{"id":608673,"date":"2023-10-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2023\/10\/24\/hamas-releases-another-two-hostages-as-israels-war-on-gaza-intensifies\/"},"modified":"2023-10-24T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T00:00:00","slug":"hamas-releases-another-two-hostages-as-israels-war-on-gaza-intensifies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2023\/10\/24\/hamas-releases-another-two-hostages-as-israels-war-on-gaza-intensifies\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamas releases another two hostages as Israel\u2019s war on Gaza intensifies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Could a third hostage release by Hamas help change the direction of Israel\u2019s <\/strong>war against Gaza? <\/strong>That\u2019s the suggestion that runs through Israeli and US media reports overnight after negotiations led by Egypt and Qatar saw Hamas release two hostages yesterday. <\/p>\n

Israeli media<\/a><\/strong> expects that the Red Cross could \u201cin the hours ahead\u201d receive \u201cabout 50\u201d hostages <\/strong>who hold dual citizenship. <\/p>\n

How this plays out could have an outsized impact on the direction of the war: <\/strong>The US has been leaning on Israel\u2019s war cabinet to hold off its anticipated ground offensive into Gaza until negotiations to secure the release of the hostages have run their course.<\/p>\n

Stop the bombing, get all of the hostages, says Meshaal:<\/strong> Hamas would consider releasing all 200+ hostages should Israel meet its conditions, which include stopping its bombing campaign, the former head of the armed group, Khaled Meshaal, told Sky News<\/a> in an interview yesterday. \u201cLet them stop this aggression and you will find the mediators like Qatar and Egypt and some Arab countries and others will find a way to have them released and we'll send them to their homes,\u201d he told the British broadcaster.<\/p>\n

The push on the hostages comes after two elderly Israeli women were <\/strong>handed over<\/a><\/strong> to the <\/strong>Red Cross yesterday. <\/strong>Al Qahera News reported late last night that the two women had arrived at the Rafah border crossing and were receiving medical treatment (watch, runtime: 11:12<\/a>). \u201cWe thank Egypt for its assistance, and the Red Cross for its important role as lifesavers,\u201d CNN Arabic<\/a> quoted an Israeli government spokesperson as saying. A Hamas spokesperson said the group had decided to release them for \u201ccompelling humanitarian and health reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamas has now released four hostages <\/strong>since Saturday<\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong>The IDF<\/a> said yesterday (prior to the agreement) that Hamas had 222 captives.<\/p>\n

GAZA WILL RUN OUT OF FUEL TOMORROW-<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gaza\u2019s fuel reserves could run out <\/strong>on Wednesday<\/strong>, the UN<\/a> has said, as Israel\u2019s near-total blockade of Gaza threatens to derail the humanitarian relief effort and prevent hospitals and bakeries from functioning.<\/p>\n

Is the EU finally getting the message? <\/strong>EU leaders plan this week to call for a \u201chumanitarian pause\u201d to allow aid to be delivered to Gaza, Reuters<\/a> reported yesterday. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other senior EU officials have so far been outspoken in their support for Israel\u2019s war on Gaza and some are said to remain reticent about pushing for a temporary truce despite the devastating humanitarian crisis. <\/p>\n

No fuel means no aid distribution and no hospitals:<\/strong> Without fuel supplies, hospitals across the territory will no longer be able to operate and the UN will not be able to distribute aid. \u201cWithout fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals and bakeries. Without fuel, aid will not reach those in desperate need,\u201d the head of the UN\u2019s agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, said<\/a> Sunday. <\/p>\n

Third aid convoy makes it to Gaza:<\/strong> Another 20 aid trucks carrying food and medical aid made it into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing yesterday, Reuters<\/a> quotes a UN spokesperson as saying. This takes the total number of trucks to have crossed the border since Saturday<\/a><\/strong> to 54.<\/p>\n

Far more is needed:<\/strong> The UN has said that 100 trucks of aid are needed every day to stave off the growing humanitarian crisis. Egypt is working with the UN, the US and Israel on a \u201csustained delivery mechanism,\u201d<\/strong> the US State Department spokesperson said<\/a> yesterday, without going into details. The US\u2019 Middle East humanitarian envoy said Sunday<\/a> that he expects a \u201ccontinuous flow\u201d of aid to enter as of this week. <\/p>\n

NO CEASEFIRE, SAYS WHITE HOUSE-<\/strong><\/p>\n

The US is still not willing to consider a ceasefire:<\/strong> \u201cWe don\u2019t believe that this is the time for a ceasefire,\u201d White House spokesperson John Kirby told CNN last night (watch, runtime: 7:53<\/a>). \u201cIsrael has a right to defend themselves \u2026 We\u2019re gonna keep supporting them\u2026 our focus is on making sure that they have what they need to carry on this fight.\u201d The US shot down<\/a> a UN Security Council resolution last week that called for a temporary humanitarian ceasefire because it didn\u2019t mention Israel\u2019s right to self defense. <\/p>\n

China: There are limits to the right to self defense<\/strong>, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Israeli counterpart yesterday. \u201cAll countries have the right to self-defense, but they should abide by international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians,\u201d Wang said, according to a Chinese readout<\/a>. \u201cThe top priority is to prevent the situation from escalating further and leading to a more serious humanitarian disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shoukry, Iran talk regional war, aid:<\/strong> Shoukry and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian agreed on the need to prevent a wider regional war and accelerate the distribution of aid during a phone conversation on Sunday evening, Egypt\u2019s Foreign Ministry<\/a> and Iran\u2019s state news agency<\/a> said yesterday. Abdollahian also backed Egypt\u2019s position on ethnic cleansing, telling Shoukry that the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank is Israel\u2019s ultimate goal, according to IRNA.<\/p>\n

Remember:<\/strong> Tehran\u2019s regional proxies have threatened to attack Israel and US forces in the region should it escalate the conflict and stage a ground offensive into Gaza.<\/p>\n

Malaysia backs Egypt on Gaza issue:<\/strong> Malaysia \u201ccompletely rejects\u201d attempts to displace Palestinians into Egypt, and urges the international community to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told President Abdel Fattah El Sisi during talks in Cairo yesterday, Ittihadiya said<\/a> yesterday. <\/p>\n

West not doing enough: <\/strong>The two leaders agreed that Western nations have to apply pressure to the Israelis to end its bombing campaign, Ibrahim said at a press conference after the meeting, according to Malaysian me<\/a>dia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

MORE DEAD CHILDREN-<\/strong><\/p>\n

Almost two-thirds of Gaza\u2019s population is now homeless:<\/strong>About 1.4 mn Gazans have been displaced by Israel\u2019s devastating bombing campaign, the UN<\/a> said Sunday. That\u2019s more than 60% of Gaza\u2019s total population. Almost 600k<\/a> of these people are sheltering in 150 UNRWA facilities.<\/p>\n

Israeli military kills anoth<\/strong>er 436<\/strong> kids, mothers, fathers:<\/strong> As of yesterday afternoon, almost 5.1k Palestinians had been killed by the Israeli military since it began bombing the strip on 7 October and almost 15.3k people had been wounded, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The toll is stark:<\/strong><\/p>\n