Israeli War Cabinet Convenes to Address Gaza Hostage Crisis

In a late-night meeting on Sunday local time, Israel’s war cabinet, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and National Unity Party chairman Benny Gantz, came together to discuss the efforts aimed at securing the release of the  remaining hostages held in Gaza, as reported by CNN citing an Israeli official.

Addressing the nation through a video, a statement was released by the Israeli government’s press office on Sunday. In the video,  Prime Minister Netanyahu highlighted the plight of the hostages during Passover, stating that 133 individuals were unable to partake in the Seder due to being “imprisoned in the hell of Hamas.”

Netanyahu also accused Hamas of adamantly rejecting the proposed hostage exchange deals and pledged Israel’s commitment to applying “additional and painful blows” alongside increased “military and political pressure” on Hamas to enable the release of the hostages, according to CNN.

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According to reports, international mediators have been actively engaged in facilitating talks surrounding a potential ceasefire and hostage exchange, although the progress has been stganant due to the multiple challenges. Earlier in the month, Hamas reportedly struggled to identify the 40 Israeli hostages that were needed for the initial phase of a proposed ceasefire agreement.

As per the negotiated framework, Hamas was expected to release 40 hostages, including women and vulnerable individuals, within a stipulated period of six weeks, in exchange for the release of the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners that Israel had been holding hostage.

Amidst these escalating tensions, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi also, reportedly, approved battle plans during a meeting at the Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba on Sunday, according to The Times of Israel. Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel’s Southern Command, and other senior officers have been reported to have attended the strategic session that was aimed at authorising operational plans.

Simultaneously, Israeli forces recently concluded a two-day operation in the Nur al-Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm in the West Bank, as reported by CNN referencing the IDF. The operation resulted in fatalties, with at least 14 individuals, including one child, were reportedly killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and official news agency Wafa.

The IDF, talking about the attack statedthat the operation was intended to target “terrorists,” resulting in the death of 10 individuals and the arrest of eight suspects deemed “wanted” during the extensive counterterrorism mission initiated on Thursday.

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