Red Cross Facilitates Release of Hostages from Gaza: Latest Updates and Reactions

The Red Cross states on Monday evening that it has facilitated the release of two new hostages by transporting them out of Gaza.

It was the spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, who first announced the release. Egyptian state media reported a short time later that two elderly female hostages had arrived at the Rafah border post, between Gaza and Egypt.

Israeli media, including Haaretzhas previously cited unnamed sources as claiming that Hamas was considering releasing civilian hostages in exchange for fuel.

RELEASED: The picture shows Israeli Yocheved Lifshitz after his release from Hamas on Monday evening. Photo: Al Qahera News/Handout via REUTERS

Sea view

The Hamas spokesman wrote in a post on Telegram that the release occurred for humanitarian reasons, after negotiations with Egypt and Qatar. The Israeli authorities have not yet commented on the release.

The two women will now be taken to hospital, according to Reuters.

On Friday, two American hostages – mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan – were released by Hamas. The two women who were released on Monday are both Israelis, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, in the south of Israel – one of the places where Hamas brutally attacked civilians on 7 October.

Dagbladet visited the kibbutz, where a quarter of the residents have been killed, missing or kidnapped, earlier this week. You can read more about that in the case below.

– Came to kill

US President Joe Biden does not want to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas has released all the hostages. He made that clear when he was asked about the possibility of a ceasefire during a press conference on Monday evening.

– We have to get the hostages released, and then we can talk, Biden replied.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk has expressed a different order of priorities. He believes that the first step must be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, to save civilian lives in Gaza.

The issue was also discussed at the EU foreign ministers’ meeting on Monday. Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands are among the countries that support a humanitarian ceasefire, while countries such as Germany and Austria are against it.

STRONG IMPRESSIONS: This video shows the inside of the Shifa hospital in Gaza. The video was filmed by hospital director Mohammed Abu Selmia, who says that this is what the operating room looks like now. Reporter: Anabelle Bruun Show more British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed to the British Parliament on Monday afternoon that their investigations indicate that the explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza last week was “probably” caused by a missile launched from Gaza.

The explosion has triggered strong reactions around the world, and has been described by Hamas as a turning point. It is still not established what caused the explosion.

Hamas quickly came out and called the explosion an Israeli attack, while Israel claims to have evidence that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group was behind it. US authorities claim that their intelligence information points to PIJ.

An independent analysis by the AP news agency, which has reviewed a number of video clips from the explosion, also indicates that it was probably caused by a rocket launched from Gaza. BBCwho have reviewed the same, on the other hand refer to the findings as inconclusive.

The health authorities in Gaza have stated that 471 people were killed in the explosion. The number has not been verified by independent sources.

2023-10-23 21:33:45
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