Israeli officials have agreed to consider delaying their ground invasion of Gaza for several days to allow negotiations to continue over the more than 200 hostages still being held by Hamas, a report said Tuesday.
“Both Israel and the Biden administration want to make every effort to try to get the hostages out of Gaza,” an unidentified senior Israeli official told Axios.
“If Hamas proposes a big package, of course, we will be ready to do something in return,” said the official, one of two who spoke to the outlet — and insisted that Israel’s plan for a ground attack would only be delayed by a few days, not fell
The official acknowledged that at least some of the hostages are likely to have been killed in Israeli counter-airstrikes on Gaza since the October 7 Hamas sneak attack on Israel. A Hamas official repeated the claim to Sky News on Monday that the Israeli strike had killed 22 hostages.
Israeli officials said they were aware that once their forces launched a ground attack, a deal for hostages would be nearly impossible, according to the outlet.
They told Egyptian mediators that if Hamas wants any kind of deal, it needs to at least release all the women and children it is holding.
Israeli officials are reportedly considering delaying a ground offensive in Gaza until Hamas releases hostages taken on Oct. 7. ANONYMOUS/AFP via Getty Images More than 200 people are believed to be detained in Gaza.Matthew Chattle/Shutterstock
The stand-off marks a shift from just a few days ago, when the Israeli military increased its presence on the southern border with Gaza.
Pictures taken by Reuters on Friday showed several Israeli tanks and other military equipment lining the border with the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials had warned in previous days that it would soon launch its ground offensive.
In a fiery speech Thursday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the military they would soon see Gaza “from the inside.”
Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat also announced Thursday that the Israel Defense Forces had been given the “green light” to carry out an attack on Gaza – a roughly 140-square-mile strip of land between Israel and the Mediterranean Sea.
Israel’s decision to delay its incursion marks a shift from just a few days ago, when its military increased its presence on the southern border with Gaza.ATEF SAFADI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
But on Friday, Hamas officials began freeing some of the hostages.
“In response to Qatar’s efforts, the Al-Qassam Brigade released two Americans [a mother and her daughter] for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the allegations made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless,” Hamas officials said in an announcement, according to the Times of Israel.
Former captive Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, were later photographed being escorted through the night by what appeared to be military officers.
Later on Monday night, Hamas released two more hostages, saying the move was made as part of negotiations with Qatar and Egypt.
A photo released Friday shows a group of Israeli tanks on the southern border with Gaza. HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Israeli officials told Axios that they are aware that if they launch a ground invasion, the hostage negotiations will end.Mirrorpix/MEGA
The hostages were identified as Nurit Yitzhak and Yochved Lifshitz, two Israelis who were released to the Red Cross.
The terrorist group said on its Telegram channel that it released them on “compelling humanitarian” grounds.
“We have decided to release them on humanitarian and satisfactory grounds even though the occupation has committed more than 8 violations of the procedures that have been agreed with the mediators that the occupation will follow today to complete the handover process,” the spokesman said. he said on Telegram.
The representative also said the terrorist group had offered to release the two elderly women over the weekend but Israel refused.
Hamas officials said they were ready to release two elderly hostages early if Israel agreed to a six-hour ceasefire.Getty Images
Israeli officials who spoke to Axios confirmed the account but said Hamas initially demanded that in return for their release, Israel would halt its airstrikes on Gaza for six hours.
The officials said Israel initially refused because it did not want to create a precedent in which Hamas would release two hostages every time it called for a ceasefire – which Israeli officials said could allow Hamas leaders to regroup and move from one hideout to another. .
President Biden said Monday he would not consider supporting a cease-fire in Israel until all hostages are released.
“We should free the hostage and then we can talk,” he told reporters, according to USA Today.
Israeli officials said they rejected the ceasefire because they did not want to set a precedent in which Hamas would release two hostages every time it wanted to pause fighting to regroup. AFP via Getty Images Israeli officials say the ceasefire will allow Hamas leaders to move from one hideout to another.Getty Images
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also seemed to reject the idea of a cease-fire, arguing that it would affect Israel’s ability to defend itself against the ongoing terrorist threat.
“Any ceasefire will give Hamas the ability to rest, recuperate and prepare to continue launching terrorist attacks against Israel,” he said.
“You can clearly understand why that is an unacceptable situation for Israel, as it would be an unacceptable situation for any country that has suffered such a brutal terrorist attack.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
