US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a three-day ceasefire could lead to the release of some hostages, according to a media report. Axios reported this, citing US and Israeli circles.
According to a US source, the US, Israel and Qatar discussed a proposal for the radical Islamic group Hamas to release between 10 and 15 of its hostages.
During this ceasefire, the identities of all hostages could be verified and a list of their names could be drawn up. The US has not yet commented on the Axios report.
G-7 for expanding humanitarian aid in Gaza
Humanitarian ceasefires were also an issue in G-7 foreign ministers’ deliberations, delegation circles said. This round also called for an expansion of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip. There was “great agreement” on this.
German delegation circles also said that the G-7 wanted to closely coordinate their efforts to free hostages kidnapped in Gaza by Hamas. All participants emphasized Israel’s right to self-defense under international humanitarian law.
There was consensus that a regional conflagration had to be avoided and that considerations for “the day after” had to be coordinated within the G-7 round, as well as with Israel and countries in the region.