Latest news with #GalHirsch
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After negotiation team recalled from Doha, hostage coordinator promises 'talks are continuing'
'The negotiation team has been operating in Doha for 18 days. During this extended period, we have come a long way in order to make progress," said Hirsch. Coordinator for the Hostages and the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Persons, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch reaffirmed, in a statement on Thursday, Israel's commitment to bringing all remaining hostages home from Gaza. Shortly after the Prime Minister's Office announced that the Israeli negotiating team would be returning from Qatar, Hirsch addressed the families of the hostages. 'Following the Hamas response that was delivered to us early this morning, and after examining its details in recent hours, it was agreed that the negotiation team will return to Israel for consultations. The talks are continuing and will also continue from Israel,' he said. Hirsch explained that the team's return was intended to provide advice on how to narrow the gaps in the negotiations. 'The negotiation team has been operating in Doha for 18 days. During this extended period, we have come a long way in order to make progress.' He added that 'In the face of many difficulties that Hamas has posed and is posing, we have continuously and resolutely exhausted every chance and possibility of reaching an agreement, and we will continue to do so.' 'We continue to act in the same spirit and the same directive in order to return all of our kidnapped people home, both the living and the dead. We will add and update as soon as possible,' he said. Hostage families respond with concern The Hostages and Missing Families Forum responded to the negotiating team being recalled, stating, 'The families of hostages are following with deep concern the reports that the Israeli negotiating team has returned from Doha. 'The negotiations have dragged on for far too long. Each day that passes endangers the hostages' chances of recovery and risks losing the ability to locate the fallen or gain vital intelligence about them.' The forum then called on leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Persons, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, 'to provide an immediate update on the current status of the negotiations and the main gaps preventing a deal.' The forum's statement continued: 'Another missed opportunity to bring all 50 hostages back would be inexcusable. It would be yet another moral, security, and diplomatic failure in an endless chain of failures.' Finally, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged US President Donald Trump to assist in securing a deal. 'You've already brought 39 hostages home. The window is still open – please don't let it close. Your leadership can make the difference.' On Thursday morning, the PMO confirmed that mediators had delivered Hamas's response to the Israeli negotiating team, and that the proposal was being examined. An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that Hamas's most recent response to the ceasefire proposal was 'better than the last,' and that the terror group was reviewing it.
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel believes Hamas is trying to extract every possible advantage, but still open to a deal
According to an official, Hamas has yet to provide a formal and serious response to Israel's latest proposal. Instead, it has resorted to delaying tactics. Israel still believes Hamas is ultimately interested in a deal, 'but they're trying to squeeze every possible advantage, provoking and appeasing all the extremist factions within Gaza,' Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post on Friday. According to the official, Hamas has yet to provide a formal and serious response to Israel's latest proposal. Instead, it has resorted to delaying tactics, reintroducing previously resolved issues, and making "outlandish" demands, chief among them, the release of dozens of living prisoners in exchange for each murdered hostage. "Such a demand is entirely unrealistic," said the source. 'If we accept that formula, it would make it impossible to secure the release of any remaining hostages after this current deal.' The official said that Israel has demonstrated 'extraordinary flexibility' in its efforts to reach a deal, while Hamas continues to stall and escalate its demands. "Israel invested immense effort," said the source, referring to the high-level Israeli delegation that has been conducting marathon meetings with international mediators in Doha. "The negotiating team, led by Gal Hirsch, received full backing from [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, and showed a real willingness to compromise." The official blamed pressure from the international community as one of the reasons that caused Hamas to give its unrealistic answer. 'We're facing a starvation campaign [waged] against us, and no less than 27 countries have come out publicly criticizing Israel, something Hamas is clearly trying to exploit.' There has been some progress in the latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks, mediators Qatar and Egypt said in a joint statement on Friday. Suspending the negotiations to hold consultations before resuming talks is normal in the context of these complex negotiations, they said. The ceasefire mediators affirmed their commitment to continuing their efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in Gaza in partnership with the United States. The Israeli negotiating team continues its efforts Despite the diplomatic headwinds, Israel's negotiating team continues its efforts. 'The delegation led by Gal Hirsch will exhaust every avenue to secure the release of the hostages,' the official emphasized. "Even in the past 24 hours, we've maintained active dialogue with the mediators, who are urging Hamas to provide a practical and realistic response." He concluded that once the necessary conditions are in place, and Hamas shifts from its current rejectionist posture, the Israeli delegation is ready to return to Doha and finalize an agreement. Solve the daily Crossword
