Hamas for a longer break in fighting
Netanyahu visits soldiers in Gaza
November 26, 2023, 7:30 p.m
The guns in Gaza have been silent since Friday. Israel’s head of government is using the break in fighting to visit the soldiers in the Palestinian territory for the first time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the troops in the Gaza Strip for the first time since the start of the war. “We are making every effort to bring back our hostages, and in the end we will bring them all back,” Netanyahu told the soldiers, according to his office. “We will continue until the end – until victory.”
Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s war goals. It’s about “eliminating Hamas, bringing back all of our hostages and ensuring that the Gaza Strip does not become a threat to the State of Israel again.” According to his office, during the visit he also looked at a tunnel belonging to the Islamist Hamas that had been uncovered by the soldiers.
There has been a four-day ceasefire between the Israeli army and the terrorist organization Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, since Friday. As part of the agreement, Hamas initially wants to release 50 Israeli and additional foreign hostages. In total, the Islamists are believed to have kidnapped more than 240 people from Israel. In return, Israel wants to release 150 Palestinian prisoners and allow aid to be sent to the Gaza Strip.
Intermediaries are trying to get an extension
It is still unclear what will happen after the ceasefire expires. International mediators are trying to get an extension. Hamas is reportedly willing to extend the agreement for “two to four days.” This was communicated to the mediators from Qatar and Egypt, the AFP news agency reported. This could “ensure the release of an additional 20 to 40 Israeli prisoners.”
The latest Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel’s history, which terrorists from the Gaza Strip committed in Israel near the border on October 7th. More than 1,200 people were killed. Around 240 hostages were taken to Gaza, including several Germans. Israel responded with massive airstrikes, a blockade of the Gaza Strip and began a ground offensive in late October. According to Hamas authorities, almost 15,000 people were killed. More than 36,000 were injured. The numbers cannot currently be independently verified, but aid organizations believe they are realistic.