Hopes for extension of Gaza ceasefire
Following the release of dozens of hostages held by the terrorist organization Hamas, there are signs that the ceasefire in the Gaza war, which was set to expire on Tuesday morning, may be extended. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled his willingness to do so in principle. According to Hamas, it is also seeking an extension in order to obtain more Palestinian prisoners from Israel in exchange for hostages.
Release of ten more hostages expected
Ten more hostages are expected to be released this Monday. Meanwhile, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is continuing his visit to Israel. Following a visit to a kibbutz and talks with Netanyahu, he intends to visit a clinic in East Jerusalem where Palestinian patients who are now unable to return to their families are being treated.
Elon Musk in Israel
On the same day, tech billionaire Elon Musk will meet Israel's President Izchak Herzog in Jerusalem. According to Herzog's office, representatives of the hostages' families will also be present at the meeting. Herzog also wanted to emphasize the need to "take action against increasing anti-Semitism on the Internet". It was unclear whether Musk will also meet Prime Minister Netanyahu during his visit to Israel.
Hope for an extension of the ceasefire
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden hopes that the ceasefire, which was initially agreed for four days, will be extended "so that we can continue to free more hostages and provide more humanitarian aid to those in need in Gaza". Biden said that he would continue to work with Qatar, Egypt and Israel to this end. France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna expressed similar sentiments. It would be "good, helpful and necessary" to extend the ceasefire until all hostages have been released, Colonna told the BFM TV channel, as reported by other French media.
Since Friday, 58 hostages have been released, including eight German dual nationals. In return, another group of 39 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli prisons on Sunday, as the Israeli prison authorities announced in the evening. According to Palestinian reports, these were 39 young men under the age of 19. This brings the total number of Palestinian prisoners released since Friday to 177.
Hostage is in mortal danger
According to the media, a hostage released by Hamas on Sunday is in mortal danger. The 84-year-old woman was taken to a clinic in a life-threatening condition, Israeli media reported, citing the clinic in Beersheba. On Sunday, a four-year-old girl who is a US citizen was released for the first time.
Little girl survived under her father's body
The fate of the little girl has moved many people ever since. On October 7, when Hamas terrorists carried out an unprecedented massacre of Israeli civilians, the girl was forced to watch as her mother was shot dead, according to US media reports. As her father lay protectively over his daughter, he was also shot dead. The girl's 10 and 6-year-old siblings survived because they hid in a cupboard before they were rescued.
Her little sister, who was initially presumed dead, crawled out from under her father's body and ran to a neighbor's house, the Washington Post quoted a relative of the girl as saying. The terrorists seized the girl there together with the neighboring family of five and took her and many others to the Gaza Strip. Last Friday, the girl turned four years old in captivity. She has now been released.
Hope for the release of more hostages
There is hope that even more hostages will now be released. The agreement provides for the possibility of extending the pause in fighting in return for the release of ten more hostages per day, Netanyahu said after a conversation with Biden. "That would be welcome." At the same time, he told Biden that the fighting would resume after the ceasefire. After the end of the agreement, Israel would "realize its war aims with full force".
Federal President Steinmeier had pledged Germany's unwavering support for Israel the previous day. "Our solidarity with Israel applies," he said in Jerusalem at a press conference with Israeli President Herzog. "It is not only with Israel as a victim of terror. Our solidarity is also with the Israel that defends itself, that fights against an existential threat." Steinmeier said this with regard to criticism of Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza, which has already cost thousands of civilian lives. It was necessary to spare the civilians in Gaza and provide them with the basic necessities of life, Steinmeier said. "That is what international humanitarian law demands."
What will be important on Monday
Steinmeier wants to visit the Auguste-Viktoria Hospital in East Jerusalem. Almost 100 Palestinian patients are being treated there. The Federal President wants to show that he also sees the suffering of the Palestinian population. Ten more hostages from the Gaza Strip are expected to be released on the same day. Meanwhile, tech billionaire Elon Musk meets Israeli President Herzog in Jerusalem. At the same time, negotiations on an extension of the ceasefire, which is due to expire on Tuesday morning, continue.
- Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his willingness to extend the ceasefire in the Gaza war if Hamas agrees to release more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages.
- During his visit to Israel, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier intends to visit a clinic in East Jerusalem where Palestinian patients are being treated, emphasizing the need for humanitarian aid and support for both Israeli and Palestinian populations.
- Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, is scheduled to meet with Israeli President Izchak Herzog and representatives of hostage families, with discussions likely to include the ongoing conflicts and anti-Semitism concerns.
Source: www.dpa.com
