(Adnkronos/Dpa)
The toll would be 16 deaths, including at least 10 children Israeli raid conducted on the Fatima al-Zahra mosque in Gaza City, in the Gaza Strip. Al-Jazeera reported it.
Israel asks negotiators to relaunch talks on truce and hostages
The Israeli war cabinet has meanwhile approved new guidelines for negotiators, asking them to relaunch talks to obtain the release of the hostages in exchange for a truce in the Strip. This was reported by the Walla news portal, reporting on the decisions taken during a night meeting held after the release of a video that showed dramatic images of the kidnapping of five Israeli soldiers from the Nahal Oz base at the hands of Hamas on 7 October .
At the moment no details are known about these guidelines, while in a statement released by the office of the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, it is only stated that the war cabinet has ordered the negotiating team “to continue negotiations for the return of the hostages” .
Meanwhile, Egyptian mediators are in contact with Israel and Hamas to try to restart indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the release of the hostages, writes the Arab daily al-Araby al-Jadeed close to Qatar, citing an Egyptian source close to the negotiations and speaking of contacts ”with all parties involved”.
According to the Egyptian source cited by al-Araby al-Jadeed, an Israeli delegation went to Cairo this week to discuss security coordination and try to overcome the impasse over Israeli control of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The talks have recently also focused on Egyptian mediation, explains the source.
Pentagon Chief to Gallant: “It is urgent to increase aid from crossings”
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin had a telephone conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during which he underlined “the urgent need to increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza through all available crossings”. This was announced by Major General Pat Ryder, Pentagon spokesman, in a statement.
Austin also called on Israel to conclude talks with Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing and resume the flow of aid from Egypt through Kerem Shalom. Austin, added Ryder, ”also supported the need to create an effective mechanism to resolve the difficulties existing between humanitarian and military operations within Gaza”.
The ”definitive defeat of Hamas and the urgent release of all the hostages” still in Gaza is a ”common interest” of Israel and the United States, Austin further explained. During the meeting, the two ministers spoke about ”the best way to defeat what remains of Hamas in Hamas’ Rafah while minimizing the consequences for civilians”, we read in a note released by the Pentagon.
Video of kidnapped soldiers, Hamas accuses Israel: “Manipulated”
Hamas has meanwhile accused Israel of having “manipulated” a video showing its militiamen kidnapping five female conscripts from the Jewish state during the October 7 massacre. In the video, broadcast on Israeli television, a man is heard shouting: “You are dogs! We will trample you, dogs!”, while another says to a prisoner: “You are beautiful”.
Hamas said the video had been “manipulated and the authenticity could not be confirmed”, al-Jazeera reported. For the Palestinian organization, the images first released by the families of the hostages are part of a strategy by the Jewish state to spread “invented narratives”.
“The female soldiers were treated according to the ethics of our resistance and no mistreatment of the female soldiers of this unit was demonstrated,” Hamas added.
