Oct 21, 2023 9:53:52 am
Meloni arrived in Cairo
The Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni landed in Cairo, Egypt, where she will attend the Middle East Peace Summit organized by the Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The summit, taking place in the city’s new administrative capital, will focus on “developments and the future of the Palestinian cause and the peace process” at the height of the war between Israel and Hamas. Around twenty countries are invited to the summit, which will be divided into two working sessions, at the end of which a joint statement could be made: from Qatar to Turkey, from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, which will be represented by Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed. As for the European leaders, in addition to Meloni, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro, will also take part in the work Sanchez (current President of the European Union), Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Greece) and Nikos Christodoulides (Cyprus). Foreign ministers for Germany, France and the United Kingdom are expected. Among the participants was the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterresthe President of the European Council Charles Michel and the high representative of the EU foreign policy, Josep Borrell. At the end of the summit, Meloni was scheduled to travel to Tel Aviv, Israel, then return to Rome this evening.
Oct 21, 2023 9:45:20 am
The Rafah border crossing was closed after 20 trucks passed through
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip was immediately closed after only 20 trucks carrying aid passed through, CNN reports, citing one of its crossing points on the Egyptian side of the border. Yesterday there were more than 50 trucks waiting to drive by.
Oct 21, 2023 9:40:21 am
The first humanitarian convoy entered the Gaza Strip
The first humanitarian aid convoy entered the Gaza Strip from the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. This is shown by images published by Al Jazeera TV.
⭕️ LIVE: Trucks carrying humanitarian aid have begun entering the Gaza Strip from the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the besieged Gaza Strip ⤵️ https://t.co/koTklDNkg8
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 21, 2023
10/21/2023 9:27:53 AM
UNICEF: 1,600 children killed in Gaza in two weeks
“Over 1,600 children were reportedly killed in the two-week bombings in Gaza. More than 4,200 other people were reportedly injured. The killing and maiming of children, attacks on hospitals and schools, and the denial of access for humanitarian assistance constitute serious violations of children’s rights. Humanity must prevail,” said Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Oct 21, 2023 9:26:40 am
As soon as the Rafah border crossing opens, the first trucks drive past
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza was recently opened for the transit of humanitarian aid. ANSA found this on site, where the first trucks for the population of the Strip pass through.
10/21/2023 7:46:38 AM
Army: Almost 7,000 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel
Since the Hamas attack on October 7, nearly 7,000 rockets have been fired from Gaza against Israel. The Israeli army made this known, saying that about 450 of them fell in the Gaza Strip. According to the same source, two weeks after the attack, over 1,000 “terrorists were neutralized, many of them after infiltrating Israel.” “Dozens – he added – Hamas terrorist leaders were eliminated”
Oct 21, 2023 7:42:30 am
Israel: Soldier killed in anti-tank missile attack from Lebanon
An Israeli soldier from the IDF military reserve died in an attack with an anti-tank missile near Margaliot in northern Israel on the border with Lebanon. Israeli media reported on this. According to the Times of Israel, 22-year-old Sergeant Omer Balva from Herzliya died in an attack yesterday. According to Haaretz, two other reservists suffered injuries considered moderate, while a third was slightly injured.
Oct 21, 2023 7:30:41 am
Raid in Gaza, Hamas targets bombed
Following the horrific Hamas attack in Israel on October 7th, Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip continue. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had struck “numerous Hamas targets” in the Palestinian enclave overnight, including a command center and “infrastructure” of the group that controls the Gaza Strip. As the Times of Israel reports, the military also announced through spokesman Daniel Hagari that it had struck anti-tank missile firing targets and sniper positions on building roofs in Palestinian territory.
10/21/2023 1:03:39 AM
Macron: “One Frenchman certainly as a hostage, maybe six more”
A French woman was “certainly” taken to Gaza by Hamas and six other French people are considered hostages, “but we are not sure”: French President Emmanuel Macron said this in the evening in an interview with a group of journalists and was “confident” that the channels “via Qatar” were used to secure their release. “We have a total of seven missing,” the president said in a telephone conversation with some journalists. “Young Mia Shem is the only one whose hostage status is confirmed.” The reference refers to the French-Israeli movement, of which Hamas released a video on Monday. “For the other six,” he added, “they are suspected hostages, but without certainty.” “We are confident,” he continued, “that the channels we have are the right ones and useful.”
Oct 21, 2023 12:43:31 AM
American father released: “She is fine”
The father and grandfather of the two Americans released by Hamas spoke to his daughter and said she was doing well. The Associated Press reports. “It’s good. He’s doing very well,” said Uri Raanan, who lives on the outskirts of Chicago.
