Hamas will only release the more than 100 remaining Gaza hostages under a permanent ceasefire, a spokesman for the terror group said Thursday as Israel expands its offensive.
A “partial or temporary cessation of aggression” would not allow the release of the approximately 115 hostages still in Palestinian territory, the Hamas spokesman said.
Hamas’s warning comes as Israel has escalated its ground war in Gaza over the past week, forcing tens of thousands of already displaced Palestinians to flee again for safety.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday, highlighting “the importance of protecting Gaza civilians and accelerating humanitarian assistance.”
On the same day, Israeli forces attacked Khan Younis, the main city in the southern Gaza Strip, filled with families left homeless by the conflict.
The Israel Defense Forces said they are working to destroy “explosive-laden buildings” and eliminate Hamas cells in Khan Younis.
According to Palestinian health authorities, during a 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday, 210 people in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
More than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Hamas said Thursday that a “partial or temporary cessation of aggression” would not allow the more than 100 hostages to be freed from Gaza. REUTERS Around 115 hostages still remain in captivity and Hamas said only a permanent ceasefire would free them. ZUMAPRESS.com
Israel’s war cabinet was supposed to meet Thursday to discuss plans for post-war Gaza, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the meeting, according to the Times of Israel.
Additionally, on Thursday Israeli forces reportedly fired on an aid convoy that had “returned from northern Gaza along a route designated by the Israeli army.” according to Tomás Blancodirector of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
“The leader of our international convoy and his team were not injured, but one vehicle was damaged,” he revealed on X. “Aid workers should never be a target.”
The aid convoy is marked with the UN insignia and had delivered humanitarian aid, including flour, to northern Palestinians. Ahead of the venture, the UN said it had coordinated with the Israeli military on the route it would take, according to Juliette Touma, a UNRWA spokeswoman said, according to The New York Times.
The IDF has already claimed that UNRWA is controlled by Hamasbut the organization has since responded to the claims.
Phillipe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, said on Friday: “In recent days, several statements by Israeli officials have hinted at or directly blamed UNRWA for shortcomings in aid deliveries in the Gaza Strip. These statements were amplified by the Israeli media and other traditional and social media, creating a flow of unfounded disinformation.”
Dozens of people were killed Thursday during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as it intensifies its offensive to dismantle the terrorist group. Getty Images Israel reportedly attacked a UN aid truck leaving northern Gaza and retaliated against militant groups in Lebanon. fake images
Lazzarini said the delays in aid were due to constant airstrikes and restricted access to Gaza, among other things.
With post cables
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn