Hamas released two American hostages this Friday for “humanitarian reasons” and “to prove to the American people and the world that the accusations” of US President Joe Biden “and his fascist government are false and baseless.” The release comes “in response to the efforts of Qatar”, which has been conducting secret negotiations for the return of the hostages, and also serves to put pressure on Israel to delay its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Biden said he was “overjoyed” by the release of Judith (who had health problems) and Natalie Raanan, a mother and daughter, ages 59 and 17, from Chicago, who had been taken from prison. kibbutz by Nahal Oz. They were handed over to the Red Cross and then to the Israeli army. “Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal over the past fortnight and I am overjoyed that they will soon be able to be with their families, who have been ravaged by fear.” the president said in a statement, thanking Qatar and Israel.
Hamas has kidnapped more than 200 people, including several foreigners, with Israel believing the majority are still alive. The hostages will include at least twenty children, and fewer than twenty children over the age of 60. For the Palestinian terrorist group, non-Israelis are “guests” who will be released “when conditions on the ground allow.”
a Bloomberg reported that the US and several European governments are pressuring Israel to delay the offensive in Gaza “give time for the secret negotiations that took place through Qatar” to secure the release of the hostages. It is expected that some could be released without Israel having to extradite the Palestinians it has in its prisons (there will be about 6,000).
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told Reuters that the release of the two Americans was possible.I said that “after many days of continuous communication” his country hopes that the dialogue will lead “to the release of civilian hostages of all nationalities.”
Three phases of the war
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Friday that “October 7 was the day the process of destroying Hamas began.” That was the date of the attack that left at least 1,400 dead in Israel. During a meeting with members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, he reported that the war will consist of three phases.
The first is ‘a military campaign involving bombing and then tactical maneuvers, The bombings, which Palestinians say have already killed 4,000 people, have been continuous and have not always achieved their intended targets: Israelis admitted to hitting an Orthodox church in Gaza and claimed the target was a nearby Hamas command center. This first phase of the war includes the ground invasion, which the minister said the day before would take place soon.
In the second phase, according to Galant, the fighting will continue ‘at a lower intensity’., with the aim of “eliminating pockets of resistance”. Finally, the final phase includes “the creation of a new security regime in the Gaza Strip, removing Israel’s responsibility for daily life” in the territory, “ensuring that the Palestinian enclave will not be administered by the terrorist group Hamas and will not pose a threat forms”. This phase also includes the “creation of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel.”
The US president said in a statement to the nation from the Oval Office that defeating Hamas and Russia is vital to US interests, explaining that despite posing different threats, they have something in common. “They want to completely destroy a neighboring democracy,” Biden said. “We cannot and will not allow terrorists like Hamas and tyrants to engage willingly [Vladimir] Putin wins. “I refuse to let that happen,” he said.
Biden sent Congress a request for urgent military aid to Israel ($14 billion) and Ukraine ($61 billion). However, the request conflicts with the fact that the Chamber of Representatives is still without a leader and it is not clear when the situation will be resolved.
Humanitarian help
UN Secretary General António Guterres was at the Rafah border this Friday, the only border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, leaving a desperate appeal for help to reach Palestinian territory as soon as possible. “It is impossible to be here without being heartbroken. Behind these walls there are two million people in Gaza who are going through difficulties, without food, without medicine. They need everything. On this side we have trucks that have arrested everything,” said Guterres, with his back to the gate that marks the border.
The initial forecast was that at least 20 trucks would have entered Gaza this Friday, but that did not happen, with the situation expected to finally be lifted this Saturday or only on Sunday. “These trucks are not just trucks, they are a lifeline. They are the difference between life and death for many people,” he said. “We need them to move, as quickly as possible and with as many people as possible.”
This Saturday, Guterres will take part in the Cairo Peace Summit, which will be attended by the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmud Abbas, alongside King Abdullah II of Jordan, several European Prime Ministers, including Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the Palestinian Authority. European Council, Charles Michel. Israel will not be present.
Source: DN