The 71-year-old said he saw on the news Friday that Hamas was releasing an American mother and daughter and spent the day hoping it focused on his daughter, Judith Raanan, and his granddaughter, 17 Natalie, related. Raanan also explained that the two women are expected to travel to Tel Aviv and then the United States in time for her niece’s 18th birthday next week.
Oct 21, 2023 12:14:01 AM
Biden speaks to the women released by Hamas: “They have the support of the USA”
Joe Biden spoke by phone with Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Raanan, a mother and daughter from Chicago released by Hamas. “The President just finished a telephone call with the two Americans who were released today after being taken hostage during the horrific terrorist attack against Israel,” said a White House statement, emphasizing that the President “The United States government has pledged the full support of the United States government to the two women in recovering from this horrific experience.”
by Marco Ventura
The first two hostages leave Gaza, freed by Hamas, to “demonstrate to the American people how false the statements of Biden and his fascist government are,” the terrorists say. But in the meantime, Judith and Natalie, mother and daughter aged 59 and 18, from Evanston, Illinois, Americans, were handed over to the International Red Cross yesterday and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed this evening that they were already at a base in Tsahal was from the army. Nathalie had just graduated from high school and was looking forward to joining her mother’s family in Israel, her uncle Avi Zamir said, to celebrate Sokkot and her grandmother’s 85th birthday together at the Horror Kibbutz in Nahal Oz . And so negotiations over the release of Israeli and other hostages get caught up in the dynamics and timing of the war.
INSIGHTS
THE BACKGROUND
Mediation for Judith and Nathalie came through Qatar, which hosts the Hamas leadership, starting with the great leader Hanieh.
And Western law firms always move via Qatar and sometimes also via Egypt. However, according to BBC sources, Israel rejected Hamas’s offer to release some of the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire. Precisely to buy time for negotiations over Jews with non-Israeli passports, the United States has reportedly put pressure on Netanyahu and even managed to postpone the ground action that seemed imminent the other night. Russia then moves on parallel channels, can speak directly to Hamas leaders and still has to record the murder of 20 Russian Jewish citizens, while another seven are still missing. The families of the hostages, in turn, are organizing in Israel and abroad to prevent the start of the war in Gaza from condemning their loved ones to almost certain death, and have welcomed the release of the first two “prisoners”. French President Macron and German Chancellor Scholz spoke to the relatives of the French and German “deportees” in Gaza. “Everything will be done – Macron promises – so that they return safely to France,” while Scholz describes the conversation as “very moving,” I told them that we are doing everything that is possible.
British Prime Minister Sunak met personally with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, a key figure in all negotiations with Hamas. In contrast, Israel takes an inflexible position: its priority is to restore the security framework for the Jewish state and for Israelis and then wipe out Hamas from Gaza. The terrible but inevitable argument is that “we have already paid our price, 1400 have died” and unfortunately the 203 hostages (two freed last night) certainly cannot prevent the attack on the Strip. Also because, like soldier Gilad Shalit, they were not captured in a war operation for which Israel gave 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange (including many of those active on October 7th), but in a mass terrorist attack.
IMPOSSIBLE NEGOTIATIONS
Today, Hamas announces that “we are working with mediators for the release of additional civilian hostages,” but is still demanding the exchange of prisoners for those kidnapped from the kibbutzim and the rave: all Palestinian prisoners not only in Israel, but also in other western countries. An inadmissible request for Jerusalem. According to Israeli authorities, the hostages are mostly alive for now, although some bodies were also taken to Gaza to expose them to vilification. Shabbat dinners were organized from Rome to Tel Aviv, with 203 empty seats awaiting the return of “sisters and brothers.” Unfortunately, there are twenty children in the hands of the terrorists, including the two sons of a father who taught them how to hide and who was then killed. The list is now practically complete. Three siblings aged 10, 8 and 4 were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza: Ofri, Yuval and Oria Brodutch. Daphna, 15, and Ella Elyakim, 8, appeared in a video at their home in Nahal Oz with the militants. Then they disappeared. The same fate befell Ethan Vahalomy, 12, and Noam and Alma Or, 15 and 13, who were dragged from their home. And again with her parents Naveh and Yahel, 8 and 3 years old. And Ariel and Kfri, ages 3 and 9, who were seen in a viral social media post in the arms of their mother, who was also deported. And Raz and Aviv Asher. Who are just 5 and 3 years old.