recent days while “preparing the battlefield” in the Jabaliya area, which is immediately north of Gaza City. Soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and found three tunnel shafts where fighters were hiding, according to the report.
Independent confirmation of the combatants’ details was not possible. Twelve people were killed in an attack on a local hospital on Monday while Israeli tanks and troops fought militants outside the hospital’s doors.
Critics claim that Israel’s siege and continuous aerial bombing amount to collective punishment of the 2.3 million Palestinians living in the territory following Hamas’ October 7th incursion into southern Israel. Israel claims that Hamas uses civilians and hospitals as shields.
According to Palestinian health authorities, who do not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties, over 12,700 Palestinians have died since the start of the conflict, two-thirds of them women and minors. There are about 4,000 people listed as missing.
Approximately 240 individuals were kidnapped by extremists, and 1,200 people have died in Israel; the majority of them perished during the strike on October 7.
Leaders from Turkey and Algeria attack Israel over “crimes” in Gaza
Algeria’s ALGIERS On Tuesday, the presidents of Algeria and Turkey expressed their disapproval of Israel’s actions in Gaza and expressed their hope for fruitful negotiations leading to the release of prisoners and hostages.
The foreign minister and chief of intelligence of Turkey, who have ties to Hamas officials, are negotiating releases with Qatari authorities, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“We anticipate a favourable outcome from our ongoing discussions,” Erdogan stated at a joint press conference with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria.
Tebboune declared that he and Erdogan would keep up their efforts as regional leaders to put an end to “the human tragedy resulting from the crimes perpetrated by the Zionist entity in Gaza.”
Tebboune declared that “the denunciation of Israel’s crimes must be accompanied by an urgent initiative to halt the expansion of colonisation in the West Bank” and restated his calls for Israel to face the International Criminal Court.
Israel’s actions have “turned into collective punishment and constitute war crimes,” according to Erdogan.
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