Will free 70 hostages in exchange for 5-day ceasefire: Hamas
Amid the escalating war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Palestinian terror group's military arm, the Al-Qassam Brigades, has proposed a five-day ceasefire with Israel in exchange for the release of up to 70 women and children hostages, Reuters reported. A spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, reportedly said the suggested truce would necessitate a total halt in hostilities, enabling aid distribution in Gaza. However, he accused Israel of "procrastinating and evading" the deal and its possible outcome.
Why does this story matter?
The Israel-Hamas war entered its 39th day on Tuesday, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting that Israel's retaliatory air strikes killed over 11,000 people in the strip, mostly children, since Hamas's October 7 attack on the Jewish nation. Israel has long alleged that Hamas is using medical institutions as its command centers, primarily the Al-Shifa Hospital. However, the Palestinian health authorities and Hamas have denied that the terrorist group is hiding military infrastructure within or beneath the facility.
Truce will require ending hostilities, allow aid into Gaza: Hamas
In a recorded audio statement posted on Al-Qassam Brigades's Telegram channel, Ubaida said, "We told the (Qatari) mediators that in a five-day truce, we can release 50 of them and the number could reach 70 due to the difficulty that the captives are held by different factions." The spokesperson claimed Israel had asked Hamas to free 100 hostages. He further noted that the proposed truce would require ending hostilities completely and allowing humanitarian aid distribution across the war-torn Gaza.
US President Joe Biden seeks protection of hospitals
United States President Joe Biden also pitched for "less intrusive action" by Israel concerning hospitals in Gaza during a White House briefing. He said talks involving Qatar were ongoing to help establish a temporary halt in fighting for hostage releases. Biden underscored the importance of safeguarding hospitals in the conflict-ridden Gaza. "My hope and expectation is that there will be less intrusive action relative to hospitals and we remain in contact with the Israelis," Biden said.
Al-Shifa Hospital faces power outage, puts babies at risk
Amid the ongoing conflict, Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza, has received warnings from health officials regarding the endangerment of numerous infants due to a power outage. Over the past three days, 32 patients, including three infants, have lost their lives as a result of the siege and the lack of vital services. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the hospital has had no electricity and water for three days, rendering it non-functional.
Israeli military claims Hamas used hospital basement for arms storage
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) alleged Hamas utilized the basement of a Gaza hospital for storing weapons and holding hostages. In a video post on X, IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari revealed purported arms and rooms seemingly used for detaining hostages were found beneath Rantisi Children's Hospital. "Underneath the hospital, in the basement, we found a Hamas command and control center, suicide-bomb vests, grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, explosive devices, RPGs, and other weapons, computers, money, etc," he stated.