Efforts ongoing to release more Gaza hostages this week: Israeli, Palestinian sources
A Palestinian source said 'a proposal was presented by the mediators in recent days' for Gaza militants 'to deliver the bodies of several Israeli prisoners before Friday''The mediators are continuing their efforts as they aim for this step to create a positive atmosphere'JERUSALEM: Efforts were underway to secure the release this week of all remaining living hostages eligible to be freed from Gaza under the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, an Israeli official source said Tuesday.Of the 33 hostages set to be freed under phase one of the deal, 19 have already been released and Israel says eight are dead. That leaves just six living hostages slated for release in the current stage.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 'Netanyahu is making tremendous efforts to release all six remaining living hostages' this week, and to secure the bodies of four others, the Israeli official source told AFP.A Palestinian source close to the negotiations said that 'a proposal was presented by the mediators in recent days' for Gaza militants 'to deliver the bodies of several Israeli prisoners before Friday, and to increase the number' of living captives to be released during the seventh hostage-prisoner swap on Saturday.'The mediators are continuing their efforts as they aim for this step to create a positive atmosphere, insisting on the continuation of the ceasefire and the implementation of the agreement,' the Palestinian source added.The fragile truce took effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.Since the first phase of the ceasefire began, 19 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners.Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Tuesday that Israel would begin negotiations 'this week' on the second phase of the truce, which aims to lay out a more permanent end to the war.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
30 minutes ago
- Saudi Gazette
Tens of thousands gather in Rome for demonstration against the war in Gaza
ROME — The march, organised in Rome by the opposition forces Partito Democratico (Democratic Party), Movimento 5 Stelle (M5s) and Alleanza Verdi Sinistra Italiana (Avs), started from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and finished before the basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. Tens of thousands of people, according to the organizers, marched waving Palestine, peace and party flags and anti-war placards. But a number of Israel and peace flags with the Star of David in the center could also be seen. The banner reading "Gaza stop the massacre. Enough complicity" opened the procession, behind a stream of people arriving from all over Italy. According to the local authorities, at least ten thousand people lined the streets of Rome, and thousands more were in the square where the procession ended. Leading the demonstration were the leaders of the three parties, Giuseppe Conte for the M5s, Elly Schlein for the PD and for Avs, Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni. Speaking to reporters, PD secretary Schlein said: "It is a huge response of participation to say enough to the massacre of Palestinians and the crimes of the Netanyahu government. It is another Italy that does not remain silent, as the Meloni government does. It is an Italy that wants the recognition of the Palestinian state and this is the Italy we want". "This is the square of humanity against the systematic extermination that has been going on for twenty months, starting with the Italian government that is pretending not to see and is still babbling,' said Conte of the M5s. This was not the only demonstration to end the war in Gaza. Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva and Carlo Calenda's Azione parties organized the meeting "Two peoples, two states, one destiny" at the Parenti theatre in Milan on Friday. The second demonstration arose after a disagreement between the two centrist parties and the organisers of the procession in Rome, because Italia Viva and Azione had requested a reference to anti-Semitism in the manifesto. This request was refused by Avs, M5s and Pd, because they considered the condemnation of the 7 October 2023 massacre carried out by Hamas in Israel to be already clear. In recent days, deputy minister Matteo Salvini criticized the opposition for organizing the event in Rome on the eve of the referendum on work and citizenship. "I hope that no one will use the deaths in Gaza to push people to go and vote", Salvini said. — Euronews
Leaders
an hour ago
- Leaders
Madleen Aid Ship Nears Gaza after Reaching Egyptian Waters
Madleen Aid Ship, the sailing boat of Freedom Flotilla Coalition, has reached the Egyptian coast and is currently nearing Gaza shore, according to AFP. 'We are now sailing off the Egyptian coast,' German human rights activist Yasemin Acar told AFP. Reaching Egyptian Coast The International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza, a member organization of the Flotilla Coalition, stated that the ship had entered Egyptian waters. On June 1, the aid ship set out from the Sicilian port of Catania in southern Italy on a mission to break 'Israel's siege' of the devastated territory, organizers said. Madleen aid ship The activists stated that they will try to reach the shores of Gaza and deliver some aids to Palestinians who are starving due to Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid. They assured that they remain in contact with international legal and human rights bodies to ensure the safety of the participating activists. Israeli Response On Friday, Israeli military sources said that Israel would send a 'direct message' to Madleen not to enter Gaza, according to The Jerusalem Post. If those on board 'defy orders or provoke' the Israeli army, they may be arrested and transferred to Ashdod port for their deportation. Greta Thunberg on Board Greta Thunberg Operated by activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the crew includes Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and 11 other activists. 'We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying,' Thunberg said. The mission also seeks to raise 'international awareness' over the ongoing humanitarian crisis. 'Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide,' she added. Wide Participation Greta Thunberg and other activists Interestingly, 'Game of Thrones' actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent joined the crew. Israel has previously banned Hassan from entering due to her obvious opposition to the Israeli war on Gaza. 'We are breaking the siege of Gaza by sea, but that's part of a broader strategy of mobilizations that will also attempt to break the siege by land,' said activist Thiago Avila. Related Topics: Israel to Block Entry of Madleen Aid Ship Heading to Gaza Aid Ship Sails to Gaza with Greta Thunberg on Board Gaza Marks Eid Al-Adha with Looming Famine, Rising Violence Short link : Post Views: 1
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Israeli military hits Hamas member in southern Syria
CAIRO: The Israeli military said on Sunday that it struck a member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Syria's Mazraat Beit Jin, days after Israel carried out its first airstrikes in the country in nearly a month. Hamas did not immediately comment on the strike. Israel said on Tuesday it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles toward Israel for the first time under the country's new leadership. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held Syria's President Ahmed Al-Sharaa accountable. Damascus in response said reports of the shelling were unverified, reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party. A little known group named 'Martyr Muhammad Deif Brigades,' an apparent reference to Hamas' military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024, reportedly claimed responsibility for the shelling. Reuters, however, could not independently verify the claim. Israel and Syria have recently engaged in direct talks to calm tensions, marking a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decade.
