President Joe Biden said Tuesday that we are “now very close” to an agreement to release the hostages held by Hamas, but the president declined to discuss further details.
“We could bring some of the hostages home very soon, but I don’t want to go into the details because nothing will be done until it’s done. And if we have more to say, we will, but it looks good,” Biden said.
US official: Hostage deal with Hamas could be completed ‘at any time’ ABC News’ Matt Gutman reports on the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war.ABCNews.com
– Molly Nagle of ABC News
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that at least three hospitals in the war-torn Gaza Strip had requested help to evacuate patients.
At a press conference in Geneva, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that the evacuation of Al-Shifa Hospital, Indonesian Hospital and Al-Ahli Hospital in northern Gaza was underway, but such an incident was a last resort.
“It deprives the entire population of the North of the opportunity to pursue health [care]Lindmeier told reporters.
– Will Gretsky and Morgan Winsor from ABC News
Two journalists were killed by Israeli bombings near the Lebanese-Israeli border on Tuesday, according to Al-Mayadeen, the Beirut-based television station for which they worked.
Al-Mayadeen confirmed that reporter Farah Omar and photojournalist Rabie Al-Maamari were both killed near the southern Lebanese town of Tir-Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli border.
“The occupation was directly and definitely intentionally directed against the Al-Mayadeen team,” the channel said in a statement on Tuesday. “I say to the Israeli enemy that you cannot silence the voices of Al-Mayadeen. We will stay and continue our reporting and our honorable journalistic work, whose priority is reporting on the crimes of the occupation in Gaza, the West Bank, Palestine and Lebanon.
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that a civilian – an 80-year-old woman – was also killed by an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Kafr Kila, about 35 miles northwest of Tir-Harfa.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has expressed support for Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip and has clashed with Israeli forces along the Lebanese-Israeli border in recent weeks, released a statement on Tuesday condemning the deaths “in the strongest terms condemned”.
“This aggression and the accompanying martyrdom of other citizens will not pass without a response from Islamic Resistance fighters fighting on the ground,” the group added.
-Ghazi Balliz, Marcus Moore, Bruno Roeber and Morgan Winsor from ABC News
The Israeli government will begin voting on a hostage deal with Hamas on Tuesday, a senior Israeli political source told ABC News.
According to the source, the vote is expected to be completed on Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Tuesday that “in light of developments regarding the release of our abductees,” Netanyahu would convene the War Cabinet at 6 p.m. local time, the Political Security Cabinet at 7 p.m. local time and the full government at 8 p.m local time.
Parents and relatives of children abducted on October 7, as well as families of hostages and their supporters, take part in a demonstration in front of UNICEF headquarters to protest their silence towards 40 children held hostage in Gaza on World Children’s Day on November 20, 2023 , in Tel Aviv, Israel. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Both cabinets would have to approve a hostage deal before it could be put to the full government for a final vote.
During a visit to Israeli troops early Tuesday, Netanyahu told reporters that his government was making “progress” on an agreement with Hamas.
“I don’t think it’s worth saying too much, even at this moment,” he added, “but I hope there will be good news soon.”
-Victoria Beaulé, Jordana Miller and Morgan Winsor from ABC News