Recognising Palestinian state before it is established may be 'counterproductive', says Meloni
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First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
We still have the hostages. Why Hamas is releasing videos now
Hamas has expressed willingness to work with the Red Cross to deliver aid to Israeli hostages in Gaza—if Israel permanently halts bombings and opens humanitarian corridors. The statement follows the release of a disturbing video showing a visibly emaciated captive, sparking global condemnation and prompting a UN Security Council session. read more Palestinians carry aid supplies which they received from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in the central Gaza Strip. File image/ Reuters Hamas said on Sunday it was willing to work with the Red Cross to send supplies to captives it keeps in Gaza if Israel meets specific conditions, after a video it shared showing an emaciated detainee that drew severe criticism from Western powers. Hamas stated that any cooperation with the Red Cross is reliant on Israel permanently establishing humanitarian corridors and ceasing bombing during relief distribution. According to Israeli sources, 50 captives remain in Gaza, with just 20 thought to be alive. So far, Hamas has denied humanitarian organisations access to the hostages, and relatives know little or nothing about their plight. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On Saturday, Hamas released their second video in two days featuring Israeli hostage Evyatar David. In it, David, skeletally thin, is shown digging a hole for his own grave, as he claims in the video. The arm of the person holding the camera, which can be seen in the photo, is of regular width. The footage of David sparked outrage among Israelis and Western nations alike. France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States have all expressed their displeasure, and Israel's foreign ministry has declared that the UN Security Council will conduct a special session on Tuesday morning to discuss the hostage situation in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had asked the Red Cross to give humanitarian assistance to the hostages during a conversation with the head of the Swiss-based ICRC's local delegation. A statement from The Hostages Families Forum, which represents relatives of those being held in Gaza, said Hamas' comments about the hostages cannot hide that it 'has been holding innocent people in impossible conditions for over 660 days,' and demanded their immediate release. 'Until their release,' said the statement, 'Hamas has the obligation to provide them with everything they need. Hamas kidnapped them and they must care for them. Every hostage who dies will be on Hamas's hands.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Six more people died of starvation or malnutrition in Gaza over the past 24 hours, its health ministry said on Sunday as Israel said it allowed a delivery of fuel to the enclave, in the throes of a humanitarian disaster after almost two years of war. The new deaths raised the toll of those dying from what international humanitarian agencies say may be an unfolding famine to 175, including 93 children, since the war began, the ministry said. Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said two trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter Gaza, months after Israel severely restricted aid access to the enclave before easing it somewhat as starvation began to spread. COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, said later in the day that four tankers of UN fuel had entered to help in operations of hospitals, bakeries, public kitchens and other essential services. There was no immediate confirmation whether the two diesel fuel trucks had entered Gaza from Egypt. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gaza's health ministry has said fuel shortages have severely impaired hospital services, forcing doctors to focus on treating only critically ill or injured patients. Fuel shipments have been rare since March, when Israel restricted the flow of aid into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas militants to free the remaining hostages they took in their October 2023 attack on Israel. Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza but, in response to a rising international uproar, it announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. UN agencies say airdrops are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and open up access to the territory to prevent starvation among its 2.2 million people, most of whom are displaced amidst vast swathes of rubble. COGAT said that during the past week over 23,000 tons of humanitarian aid in 1,200 trucks had entered Gaza but that hundreds of the trucks had yet to be driven to aid distribution hubs by UN and other international organisations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, Belgium's air force dropped the first in a series of its aid packages into Gaza on Sunday in a joint operation with Jordan, the Belgian defence ministry said. France on Friday started to air-drop 40 tons of humanitarian aid. Looted aid trucks The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Sunday that nearly 1,600 aid trucks had arrived since Israel eased restrictions late in July. However, witnesses and Hamas sources said many of those trucks have been looted by desperate displaced people and armed gangs. More than 700 trucks of fuel entered the Gaza Strip in January and February during a ceasefire before Israel broke it in March in a dispute over terms for extending it and resumed its major offensive. Palestinian local health authorities said at least 80 people had been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes across the coastal enclave on Sunday. Deaths included persons trying to make their way to aid distribution points in southern and central areas of Gaza, Palestinian medics said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Among those killed was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said an Israeli strike at its headquarters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza ignited a fire on the first floor of the building. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Israel's air and ground war in densely populated Gaza has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to enclave health officials.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'Digging my own grave': Hamas tunnel horror exposed; Freed hostage recalls 'cruel' conditions
A newly released video from Hamas showed Israeli hostage Evyatar David emaciated and visibly distressed in a tunnel in Gaza, which freed hostage Tal Shoham knows so well. Shoham, 40, was held in Hamas captivity in Gaza for 505, where he spent most of the time underground, with fellow hostages Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa Dalal. He was released in February under a temporary ceasefire deal, but his friends stayed behind. In an interview with Reuters on Sunday (August 3), Shoham said he recognised the tunnel shown in the video and described the extreme deprivation he and others experienced while their captors lived comfortably nearby. Show more Show less
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Russia's Vladimir Putin Holds Phone Call With Israeli PM Netanyahu
Last Updated: Russia maintains ties with Israel, the Palestinian authorities, and Hamas, which Moscow does not label a terrorist organisation. Putin supports the creation of a Palestinian state. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the Kremlin said, as the conflict in Gaza continues with no end in sight. 'Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin," said Netanyahu's office on Monday, without revealing any additional information. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin.— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 4, 2025 The conversation came as the Russian leadership has been critical of Israel's devastating military offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,200 people. Russia maintains ties with Israel, the Palestinian authorities, and Hamas, which Moscow does not label a terrorist organization. Putin has consistently advocated for the creation of a Palestinian state as a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Days after the 2023 attack, Russia refused to endorse a US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution condemning the attack. While Russia supported the idea that terrorists have to be punished, it opposed the bombing of Gaza for an Islamist group. Last year, Moscow also hosted a conference with representatives from Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad, aimed at bridging divides between them. Putin has publicly criticised Israel's onslaught in Gaza and called it a 'failure of US policy". However, Russia also shares a long history with Israel. After deep-rooted tensions between the two countries during the Cold War, Russia has tried to balance its relationship with Israel with support for Palestine, and a major factor in this is the Jewish population in Russia. Putin and Netanyahu have generally enjoyed friendly ties, and they were even spotted watching ballet together. Israel has also refrained from sanctioning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. view comments First Published: August 04, 2025, 20:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
