Israel is ready for a second humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip to secure the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas in Gaza, President Isaac Herzog said Tuesday.
“I can reiterate the fact that Israel is ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release of hostages,” Anadolu news agency quoted Herzog as saying during a meeting with ambassadors of 80 countries.
The head of Hamas’ political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for talks aimed at brokering a new ceasefire deal between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Resistance.https://t.co/qLy8bzTARJ pic.twitter.com/CIjvXbx2E2
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 20, 2023
“The responsibility lies fully with (Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya) Sinwar and the leadership of Hamas,” he added.
A previous week-long humanitarian pause last month saw the release of 84 Israelis and 24 foreigners by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinians detained in Israel, including 71 women and 169 children.
There was no comment from the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas on the Israeli President’s statements.
Israeli Channel 12 said that the Israeli government is studying a proposal for a long-term truce in Gaza, though the Palestinian Resistance did not comment on the status of the ongoing indirect negotiations. https://t.co/kSgISqUFNT pic.twitter.com/0rP10LWbEi
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 20, 2023
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 19,667 Palestinians have been killed and 52,586 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7. Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(PC, MEMO)
