Hamas Number 2: Hostages free when fighting stops
“We will release the hostages,” “but we have to stop the fighting,” Hamas number 2 Moussa Abu Marzouk told the BBC. Marzouk recently traveled to Moscow to speak about eight Russian-Israeli dual citizens who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7. And he explained that two women from Russia were found, but Hamas was unable to release them due to the conflict.
According to Marzouk, Hamas does not have a list of all the hostages and does not know where everyone is because they are being held by “various factions,” such as Islamic Jihad, which works closely with Hamas but appears to operate independently.
Hamas No. 2 believes a ceasefire is necessary to gather information about the hostages. In general, release is only realistically possible if “the Israelis can stop fighting and hand them over to the Red Cross.”
Marzouk was interviewed on Saturday after Israel rejected U.S. calls for a “humanitarian pause” in Gaza to let aid in and help free some of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7. Benjamin Netanyahu’s position is that all hostages must be released before a temporary ceasefire can be agreed.
Hamas number 2: “Only Israeli soldiers killed, no civilians”
The number two in Hamas’ political bureau, Moussa Abu Marzouk, denied that civilians were targeted in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. In an interview with the BBC from the Gulf, Marzouk said that the leader of the military wing of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades had “clearly ordered his fighters not to kill any woman, child or old man.” So only “reservists and soldiers” were “attacked” and killed.
The British broadcaster points out that Marzouk’s statements stand in stark contrast to the extensive evidence collected showing Hamas attacks on unarmed adults and children. However, when pressed on this point, Marzouk did not give a clear answer.
Hamas Health Ministry, 4,000 minors among victims in Gaza
According to preliminary figures released today by the Hamas Ministry of Health, 4,237 minors and 2,741 women have been registered among the victims of Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, which entered its second month today.
Almost 26,000 people were injured.
Palestinians march towards the south of the strip with white flags
The Israeli army released images showing citizens of Zeitoun, south of Gaza City, raising white flags as they evacuated to the south of the Palestinian enclave. According to an army video, the scene occurred along the humanitarian corridor that the army opened today to ease the movement of population from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip. “The army,” said the military spokesman, “has reopened
Corridor for the evacuation of civilians to the south”.
According to the Hamas Ministry of Health, the number of deaths in Gaza has risen to 10,328
According to the Hamas health minister, the number of deaths in the Gaza Strip has risen to 10,328 since October 7.
Eleven Hamas members arrested in West Bank
Israeli security forces arrested 11 Hamas members in the West Bank overnight, including 28 terror suspects: hidden explosives and a
Weapons caches were discovered in the West Bank town of Tulkarem. The army, the Shin Bet and the border police announced this in a joint statement.
Gaza, green light for the evacuation of 103 Romanian citizens
The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest announced this morning that 103 Romanian citizens and their family members received permission at the Rafah border point to leave the Gaza Strip and thus enter Egypt. From the Egyptian capital they can then return to Romania in the next few days.
Von der Leyen to the King of Jordan: “No to forced expulsion from Gaza”
“I discussed the current situation in the Middle East with King Abdullah II, who has a fundamental role in ensuring stability. I reiterated my opinion
“Position on the ban on the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and on EU support for the two-state solution”. This is what the President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen wrote in a tweet after the meeting in Brussels with the King of Jordan.
Jordan, von der Leyen added, “is a valued and strategic partner of the EU. We support Jordan’s modernization efforts. Today I announced an EU package of over 900 million euros to support Jordan.”
Rafah border crossing reopened for foreigners and injured people
Even today, the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt is still open for the departure of foreigners, binationalists and the wounded from the Gaza Strip. Local sources reported this to Ansa. Transit for humanitarian aid is also possible.
The mother of two kidnapped girls: “I’m going to them in Gaza”
“I want to go to Gaza to be with my girls,” wrote Maayan Zin, mother of two young Hamas prisoners in the Gaza Strip, in imprisoned in Gaza. Two girls alone after witnessing their father being brutally murdered. It’s been a month since they were kidnapped, since I was taken away,” he said. And he appealed to US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring his daughters home immediately. If they were unable to do so, he asked to go to Gaza to be with his daughters.
According to the WHO, over 160 health workers died in the Gaza Strip
Over 160 health workers have died in the line of duty in Gaza since hostilities began on October 7, a World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman said in a briefing.
. “Over 160 healthcare workers have died in the line of duty caring for the wounded and sick. These are the people who keep the system running.”
Thanks to their commitment, we were able to improve healthcare and somehow find a way to maintain a certain level of service,” the spokesman said.
The official also called for restrictions on medical care to be lifted, noting that some doctors perform surgeries, including amputations, without anesthesia.
Israel, Hezbollah cell attacked in southern Lebanon
A terrorist cell attempted to fire anti-tank missiles from Lebanon towards the north of Israeli territory, in the Shtula area, and an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tank hit the position, the army said. In addition, the IDF attacked a Hezbollah position, thwarting a threat of attack.
Israeli archaeologists identify ten victims of Hamas massacres
Israeli archaeologists who joined the army to identify human remains from the October 7 Hamas massacre have done so
announced that they had discovered the remains of ten people in the houses burned in the attack. Since the start of the war, archaeologists have helped authorities identify men, women and children previously reported missing using techniques used in excavations of ancient burned sites. The individuals were identified by sifting through ashes from houses burned by Hamas in kibbutzim Beeri, Kfar Aza and Nir Oz. The same archaeologists also examined the remains of two cars found outside the rave party site in Reim, where Hamas killed 260 people.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Middle East
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk begins a five-day visit to the Middle East today amid Israel’s escalation in Gaza in response to the October 7-8 attacks. Türk – announced a United Nations statement – is in Cairo today and will visit Rafah on the Gaza border tomorrow before traveling to Amman on Thursday.
