Media: “Still no response from Hamas to the proposed hostage agreement”
Hamas' response to the proposal on the release of the hostages in exchange for a stop to the fighting will not arrive this evening. Israeli TV Channel 12 says this, after a Saudi television earlier in the day had anticipated a response for 7pm local time. The same broadcaster claims that the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, intends to ask for solid guarantees for the end of the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip, a condition that Israel does not intend to accept. Another source close to Hamas told Palestinian TV's Quds news network that the sides are nowhere near an agreement and that the group insists on an end to the war.
Netanyahu, speaking before the weekly government meeting, he said he wanted to “be clear about our policy: the fundamental objective is first of all the elimination of Hamas”. For this reason, regarding the possible agreement for the release of the hostages, the Israeli prime minister said that “we will not accept any deal, at any price”, stating that the news spread by the press regarding the willingness to release a large number of terrorists is not true. In his speech Netanyahu set the three conditions to eliminate Hamas: the destruction of all 24 of its battalions, 17 of which have already been destroyed, completing targeted operations in the north and center of the Strip and the neutralization of the network of tunnels, an operation that “takes more time”.
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Bombing of kindergarten in Rafah, two children killed
At least two children have been killed in an Israeli attack on a kindergarten in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. This was stated by the Strip's Ministry of Health quoted by the Wafa agency. The attack occurred during the night. There were also dozens of injured. Many displaced people had found refuge in the asylum.
Hamas leaders divided over agreement with Israel
The Wall Street Journal reports that There is a split within the Hamas leadership over the proposed truce to stop the war in Gaza and bring the hostages back to Israel. According to the newspaper, which cites informed sources, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar and other leaders there would like to accept the offer to stop the fighting for six weeks; while the leaders of Hamas in exile are asking for more concessions and want to reach a permanent ceasefire. The proposal also awaits a decision by the Israeli war cabinet led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; while it was accepted by the head of the Mossad, David Barnea.
Meanwhile, attacks were also reported last night in Rafah, on the border with Gaza – defined by the United Nations as a “pressure cooker of desperation” – while international mediators continue to work on an attempted truce between Israel and Hamas. Powerful explosions were heard in the city shortly after midnight, and the Hamas-run health ministry reported that 14 people were killed in two attacks and that more than 100 people in total were killed across the territory overnight. The same ministry updated the Palestinian death toll since the start of the war with Israel to at least 27,238 deaths. The latest toll includes 107 deaths in the last 24 hours, while another 66,452 people have been injured in Gaza since the war broke out on October 7.
As for the US air strikes in Iraq and Syria, the Islamist organization expressed condemnation “in the strongest terms”. The group said in a statement on Telegram that it considered the attacks a dangerous escalation and a violation of the sovereignty of the two Arab countries. “The administration of American President Joe Biden is responsible for the consequences of this brutal aggression on both Iraq and Syria, which adds fuel to the fire,” reads the Hamas statement, relaunched by Al Jazeera.
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