Sky News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Israel says 24 hostages alive in Gaza after Donald Trump's comments alarm families
Israel has said 24 hostages are alive in Gaza - after Donald Trump said there were 21. The US president told reporters on Tuesday that three more hostages held by Hamas in Gaza had died - alarming their families. In a post on X on Wednesday, Gal Hirsch, Israel's coordinator for hostage issues, said the Palestinian militant group was holding 59 hostages of whom 24 were alive and 35 dead - figures unchanged since before Mr Trump 's comments. He said 54 of the 59 were Israeli citizens and five of them were foreign nationals. "All families of the kidnapped are always updated with the information we have about their loved ones," he said. The group representing the families of hostages had asked the Israeli government to share any new information with them immediately following Mr Trump's comments. It argues that Israel should stop the fighting and negotiate the release of the remaining hostages. "This is the most urgent and important national mission," it said on a post on X. Most of the hostages returned alive to Israel so far have been released as part of deals with Hamas during two temporary ceasefires in late 2023 and early 2025. The most recent ceasefire that saw a pause in the fighting and the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners fell apart in March. Hamas took 251 hostages in its attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 in which it killed 1,200 people. Israel has responded with an air and ground assault on Gaza. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the start of the war. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says its two war aims are to destroy Hamas and release the hostages. 3:12 On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion of its offensive on Gaza - increasing its hold on the territory, for an indefinite amount of time. The plan includes seizing Gaza, holding on to captured territories, forcibly displacing Palestinians to southern Gaza and taking control of aid distribution along with private security companies.
L'Orient-Le Jour
07-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Israel denies Trump's announcement of new hostage deaths
The Israeli mediator in charge of hostages, Gal Hirsch, stated Wednesday that the number of people still alive and held captive in Gaza after being kidnapped during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, remains unchanged, contradicting statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump. "Currently, 59 hostages are held by the terrorist organization Hamas. Twenty-four of them are on the list of living hostages. Thirty-five of them are on the list of hostages whose death has been officially confirmed," he wrote on X. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump reported three additional deaths among the hostages still held in Gaza and indicated that only 21 were still alive. "We want to try to save as many hostages as possible," he continued. "This is a terrible situation." These statements deviated from the assessment provided by the Israeli military which stated that, of the 251 people abducted on Oct.7, 2023, 58 are still held in Gaza, and 34 of them are dead. Hamas also holds the body of an Israeli soldier killed in a previous war in Gaza in 2014. Expected from May 13 to 16 in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded the return of the hostages.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Prisoner 24': Hamas releases footage of alleged wounded Israeli hostage
Hamas releases video of reportedly Maxim Herkin, Times of Israel reported (Image Credit: X) The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades , Hamas's military division, released footage on Saturday depicting what seemed to be an Israeli captive who sustained injuries during a Gaza strike. The unverified four-minute recording shows a person with bandages covering his head and left arm, who identified himself as "Prisoner 24". Speaking Hebrew with a Russian inflection, he indicated he had been wounded in a recent Israeli attack. The footage, showing the individual on the ground, referenced the Israeli Independence Day celebrations on Thursday, suggesting recent filming. His message aligned with previous hostage videos from the organisation, requesting public pressure on Israeli authorities for the release of remaining captives. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Neurologists: Forget Gabepentin, These Shoes are a Must Foot Insider Learn More Undo Times of Israel pointed out that the footage is of Maxim Herkin , who appeared to be bandaged up. Hamas claims that he was in a tunnel allegedly targeted in an Israeli airstrike. Government hostage pointman Gal Hirsch had spoken with the family of Herkin. According to Hirsch's office, the parents implored that Israeli news outlets not air the video of their son. The militant group continues to hold 58 hostages captured during their October 2023 assault on Israel. Military officials confirm 34 are deceased. Additionally, Hamas possesses the remains of an Israeli soldier who died in a 2014 Gaza conflict. The Hamas incursion resulted in 1,218 fatalities on the Israeli side, predominantly civilians, according to AFP calculations using official data. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on January 19, substantially reducing over 15 months of conflict. Israel recommenced significant operations throughout Gaza on March 18 following an impasse regarding ceasefire progression. Israeli authorities state their renewed campaign aims to secure the release of remaining captives, though critics suggest this approach endangers their lives. Hamas has distributed multiple hostage videos since the truce ended. These recent images emerge as mediator efforts for a new ceasefire have reached an impasse.
