The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, approved the departure of two delegations from the Jewish State towards Doha and Cairo to negotiate the hostage agreement in the coming days. The Times of Israel indicated this, citing a note from the prime minister’s office, according to which Netanyahu guaranteed the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, and the head of the Shin Bet, Ron Bar, that they will have “space to operate” during the negotiations in the two Arab capitals.
Biden: “Israel’s anger is understandable, but too many innocent people have died”
“There are too many innocent victims, Israeli and Palestinian. We must provide more food, medicine and supplies for the Palestinians,” he said meanwhile US President Joe Biden speaking about the war in the Gaza Strip during a fundraising event in New York.
Biden stressed that “we cannot forget that Israel’s very existence is at stake. Israelis have been massacred. Imagine if this happened in the United States. It is understandable that Israel has such deep anger. But we must stop the war effort that causes significant deaths of innocent civilians.”
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries are “ready to fully recognize Israel”, Biden then declared at the fundraiser which was also attended by the two former presidents, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
“I won’t go into details now. But I have worked with the Saudis and all the other Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Qatar. They are ready to fully recognize Israel, to fully recognize Israel for the first time,” Biden said, according to as reported by CNN.
“But there has to be a post-Gaza plan and a two-state solution, it doesn’t have to happen today, but there has to be progress and I think we can do that,” he added during the event which was interrupted several times by protesters demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel prepares to enter Rafah
“No hostages will remain in the Gaza Strip”, he promised in the meantime Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the meeting with the families of those kidnapped, still in the hands of Hamas since 7 October. ”They are our heroes” he defined them, adding that he knew that ”every extra day that passes for them and for you is hell”. Netanyahu argued, however, that only military pressure on Hamas will lead to the release of the hostages. For this reason, the Israeli Defense Forces ”are preparing to enter Rafah”, in the south of the Gaza Strip, where over a million displaced people have found shelter.
Israeli troops, who are located around the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, have meanwhile killed Raad Thabet, one of the ten top Hamas commanders. Spokesman Daniel Hagari announced it, specifying that Thabet was killed during an escape attempt. In another area of the hospital, the soldiers had a firefight with some armed men and killed three militiamen. The ongoing operation at the hospital has led to the arrest of 900 suspected terrorists.
The Israeli Armed Forces also announced that they had destroyed, by exploding, as reported by the Times of Israel, a 2.5 kilometer stretch of Hamas tunnel, part of an underground network that connects the northern and southern areas of Gaza . According to what was announced in a press conference by IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari, over 30 tons of explosives were used in the operation.
“Israeli raid in Syria, 36 soldiers killed”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 36 Syrian soldiers died and dozens of others were injured in an alleged attack by the Israeli army near the Syrian city of Aleppo. “As a preliminary assessment, at least 36 members of the regime forces were killed and dozens were injured with various injuries, some of them serious, making it likely that the death toll will increase due to Israeli airstrikes after midnight on Thursday “, the London-based organization said.
Up to “36 Syrian soldiers were killed in the Israeli target of a Hezbollah warehouse in the Jibreen area, near Aleppo international airport”, the Observatory then wrote on Facebook, ensuring that this is the “highest number of Syrian soldiers killed in Israeli raids”. Although these accusations have not yet been verified, the group assured that the Israeli attack targeted an arms depot belonging to the Lebanese Shiite militia party Hezbollah located in Jibreen, near Aleppo international airport.
Another target of the bombings were the defense factories of Al Safira, added the Observatory, specifying that explosions were also heard in the Kafr Joum area, west of Aleppo: “The regime’s air defense missiles were launched to try to counter Israeli missiles and thwart the attack. Ambulances and firefighters moved in a tight security cordon to the site of the attacks to transport the wounded and put out the fires that broke out.”
Israeli Army: “Hezbollah rocket unit deputy commander killed”
The Israeli army (IDF) has claimed responsibility for the killing of Ali Naim, deputy commander of Hezbollah’s rocket launch unit, who was hit by a drone in southern Lebanon. Naim was shot while he was in a car near the town of Bazouriye, in the Tire area.
According to the IDF statement, Nail “was considered a significant source of knowledge in the terrorist group” and “a leader in heavy rocket fire, responsible for planning and carrying out attacks on Israeli civilians.” The IDF also released images of the drone raid. A Hezbollah statement announced Naim’s death, but he was only defined as a fighter.
Meanwhile, troops of the Nahal Brigade operating in the central Gaza Strip have identified and destroyed several rocket launchers aimed at Israel. The IDF made this known, adding that over the last day Nahal soldiers also killed numerous armed men. The Israeli Air Force also struck what the IDF said was a building used by Hamas for terrorist activities in the Nuseirat district of central Gaza.
The fight against Hamas also continues in Gaza City’s Shifa hospital, as well as in al-Qarara in southern Gaza and in the al-Amal neighborhood of Khan Younis, where the IDF says troops have killed Hamas operatives, seized weapons and destroyed sites belonging to terrorism.
A journalist was reportedly killed near al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza City. This was reported by al-Jazeera, specifying that the victim’s name was Muhammad Abu Sakhil and he worked for the local broadcaster al-Quds Radio. According to Qatari TV, Abu Sakhil was shot and killed by Israeli forces. This brings the number of journalists killed in Gaza since 7 October to 137.
Gaza Health Ministry: “32,623 deaths since October 7”
At least 32,623 Palestinians have been reported killed and 75,092 wounded in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza since October 7. This was stated by the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
