The ceasefire in the Gaza war is to be extended by two days. Then Hamas hands over another group of hostages. The overview.
According to the Israeli army, the Islamist Hamas handed over another group of hostages to the Red Cross as part of the ceasefire in the Gaza war. Eleven Israelis were placed in the care of Red Cross employees on Monday, the Israeli army said. According to Israeli media reports, there are nine children and two women. In return, 33 female and teenage Palestinian prisoners are to be released. Israeli media had reported that several Thai hostages in the Gaza Strip were also to be released.
According to media reports, there had previously been disagreements over the lists of names for the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. According to media reports, Israel criticized the fact that mothers had been separated from their children.
It was the fourth group of hostages to be released since the ceasefire began on Friday. So far, 58 hostages have been released, including eight German dual citizens. In exchange for the released Israeli hostages, 117 Palestinians were released from prison.
The youngest hostage: a ten-month-old baby
Israeli government spokesman Eilon Levi said before Monday’s release that 184 hostages were still being held in the Gaza Strip. Of these, 14 are foreigners and 80 are Israelis with a second passport. The youngest of the hostages, a ten-month-old baby, had not yet been released. The boy was kidnapped with his parents and four-year-old brother.
The break in fighting between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar, was initially scheduled for four days. A few hours before the end of this phase, both sides agreed on an extension of two days. The extended ceasefire is expected to include the daily release of 10 hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners each in Israeli prisons.
US government: Probably not all hostages in Gaza are in Hamas hands
The US government pointed out that not all people abducted to the Gaza Strip may be held by the Islamist Hamas. In order to free more hostages against Palestinian prisoners from Israel, Hamas must also find and retrieve these hostages, said National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby on US television. It can be assumed that there are other groups that are holding some of the hostages. Kirby didn’t give a number.
Calls for a permanent ceasefire
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that the UN was able to increase its aid deliveries thanks to the ceasefire. But that is far from enough. “The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is getting worse every day,” said Guterres. He called for a “complete humanitarian ceasefire.” In addition, all remaining hostages would also have to be released. Saudi Arabia and Jordan also called for a ceasefire.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) warned on Monday that the current ceasefire should be used as a bridge to a political process for a lasting solution to the conflict.
Germany supports kibbutz reconstruction in Israel
Germany will financially support the reconstruction of the communities in Israel destroyed by Hamas. During a visit to Kibbutz Beeri, which was attacked by terrorists on October 7th, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced on Monday that, on his initiative, the Bundestag would provide an amount of seven million euros for this place in 2024. This is intended to finance the reconstruction of a cultural center and a meeting center for seniors in Beeri.
Kibbutz Beeri, co-founded by German Jews, is located in close proximity to the Gaza Strip. The Hamas terrorists almost completely destroyed it. More than 130 of the approximately 1,300 residents were killed and more than 50 were kidnapped.
Islamist terrorists from the Gaza Strip entered Israel on October 7th and killed more than 1,200 people there. Around 240 hostages were kidnapped, including several Germans. Israel responded with massive airstrikes, a blockade of the Gaza Strip and began a ground offensive in late October. According to the Islamist Hamas, almost 15,000 people were killed.
UN: Too little food and fuel in Gaza
Further aid deliveries have reached people in the Gaza Strip – but according to the UN Emergency Relief Office, they only cover minimal needs. The food supply continues to be difficult. Many people still lack food and fuel for cooking. The north of the Gaza Strip is particularly affected. Livestock are threatened due to feed and water shortages. “Across the Gaza Strip, farmers are slaughtering their animals because of their urgent need for food and lack of feed to keep the animals alive,” OCHA said.
HRW: Misfired rocket probably caused explosion at Gaza clinic
According to the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), the explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital in the Gaza Strip was probably caused by a misfired rocket fired by armed Palestinian groups. But further investigations are needed to determine who fired the suspected missile and whether the laws of war were violated, HRW said. After the explosion on October 17, Israel said it was hit by a misdirected rocket from the Palestinian militant organization Islamic Jihad.
Israelis held hostage by Hamas: No abuse, little food
The first released people are now reporting on being held hostage: They were not mistreated, but the conditions were harsh, the Israeli newspaper “Yedioth Achronot” reported, citing relatives. People prepared their own food. “But there were also days when there was nothing to eat, and sometimes those abducted had to wait an hour and a half before they were allowed to use the toilet,” the newspaper quoted Merav Raviv, a member of the Munder family, as saying.
Keren Munder was kidnapped into the Gaza Strip along with her nine-year-old son Ohad and grandmother Ruti in the bloody Hamas attack on October 7th. They were released on Friday as part of the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Israel: Musk’s Starlink only in Gaza with Israel’s permission
According to Israeli information, tech billionaire Elon Musk will only use his Starlink satellite communications system in the Gaza Strip with Israeli approval. Musk has basically agreed on this with the Ministry of Communications, wrote Minister Shlomo Karhi on Musk’s Platform X (formerly Twitter). Musk visited Israel on Monday.
At the end of October, Musk announced that he wanted to use his company SpaceX’s satellite communication system to help restore interrupted communication with internationally recognized aid organizations in the Gaza Strip. Israel then declared that it wanted to prevent this by all possible means. The reason is that the Islamist Hamas would abuse the system for terrorist purposes.