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- Hamas frees two Israeli women
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Hamas frees two Israeli women
Hamas released two elderly Israeli women held hostage in Gaza on Monday, as Israel continued to bombard Gaza.
The armed wing of the Palestinian Hamas militant group said on Monday it had released two female civilian captives in response to Egyptian-Qatari mediation efforts.
Released by Hamas: Nurit Cooper, left, and Yocheved Lifshitz.
The hostages were identified by Israeli media as Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper of the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz.
Abu Ubaida, spokesman for armed wing, said on Telegram it had secured the release of the detainees “despite the enemy’s refusal to accept them since last Friday and their neglect of the issue of our prisoners”.
“We decided to release them for humanitarian and poor health grounds … Despite that, the enemy refused to receive them last Friday,” the statement added.
The armed wing released two Americans on Friday, nearly two weeks after Hamas gunmen abducted them and dozens of others near Gaza.
A Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday said that the release of US hostages from Gaza came “after many days on continuous communication” with all parties.
US to deploy more forces in the Middle East
The US says it will deploy more military forces to the Middle East in an effort to deter groups such as Hezbollah from trying to expand the war.
In a report from Bloomberg, John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, said President Joe Biden added additional military forces to the region “and more forces will be coming in days and weeks ahead”.
US president Joe Biden has ordered the deployment of more forces in the Middle East.Credit: AP
The US has already deployed two carrier strike groups to the region, and over the weekend shot down missiles and drones from Yemen suspected to be headed toward Israel.
Israeli aircraft also struck two Iran-backed Hezbollah cells believed to be planning to launch anti-tank missiles and rockets toward Israel.
The Israeli army and Palestinians have also clashed in the occupied West Bank.
Newborns ‘will die’ if Gaza hospital unit runs out of fuel
The head of the neonatal unit in Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis says the facility will run out of fuel within 48 hours, putting the lives of newborns in danger.
In a report by newswire AP, Dr Hatem Edhair said eight babies in the intensive care unit and 10 others in the neonatal department were reliant on powered equipment to keep them alive.
“Half of these children are on CPAP (pressurised air) machines and oxygen machines,” he said on Monday. “If the hospital runs out of fuel, half of these babies will die in less than 24 hours.”
Despite convoys of aid rolling into Gaza from Egpyt, Israel has not allowed any fuel to enter the strip over fears it could be diverted to Hamas.
While aid agencies have welcomed the trucks, they say the supply falls far short of the 100 trucks needed every day to meet essential needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
AP
Welcome to our rolling coverage of the conflict
Good morning, Angus Thompson here. This morning I’ll be bringing you the latest developments from the conflict in Israel and Gaza. Here’s a summary of where things stand:
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip.Credit: AP
- It is just after 10.30pm in the affected region, bringing the 17th day of the conflict to a close. The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 436 Palestinians, including 182 children, were killed in a 24-hour period, bringing the death toll in Gaza to 5087. More than 1400 Israelis were killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
- The Israeli military said it had struck more than 320 targets in Gaza over 24 hours, including a tunnel housing Hamas fighters, dozens of command and lookout posts, and mortar and anti-tank missile launcher positions. Israeli soldiers have also skirmished with Hamas in raids inside Gaza.
- French President Emmanuel Macron is travelling to Israel on Tuesday as a show of solidarity. He will hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and meet with families of hostages.
- Meanwhile, the US has told Israel delaying its ground offensive in Gaza would allow more time to negotiate the release of more hostages seized by Hamas – according to an official who spoke to AP – as Hamas said on Monday it had released two female civilian captives in response to Egyptian-Qatari mediation efforts.
- European Union leaders meeting in Brussels later this week will call for a ceasefire to allow aid to flow safely, according to draft conclusions seen by Reuters. A third convoy of aid entered the Rafah crossing from Egypt on Monday, adding to 34 trucks in the previous two days.
- Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has cautioned Australia’s political and community leaders to show restraint, calling out “disturbing rhetoric” that has emerged. A potential escalation of violence in the Middle East will form a significant part of talks between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden when they meet in Washington this week
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