Israel has stated that greater than 100 hostages have been nonetheless being held captive in Gaza by Hamas and different militant teams after final month’s hostages-for-prisoners alternate.
Ismail Haniyeh, the highest political chief of Hamas, made a uncommon go to to Cairo on Wednesday to debate the warfare with mediators, an indication that the 2 sides is likely to be inching towards a brand new settlement after the collapse of a weeklong cease-fire earlier this month.
Here’s what we all know concerning the captives.
Who’re the remaining hostages?
Of the 129 those who Israel says are nonetheless be held hostage, 21 are believed to be lifeless. Israel counts the lifeless in its whole hostage figures.
Many of the remaining hostages are males, however the prime minister’s workplace stated 19 ladies and two youngsters have been nonetheless believed to be held. They embrace Shiri Bibas, 32 and her two sons, Ariel Bibas, 4; and Kfir Bibas, lower than a yr previous. Hamas’s armed wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, claimed the three had been killed in Israeli airstrikes, however Israel has not confirmed that.
All however 11 of the present hostages are Israeli or twin nationals with Israeli citizenship — the others are Thai, Nepalese, Tanzanian and one is a twin French and Mexican citizen.
Who has been launched?
Hamas has launched hostages in a number of batches. In whole, 110 have come dwelling alive, whereas 11 our bodies have been recovered, in keeping with the Israeli prime minister’s workplace, together with three males who have been mistakenly shot by the Israeli army on Friday. Many of the launched hostages have been Israeli residents.
In alternate, Israel has launched 240 Palestinians that it had imprisoned or detained.
Why did the talks stall?
Israel resumed its bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after each side failed to achieve an settlement over the remaining hostages.
On Wednesday, negotiators appeared to be inching nearer to a brand new settlement. Mr. Haniyeh, the Hamas chief, arrived in Cairo to carry talks with Egyptian officers a few attainable truce. Israel and Hamas have been making an attempt, by means of mediators from Qatar and Egypt, to debate a brand new cease-fire deal that would come with the discharge of extra hostages, according to an official familiar with the talks. An Israeli official stated preliminary steps had been made within the negotiations, however emphasised there was no deal but.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces rising stress from overseas to decelerate the tempo of the combating and even set up a long-lasting cease-fire in Gaza quickly. On the similar time, the households of Israelis held hostage have made more and more determined pleas for him to achieve a deal to carry their family members dwelling.
About 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, in keeping with Gazan authorites, who don’t distinguish between civilians and combatants however have stated that 70 % of the lifeless are ladies and youngsters.
The USA, which provides Israel billions of {dollars} in army help yearly, maintains that it helps Israel’s proper to defend itself, however is more and more sharpening its tone, urging Mr. Netanyahu to do every little thing he can to guard civilian life.
What are the households of the remaining hostages saying?
Most of the households of hostages have been protesting to demand a deal to free the hostages, even when which means a cease-fire or liberating Palestinian prisoners. Weekly demonstrations close to the principle army headquarters in Tel Aviv usually draw a crowd of 1000’s. Final month, 1000’s of demonstrators marched for 5 days, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, to demand that Mr. Netanyahu do no matter it takes to carry their family members dwelling.
The mistaken taking pictures deaths of the three hostages on Friday infected tensions between the households and the federal government. Avi Shamriz, the daddy of one of many three males, told NBC News that Mr. Netanyahu’s management had “murdered my son twice.” Reviews that the Israeli authorities had acquired details about Hamas’s plans to assault greater than a yr earlier have been seen as a major intelligence failure.
On Wednesday, Israel’s authorities press workplace issued a press release from the mom of one of many three hostages who was mistakenly killed, Yotam Haim. Iris Haim stated that, “as painful as it is to say, and as sad as it is” the taking pictures of her son was “likely the right thing to do at that moment.”
“None of us are judging you or angry with you,” she stated, straight addressing the battalion concerned within the taking pictures. “Not me; not my husband, Raviv; not my daughter, Noya; not Yotam, of blessed memory; and not Tuval, Yotam’s brother.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Netanyahu met with representatives of greater than a dozen households of the hostages in Tel Aviv, the place he vowed to work to carry all of them dwelling.
“We are committed, I am personally committed, to the release of all the hostages,” Mr. Netanyahu stated, in keeping with a press release despatched by his workplace. “Rescuing them is a supreme task.”
