Gantz: “Truce for the release of hostages would not mean the end of the war.” Hamas threatens: “The battle is still at the beginning”

Joe Biden is convinced that “there could be” the release of the hostages held by Hamas. Responding to questions from journalists at the White House regarding the situation in Israel and Gaza, the US president underlined his daily commitment to the release of the hostages held by Hamas: “I speak every day, I believe it can happen, but I don’t want to get into the details,” Biden said. “Hold on, we’re coming”, this is how the American president responded to those who asked him what message he wanted to send to the families of the Hamas hostages.

We will continue until we achieve our objectives”, said Benny Gantz, in the Israeli war cabinet, according to whom “even if a ceasefire was needed for the return of the hostages, the war would not stop”. Gantz, reports the Times of Israel, expressed himself thus during a visit to the military leaders in northern Israel and assured that Israel is doing “everything possible at a political and military level to bring home safely” the hostages, around 240 held in the Gaza Strip since terrible October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel. “We are doing everything we can to bring everyone back

The tug of war between Hamas and Israel continues over the release of the hostages. If an agreement is close to an agreement according to the Washington Post, the Ezzeldín al Qassam Brigades have once again accused Tel Aviv of blocking the prisoner exchange which includes the release of 50-70 women and children kidnapped during the October 7 attacks. According to spokesperson Abu Obeida, Qatar is mediating to reach an agreement that would allow the release of “200 Palestinian children and 75 Palestinian women” detained, but there has been a postponement by the Israeli authorities.

The method with which the negotiations are taking place could push Islamic Jihad to stay out of any agreements on hostages held in the Gaza Strip. This was announced by the general secretary of the Palestinian Islamist formation, Ziad Nachala, quoted by al-Arabiya. Nachala explained that the organization may not accept being involved in a possible agreement between Israel and Hamas, deciding to wait for “better conditions”. Islamic Jihad had previously announced that it was holding 34 people hostage.

Hamas: “The battle against Israel is still at the beginning”
“The battle against Israel is still at the beginning and what is coming is bigger,” Hamas representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan said at a press conference in Beirut.

“We are fighting the battle to end the occupation, protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque and establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” says Hamdan, who added: “We reassure our people and free peoples that resistance to the occupation and the al-Qassam Brigades (armed wing of Hamas, ed.) are well and have control of the situation”.

A spokesperson for the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza told the Washington Post that the ministry can no longer publish current data on the death toll in the Strip due to a lack of internet connection, having lost contact with hospitals. Last night, the death toll in the Gaza Strip since October 7 stood at over 11,000 people dead.

According to Ocha, the United Nations organization that coordinates humanitarian aid, only one hospital, that of al-Ahli, is functioning in the northern Gaza Strip. All others can no longer operate due to attacks by Israeli forces nearby. 500 patients are hospitalized in a-Ahli hospital, in Gaza City. All the others had to stop their activities due to shortages of fuel, medicine, electricity, food, water or oxygen.

The most affected is al-Shifa hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, where at least 600 patients, with 200-300 workers, and 1,500 refugees are hospitalized. The hospital reported that in the last few days thirty people, including three premature babies, have lost their lives due to problems related to the attacks.

Israeli forces take control of Hamas’ Shatti camp in Gaza City
In the last few hours, Israeli forces have taken control of the Shatti refugee camp in Gaza City, near the al-Shifa hospital, one of the main Hamas bases used for the attacks on Israel last October 7, and have begun “dismantling the centers and capabilities that the organization has built over the years,” announced the commander of the 162nd Division, General Itzik Cohen. So far, 160 tunnel entrances have been located, 2,800 Hamas infrastructures have been attacked, and around a thousand Hamas terrorists and commanders have been killed. The Israeli military said it had raided the organization’s strategic sites, including Hamas’ security headquarters, the Rantisi hospital used by the organization for military activities and hostages, and a post in Adar.

Rockets from Gaza, 3 injured in Tel Aviv
In Tel Aviv three people suffered shrapnel wounds after a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Among the three there is a seriously injured twenty-year-old. This was reported by the Times of Israel, which cites medical sources and reports that Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack and testimonies that speak of three rockets launched from the Strip. It is not clear, the Times of Israel points out, whether the three were consequences of the direct impact of a rocket or the activation of the Iron Dome system.

Remains of 859 civilians killed in Hamas attack in southern Israel identified
The Israeli authorities have identified the remains of 859 civilians in southern Israel, victims of the massacre carried out by Hamas on 7 October, 16 more than reported on 8 November. The police announced this, explaining that identification work is still underway.

Israel said on Friday it had revised down the death toll from the Hamas attack on Israeli communities and military bases in southern Israel from 1,400 to 1,200. Tel Aviv believes around 1,500 terrorists have been killed by Israeli security forces.