Israeli forces have them Corpse one German-Israeli hostage in the contested one Gaza Strip recovered. The remains Father Svirskys are back to Israel the army said.
At the beginning of the year, Israel’s military announced that the 38-year-old had been murdered in captivity by his Islamist captors.
Svirsky’s parents were murdered during the attack on Kibbutz Beeri
He was there on October 7th last year when Hamas and other terrorists attacked Kibbutz Beer kidnapped near the Gaza Strip. Svirsky’s parents were murdered at that time.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in the evening of a “serious loss for the family”. According to the German embassy in Israel, Svirsky had both Israeli and German citizenship. The return of his body for burial in Israel is an “important conclusion for his family,” said the hostage relatives forum. However, around 100 abductees have still not been taken out of the Gaza Strip and many of them are still alive. All those abducted must be “released immediately,” the forum demanded.
Israel now believes hostage deal is possible
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz sees the possibility of an agreement with Hamas. “There is a chance that we can actually move forward with a hostage deal this time,” Katz said during a visit to an air force base in the center of the country, according to his office. The reason is that the pressure on Hamas has increased, among other things, due to the weakening of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.
US President-elect Donald Trump recently threatened Hamas: If the hostages are not released before he takes office on January 20, “all hell will break loose” for those responsible for the atrocities in the Middle East. Trump left it open what exactly he would do in the case.
New ceasefire efforts
According to US information, renewed efforts are currently underway to reach a ceasefire and release the hostages. According to media reports, a Hamas delegation recently visited Cairo to discuss new Egyptian ideas for a deal. Along with Qatar and the USA, Egypt had been involved in the negotiations in recent months as a mediator, as Israel and Hamas do not conduct direct negotiations with each other as a matter of principle.
Terrorists from Hamas and other groups abducted a total of more than 250 people from Israel to the sealed-off coastal area on October 7th last year. Around 1,200 people were killed in the unprecedented terrorist attack. It was the trigger for the Gaza war.
As part of a ceasefire at the end of November 2023, Hamas released 105 hostages. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from prisons. Since then, individual hostages have been freed by the military, and several have been recovered dead.
Negotiations for a new ceasefire and the release of further hostages have since been unsuccessful. Israel continues to use ground troops and air strikes against Hamas in Gaza. More than 44,500 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began nearly 14 months ago, according to the terror organization’s health agency. The information, which cannot be independently verified, does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
Amnesty International accuses Israel of genocide
Amnesty International accuses Israel of genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The human rights organization said the Israeli army committed war crimes during its military offensive and deliberately brought suffering and destruction to the people in the densely populated coastal area. She submitted a report that was almost 300 pages long. Israel “had and has the clear intention of exterminating Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” said Amnesty’s international secretary general Agnès Callamard in The Hague. Israel’s government always rejects such allegations and emphasizes the Jewish state’s right to self-defense.
According to Palestinian information, several people were killed in an Israeli air strike in the north of the Gaza Strip in the evening. At least ten people were killed and 15 injured in the attack on houses in the city of Gaza, medical sources said. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported 25 dead, citing eyewitnesses. This information could not initially be independently verified. When asked, the Israeli military said it was investigating the reports.
Palestinians report dozens of deaths
According to hospital staff, at least 20 people were killed and others injured in the southern section of the sealed-off coastal strip in the evening. Israel’s army met displaced people in Al-Mawasi near Khan Yunis tents, said employees at the nearby Nasser Clinic. There are five minors among them.
When asked, the Israeli army said it had attacked senior Hamas members in the area. Hamas is hiding in the humanitarian zone and using civilians as a shield. According to the Wafa report, a total of 76 Palestinians were said to have died in attacks and fighting throughout the day. This information from both sides could not initially be independently verified.
Tens of thousands are fleeing fighting in Syria
Meanwhile, fighting between Islamist rebels and government troops in the nearby civil war country of Syria continues. According to the UN, around 150,000 people are already on the run.
In the middle of last week, an alliance of insurgents led by the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began an offensive in northwestern Syria and took control of Aleppo, the country’s second largest city, over the weekend. Since the government of President Bashar al-Assad has suddenly found itself on the defensive due to the advance of the rebels, Israel fears that arch-enemy Iran will become more involved in the region. The Islamic Republic’s leadership also supports Hamas and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.