11:10 a.m
Hamas, 36 Israeli soldiers killed in 72 hours
Hamas says it has killed 36 Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip in the last 72 hours. This comes from a statement by the Palestinian Armed Movement's press office from the Hamas office in Beirut, Lebanon.
The statement said that “Qassam fighters (Hamas' armed wing) were able to destroy, in whole or in part, more than 70 (Israeli) military vehicles in the last 72 hours. Our fighters confirmed the killing of 36 soldiers.”
10:50 a.m
The US and Israel have no long-term plans to occupy Gaza
The Israeli government “has indicated that it has no long-term plans to occupy Gaza.” This is what US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said, quoted by Haaretz, adding that America agrees that the war will last months. However, according to Sullivan, the war in Gaza will enter a “new phase aimed at eliminating Hamas leadership in intelligence operations.” “The terms and timing were obviously discussed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the War Cabinet,” Sullivan added.
09:29
Paris, great pain over the death of hostage Elya Toledano
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna expressed on “We share the pain of his family and loved ones. The release of all hostages is our priority,” he added. The young man's relatives had been informed that his body had been found before the news became public.
09:05
Israel: The bodies of two 19-year-old hostages were recovered in Gaza
The Israeli army announced that during an operation in Gaza it had recovered the bodies of two more soldiers who were kidnapped on October 7 and brought them to Israel. According to the military spokesman, they are Corporal Nik Beizer and Sergeant Ron Sherman, both 19 years old.
06:24
IDF, body of French-Israeli hostage recovered
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced today that it has recovered and returned to Israel the remains of French-Israeli Elya Toledano, who was taken hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip during the bloody October 7 attack. “During the operation in Gaza, the body of 28-year-old hostage Elya Toledano was recovered by army special forces and repatriated to Israel,” the IDF reported in a statement, saying forensic experts had correctly identified the remains.
05:50
Another Israeli soldier dies, the number rises to 117
The Israeli army announced today that a soldier died in combat in the Gaza Strip yesterday, bringing the number of soldiers killed in the ground offensive against Hamas to 117. The youngest victim is 19-year-old Sergeant Oz Shmuel Aradi, who died in the southern Palestinian enclave of Strip. Four more reservist soldiers were seriously injured in yesterday's clashes in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
02:51
Hamas, tunnels built to withstand even flooding
Hamas built its tunnels to resist possible attempts to pump water into them, the Palestinian Islamist group's spokesman Osama Hamdan was quoted as saying by Arab media. At a press conference in Beirut, Hamdan addressed reports of possible flooding of underground passages by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. “The tunnels,” the Hamas spokesman assured, “were built by well-trained and educated engineers who took into account all possible attacks by the crew, including pumping water. The tunnels are an integral part of the resistance and all consequences and planned attacks have been taken into account.” Yesterday, Israeli public television Kan reported that the Israeli army had made a first attempt to open a Hamas military tunnel in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to flood with water from the sea.