Israeli Channel 12 said the meeting explored ways to reach an agreement to free Israelis held captive by the Palestinian group. There was no comment from the Israeli government on the news reported by the media. Thursday’s meeting is the first held by the War Cabinet since Hamas rejected a proposed ceasefire deal with Israel earlier this week.
The Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing pressure from the hostages’ families and the opposition to reach a swap deal with Hamas. The Palestinian group, believed to be holding around 133 hostages, is demanding an end to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip in exchange for an agreement with Tel Aviv on the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
Nearly 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and another 76,800 injured in the Israeli onslaught since October 7, 2023, amid mass destruction and shortages of basic necessities. Israel says around 1,200 people were killed in the October 7 Hamas attack. However, Haaretz has since revealed that Israeli army helicopters and tanks had actually killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians who Israel claimed had been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.
An earlier deal in November called for the release of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including 71 women and 169 children. The Israeli war has forced 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement due to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
Jalel Labhib
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