Body of hostage in Gaza Strip recovered

Body of hostage in Gaza Strip recovered

Almost six weeks after the Islamist Hamas attack on Israel, soldiers have recovered the body of a hostage near the Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

The dead woman was discovered in an outbuilding of the hospital, brought to Israel and identified, Israel's military announced. The woman had been abducted from the border town of Beeri on October 7 during the Hamas massacre in Israel. Weapons such as machine guns and bazookas were also found in the building.

According to the Israeli armed forces, they also found command and control centers during their operation in the largest clinic on the coastal strip. A military representative did not specify what was meant by this. Weapons, computers and military equipment were also found there. It remained unclear whether one of the centers discovered was also the command center of the Palestinian Islamist organization that the army suspected was under the hospital. Hamas denies the existence of such a base under the hospital.

Fighters of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas from the Gaza Strip attacked Israel on 7 October and brutally killed around 1200 people. At the same time, around 240 people were taken hostage. Israel then launched air strikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip at the end of October. According to Palestinian figures, more than 11,000 people were killed. According to the UN, the supply situation is catastrophic. Israel is under international pressure for its conduct of the war - especially since the attack on the Shifa clinic.

Netanyahu: failing to minimize civilian casualties

The Israeli head of government admitted that the armed forces are not always successful in their attempts to avoid civilian casualties. The military is trying to end the military operation in the Gaza Strip with a minimum of civilian casualties, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with the US television station CBS.

"We are trying to do that, but unfortunately we are not succeeding. Every civilian death is a tragedy. We are trying to do everything in our power to get civilians out of the danger zone, while Hamas is doing everything it can to keep them there."

Military: dead in shootout in the West Bank

According to the Israeli armed forces, four people were killed in a shootout at a checkpoint in the West Bank. Israeli soldiers and police shot dead three suspected terrorists from the Islamist Hamas in Hebron at the checkpoint near Jerusalem, the military said. The attackers had been planning an attack on Israeli troops. An Israeli soldier was also killed in the shooting.

Israel Army: Hamas tunnel discovered on the grounds of the Shifa clinic

According to Israeli soldiers, they uncovered a Hamas tunnel on the grounds of the Shifa hospital. In addition, a booby-trapped vehicle with a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and handcuffs was discovered on the site, the military announced. It had been prepared for the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7 and the hostage-taking, the army suspects. A tunnel was also discovered in the Rantisi hospital. Weapons and ammunition were also found in the Al-Kuds hospital.

Report: evidence of hostage stay in hospital

According to a US media report, Israel's head of government sees "strong indications" that hostages were being held by Hamas in the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip. This was one of the reasons for the invasion of the Shifa clinic by Israeli soldiers, Netanyahu told the CBS television station.

Negotiations are currently underway between Israel and Hamas regarding the hostages taken to the Gaza Strip. The release of at least 50 women and children and a three to five-day ceasefire are being discussed, a person familiar with the negotiations told the German Press Agency.

Israel takes control of western Gaza

According to Defense Minister Joav Galant, Israel's army has gained control of the western part of the city of Gaza in the northern Gaza Strip. "The next phase has begun," said Galant. He did not specify what this phase would look like.

The Israeli army also reported that it had taken "operational control" of the city's port, which had previously been controlled by Hamas. Local sources confirmed the takeover to dpa. Israel's army once again called on civilians in several districts of the embattled city of Gaza to flee. Hundreds of thousands have already fled from the north to the south of the coastal strip. However, there have also been several Israeli airstrikes there.

What is important today

Following his verbal attacks on Israel and his defence of Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit Germany. He plans to meet with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Chancellery today. Erdogan recently defended Hamas as a "liberation organization" and condemned Israel as a "terrorist state".

In addition, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wanted to travel to Ramallah for talks. Among other things, talks with representatives of civil society and a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were planned.

1. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East has resulted in numerous casualties, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledging the challenge of minimizing civilian deaths during military operations.
2. Amidst the ongoing conflict, concerns arise about potential hostage situations, as reportedly indicated by Netanyahu in relation to Hamas supposedly holding hostages in the Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip.
3. The Israeli military accused Hamas of operating terrorist activities, including discovering a booby-trapped vehicle and a tunnel on the grounds of the Shifa clinic, which was suspected to be used during the attacks on Israel in October.

Source: www.dpa.com