Turk also demanded access to Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, the statement said, without giving further details. “It has been a month of carnage, ceaseless suffering, bloodshed, destruction, outrage and despair,” Turk said in the statement. . “The violations of
Human rights are at the root of this escalation and human rights are central to finding a way out of this maelstrom of pain.”
Türk is in the region to discuss the human rights situation in the region with government officials, civil society actors, victims and UN colleagues. The High Commissioner is meeting in Cairo today with the Egyptian Foreign Minister as well as representatives of regional civil society organizations and the Secretary General of the League of Arab States. Türk will travel to Rafah on Wednesday. He will meet in Amman on Thursday and Friday with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, other senior government officials, as well as representatives of Palestinian and Israeli civil society and the UN country team for the occupied Palestinian territories
Israel is opening a new corridor between the north and south of the Gaza Strip
The Israeli army has once again opened a humanitarian corridor allowing people to travel from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip. He made it known
Cogat, the military and civilian body that administers the territories. Cogat also published a video on X showing the passage of the population through the corridor.
Israel: “Hamas terrorists strike near Al-Quds Hospital”
The army attacked “Hamas terrorists housed in a building near Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City.” The military spokesman said this, referring to Hamas’s accusations that Israel bombed the facility. The spokesman explained that “the attack was carried out from the air and there were explosions at a nearby ammunition depot.” According to the same source, the army announced that it had also captured a Hamas stronghold in northern Gaza. “Inside, he concluded, rocket launchers, weapons and intelligence material were found.”
Minute of silence in Israel one month after the Hamas attack
Exactly one month after Hamas’ murderous attack, Israel observed a minute’s silence at 11 a.m. (local time) to commemorate the events of October 7th. Many – both on the streets and in public offices – stood up and thought of the approximately 240 hostages in the hands of Hamas and the 1,300 victims since the start of the war. The Italian embassy in Tel Aviv said headquarters staff gathered in silence outside the diplomatic headquarters.
Two more EU aircraft for humanitarian aid
“The EU Humanitarian Bridge to Gaza has so far organized six flights and today will be the seventh and eighth. “They will bring 45 tonnes of humanitarian aid, mainly medicines, medical instruments and some food.” This was announced by the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, at a press conference at Ostend Airport in Belgium.
“We will continue to provide humanitarian assistance for as long as necessary,” he assured, urging “to enable access for this humanitarian assistance” and emphasizing the “absolute need for fuel in Gaza.”
The Commissioner then reiterated that the EU will continue to “work to enable humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip” and “urge all parties to take the necessary measures, such as humanitarian windows, pauses or ceasefires, to ensure safe and unrestricted access.” “To ensure access.” Humanitarian assistance to all people in Gaza who need it.” “It is not optional,” emphasized Lenarcic, “it is.”
obligation under international law for all those involved.”
Tehran: “The USA does not want a ceasefire”
“The Americans have been claiming since last week that they are trying to bring about a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and we have received messages to that effect from that country, but they are completely dishonest as they are playing the war game against Gaza and the West Bank.” “. This said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
“Stop the hypocrisy and genocide in Gaza,” Amirabdollahian added, addressing US officials on X.
The Islamic Republic’s foreign minister had already revealed yesterday that Washington had sent messages to Tehran in recent days regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, while on October 23 he said that the US had sent messages claiming it was against the continuation of the war and had called on Iran to show restraint.
EU, a maritime humanitarian corridor is being considered
The proposal put forward at the European Council in late October to establish a maritime humanitarian corridor based in Cyprus to channel aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip continues to be examined by EU institutions and member states. This was announced by the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, in a press conference at Ostend Airport in Belgium.
“We are looking at the idea of maritime corridors. The problem at the moment is that there are no operational ports on the coasts of the Gaza Strip, so it should be solved,” the Commissioner explained, expressing Brussels’ “favor” for “every” possible way “access for humanitarian aid”.
Diplomatic work on the proposal, which is also supported by French President Emmanuel Macron, has been continuing for days. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides also discussed the plan in detail with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as key leaders of the Middle East region.
Red Crescent: Almost 100 trucks arrived from Rafah yesterday
Nearly 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid arrived in Gaza from the Rafah crossing yesterday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. The aid organization said it had received 93 shipments of food, water, medical equipment and medicine
Egyptian Red Crescent.
Since October 21, 569 trucks have arrived in Gaza, an average of about 33 per day.
Clashes in the West Bank, a Palestinian dies in Hebron
A Palestinian was killed in clashes with the Israeli army in the village of Sair near Hebron in the West Bank. This was reported by medical sources, citing the Wafa agency, who identified the man as Saad Nimr Al-Faroukh (24 years old).
The clashes occurred during an army operation that arrived in the village to map the home of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy who was responsible for an attack in Jerusalem’s Old City in recent months that killed an Israeli policewoman. Mapping a house serves the purpose of destroying it.
Hamas, 14 dead in Israeli attacks in Rafah
The Hamas Health Ministry told Haaretz that at least 14 people were killed in Israeli strikes in Rafah, southern Gaza, overnight. At the same time, the Palestinian Red Crescent, citing media, reported an Israeli airstrike near the al-Quds hospital in Gaza City.
Netanyahu: “Thousands of Palestinian fighters among the dead in Gaza”
The number of deaths in the Gaza Strip of over 10,000 given by the Hamas Ministry of Health includes “several thousand Palestinian fighters”: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this in an interview with ABC News.
“I wouldn’t take these numbers at face value. I think we need to check them, and these numbers include several thousand Palestinian fighters, that is, Hamas terrorists,” Netanyahu said, referring to the figure released by Hamas yesterday.
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